We are excited to announce a new firmware update (v3134) for the Soracom LTE-M Button, packed with enhancements and new features to improve functionality and user experience.

Features and improvements

New Alert mode

This firmware introduces a new Alert mode. Like the standard click function, this mode will send an uplink message when the button is clicked. However, this mode prioritizes sending the uplink message without any extra delays, and will disable the ability to accidentally cancel uplink messages to ensure that clicks are delivered, making it useful for emergency situations.

Alert mode also features a new configurable Network Standby setting which will keep the network connection open for a short period after every uplink, so that subsequent clicks can be sent immediately without the need to reconnect. Alert mode can also be combined with the existing Heartbeat behavior so that you can identify if a button has lost coverage or needs new batteries.

Battery voltage in all messages

Battery voltage, previously reported only in Status and Heartbeat uplink messages, is now included in all uplink messages. Now, no matter if you are using the standard Event (click) modes, the Timer mode, or the new Alert mode, you can monitor your button's battery voltage without the need to separately trigger a Status message or enable Heartbeat.

Automatic Status message

This firmware now features a setting to automatically send a Status message every 24 hours. When enabled, this setting allows for remotely modifying a button's operating mode or settings, without requiring any user interaction. The Status message can also be used to trigger a firmware update if available, allowing the button to stay updated similarly without any user interaction.

Better LED patterns

The LED will now show 1 short blink, 2 short blinks, or 1 long blink corresponding to the type of click detected, allowing a user to visually confirm their intended click. In addition, the LED will now blink slowly when connecting to a network, and quickly once connected and sending the uplink message. Finally, when the button is configured for the new Alert mode, the LED will blink orange after each click, making it easy to differentiate from other modes.

Bug fixes

(Breaking change) Fixed incorrect Rising and Falling edge events

The Rising and Falling edge events in firmware v2220 were mistakenly implemented in reverse, resulting in the button data indicating "Rising edge" instead of "Falling edge" when a circuit using the 2-wire accessory is closed, and vice-versa. As this may have an impact on some circuit designs, these values have been swapped in the new firmware in order to match the original intended behavior:

• v2220 behavior:
  • When a circuit is closed, the button data indicates a “Rising edge” event
  • When a circuit is opened, the button data indicates “Falling edge” event
• v3134 behavior:
  • When a circuit is closed, the button data indicates “Falling edge” event
  • When a circuit is opened, the button data indicates “Rising edge” event

In order to avoid breaking existing applications, the v2220 behavior has not been altered. However, if your application relies on separating Rising and Falling edge events, please note that you will need to switch your application logic when updating to v3134.

Note: Due to hardware limitations, the button may still occasionally incorrectly detect the type of edge event (Rising or Falling). While enabling edge debounce can reduce this issue, incorrect detections may still occur due to an inconsistent or noisy signal from a loose wire, faulty switch, or other circuit components.

Removed unexpected TCP uplink message

In v2220, the button periodically sends a TCP uplink message to Soracom Beam. This message was used for testing and does not contain any user data, however as the button sends actual button data via UDP and a Soracom Beam TCP configuration is not required, a “configuration not found” error would occur. This TCP uplink message has been removed from the new firmware.

How to update

To update your button firmware, please contact the Soracom Support team with the ICCID(s) of your button(s) in order to receive firmware update instructions and for additional assistance. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you are unsure of whether your button has the latest firmware, or if you have any other questions or concerns.