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