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  3. 2️⃣ Connect any device and collect data

Get started with the LTE-M Rapid Development Kit

Let's assume you created an account on AllThingsTalk Maker and created a LTE-M Rapid Development Kit as your device. This step by step guide will help you setting up all the components to feed data into the AllThingsTalk IoT Platform.

Shop for LTE-M Rapid Development Kit

Download and install the Arduino IDE

The open-source Arduino Software (IDE) makes it easy to write code and upload it to an Arduino compatible board. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. The environment is written in Java and based on Processing and other open-source software. 

  • Download Arduino IDE here.
  • After the download install the application as indicated.

Configure Arduino IDE for the Sodaq SARA board

In order to use the Arduino compatible SARA AFF Board board that is included in the LTE-M Rapid Development Kit we need to make sure that the SARA AFF "core" is installed in Arduino IDE.

  • Open the Arduino IDE application
  • Click on File > Preferences and at the bottom you should see ‘Additional Boards Manager URLs’. This is where you need to paste in the following URL:
http://downloads.sodaq.net/package_sodaq_samd_index.json

 

  • Click OK to confirm.
  • Next, in the Arduino menu select Tools > Board > Boards Manager… and search for 'SODAQ SARA'.
    Click on a board collection and an install button will appear. Install the latest version of the selected board collection. To continue select Close.

  • Set the SARA as board to be used. Click on Tools > Board:… > … and search for 'SODAQ SARA ...' (Located in the section SODAQ SAMD Boards).
  • Check if the SODAQ SARA board is now selected. Click Tools and verify if boards now mentions SODAQ SARA.

Installing the AllThingsTalk LTE-M libraries

For your convenience we have combined and published all libraries and example sketches in a single package. To install these complete the following steps:

  • Click on Tools > Manage Libraries… and search for 'AllThingsTalk'.
  • Install the latest version of the AllThingsTalk LTE-M SDK.

Everything is now set...

The only thing do for you is to decide which AllThingsTalk LTE-M RDK experiment corresponds to your intended use case or application.