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GSM Equipment and Network Error Codes

When controlling GSM devices using AT commands, the device can respond with either "OK" or "ERROR". Sometimes you will receive an error and you do not know the cause of this error.

That's why most advanced GSM devices support extended errors. Instead of just displaying the "ERROR" message, it also shows an error number. The syntax of this extended error is either "+CMS ERROR: xxx" or "+CME ERROR: xxx".

When the error starts with "+CME ERROR", it means that the error is a device specific error code. For instance, you are trying to read a phonebook entry before entering a pincode.

When there is a network error, for instance, when you try to send an SMS message when there is no network coverage, you will receive an error which starts with "+CMS ERROR".

To enable these extended commands, execute the following commands, or add them to your modems init string:

AT+CMEE=1
AT&W

Below you can find a list containing almost every error code supported by GSM devices. We try to keep this list up to date, so please contact us if you find omissions..

CME ERROR's (GSM Equipment related codes)

Error Description
CME ERROR: 0 Phone failure
CME ERROR: 1 No connection to phone
CME ERROR: 2 Phone adapter link reserved
CME ERROR: 3 Operation not allowed
CME ERROR: 4 Operation not supported
CME ERROR: 5 PH_SIM PIN required
CME ERROR: 6 PH_FSIM PIN required
CME ERROR: 7 PH_FSIM PUK required
CME ERROR: 10 SIM not inserted
CME ERROR: 11 SIM PIN required
CME ERROR: 12 SIM PUK required
CME ERROR: 13 SIM failure
CME ERROR: 14 SIM busy
CME ERROR: 15 SIM wrong
CME ERROR: 16 Incorrect password
CME ERROR: 17 SIM PIN2 required
CME ERROR: 18 SIM PUK2 required
CME ERROR: 20 Memory full
CME ERROR: 21 Invalid index
CME ERROR: 22 Not found
CME ERROR: 23 Memory failure
CME ERROR: 24 Text string too long
CME ERROR: 25 Invalid characters in text string
CME ERROR: 26 Dial string too long
CME ERROR: 27 Invalid characters in dial string
CME ERROR: 30 No network service
CME ERROR: 31 Network timeout
CME ERROR: 32 Network not allowed, emergency calls only
CME ERROR: 40 Network personalization PIN required
CME ERROR: 41 Network personalization PUK required
CME ERROR: 42 Network subset personalization PIN required
CME ERROR: 43 Network subset personalization PUK required
CME ERROR: 44 Service provider personalization PIN required
CME ERROR: 45 Service provider personalization PUK required
CME ERROR: 46 Corporate personalization PIN required
CME ERROR: 47 Corporate personalization PUK required
CME ERROR: 48 PH-SIM PUK required
CME ERROR: 100 Unknown error
CME ERROR: 103 Illegal MS
CME ERROR: 106 Illegal ME
CME ERROR: 107 GPRS services not allowed
CME ERROR: 111 PLMN not allowed
CME ERROR: 112 Location area not allowed
CME ERROR: 113 Roaming not allowed in this location area
CME ERROR: 126 Operation temporary not allowed
CME ERROR: 132 Service operation not supported
CME ERROR: 133 Requested service option not subscribed
CME ERROR: 134 Service option temporary out of order
CME ERROR: 148 Unspecified GPRS error
CME ERROR: 149 PDP authentication failure
CME ERROR: 150 Invalid mobile class
CME ERROR: 256 Operation temporarily not allowed
CME ERROR: 257 Call barred
CME ERROR: 258 Phone is busy
CME ERROR: 259 User abort
CME ERROR: 260 Invalid dial string
CME ERROR: 261 SS not executed
CME ERROR: 262 SIM Blocked
CME ERROR: 263 Invalid block
CME ERROR: 772 SIM powered down

CMS ERROR's (GSM Network related codes)

Error Description
CMS ERROR: 1 Unassigned number
CMS ERROR: 8 Operator determined barring
CMS ERROR: 10 Call bared
CMS ERROR: 21 Short message transfer rejected
CMS ERROR: 27 Destination out of service
CMS ERROR: 28 Unindentified subscriber
CMS ERROR: 29 Facility rejected
CMS ERROR: 30 Unknown subscriber
CMS ERROR: 38 Network out of order
CMS ERROR: 41 Temporary failure
CMS ERROR: 42 Congestion
CMS ERROR: 47 Recources unavailable
CMS ERROR: 50 Requested facility not subscribed
CMS ERROR: 69 Requested facility not implemented
CMS ERROR: 81 Invalid short message transfer reference value
CMS ERROR: 95 Invalid message unspecified
CMS ERROR: 96 Invalid mandatory information
CMS ERROR: 97 Message type non existent or not implemented
CMS ERROR: 98 Message not compatible with short message protocol
CMS ERROR: 99 Information element non-existent or not implemente
CMS ERROR: 111 Protocol error, unspecified
CMS ERROR: 127 Internetworking , unspecified
CMS ERROR: 128 Telematic internetworking not supported
CMS ERROR: 129 Short message type 0 not supported
CMS ERROR: 130 Cannot replace short message
CMS ERROR: 143 Unspecified TP-PID error
CMS ERROR: 144 Data code scheme not supported
CMS ERROR: 145 Message class not supported
CMS ERROR: 159 Unspecified TP-DCS error
CMS ERROR: 160 Command cannot be actioned
CMS ERROR: 161 Command unsupported
CMS ERROR: 175 Unspecified TP-Command error
CMS ERROR: 176 TPDU not supported
CMS ERROR: 192 SC busy
CMS ERROR: 193 No SC subscription
CMS ERROR: 194 SC System failure
CMS ERROR: 195 Invalid SME address
CMS ERROR: 196 Destination SME barred
CMS ERROR: 197 SM Rejected-Duplicate SM
CMS ERROR: 198 TP-VPF not supported
CMS ERROR: 199 TP-VP not supported
CMS ERROR: 208 D0 SIM SMS Storage full
CMS ERROR: 209 No SMS Storage capability in SIM
CMS ERROR: 210 Error in MS
CMS ERROR: 211 Memory capacity exceeded
CMS ERROR: 212 Sim application toolkit busy
CMS ERROR: 213 SIM data download error
CMS ERROR: 255 Unspecified error cause
CMS ERROR: 300 ME Failure
CMS ERROR: 301 SMS service of ME reserved
CMS ERROR: 302 Operation not allowed
CMS ERROR: 303 Operation not supported
CMS ERROR: 304 Invalid PDU mode parameter
CMS ERROR: 305 Invalid Text mode parameter
CMS ERROR: 310 SIM not inserted
CMS ERROR: 311 SIM PIN required
CMS ERROR: 312 PH-SIM PIN required
CMS ERROR: 313 SIM failure
CMS ERROR: 314 SIM busy
CMS ERROR: 315 SIM wrong
CMS ERROR: 316 SIM PUK required
CMS ERROR: 317 SIM PIN2 required
CMS ERROR: 318 SIM PUK2 required
CMS ERROR: 320 Memory failure
CMS ERROR: 321 Invalid memory index
CMS ERROR: 322 Memory full
CMS ERROR: 330 SMSC address unknown
CMS ERROR: 331 No network service
CMS ERROR: 332 Network timeout
CMS ERROR: 340 No +CNMA expected
CMS ERROR: 500 Unknown error
CMS ERROR: 512 User abort
CMS ERROR: 513 Unable to store
CMS ERROR: 514 Invalid Status
CMS ERROR: 515 Device busy or Invalid Character in string
CMS ERROR: 516 Invalid length
CMS ERROR: 517 Invalid character in PDU
CMS ERROR: 518 Invalid parameter
CMS ERROR: 519 Invalid length or character
CMS ERROR: 520 Invalid character in text
CMS ERROR: 521 Timer expired
CMS ERROR: 522 Operation temporary not allowed
CMS ERROR: 532 SIM not ready
CMS ERROR: 534 Cell Broadcast error unknown
CMS ERROR: 535 Protocol stack busy
CMS ERROR: 538 Invalid parameter