Iridium 9603N Transceiver
The Iridium 9603 is a compact, low power satellite transceiver designed for integration into space-constrained tracking, monitoring and alarm systems. It provides reliable, two way Short Burst Data communications over the Iridium network, with global coverage and low latency messaging from anywhere with a clear view of the sky.
Key Capabilities
Compact, global satellite messaging for low data IoT and M2M applications.
Global two way messaging over the Iridium satellite network
Iridium Short Burst Data for frequent, low volume transmissions
Compact 11.4 g module for space-constrained OEM designs
Single-board integration with power, UART and control connections
Low power operation for remote monitoring and tracking systems
Compact Satellite Connectivity for Remote Applications
The Iridium 9603 provides reliable, two way Short Burst Data connectivity for compact tracking, monitoring, telemetry and alarm systems. Its small, lightweight form factor and low power operation make it well suited to applications such as remote weather stations, ocean buoys, pipeline monitoring and equipment control, where small packets of data need to move beyond terrestrial coverage.
Ground Control has worked with Iridium SBD since 2005 and can support you with module selection, integration, airtime and data delivery. Whether you are developing a new product or supporting an existing deployment, our team can help you choose the right hardware and route messages into your application through Cloudloop Data.
Product Specifications
Connectivity and Integration
- Satellite Network
- Iridium Low Earth Orbit satellite network
- Coverage
- Global, including oceans and polar regions, with a clear view of the sky
- Satellite Service
- Two way Iridium Short Burst Data
- Form Factor
- Single-board OEM transceiver module
- RF Impedance
- 50 Ω
- Integration
- Designed for incorporation into complete OEM wireless solutions
- Host Connectivity
- Supports integration with external GNSS, processing and application I/O
Power and Physical
- Dimensions
- 31.5 x 29.6 x 8.1 mm / 1.24 x 1.17 x 0.32 in
- Weight
- 11.4 g / 0.40 oz
- Power Input
- 5.0 V DC ±0.5 V
- Input Voltage Ripple
- Less than 40 mV peak-to-peak
- Idle Current
- 34 mA average; 156 mA peak
- Transmit Current
- 145 mA average; 1.3 A peak
- Receive Current
- 39 mA average; 156 mA peak
- Message Transfer Current
- 158 mA average
- Message Transfer Power
- 0.8 W average
Environmental and Compliance
- Operating Temperature
- -40°C to +85°C / -40°F to +185°F
- Operating Humidity
- Up to 75% relative humidity
- Storage Humidity
- Up to 93% relative humidity
- Vibration and Shock
- EN 60068-2-14:2009, IEC 60068-2-64:2008, EN 60068-2-27:2009 and SAE J1455
- Regulatory Approvals
- ANATEL, EC, FCC Part 15 and Part 25, Industry Canada, Japan Type Approval and NRRA Korea
- Materials Compliance
- REACH and RoHS
Cloudloop Services
Cloudloop Subscription Manager can be used to activate the Iridium 9603, manage airtime plans and monitor usage, while Cloudloop Data receives its Short Burst Data messages and routes them into your application through APIs, webhooks, MQTT or supported cloud integrations.
FAQs
We created the RockBLOCK 9603 to make it easy for developers and systems integrators to incorporate Iridium Short Burst Data satellite communications into their solutions.
As many developers have found, buying and integrating a 9603N transceiver directly is not trivial. We make it easier for you by dealing with the mechanical support, the strict power requirements, by adding a perfectly matched and tuned antenna (or you can connect an external one), and exposing the serial interface on a convenient header connector.
So you can buy just the module / transceiver (9603N) and do the work yourself, or you can buy a RockBLOCK 9603 and just connect it up and start using it. It’s entirely up to you. We can help you with both if you want us to, and we also offer a pre-pay SBD airtime option so that developers can easily keep control of airtime usage in the early stages.
The 9603N transceiver uses Iridium Short Burst Data to communicate, which is a message-based protocol. Effectively, the device wakes up, acquires a signal, transmits, and then falls asleep until its next cycle. This process usually takes 20-30 seconds if there is a perfect view of the sky, and a satellite is passing immediately overhead.
While you can receive the raw data from the satellite, you’ll need to implement the Iridium SBD decoder – which, bluntly, is laborious. Cloudloop Data is designed to take all of the work out of this process. The platform has been designed to provide fast and reliable delivery of IoT data, irrespective of Device type. As most customers want to consume their data in their own systems, we provide effortless connectivity into all major Cloud providers and IoT platforms.
Discuss Your OEM Integration
Tell us what you are building and how you plan to use Iridium Short Burst Data. Our team can help you assess module integration, power, antenna, airtime and Cloudloop requirements.
Complete the form or email hello@groundcontrol.com to discuss the Iridium 9603 and the most suitable approach for your application.