SIM7020 Series_MQTT(S) 
_Application Note 
LPWA Module   
SIMCom Wireless Solutions Limited 
Building B, SIM Technology Building, No.633, Jinzhong Road 
Changning District, Shanghai P.R. China 
Tel: 86-21-31575100 
support@simcom.com 
www.simcom.com 
 
 
 
 
SIM7020  Series_MQTT(S)_Application  Note_V1.05 
SIM7020 Series_MQTT(S)_Application Note 
1.05 
2020.6.10 
Release 
 
Document Title: 
Version: 
Date: 
Status: 
 
 
GENERAL NOTES 
 
SIMCOM  OFFERS  THIS  INFORMATION  AS  A  SERVICE  TO  ITS  CUSTOMERS,  TO  SUPPORT 
APPLICATION AND ENGINEERING EFFORTS THAT USE THE PRODUCTS DESIGNED BY SIMCOM. 
THE  INFORMATION  PROVIDED  IS  BASED  UPON  REQUIREMENTS  SPECIFICALLY  PROVIDED  TO 
SIMCOM  BY  THE  CUSTOMERS.  SIMCOM  HAS  NOT  UNDERTAKEN  ANY  INDEPENDENT  SEARCH 
FOR ADDITIONAL RELEVANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING ANY INFORMATION THAT MAY BE IN THE 
CUSTOMER’S  POSSESSION.  FURTHERMORE,  SYSTEM  VALIDATION  OF  THIS  PRODUCT 
DESIGNED BY SIMCOM WITHIN A LARGER ELECTRONIC SYSTEM REMAINS THE RESPONSIBILITY 
OF  THE  CUSTOMER  OR  THE  CUSTOMER’S  SYSTEM  INTEGRATOR.  ALL  SPECIFICATIONS 
SUPPLIED HEREIN ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. 
 
 
COPYRIGHT 
 
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS PROPRIETARY TECHNICAL INFORMATION WHICH IS THE PROPERTY 
OF SIMCOM WIRELESS SOLUTIONS LIMITED COPYING, TO OTHERS AND USING THIS DOCUMENT, 
ARE FORBIDDEN WITHOUT EXPRESS AUTHORITY BY SIMCOM. OFFENDERS ARE LIABLE TO THE 
PAYMENT OF INDEMNIFICATIONS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED    BY SIMCOM IN THE PROPRIETARY 
TECHNICAL INFORMATION  ,INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO REGISTRATION GRANTING OF A 
PATENT , A UTILITY MODEL OR DESIGN. ALL SPECIFICATION SUPPLIED HEREIN ARE SUBJECT TO 
CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE AT ANY TIME. 
 
 
SIMCom Wireless Solutions Limited 
Building B, SIM Technology Building, No.633 Jinzhong Road, Changning District, Shanghai P.R. China 
Tel: +86 21 31575100 
Email: simcom@simcom.com 
 
For more information, please visit: 
https://www.simcom.com/download/list-863-en.html 
 
For technical support, or to report documentation errors, please visit: 
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Copyright © 2020 SIMCom Wireless Solutions Limited All Rights Reserved. 
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SIM7020  Series_MQTT(S)_Application  Note_V1.05 
 
About Document 
 
Version History 
Date 
2018.04.10 
2018.06.07 
2019.05.10 
2019.09.09 
2020.06.10 
Owner 
Xiaohui.Xu 
Albert Meng 
Xiaohui.Xu/Wenjie.lai 
Xiaohui.Xu 
Xiaohui.Xu 
What is new 
First Release. 
Revised 
Add MQTT introduction and SSL sample 
Add MQTTS connect to Azure IoT 
All 
Version 
V1.00 
V1.01 
V1.03 
V1.04 
V1.05 
 
 
Scope 
This document applies to the following products 
 
Size(mm)  Comments 
Name 
Type 
17.6*15.7 
Band 1/3/5/8 
SIM7020C  NB1 
Band 1/3/5/8/20/28 
17.6*15.7 
SIM7020E  NB1 
Band 1/3/5/8 
NB1 
SIM7030 
16*18 
NB1+GNSS  24*24 
SIM7060 
Band 5/8 
Band 1/2/3/4/5/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/25/26/28/66/70/71/85 
SIM7020G  NB2 
SIM7060G  NB2+GNSS  24*24 
Band 1/2/3/4/5/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/25/26/28/66/70/71/85 
 
 
 
 
17.6*15.7 
 
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SIM7020  Series_MQTT(S)_Application  Note_V1.05 
 
Contents   
 
About Document .................................................................................................................... 3 
Version History ...................................................................................................................................... 3 
Scope .................................................................................................................................................... 3 
Contents ................................................................................................................................. 4 
Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 5 
1 
1.1  Purpose of the document ............................................................................................................ 5 
1.2  Related documents ..................................................................................................................... 5 
1.3  Conventions and abbreviations ................................................................................................... 5 
2  MQTT Introduction ........................................................................................................... 6 
3  AT Commands for MQTT ................................................................................................. 7 
4  Bearer Configuration ....................................................................................................... 8 
4.1  PDN Auto-activation .................................................................................................................... 8 
4.2  APN Manual configuration .......................................................................................................... 9 
5  MQTT Synchronization Mode ....................................................................................... 10 
6  MQTT Examples ............................................................................................................. 11 
6.1  MQTT Connect to a general MQTT server ................................................................................ 11 
6.2  MQTT Connect to Alibaba Cloud .............................................................................................. 11 
7  MQTTS Examples .......................................................................................................... 13 
7.1  MQTTS Connect with AT+CSETCA .......................................................................................... 13 
7.2  MQTTS Connect to Azure IoT ................................................................................................... 16 
 
 
 
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SIM7020  Series_MQTT(S)_Application  Note_V1.05 
 
 
1 Introduction 
1.1  Purpose of the document 
Based on module AT command manual, this document will introduce MQTT(S) application process. 
 
Developers could understand and develop application quickly and efficiently based on this document. 
 
 
1.2  Related documents 
[1] SIM7020 Series_AT Command Manual 
 
 
1.3  Conventions and abbreviations 
In this document, the GSM engines are referred to as following term: 
ME (Mobile Equipment); 
MS (Mobile Station); 
TA (Terminal Adapter); 
DCE (Data Communication Equipment) or facsimile DCE (FAX modem, FAX board); 
 
In application, controlling device controls the GSM engine by sending AT Command via its serial interface. 
The controlling device at the other end of the serial line is referred to as following term: 
TE (Terminal Equipment); 
DTE (Data Terminal Equipment) or plainly "the application" which is running on an embedded system; 
 
 
 
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SIM7020  Series_MQTT(S)_Application  Note_V1.05 
 
2 MQTT Introduction 
 
MQTT  (Message  Queue  Telemetry  Transport)  is  a  messaging  protocol  based  on  the  publish/subscribe 
paradigm under the ISO standard (ISO/IEC PRF 20922). It works on the TCP/IP protocol suite and is a 
publish/subscribe messaging protocol designed for remote devices with poor hardware performance and 
poor network conditions. 
The MQTT protocol is a protocol designed for the communication of remote sensors and control devices 
with limited computing power and working on low-bandwidth, unreliable networks. It has the following main 
features: 
1)  Use  the  publish/subscribe  message  mode  to  provide  one-to-many  message  publishing  and 
uncouple the application; 
2)  Message transmission for shielding the payload content; 
3)  Provide network connection using TCP/IP; 
4)  There are three types of message publishing service quality: 
"At most once," message publishing relies entirely on the underlying TCP/IP network. 
Message  loss  or  duplication  can  occur.  This  level  can  be  used  in  the  following 
situations, environmental sensor data, loss of a read record does not matter, because 
there will be a second transmission in the near future. 
"At  least  once"  to  ensure  that  the  message  arrives,  but  message  duplication  may 
occur. 
"Only  once"  to  ensure  that  the  message  arrives  once.  This  level  can  be  used  in 
situations where repeated or missing messages can result in incorrect results. 
 
 
 
 
5)  Small transmission, low overhead (fixed length of the head is 2 bytes), protocol exchange is 
minimized to reduce network traffic; 
6)  Use the Last Will and Testament features to notify the parties about the mechanism of client 
abort. 
 
 
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SIM7020  Series_MQTT(S)_Application  Note_V1.05 
 
3 AT Commands for MQTT 
 
Command 
AT+CMQNEW     
AT+CMQCON     
AT+CMQDISCON     
AT+CMQSUB     
AT+CMQUNSUB     
AT+CMQPUB     
+CMQDISCON 
AT+CMQALICFG 
AT+CMQALICON 
AT+CMQTTSNEW 
AT+CMQTTSNEWEXT 
AT+CMQAZURECFG 
AT+CMQAZURECON 
AT+CMQTSYNC 
 
Description 
New MQTT 
Send MQTT Connection Packet 
Disconnect MQTT 
Send MQTT Subscribe Packet 
Send MQTT Unsubscribe Packet 
Send MQTT Publish Packet 
MQTT Disconnect Indication 
Configure Alibaba Clound Parameters 
Send MQTT Connection Packet to Alibaba Cloud 
New MQTTS 
New a MQTTS Instance by Multi Packages for a Long Size Command 
Configure Microsoft Azure IoT Parameters 
Send MQTT Connection Packet to Azure IoT 
Configure MQTT Synchronization Mode 
For detail information, please refer to “SIM7020 Series_AT Command Manual”. 
 
 
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SIM7020  Series_MQTT(S)_Application  Note_V1.05 
 
4 Bearer Configuration 
 
Usually module will register PS service automatically. 
 
4.1 
PDN Auto-activation 
//Check RF signal 
//Check PS service 
 
//Example of PDN Auto-activation. 
 
//Check SIM card status 
AT+CPIN? 
+CPIN: READY                                                                                                         
 
OK 
AT+CSQ 
+CSQ: 20,0 
 
OK 
AT+CGREG? 
+CGREG: 0,1 
 
OK 
AT+CGACT? 
+CGACT: 1,1 
 
OK 
AT+COPS? 
+COPS: 0,2,"46000",9 
 
OK 
AT+CGCONTRDP   
+CGCONTRDP: 
1,5,"cmnbiot","100.80.73.123.255.255.255.0" 
 
OK 
 
 
//Activated automatically. 
 
//Query Network information, operator and network 
mode 9, NB-IOT network 
//Attached  PS  domain  and  got 
IP  address 
automatically. 
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