Iridium 9601 Instruction Manual

9601 Short Burst Data Transceiver
Product Developers Guide
Revision 1.24
December 5t h 2005
Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary & Confidential Information
Iridium Satellite LLC
6701 Democracy Blvd., Suite 500
Bethesda, MD 20817 USA
www.iridium.com
Toll Free: +1.866.947.4348 [US Only]
International +1.480.752.5155
email: [email protected]

Iridium Satellite LLC
9601 SBD Transceiver Product Developers Guide
V1.24 120505
Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary & Confidential Information
Information contained herein is subject to change without further notice
2
LEGAL DISCLAIMER
This document contains information for the Iridium 9601 Short Burst Data Transceiver. The purpose of
providing such information is to enable Value Added Resellers and Value Added Manufacturers to
understand the product and how to integrate it into a wireless data solution. Reasonable effort has been
made to make the information in this document reliable and consistent with specifications, test
measurements and other information. However, Iridium Satellite LLC makes no guarantee or warranty of,
and does not assume liability with respect to, the accuracy or the completeness of such information, or as
to the results of use of the transceiver in any specific instance, and hereby expressly disclaims any
implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, or any other warranties or
representations whatsoever, express or implied. The application developer assumes the full risk of using
this specification and any other information provided. In no event shall Iridium Satellite LLC be liable for
any actual, direct, indirect, punitive, or consequential damages arising from such use, even if advised of
the possibility of such damages.
Iridium Satellite LLC does not warrant that this document is accurate or complete and reserves the right in
its sole discretion to change product specifications and materials without notice to you at any time.
Export Compliance Information
This product is controlled by the export laws and regulations of the United States of America. The U.S.
Government may restrict the export or re-export of this product to certain individuals and/or destinations.
For further information, contact the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security or
visit www.bis.doc.gov.
Revision History
Revision Date Comment
1.0 May 02 2005 First revision
1.2 Aug 28 2005
Second revision incorporating major updates. Key updates are:
Product name change to “9601 SBD Transceiver”
Physical packaging
Connector types updated
AT Commands added and updated
1.21 Sep 29 2005 Mechanical dimensions drawings re-imported to enable them to be read
correctly. No changes to any specifications.
1.22 Nov 04 2005
1.2 Note on regulatory status of 9601-P3 and 9601-PP added.
2.1 Weight of transceiver card and final enclosure added
2.2 Updates to current consumption
2.3 & 1.2 Typographical errors corrected in list of standards
3.1 VSWR automatic trip removed from specification.
3.1.2 Power cable length restriction added
4.3 Uplink margin added
1.23 Nov 23 2005 3.2.2 Added typical power consumption profile information Change of nomenclature from “Ring Alert” to “Automatic Notification”
DCD is driven OFF at all times.
1.24 Dec 05 2005 Added photograph instead of renderings 1.3 Added
3.5 Added additional detail to the “Network Available” function description

Iridium Satellite LLC
9601 SBD Transceiver Product Developers Guide
V1.24 120505
Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary & Confidential Information
Information contained herein is subject to change without further notice
3
Contents
Revision History............................................................................................................................................ 2
List of Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................................... 4
1.0 Product Overview .................................................................................................................. 5
1.1 Key Features ......................................................................................................................... 5
1.2 Transceiver Packaging and Regulatory Certification ............................................................ 6
1.3 Software Revision.................................................................................................................. 6
2.0 Physical Specifications.......................................................................................................... 7
2.1 Dimensions............................................................................................................................ 7
2.2 Mechanical Dimensions –Mounting...................................................................................... 9
2.2.1 Mounting - Stackable Design............................................................................................... 10
2.2.2 Mounting to a Panel/Surface –For use with cable connections ......................................... 12
2.3 Environmental...................................................................................................................... 14
2.4 Interface Connectors........................................................................................................... 14
3.0 Electrical Interfaces ............................................................................................................. 15
3.1 Multi-Interface Connector.................................................................................................... 15
3.1.1 Connector Type................................................................................................................... 15
3.1.2 Connector Pin Allocation..................................................................................................... 16
3.2 DC Power Interface............................................................................................................. 18
3.2.1 Power On/Off Control.......................................................................................................... 18
3.2.2 Typical Power Profile........................................................................................................... 19
3.3 Serial Data Interface............................................................................................................ 21
3.3.1 9-Wire and 3-Wire Operation............................................................................................... 22
3.3.2 Configuration Settings......................................................................................................... 23
3.3.3 Modes of Operation............................................................................................................. 24
3.4 Hardware Failure Reporting ................................................................................................ 24
3.5 Network Available Output.................................................................................................... 24
3.6 DC Power Output ................................................................................................................ 25
4.0 RF Interface......................................................................................................................... 26
4.1 Antenna Connector.............................................................................................................. 26
4.1.1 Antenna Connector Type..................................................................................................... 26
4.2 RF Interface Specifications ........................................................................................ 27
4.3 Radio Characteristics ..................................................................................................... 27
Appendix A –AT Command Set for 9601 SBD Transceiver...................................................................... 28

Iridium Satellite LLC
9601 SBD Transceiver Product Developers Guide
V1.24 120505
Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary & Confidential Information
Information contained herein is subject to change without further notice
4
List of Abbreviations
Abbreviation Description
CE Conformité Européene
DC Direct Current
DTE Data Terminal Equipment
ESS ETC SBD Subsystem
ETC Earth Terminal Controller
FA Field Application
FCC Federal Communications Commission
GND Ground
IC Industry Canada
LBT L-Band Transceiver
MOMSN Mobile Originated Message Sequence Number
MTMSN Mobile Terminated Message Sequence Number
RHCP Right Hand Circular Polarization
SBD Short Burst Data
SMS Short Message Service
TBA To Be Advised
VAM Value Added Manufacturer
VAR Value Added Reseller
VSWR Voltage Standing Wave Ratio

Iridium Satellite LLC
9601 SBD Transceiver Product Developers Guide
V1.24 120505
Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary & Confidential Information
Information contained herein is subject to change without further notice
5
1.0 Product Overview
The Iridium 9601 Short Burst Data Only Transceiver (9601) is designed to be integrated into a wireless
data application with other hardware and software to produce a full solution designed for a specific
application or vertical market. Examples of these solutions include tracking a maritime vessel or automatic
vehicle location.
The 9601 only supports Iridium’s Short Burst Data (SBD) capability. It does not support voice, circuit
switched data, or short message service (SMS). This is a new product and has no functional
predecessor.
The 9601 will be designed to meet the regulatory requirements for approval for FCC, Canada, and CE
assuming an antenna with a gain of ~3 dBi and adequate shielding. This allows the 9601 to be integrated
into a variety of wireless data applications or retrofitted into existing SBD only applications that utilize SBD
with the current Iridium 9522A or 9522 L-Band Transceiver-based product. (Note that additional
development work will be required.) Such finished products, when integrated together, require regulatory
testing to be conducted by the integrator.
The 9601 is designed as a single board transceiver and is essentially provided as a ‘black box’
transceiver with all device interfaces provided by a single multi-pin interface connector in addition to the
antenna connector. The product only provides the core transceiver. All other end user application functions
such as GPS, microprocessor based logic control, digital and analog inputs, digital and analog outputs
power supply and antenna must be provided by the solution developer. The device interface consists of the
serial interface, power input, network available output and power on/off control line.
The 9601 does not incorporate nor require a Subscriber Identity Module (also know as a SIM Card) to be
inserted into the transceiver. The 9601 will be designed to comply with the standards for Radio Emissions
Compliance, Electromagnetic Compatibility, and AC Safety in the United States, European Union and
Canada.
The 9601 is described within this document as “9601”, “9601 SBD Transceiver”and “9601 SBD
Transceiver”all of these terms refer to the same product.
1.1 Key Features
Single board transceiver
Small form factor
No SIM card
Designed to be incorporated into an OEM solution
Maximum mobile originated message size 205 bytes
Maximum mobile terminated message size 135 bytes
Automatic Notification to the transceiver that a mobile terminated message is queued at the
Gateway
Uses small omni-directional antenna
Global operating capability

Iridium Satellite LLC
9601 SBD Transceiver Product Developers Guide
V1.24 120505
Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary & Confidential Information
Information contained herein is subject to change without further notice
6
1.2 Transceiver Packaging and Regulatory Certification
The 9601 SBD Transceiver is a regulatory approved transceiver that is provided in an enclosure and with
appropriate connectors that permit the full transceiver to be regulatory tested by Iridium and sold as a
Regulatory Certified product that meets CE, FCC and IC requirements.
The 9601 is tested to the regulatory and technical certifications shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Regulatory and Technical Certifications.
Regulatory
Approvals Radio Tests EMC Tests
Electrical /
Mechanical /
Operational
Safety Tests
CE
FCC
Industry
Canada
ETSI EN 301 441 V1.1.1
(2000-05)
FCC CFR47 parts 2, 15,
and 25
Industry Canada
RSS170 Issue 1, Rev 1,
November 6, 1999
ETSI EN 301 489-1 V1.4.1 (2002-
08)
ETSI EN 301 489-20 V1.2.1(2002-
11)
EN61000-4-2 : 1995/A2 : 2001 Part 4.2
EN61000-4-3 : 2002 Part 4.3
EN61000-4-4 : 1995/A1 : 2001/A2 : 2001
Part 4.4
EN61000-4-6 : 1996/A1 : 2001 Part 4.6
EN55022:1998/A1:2000/A2:2003
EN60950-1:2001
Part 1
UL60950-1 Part 1
Note: The initial 9601 units [shipped as 9601-P3 and 9601-PP] are different from the commercially produced 9601
SBD Transceivers from a regulatory and certification perspective. Those initial units cannot and should not be used
for any regulatory certification purposes or compliance. Only the commercial 9601 units conform to the
regulatory approved design and the regulatory and technical certifications listed in Table 1.
1.3 Software Revision
Developers should read this document in conjunction with the “Software Release Notes” relevant to the
revision of the software that is loaded into their 9601 SBD Transceiver.

Iridium Satellite LLC
9601 SBD Transceiver Product Developers Guide
V1.24 120505
Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary & Confidential Information
Information contained herein is subject to change without further notice
7
2.0 Physical Specifications
For illustrative purposes a rendering of the 9601 ISU is shown in Figure 1 with a ribbon cable connector
inserted. (Note that the ribbon cable and connector is to be provided by the developer and is not supplied
as part of the commercial product.)
Figure 1: The 9601 SBD Transceiver.
2.1 Dimensions
The overall dimensions of the 9601 and its weight are summarized in Table 2 and represented graphically
in third angle projection in Figure 2
Table 2: 9601 Mechanical Dimensions
Parameter Value
Length 106 mm
Width 56.2 mm
Depth 13 mm
Weight (approximate) 117g
Note that these dimensions are for the enclosure and do not take into account the connectors or mounting
hardware. Additionally developers should plan for additional space for the reciprocal connectors for the
antenna and user connector.

Iridium Satellite LLC
9601 SBD Transceiver Product Developers Guide
V1.24 120505
Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary & Confidential Information
Information contained herein is subject to change without further notice
8
Figure 2 (Part 1 of 2): Dimensions of the 9601 SBD Transceiver.
(Not to scale, dimensions in millimeters)

Iridium Satellite LLC
9601 SBD Transceiver Product Developers Guide
V1.24 120505
Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary & Confidential Information
Information contained herein is subject to change without further notice
9
Figure 2 (Part 2 of 2): Dimensions of the 9601 SBD Transceiver.
(Not to scale, dimensions in millimeters)
2.2 Mechanical Dimensions –Mounting
The 9601 SBD Transceiver is provided with four mounting holes, one at each corner. During manufacture
four screws are inserted for shipping purposes. These screws need to be removed for mounting. There
are two basic options for mounting –stackable and mounting to a surface such as a mounting plate or
enclosure wall. The following sections provide further information.

Iridium Satellite LLC
9601 SBD Transceiver Product Developers Guide
V1.24 120505
Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary & Confidential Information
Information contained herein is subject to change without further notice
10
2.2.1 Mounting - Stackable Design
An example stackable design is shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3: 9601 SBD Transceiver mounted to a unpopulated PCB.
The figures and tables below provides mechanical information design information for a suitable
‘stackable’ 9601 to developer PCB configuration
Figure 4: Assembly Item Number Identification.
Item Numbers in Figure 4 are described in Table 3. Not to scale. Dimensions in millimeters.
Table 3: Item Number Description for Figure 4
Item Type Description Quantity
1 Assembly 9601 SBD Transceiver 1
2 Part M3 Shake-proof washer, zinc plated steel [4 supplied with item 1] 8
3 Part M3 x 20 Pan head screw, pozidrive, zinc plated steel [4 supplied with item 1] 4
4 Part M3 Threaded standoff, 6.0 A/F HEX x 12.00 mm 4
5 Part M3 x 8 Pan head screw, pozidrive, zinc plated steel 4
6 Assembly Solution developer PCB fitted with Samtec connector ESQT-113-02-L-D-425.
[This item is the same item as Item 1 in Figure 5.] 1

Iridium Satellite LLC
9601 SBD Transceiver Product Developers Guide
V1.24 120505
Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary & Confidential Information
Information contained herein is subject to change without further notice
11
Figure 5: Mechanical mounting foot print for use when stacking the 9601 with a developer
provided PCB. (Dimensions in milli-meters, not to scale)
Notes for Figure 5:
1. Item 1 is a generic, developer provided PCB design and shown for illustrative purposes. This item is
the same as Item 6 in Figure 4.
2. Item 2 is available from Samtec in a variety of heights. This example shows a 0.425" version. The
part number for this connector is ESQT-113-02-L-D-425
3. Compatible heights of stand-offs and variants on Item 2 are as follows:
a. 0.425" height (shown) fits with 12mm high spacers
b. 0.327" height is minimum that can be used. Fits with 9.50mm spacers.
c. 0.800" height is the maximum height available fits with 21.50mm spacers.
d. Anything else in-between should work if 'Samtec height' = 'Spacer height' minus 1.20mm.
4. Suggested examples of spacer types and compatible fasteners:
a. M3 threaded thru' hole 6.0 A/F Hex x 12mm, re-use M3 x 20 shipping screws and
washers, add M3 x 8 screws and washers.
b. Plain thru' hole diameter 3.2-3.5, diameter 6.0 x 9.50mm, replace M3 x 20 shipping
screws with M3 x 30 screws (same nuts and washers.)
c. Plain thru' hole diameter 3.2-3.5, diameter 6.0 x 21.50mm, replace M3 x 20 shipping
screws with M3 x 35 screws (same nuts and washers.)

Iridium Satellite LLC
9601 SBD Transceiver Product Developers Guide
V1.24 120505
Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary & Confidential Information
Information contained herein is subject to change without further notice
12
2.2.2 Mounting to a Panel/Surface –For use with cable connections
An example of mounting to a panel or other surface design is shown in Figure 6.
Figure 6: 9601 SBD Transceiver mounted to a plate or surface.
The figures and tables below provide mechanical information design information for a mounting a 9601 to
a plate or surface configuration
Figure 7: Assembly Item Number Identification.
Item Numbers in Figure 7 are described in Table 4. (Not to scale. Dimensions in millimeters.)
Notes for Figure 7:
1. Item 1 includes 4 off M3 x 20 shipping screws, shake-proof washers and nuts
2. Shipping screws can be used to attach Transceiver to panel of 2.00 mm maximum thickness
3. Panels thicker than 2.00mm require longer screws to be e.g. M3 x 25mm
4. See Figure 8 for mounting hole dimensions

Iridium Satellite LLC
9601 SBD Transceiver Product Developers Guide
V1.24 120505
Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary & Confidential Information
Information contained herein is subject to change without further notice
13
Table 4: Item Number Description for Figure 7
Item Type Description Quantity
1 Assembly 9601 SBD Transceiver 1
2 Part Mounting Plate or Surface (developer provided) 1
Figure 8: Mechanical mounting foot print for use when panel mounting 9601.
(Dimensions in milli-meters, not to scale)

Iridium Satellite LLC
9601 SBD Transceiver Product Developers Guide
V1.24 120505
Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary & Confidential Information
Information contained herein is subject to change without further notice
14
2.3 Environmental
The environmental specifications of the 9601 are summarized in Table 5 below.
Table 5: Environmental Specifications
Parameter Value
Operating Temperature Range -30ºC to + 60ºC
Operating Humidity Range ≤75% RH
Storage Temperature Range -40ºC to + 85ºC
Storage Humidity Range ≤ 93% RH
The 9601 has been tested to the specifications listed in Table 6.
Table 6: Environmental Tests
Test Name Test Reference Test Description
Thermal Shock EN60068-2-14:2000 Change of Temperature, -25C to +70C,
5 cycles of 1 hour each
Humidity IEC60068-2-2:1996 Damp heat steady state
40C 93% RH for 4 days
Shock EN60068-2-27:1993
(NF c20-727)
Shock J1455 Society of Automotive Engineers
Vibration EN 60068-2-36:1996 Sinusoidal Vibration
0.96 m2/s3 from 5Hz to 20Hz
Vibration IEC 60068-2-36:1996 Sinusoidal Vibration 21Hz to 500Hz
-3dB per octave
Vibration J1455 Society of Automotive Engineers
2.4 Interface Connectors
The 9601 SBD Transceiver incorporates two connectors:
A multi-interface connector
An antenna connector
These interfaces are described in more detail in Sections 3 and 4 respectively.

Iridium Satellite LLC
9601 SBD Transceiver Product Developers Guide
V1.24 120505
Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary & Confidential Information
Information contained herein is subject to change without further notice
15
3.0 Electrical Interfaces
The subsections to follow contain information for the electrical interfaces of the 9601 SBD Transceiver.
3.1 Multi-Interface Connector
The multi-interface connector includes five interfaces:
DC power supply input
Power on/off control
RS-232 Serial data
Network available output
DC power output
3.1.1 Connector Type
The connector on the 9601 is a Samtec EHT series. This connector provides the ability for both a cable
connector as well as a stackable board to board connection. For cable connected applications use the
Samtec TCSD series. For PCB stacking use the Samtec ESQT series.
Data sheets on these connectors can be found at:
EHT Series: http://www.samtec.com/technical_specifications/overview.asp?series=EHT
TCSD Series: http://www.samtec.com/technical_specifications/overview.asp?series=tcsd
ESQT Series: http://www.samtec.com/technical_specifications/overview.asp?series=esqt
A suitable connector is the EHT-113-01-SM-D-SM.

Iridium Satellite LLC
9601 SBD Transceiver Product Developers Guide
V1.24 120505
Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary & Confidential Information
Information contained herein is subject to change without further notice
16
3.1.2 Connector Pin Allocation
The user connector is a 2 row 26-way latching header. Individual pin assignments are shown in Table 7.
Multiple supply grounds are provided and all supply and supply grounds (pins 1-6) are required to be
connected to the power supply in order to limit the current on any one pin. The three Supply Returns (pins
4, 5 & 6) are tied together at the connector as well as the three Supply pins (pins 1, 2 & 3.) Note that any
cable used to supply power to the transceiver can be no longer than 152mm (6 inches) from the power
source to the connector. Multiple signal grounds are provided to reduce cross-talk. The signal grounds
on pins 10,13, 20 & 23 are all tied together at the connector and can be joined with any of the signal wires
e.g. RS232, Network Available etc. However each signal requires its own signal ground in order to limit
current on any one pin.
Table 7: Multi Interface Connector Pin Allocation
Pin
No. Signal Name Signal
direction
(WRT 9601) Signal function Signal level
1 EXT_PWR Input Supply +5 V +/- 0.5 V
2 EXT_PWR Input Supply +5 V +/- 0.5 V
3 EXT_PWR Input Supply +5 V +/- 0.5 V
4 EXT_GND Supply return 0 V
5 EXT_GND Supply return 0 V
6 EXT_GND Supply return 0 V
7 ON/OFF Input On/Off control input On: 2.0V to Vsupply
Off: 0V to 0.5V
I = 120 μA max
8 Reserved
9 Reserved
10 SIG_GND Signal ground 0V
11 DF_S_TX Input Data port, serial data into 9601 RS-232
12 DF_S_RX Output Data port, serial data from 9601 RS-232
13 SIG_GND Signal ground 0V
14 DF_ DCD Output Data port, Data Carrier Detect RS-232
15 DF_ DSR Output Data port, Data Set Ready RS-232
16 DF_ CTS Output Data port, Clear-to-Send RS-232
17 DF_RI Output Data port, Ring Indicator RS-232
18 DF_ RTS Input Data port, Request-to-Send RS-232
19 DF_ DTR Input Data port, Data Terminal Ready RS-232
20 SIG_GND Signal ground 0V
21 Reserved
22 Reserved
23 SIG_GND Signal ground 0V
24 NETWORK_
AVAILABLE Output Set to logic 1 when network is visible 2.9 V CMOS
25 Spare
26 +2V9 Output Supply output +2.9 V ± 0.15 V,
50mA maximum

Iridium Satellite LLC
9601 SBD Transceiver Product Developers Guide
V1.24 120505
Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary & Confidential Information
Information contained herein is subject to change without further notice
17
Figure 9 provides a reference for the pin designation. Note that this designation is when looking into the
multi-interface connector from above. It is not to scale and not representative of the actual connector
mechanical layout.
01 03
02
Connector notch
26
2501 03
02
Connector notch
26
25
Figure 9: Multi-Interface Connector Pin Number Designation
Notes:
1. View looking into connector from above
2. Numbers indicate pin designations
3. Not to scale, for illustrative purposes only
4. Note location of connector notch
5. Connector notch faces towards opposite end to the antenna connector as shown in Figure 10
6. On the physical connector Pin 1 is indicated by an arrow mark
Figure 10: Multi Interface Connector Notch Location
Notch on
connector
is on this
side

Iridium Satellite LLC
9601 SBD Transceiver Product Developers Guide
V1.24 120505
Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary & Confidential Information
Information contained herein is subject to change without further notice
18
3.2 DC Power Interface
The DC power interface is comprised of the DC power inputs and a control signals as summarized in
Table 7. The three +5V Inputs and three 0V supply returns are used to supply DC power to the 9601 and
ensure that enough current can be drawn across the connector without the 9601 malfunctioning during
transmit due to lack of current supply. Note that all six pins should be connected.
The DC power supply requirements for the 9601 are summarized in Table 8 below. Note that these
requirements apply to DC power measured at the 9601 multi-interface connector input and not at the
output of the power supply. Long power supply cables can cause a voltage drop sufficient to cause the
voltage to be out of specification at the physical power supply input to the 9601.
Table 8: DC Power Input Specifications
Parameter Value
Main Input Voltage Range +4.5 VDC to +5.5 VDC
Main Input Voltage Nominal 5.0VDC
Main Input Voltage –Ripple 40 mV pp
Consumption at +5.0 VDC Value
Input Standby Current (average) 66mA
Peak Transient Current –Transmit 1.5 A
Current Average* –when SBD message transfer in process <= 350 mA
Average Power consumption –when SBD message transfer in process <= 1.75 W
* Note: The average power consumption depends on the view of the satellite constellation from the
antenna.
The external power supply needs to guarantee the following:
The supply voltage droop over an 8.3mS burst should not be more than 0.2 Volts.
The power supply should limit the in-rush current to 4 Amps maximum
The supply noise should be less than that in the following profile (linear interpolation between these
points):
100 mV pk-pk 0Hz to 50 kHz
5 mV pk-pk in 50 kHz bandwidth at 1 MHz
10 mV pk-pk in 1 MHz bandwidth at 1 MHz
5 mV pk-pk in 1 MHz bandwidth above 5 MHz.
Note that any cable used to supply power to the transceiver can be no longer than 152mm (6 inches)
from the power source to the connector.
3.2.1 Power On/Off Control
An external on/off input is provided on a pin of the multi-interface connector. The 9601 starts up when
power is applied and the power on/off input is high. As long as the input voltage is applied, logic high on
this line turns the transceiver on and a logic low turns it off. If this line is not required then it must be
connected directly to the +5 V supply. The input logic high threshold is 2.0 V and the logic low threshold is
0.5 V.
Note that this on/off control is not the same as the 9522 or 9522A.

Iridium Satellite LLC
9601 SBD Transceiver Product Developers Guide
V1.24 120505
Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary & Confidential Information
Information contained herein is subject to change without further notice
19
3.2.2 Typical Power Profile
This section is designed to give the application developer some insight to the electrical power profile that
the 9601 uses. It does not describe every situation and permutation possible. It should be used as a
starting point for the application developer to continue their own development design. The actual usage
profile can vary for a number of reasons:
1) View of the sky –if in poor visibility of the sky where a clear line of sight is not available between
the transceiver and the satellite.
2) The higher the VSWR the higher the current consumed
3) Application programming
4) Possible manufacturing variation from transceiver to transceiver. [I.e. the transceiver still meets
specification, but over a large sample size some may operate better than average.]
The application designer should be sure not to use best case numbers for average, expected or worse
case scenarios. Figure 11 provides a graphical representation of the typical supply current profile of a
9601 SBD Transceiver sending and receiving SBD messages.
Figure 11 –Typical Supply Current Profile
Description:
(A) Transmit burst preparation: As the 9601 gets ready to send the data burst, it turns on various parts
of the transmitter chain and transfers the message into the DSP to be formatted for transmission. This
first part of the pulse is nominally 170mA and lasts for 4mS.
(B) Transmitter data burst: The final part of the preparation stage is to power up the power amplifier
(PA). Once power is available, and synchronized to the system framing, the formatted burst is clocked
into the DAC, which causes the PA to draw the high current pulse. This pulse is 9mS long, but the
amplitude is variable upon the RF matching into the antenna. Generally a high VSWR will use more
current. For example, into an open circuit antenna port, the 9601 can use between 1.4A and 2A,
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.8
0.9
1.0
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
-10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Supply Current (A)
Time (mS) 70
Transmit burst
preparation
Transmitter data burst
(The amplitude of this
pulse is determined by
PA efficiency but mostly
by antenna matching.
The amplitude can
reach 2A )
Background
operating
current
Receiver data burst.
(This has constant amplitude,
however it gets longer when
the data module is initially
searching for the network.)

Iridium Satellite LLC
9601 SBD Transceiver Product Developers Guide
V1.24 120505
Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary & Confidential Information
Information contained herein is subject to change without further notice
20
dependant upon the phase of the mismatch. For power critical applications a good antenna and cable will
be required.
(C) Background operating current: Whenever the 9601 is turned on the nominal supply current will be
70mA.
(D) Receiver data burst: The receive data burst current pulse is 14mS long, and is initially 200mA, rising
to 247mA for the last 5mS, as the 9601 turns on various parts of the receiver, to capture the data burst
from the satellite.
Figure 12 shows an oscilloscope plot of a single frame:
Figure 12 Single Frame Current Profile for the 9601
The scales for the above plot are:
Time base 10mS / cm
Current (Yellow trace) 0.5A / cm
Voltage (Red trace) 1V / cm
Both traces are zero referenced on the first graticule line from the bottom of the plot. The upper trace is
the 5V supply rail measured at the Test Interface Connector (TIC) box. The power supply was set for 5.5V
and configured for remote sensing, which gives rise to the voltage overshoot at the end of the transmit
burst.