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Critical Parameters - [Oyster3]

The Oyster3 is a highly configurable device. Many parameter options are available so that setup can be tailored to suit specific use cases, or enable features. 

For many use cases, the defaults are a great starting point, but there are a few parameters which users should pay attention to and configure in order to optimise the performance and battery life of the device. 

Update Firmware
Over time, firmware updates are released that optimise device performance, and add features. They are not applied automatically. When provisioning it is worth updating the device firmware to the latest version. Most updates are 200-400kB. 
See OEM Server - Getting Started for details on the FW update process.
Set the Network Profile

For optimal battery life, it is important to set the network profile in admin parameters. 

The network profile sets the LTE-M and NB-IoT bandmasks on the device. Most networks only use at most a few bands. Setting the bandmasks means when trying to connect to the network, the device will only scan these bands, rather than all possible bands - saving a lot of energy. 

See Setting the Network Profile - LTE-M/NB-IoT devices for instructions on how to set the profile, and create a template to apply to all devices. 

If you are unsure on which profile to set, contact support.

Upload Timeouts: Registration Strategy
The Oyster3 is able to detect early when it is out of coverage, and quit the upload early. This can save a massive amount of energy if the device is regularly out of coverage, as otherwise the modem will stay on draining power until the upload times out. There are different strategies to manage this behaviour, "Auto" is defaulted, the device will automatically select the best strategy for the SIM card you have used. This parameter can be left as default, but is worth noting. If you experience issues it may require adjustment. More detail about this feature here : Upload Timeouts - Network Registration Strategy [Oyster3]
Advanced GPS Settings: GPS Detector
The device will also quit a GPS fix attempt early if it detects early on that signal is very poor. 
See GPS Settings - [Oyster3]for details. The default behaviour is:
  • Device wakes up and attempts to get a GPS Fix
  • If after 15 seconds, we can't even see satellite at all (even with weak signal), give up
  • If after another 5 sec (20 sec total), we can't see 2, give up
  • If after another 5 sec (25 sec total), we can't see 3, give up
  • If after another 5 sec (30 sec total), we can't see 4, give up

The idea here being that if we can't see even a couple of satellites early on, we're probably undercover where we won't get a fix even if we spent 60-120 seconds trying, so we should quit the attempt. 

This will save battery life in the majority of cases, but it could cause issues acquiring fixes in some scenarios, in which case the Advance GPS Settings should be adjusted.

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