For manual management of module you can use the following commands in asterisk CLI:

• module load chan_dongle.so
  Load module into Asterisk. Config is read from /path_to_asterisk_config/dongle.conf
• module unload chan_dongle.so
  Unload module from Asterisk. All modems are de-attached
• module reload chan_dongle.so
  Reload configuration from config file. If any change is done since last load, then it will be applied now. It is exactly that dongle reload gracefully

chan_dongle provides the following CLI commands:

• dongle cmd <device> <at_command>
  Send <at_command> to the rfcomm port on the device with the specified <device>
• dongle reset <device>
  Send reboot command to modem AT+CFUN=1,1
• dongle stop gracefully <device>
  Stop <device> gracefully. Prevents new incoming and outgoing calls and SMS and outgoing USSD from starting up, but allows calls/SMS/USSD in progress to continue. When all the calls/SMS/USSD have finished, <device> stops
• dongle stop now <device>
  Stop <device> now. Stops <device> immediately, ending any calls/SMS/USSD in progress
• dongle stop when convenient <device>
  Stop <device> when convenient. Waits until <device> has no calls/SMS/USSD in progress, and then it stops <device>. It does not prevent new calls/SMS/USSD from entering the <device>.
• dongle show device settings <device>
  Shows settings for <device>
• dongle show device state <device>
  Shows detailed state for <device>
• dongle show device statistics <device>
  Shows statistics for <device>
• dongle show devices
  Shows summarized state for all devices
• dongle show version
  Show module version
• dongle sms <device> <number> <message>
  Send SMS to <number> with the <message> using <device>
• dongle pdu <device> <pdu>
  Send PDU using <device>
• dongle ussd <device> <ussd>
  Send USSD command <ussd> using <device>
• dongle start <device>
  Start <device> if not removed from before.
• dongle restart gracefully <device>
  Prevents new incoming and outgoing calls and SMS and outgoing USSD from starting up in <device>, but allows calls/SMS/USSD in progress to continue. When call/SMS/USSD has finished, <device> restarts. Restart mean first stop device and second reopen and initialize.
• dongle restart now <device>
  Restarts <device> immediately, ending any calls/SMS/USSD in progress.
• dongle restart when convenient <device>
  Waits until <device> has no calls/SMS/USSD in progress, and then it restarts <device>. It does not prevent new calls/SMS/USSD from entering the <device>.
• dongle remove gracefully <device>
  Prevents new incoming and outgoing calls and SMS and outgoing USSD from starting up in <device>, but allows calls/SMS/USSD in progress to continue. When call/SMS/USSD has finished, <device> stopping and removed from module.
• dongle remove now <device>
  Remove <device> from Asterisk immediately.
• dongle remove when convenient <device>
  Waits until <device> has no calls/SMS/USSD in progress and then remove <device>. It does not prevent new calls/SMS/USSD from entering the <device>.
• dongle reload gracefully
  Reloads the chan_dongle configuration gracefully
• dongle reload now
  Reloads the chan_dongle configuration now
• dongle reload when convenient
  Reloads the chan_dongle configuration when convenient. BUG: complete removed devices from dongle.conf not removed from module after reload. Use disable=yes as workaround.

The following applications are provided by chan_dongle:

• DongleStatus(<Resource>, <Variable>)
• DongleSendSMS(<Device>, <Destination> [,Message [, Validity [, Report]]])

The following functions are provided by chan_dongle:

CHANNEL(callstate)

when reading may has values

• active
• held
• dialing
• alerting
• incoming
• waiting
• initialize
• released
• unknown

for example, you can separate incoming calls from waiting:

[dongle-incoming]
exten => s,1,GotoIf($["${CHANNEL(callstate)}" = "waiting"]?waiting-call)

Also, you can assign to this functions too, but this useful only when callstate changed from 'held' to 'active' and mean put on held other calls on this device and activate call linked with current asterisk channel. For example

exten => s,n,Set(CHANNEL(callstate)=active)

But remember that putting on hold GSM calls, does not cause termination or freeze dialplan execution for linked asterisk channels.

For each asterisk's channel created by chan_dongle (both incoming and outgoing legs) next channel variables are set

• DONGLENAME

name of device name

• DONGLEPROVIDER

same as 'Provider Name' column of 'dongle show devices' CLI command

• DONGLEIMEI

same as 'IMEI' column of 'dongle show devices' CLI command

• DONGLEIMSI

same as 'IMSI' column of 'dongle show devices' CLI command

• DONGLENUMBER

same as 'Number' column of 'dongle show devices' CLI command

For 'ussd' extension of incoming context next channel variables are set

• USSD_TYPE

numberic type of USSD Response from 0 till 5

• USSD_TYPE_STR

textual type of USSD Response one from 'USSD Notify', 'USSD Request', 'USSD Terminated by network', 'Other local client has responded', 'Operation not supported', 'Network time out'

• USSD

Content of USSD Response

• USSD_BASE64

Content of USSD Response encoded to Base64, useful when USSD is multiline

For 'sms' extension of incoming context next channel variables are set

• SMS

Content of SMS

• SMS_BASE64

Content of SMS encoded to Base64, useful when SMS is multiline

• CMGR

Raw CMGR response from dongle

• TOA

Type Of Address of SMS originator see also ${CALLERID(num)}

On incoming call, chan_dongle tries to find matching exten in defined context (see dongle.conf). There is 3 different exten to search, in the following order:

• Subscriber Number stored in SIM.
• Number defined in variable exten in dongle.conf
• s exten

To save Subscriber Number, you can write an entry for OWN NUMBERS storage on SIM. For example, in asterisk CLI

dongle cmd dongle0 AT+CPBS=\"ON\"
dongle cmd dongle0 AT+CPBW=1,\"+79139131234\",145

After restarting dongle0, incoming calls will start dialplan from exten

exten => +79139131234,1,Noop()

also variable CALLERID(dnid) will be set to +79139131234

If subscriber number is unknown, then you can set this in in dongle.conf

exten = +79139131234

If subscriber number is unknown and there is no exten entry in dongle.conf, then s exten will be used as starting point in dialpan.

You can handle received SMS and USSD using sms and ussd exten, respectively.

Example for received sms

[dongle-incoming-sms]
exten => sms,1,Noop(Incoming SMS from ${CALLERID(num)} ${BASE64_DECODE(${SMS_BASE64})})
exten => sms,n,System(echo '${STRFTIME(${EPOCH},,%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S)} - ${DONGLENAME} - ${CALLERID(num)}: ${BASE64_DECODE(${SMS_BASE64})}' >> /var/log/asterisk/sms.txt)
exten => sms,n,Hangup()

Example for received USSD

[dongle-incoming-ussd]
exten => ussd,1,Noop(Incoming USSD: ${BASE64_DECODE(${USSD_BASE64})})
exten => ussd,n,System(echo '${STRFTIME(${EPOCH},,%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S)} - ${DONGLENAME}: ${BASE64_DECODE(${USSD_BASE64})}' >> /var/log/asterisk/ussd.txt)
exten => ussd,n,Hangup()

Also note, execution of this exten takes place in a “Local” channel.

Always define sms and ussd extens for context where you handle incoming calls for dongle device! Otherwise, incoming SMS or USSD can execute extensions for voice call with unpredictable results.

[dongle-incoming]
include => dongle-incoming-sms
include => dongle-incoming-ussd

Also note that h exten is executed for SMS/USSD just before Local channel is destroyed.

Chan_dongle can provide the following manager commands:

• DongleShowDevices
• DongleSendUSSD
• DongleSendSMS
• DongleSendPDU
• DongleSetCCWA
• DongleReset
• DongleRestart
• DongleStop
• DongleStart
• DongleRemove
• DongleReload

Chan_dongle generates the following manager events:

• DongleDeviceEntry
• DongleShowDevicesComplete
• DongleUSSDStatus
• DongleSMSStatus
• DongleNewCUSD
• DongleNewUSSD
• DongleNewUSSDBase64
• DongleCEND
• DongleCallStateChange
• DongleStatus
• DongleNewCMGR
• DongleNewSMS
• DongleNewSMSBase64
• DonglePortFail

You can send AT commands to any modem using

CLI>dongle cmd <device> <AT_command>

Some useful AT commands: