26.2.3. Example Demonstrating How to Use the +CMGR AT Command to Read SMS Text Messages from a Message Storage Area (SMS Text Mode)

Now let's see a more detailed example that demonstrates how to use the +CMGR AT command to read SMS text messages from a message storage area when SMS text mode is used, and how the +CMGR AT command should be used together with other AT commands.

Instructing the GSM/GPRS Modem or Mobile Phone to Operate in SMS Text Mode

First, enter the command line "AT+CMGF=1" in a terminal program (for example, HyperTerminal in Microsoft Windows) to instruct the GSM/GPRS modem or mobile phone to operate in SMS text mode. This step is necessary because the default mode is SMS PDU mode. Below shows the response returned from Nokia 6021 to HyperTerminal after the execution of the command line "AT+CMGF=1":

AT+CMGF=1
OK

The final result code OK indicates the +CMGF AT command was executed successfully. If the final result code ERROR is returned, it is likely that the GSM/GPRS modem or mobile phone does not support SMS text mode. To check whether the GSM/GPRS modem or mobile phone supports SMS text mode, enter the command line "AT+CMGF=?" in the terminal program. Here is the response returned from Nokia 6021 to HyperTerminal:

AT+CMGF=?
+CMGF: (0,1)

OK

The values in the parentheses indicate the modes that the GSM/GPRS modem or mobile phone can operate in. The value 0 represents SMS PDU mode and the value 1 represents SMS text mode. From the above response, we know that Nokia 6021 can operate in either SMS PDU mode or SMS text mode. See the section titled "Selecting the Operating Mode (AT+CMGF)" of this SMS tutorial if you want to learn further details about the +CMGF AT command.

Selecting the Message Storage Area to Read SMS Text Messages from

Second, use the AT command +CPMS (command name in text: Preferred Message Storage) to select the message storage area to read SMS text messages from. For example, to instruct the GSM/GPRS modem or mobile phone to use the message storage area in the SIM card for the AT command +CMGR, enter the command line 'AT+CPMS="SM"' in the terminal program. Then press the Enter key on the keyboard and you should see something similar to this:

AT+CPMS="SM"
+CPMS: 2,10,2,10,3,160

OK

Detailed information about the +CPMS AT command is available in the "Preferred Message Storage (AT+CPMS)" section of this SMS tutorial.

Reading Text Messages

Third, you can now use the +CMGR AT command to read a text message from the message storage area. Let's say you would like to read the text message at index 1. You should enter the following command line in the terminal program:

AT+CMGR=1

Then press the Enter key on the keyboard and the GSM/GPRS modem or mobile phone will execute the command line "AT+CMGR=1". If it reads the SMS text message successfully, the result returned should look something like this:

AT+CMGR=1
+CMGR: "REC UNREAD","+85291234567",,"07/02/18,00:05:10+32"
It is easy to read text messages via AT commands.

OK

Here is a brief description of the various field values in the information response above:

• The value of the first field, "REC UNREAD", indicates the status of the text message is "received unread", which means it is a text message received from the SMSC and it has not been read.

• The value of the second field, "+85291234567", is the sender's phone number.

• The value of the third field should be a string that contains the text associated to the sender's phone number "+85291234567" in the phonebook. In this example, this field is empty. One possible reason is that the GSM/GPRS modem or mobile phone (for example, Nokia 6021 and many other Nokia products) does not support this field.

• The value of the fourth field, "07/02/18,00:05:10+32", tells us that the SMSC received the text message at 00:05:10 (GMT+8) on 18 Feb 2007. (Don't forget the unit of time zone is a quarter of an hour. Since 32 quarters of an hour = 8 hours, "+32" means GMT+8 hours.)

• The value of the fifth field, "It is easy to read text messages via AT commands.", is the body of the SMS message.

The final result code OK indicates the SMS text message was read from the message storage area successfully. If the execution of the +CMGR AT command fails, the GSM/GPRS modem or mobile phone will return either the final result code ERROR or +CMS ERROR.

After using the +CMGR AT command to read the SMS text message, its status was changed from "received unread" to "received read". So, if the command line "AT+CMGR=1" is executed again, you will see a slightly different result (note the part highlighted in bold type):

AT+CMGR=1
+CMGR: "REC READ","+85291234567",,"07/02/18,00:05:10+32"
It is easy to read text messages via AT commands.

OK

The SMS text message "It is easy to read text messages via AT commands." is an incoming text message. If the SMS text message retrieved is an outgoing text message, the format of the +CMGR information response will be different. To see the differences, first write a new outgoing text message to the message storage area using the +CMGW AT command (command name in text: Write Message to Memory), like this:

AT+CMGW="+85291234567"
> A simple example of SMS text messaging.
+CMGW: 2

OK

(Note: Make sure the same message storage area is selected for writing and reading text messages. See "Selecting the Message Storage Areas to be Used for SMS Reading, Writing, Deleting, Sending or Receiving" if you do not know how this can be done.)

Then read both text messages using the +CMGR AT command:

AT+CMGR=1;+CMGR=2
+CMGR: "REC READ","+85291234567",,"07/02/18,00:05:10+32"
It is easy to read text messages via AT commands.

+CMGR: "STO UNSENT","+85291234567",
A simple example of SMS text messaging.

OK

As you can see, the +CMGR information response of the incoming text message contains the service center timestamp field, while that of the outgoing text message does not.

As mentioned in the earlier section "Format of the Information Response of the +CMGR AT Command in SMS Text Mode" of this SMS tutorial, eight optional fields are not shown in the information response of the +CMGR AT command by default. They are address_type, TPDU_first_octet, protocol_identifier, data_coding_scheme, validity_period, service_center_address, service_center_address_type and sms_message_body_length. To show these optional fields, you have to specify the value 1 to the +CSDH AT command (command name in text: Show Text Mode Parameters), like this:

AT+CSDH=1
OK

Now send the command line "AT+CMGR=1;+CMGR=2" to the GSM/GPRS modem or mobile phone again and you should obtain the following result:

AT+CMGR=1;+CMGR=2
+CMGR: "REC READ","+85291234567",,"07/02/18,00:05:10+32",145,4,0,0,"+85290000000",145,49
It is easy to read text messages via AT commands.

+CMGR: "STO UNSENT","+85291234567",,145,17,0,0,167,"+85290000000",145,39
A simple example of SMS text messaging.

OK

Suppose there is no message located at index 3 of the message storage area. If you specify the index 3 to the +CMGR AT command, the GSM/GPRS modem or mobile phone will return +CMS error 321 (which means the index is invalid), like this:

AT+CMGR=3
+CMS ERROR: 321

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