Sierra Wireless Modems - Selecting the Preferred Carrier Firmware

[JimHelms]

This topic as came up on enough occasions, I thought it would be useful to include it here.

The later Sierra Wireless modems (i.e., EM/MC74XX, EM75XX) stores four (or more) different carrier's firmware on the modem. You can select which carrier firmware you want to use via AT Commands.

Run the following AT Command that will return the carrier firmware that is being used on the modem.

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AT!IMPREF?

To view what other carrier firmware is on the modem, run this command:

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AT!IMAGE?

Most applications use the Generic carrier firmware.

To select using the Generic firmware would require this command:

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AT!ENTERCND="A710"
AT!IMPREF="GENERIC"
AT!RESET

Use the same logic to select another carrier as your preferred firmware.

[BillA]

When you say "carrier's firmware", do you mean a carrier profile with preset band values, or an actual firmware flash file?
Don't we just use the "generic" firmware anyway in most cases?
Hope this could clarify it for everyone.

[JimHelms]

When you say "carrier's firmware", do you mean a carrier profile with preset band values, or an actual firmware flash file?

The modem contains the carrier's actual firmware.

As an example, these are the latest carrier's firmware available for the Sierra Wireless MC7455:

Sierra Wireless Carrier Firmware.png

We can test the modem for these images with the command:

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AT!IMAGE?

Carrier images.png

Don't we just use the "generic" firmware anyway in most cases?

The Generic firmware works for most applications although at times, the carrier specific firmware may be preferred.

Also, it is important to know that when flashing one of these modems, the last carrier firmware image that is used for the flashing process will become the default preferred carrier.

As an example, the MC7455 shown above was updated with all four of the different carrier firmware executable files, with AT&T being the last--which now becomes the preferred carrier:

Preferred Carrier per Last Image.png

Although we may select the preferred image using the command:

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AT!IMPREF="GENERIC"

Preferred Carrier to GN.png

One other important factor that I have discovered when flashing firmware, is to always flash "each" carrier firmware twice.

This will avoid the mismatch error that is sometimes produced when selecting a preferred carrier.

Hope this could clarify it for everyone.

Hopefully this helps to better clarify the subject.

[BillA]

Egg-cellent, all crystal clear now!
These multiple firmware slots are probably unique to Sierra modems, because I've never seen anything like that on other modems.

[Jardin_Espanol]

Telit LM940 and LM960 modems have multiple carrier images as well.