LTE modem autostart on boot for the A-06 (SuperMarioSF)
A systemd unit that powers the 4G module at boot, brings ModemManager up behind it and shuts it down cleanly, so the modem is there when the desktop appears.
What it takes
- Config change
Difficulty 1 of 3 — easy.
Details
SuperMarioSF's uConsoleLTE.service wraps the three things the stock scripts leave manual: enabling module power, starting ModemManager after it, and restarting ModemManager so the 9001-firmware modem is actually detected. Install the unit from the gist, run systemctl daemon-reload, then enable it; the trade-off is a roughly 30-second delay at shutdown while the module is powered off safely.
It only gets the modem up — the APN and connection still come from NetworkManager, which the same author's how-to guide covers; Funcron's greyed-out connection in the replies was pointed at NetworkManager setup and band compatibility rather than the service.
Links
Open at Forum threadRelated mods
ClockworkPi's LTE Cat 4 modem card for the expansion slot: global bands, GNSS, a SIM slot and a voice jack, with two firmware personalities to know about.
A printed replacement for the stock antenna cover that hides a full-size dual-band Wi-Fi antenna and an LTE antenna behind an engraved 'uConsole CM4' panel.
Drill two holes in the back panel for SMA bulkheads, run LTE-band whips that also help Wi-Fi, and line the inside with aluminium and kapton tape.
One line in config.txt switches a CM4 from its on-module PCB antenna to the u.FL connector the uConsole's antenna is actually plugged into.
Swap the stock foil antenna for a u.FL-to-RP-SMA pigtail, a small dual-band whip and a printed mount, with three years of measurements behind the choice.
The zero-cost fix: a scrap of plastic or foam tape between the foil antenna and the aluminium body, plus a re-routed lead, is worth 10–15 points of signal.