RF/Radio properties of the ServiceMode Application
Thread Difficulty: HARD
Thread Noob Patience: LOW
Thread Topic
This thread is a Reference and Research & Development thread for
investigating and to better document the various radio related variables
as found and displayed by the ServiceMode application. Here we are
particularly concerned with those found in Samsung phones, but as
you will see, this is more modem (BP/CP) dependent than phone model
dependent. So much of this info should also apply to other devices
using the same modem.
Off Topic?
If you have questions that does not directly concern the main focus
of this thread, please ask in the general forum. If you ask support
questions here, they will be deleted without warning.
If you're just looking for info how to enter the Service Menu on a recent
Samsung, look in this thread:
[REF][ServiceMode] How to make your Samsung perform dog tricks
Background
Because the ServiceMode (SM) application is really running in the
Modem under its own RTOS, it is limited in the presentation. So what
you see running in the AOS ServiceMode application is really just a
Java wrapper to code that is running in the RTOS. This severely
limits the information presented, if accessible at all.
Most mobile device manufacturers doesn't want their users to have
access to the ServiceMode functions, for various and good reasons.
Perhaps the best reason is that you can easily hard-brick your
device and/or mess up all the internal radio related settings.
However, we are already used to this, so why not have a better look
at the mobile network parameters within our devices. These can be
extremely useful from identifying network problems to detect and
prevent illegal or clandestine mobile network monitoring.
So what are the limiting factors of the ServiceMode Application?
But the mobile network interface is transparent from the AOS AP point
of view, so a large set of radio parameters must comply to the 3GPP
standards in order for your device to function properly. But only a
very small subset of these RF parameters are part of the non-internal AOS API.
We want more!
By carefully looking at all the details and information that is
presented by the SM application, we can find out many more and
useful network details, such as ciphering modes, network types,
bands, and technology used. But to do this we need to understand
the language used. Unfortunately, many times the language does
not reflect the current 3GPP standards, so we are left to guess,
until some anonymous modem RF-expert/developer come along and
correct us.
So if you happen to know anything specific, this is where you
can really help this thread...
ServiceMode Vocabulary
Here I try to resolve some of the more obscure sounding items,
as found in the SM of mainly two devices.
(a) Samsung Galaxy S2 (GT-I9100, XXKI1 with Intel XMM6260 modem)
(b) Samsung Galaxy S4-mini (GT-I9195, XXUBML4 with Qualcomm MSM8930AB SoC)
In post#2 you will find an almost complete menu structure for
the UMTS MENU items as found in (b). I have not posted the items
for the LTE or CDMA menus, since I don't have that network, which
means I don't know how they would look. So feel free to post your
own findings, if you use those.
Also, remember that the end-point/detailed view of the menu
items, depend on your current network. I.e. you will see
different items, when connected to GSM vs. WCDMA, and so on.
In post#3 I show the detailed explanations of the various
3GPP defined RR timers as shown under the NAS/MM items.
In post#4 I attempt to describe the specific end-point menu items:
I still need help deciphering some of those values.
(What exactly do they represent and mean?)
Thread Difficulty: HARD
Thread Noob Patience: LOW
Thread Topic
This thread is a Reference and Research & Development thread for
investigating and to better document the various radio related variables
as found and displayed by the ServiceMode application. Here we are
particularly concerned with those found in Samsung phones, but as
you will see, this is more modem (BP/CP) dependent than phone model
dependent. So much of this info should also apply to other devices
using the same modem.
Off Topic?
If you have questions that does not directly concern the main focus
of this thread, please ask in the general forum. If you ask support
questions here, they will be deleted without warning.
If you're just looking for info how to enter the Service Menu on a recent
Samsung, look in this thread:
[REF][ServiceMode] How to make your Samsung perform dog tricks
Background
Because the ServiceMode (SM) application is really running in the
Modem under its own RTOS, it is limited in the presentation. So what
you see running in the AOS ServiceMode application is really just a
Java wrapper to code that is running in the RTOS. This severely
limits the information presented, if accessible at all.
Most mobile device manufacturers doesn't want their users to have
access to the ServiceMode functions, for various and good reasons.
Perhaps the best reason is that you can easily hard-brick your
device and/or mess up all the internal radio related settings.
However, we are already used to this, so why not have a better look
at the mobile network parameters within our devices. These can be
extremely useful from identifying network problems to detect and
prevent illegal or clandestine mobile network monitoring.
So what are the limiting factors of the ServiceMode Application?
- It is a Java wrapper application that is usually made by
the device manufacturer (Samsung, HTC, Nokia etc) that
need to be present and compatible with your AOS FW.
(API, RIL etc) - The actual code is running in Modem RTOS and usually queried
by ServiceMode.apk by the use of a RIL_REQUEST_OEM_HOOK_RAW request,
that allows requests to circumvent the normal RIL filter. - The parameters present depends on the Modem FW versions.
(You will find many misspellings and other FUBAR objects in
various modem SM presentations.) - The displayed RF related parameters depend on the Modem HW,
and are thus completely different in an Intel XMM modem, than
for an Qualcomm MSM type modem/processor SoC, and so on. - The displayed RF related parameters depend on the network
you are currently using and connected to.
But the mobile network interface is transparent from the AOS AP point
of view, so a large set of radio parameters must comply to the 3GPP
standards in order for your device to function properly. But only a
very small subset of these RF parameters are part of the non-internal AOS API.
We want more!
By carefully looking at all the details and information that is
presented by the SM application, we can find out many more and
useful network details, such as ciphering modes, network types,
bands, and technology used. But to do this we need to understand
the language used. Unfortunately, many times the language does
not reflect the current 3GPP standards, so we are left to guess,
until some anonymous modem RF-expert/developer come along and
correct us.
So if you happen to know anything specific, this is where you
can really help this thread...
ServiceMode Vocabulary
Here I try to resolve some of the more obscure sounding items,
as found in the SM of mainly two devices.
(a) Samsung Galaxy S2 (GT-I9100, XXKI1 with Intel XMM6260 modem)
(b) Samsung Galaxy S4-mini (GT-I9195, XXUBML4 with Qualcomm MSM8930AB SoC)
In post#2 you will find an almost complete menu structure for
the UMTS MENU items as found in (b). I have not posted the items
for the LTE or CDMA menus, since I don't have that network, which
means I don't know how they would look. So feel free to post your
own findings, if you use those.
Also, remember that the end-point/detailed view of the menu
items, depend on your current network. I.e. you will see
different items, when connected to GSM vs. WCDMA, and so on.
In post#3 I show the detailed explanations of the various
3GPP defined RR timers as shown under the NAS/MM items.
In post#4 I attempt to describe the specific end-point menu items:
Code:
[SIZE=2] [1] BASIC INFORMATION
[1] MM INFORMATION
[2] MM REJECT CAUSE
[3] GMM REJECT CAUSE
[3] AS INFORMATION
[4] NEIGHBOUR CELL
[/SIZE]I still need help deciphering some of those values.
(What exactly do they represent and mean?)
Last edited:
