Iridium CertusTM 9770 User Guide PRELIMINARY DOCUMENTATION Release Date:
November 13, 2019 Revision:
This document contains Technical Data, as defined under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) (15 CFR Part 772) and, as such, may not be exported, disclosed, or otherwise transferred to any non-U.S. Person as defined under the EAR (15 CFR Part 772) without the prior written authorization of the U.S. Government and review/approval from Iridiums Director, Compliance & Security. LEGAL DISCLAIMER AND CONDITIONS OF USE This document is provided "AS IS." Reasonable effort has been made to make the information in this document reliable and consistent with other specifications, test measurements and other information. However, Iridium Communications Inc. and its affiliated companies, directors, officers, employees, agents, trustees or consultants ("Iridium") assume no responsibility for any typographical, technical, content or other inaccuracies in this document. Iridium reserves the right in its sole discretion and without notice to you to change this Guide and materials and/or revise this document or withdraw it at any time. The Iridium Partner assumes any and all risks of using this Guide and any information provided in this Guide. Use of this Guide is governed by your Agreement with Iridium. Please review your Agreement that govern your relationship with Iridium. This Guide is strictly Proprietary and Confidential to Iridium. Consistent with your Agreement with Iridium, you may not disclose this Guide to others without express prior written permission from Iridium. Any violation of your Agreement's Proprietary and Confidentiality obligations shall result in remedies to the fullest extent available to Iridium at law or in equity. IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT IRIDIUM MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS, GUARANTEES, CONDITIONS OR WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED REPRESENTATIONS, GUARANTEES, CONDITIONS OR WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, SATISFACTORY QUALITY, NON-
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Issue CCB Date This document contains Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary Information may which may not be used, reproduced, or disclosed without written approval from Iridium Satellite LLC. IR3142-ICD-006 Issue 1 v2.1 Page 3 of 16 Table of Contents Revision History .................................................................................................................. 3 Approvals ............................................................................................................................ 3 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 6 Intended Audience .................................................................................................... 6 Beta VAM ................................................................................................................. 6 Reference Documents .............................................................................................. 7 Abbreviations ............................................................................................................ 7 2 Digital Interface ............................................................................................................ 7 Digital Connector ...................................................................................................... 7 Pin Locations ............................................................................................................ 7 Pinout Descriptions ................................................................................................... 7 Digital Input/Outputs ................................................................................................. 7 Power Supply ........................................................................................................... 7 Power Consumption ................................................................................................. 8 Power On Control ..................................................................................................... 8 Power Off Control ..................................................................................................... 8 Phantom Powering ................................................................................................... 8 2.10 Serial Ports ............................................................................................................... 8 2.11 Digital Audio Interface............................................................................................... 8 SIM Interface ............................................................................................................ 8 Sleep Enabled Mode ................................................................................................ 8 Transmit Indicator ..................................................................................................... 8 2.15 Diagnostic Interface .................................................................................................. 8 3 RF Interface .................................................................................................................. 8 RF Connector Type .................................................................................................. 8 General RF Specifications ........................................................................................ 8 Conducted RF Outputs ............................................................................................. 8 Conductive RF Inputs ............................................................................................... 9 RF Cable Loss .......................................................................................................... 9 RF Cable Considerations .......................................................................................... 9 Antenna Specifications ............................................................................................. 9 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.12 2.13 2.14 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 This document contains Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary Information may which may not be used, reproduced, or disclosed without written approval from Iridium Satellite LLC. IR3142-ICD-006 Issue 1 v2.1 Page 4 of 16 4 Mechanical Specifications ........................................................................................... 9 Size and Mass .......................................................................................................... 9 Enclosure Material .................................................................................................. 10 Mechanical Drawing ............................................................................................... 11 Mounting Considerations ........................................................................................ 12 Grounding ............................................................................................................... 12 Thermal Management............................................................................................. 12 5 Environmental ............................................................................................................ 13 6 Regulatory Approvals ................................................................................................ 14 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 This document contains Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary Information may which may not be used, reproduced, or disclosed without written approval from Iridium Satellite LLC. IR3142-ICD-006 Issue 1 v2.1 Page 5 of 16
1 Introduction The Iridium CertusTM 9770 is a transceiver designed to be used inside a Value-Added Manufacturer (VAM) product as per Figure 1-1 below. The Iridium Certus 9770 provides satellite messaging, IP data and voice connectivity using Iridiums NEXT satellite constellation. Iridiums satellite services using the Iridium Certus 9770 are provided by Iridium Certus Service Providers
(SP) to end users. This document describes hardware specifications for the Iridium Certus 9770 including Digital interfaces for connecting to VAM Electronics RF interfaces to a VAM furnished antenna Mechanical specifications for housing the transceiver in a VAM product Environmental specifications relating to VAM use cases VAM Electronics Iridium Certus 9770 Iridium Gateway Digital Interface RF Interface VAM Product Figure 1-1 : Hardware Interface Overview 1.1 Intended Audience This document is intended to be used by a VAM that is building products incorporating the Iridium Certus 9770. This document focuses on hardware aspects relating to the integration of the Iridium Certus 9770 into a VAM product. This document contains Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary Information may which may not be used, reproduced, or disclosed without written approval from Iridium Satellite LLC. IR3142-ICD-006 Issue 1 v2.1 Page 6 of 16
1.2 Abbreviations Name CE DTMF FCC GPIO GND IC RH SP SPI UART VAM VSWR Description Conformit Europene Dual Tone Multi Frequency Federal Communications Commission General Purpose Input/Outputs Ground Industry Canada Relative Humidity Service Provider Serial Parallel Interface Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter Value-Added Manufacturer Voltage Standing Wave Ratio SD card Secure Digital (a non-volatile memory card) 2 Digital Interface The digital interface to the Iridium Certus 9770 consists of the following interfaces:
Four UARTs UART_A: Command and control functionality UART_B: Transfer of user data UART_C: Reserved UART_D: Reserved IS bus for transfer of digital audio samples used in voice calls SPI bus for Iridium diagnostics to assist VAM troubleshooting Several GPIO lines for status and control Power input Ground return SIM card interface 2.1 Power Supply The Iridium Certus 9770 transceiver has a single voltage power supply input (EXT_PWR). This document contains Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary Information may which may not be used, reproduced, or disclosed without written approval from Iridium Satellite LLC. IR3142-ICD-006 Issue 1 v2.1 Page 7 of 16
EXT_PWR accepts input voltages of +12 VDC +/- 2.5 V with an input ripple less than 40 mV peak-
to-peak. The maximum operational input current for the Iridium Certus 9770 in stable operation is 1.5 A. Note: For safety compliance the external power source should meet requirements of IEC 62368-
1 classes ES1 & PS2. 3 RF Interface The Iridium Certus 9770 has a dedicated RF connector that provides a connection to an external passive antenna. 3.1 RF Connector Type The Iridium Certus 9770 has a right-angle jack, MMCX 50-ohm RF connector (Samtec part number MMCX-J-P-H-RA-TH1). The RF connector is located on the opposite end of the transceiver from the digital connector. 3.2 General RF Specifications The general RF interface requirements for the Iridium Certus 9770 are summarized in Table 3.2-1 below. All radiated values assume a compliant antenna and cable system (see Reference 4). Parameter Value Frequency Range 1616 MHz to 1626.5 MHz Transmit Frequency Range 1616 MHz to 1626 MHz Receive Frequency Range 1616 MHz to 1626.5 MHz Duplexing Method TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) Input / Output Impedance 50 Modulation QPSK, DEQPSK Maximum Average EIRP Maximum Peak EIRP Transmit RF Burst Duration 9 dBW 15 dBW 8.2 ms Table 3.2-1: General RF Parameters 3.3 Conducted RF Outputs The Iridium Certus 9770 RF output power at its connector varies during normal operating conditions as it is subject to dynamic transmitter power control by the Iridium network. As such, the conducted RF power average (measured at the RF connector) across the burst may range between +24 dBm and +40 dBm, depending on the signal type, link conditions and dynamic power This document contains Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary Information may which may not be used, reproduced, or disclosed without written approval from Iridium Satellite LLC. IR3142-ICD-006 Issue 1 v2.1 Page 8 of 16
control level. Conducted RF peak power may be up to 6 dB higher than the average RF power measured over a transmit burst. 3.4 Conductive RF Inputs The absolute maximum RF input into the Iridium Certus 9770 should not exceed +5 dBm;
otherwise, damage to the Iridium Certus 9770 is possible. 3.5 RF Cable Considerations For safety reasons, the RF connector on the Iridium Certus 9770 should not be directly connected to an external antenna cable or cable distribution system. EN60950-1:2006 safety standard requires that users are protected against high voltages that might appear on these cables. This can be achieved either by inserting a high voltage isolating capacitor in series with the signal or by grounding the shield of the coaxial cable. The Iridium Certus 9770s RF connector has limited voltage capacity; therefore, protection needs to be provided by a VAM product. Developers are encouraged to review the EN60950-1:2006 standard for additional details. 3.6 Antenna Specifications The Iridium Certus 9770 requires the VAM to provide a matched RF load consisting of an antenna and RF cable. The RF path specifications including in and out of band VSWR requirements for the combined supplied RF cable and antenna are specified in Reference 4. The Certus 9770 should be used with an Iridium compliant antenna with a gain that does not exceed +3.0dBi. 4 Mechanical Specifications The following section describes the mechanical specification for the Iridium Certus 9770. Figure 4-1: Iridium Certus 9770 Front and Back Views 4.1 Size and Mass This document contains Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary Information may which may not be used, reproduced, or disclosed without written approval from Iridium Satellite LLC. IR3142-ICD-006 Issue 1 v2.1 Page 9 of 16
The Iridium Certus 9770 overall dimensions are 140.2 mm X 60.0 mm X 16.3 mm and its mass is 185 g. 4.2 Enclosure Material The enclosure material is an Aluminum Alloy ADC10 with a RoHs Compliant Chromate Conversion coating. This document contains Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary Information may which may not be used, reproduced, or disclosed without written approval from Iridium Satellite LLC. IR3142-ICD-006 Issue 1 v2.1 Page 10 of 16
4.3 Mechanical Drawing Figure 4.3-1 below shows the mechanical dimensions of the Iridium Certus 9770. CAD files for the Iridium Certus 9770 are also available in STEP and Parasolid files as per References 2 and 3 respectively. Figure 4.3-1: Iridium Certus 9770 Mechanical Drawing This document contains Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary Information may which may not be used, reproduced, or disclosed without written approval from Iridium Satellite LLC. IR3142-ICD-006 Issue 1 v2.1 Page 11 of 16
4.4 Mounting Considerations The Iridium Certus 9770 has six mounting holes with clearance for M3 screws that can be used to secure the transceiver to a VAM product. The Iridium Certus 9770 should be assembled into a VAM product by pushing the transceiver straight down onto a VAM products mating connector, ensuring not to rotate or twist the transceiver. The mechanical drawings in section 4.3 define a keep-out region. VAM product components should not be placed inside this keep out area which has allowances for reasonable manufacturing and assembly variations. 4.5 Grounding Ground pins on the Iridium Certus 9770 digital connector are the intended return path for all return currents. As such, although the Iridium Certus 9770s metal enclosure is also electrically connected to a ground, it is recommended that all high current ground returns only flow through the ground pins on the digital connector. 4.6 Thermal Management The Iridium Certus 9770 has an aluminum die cast enclosure which provides a passive thermal heat sink path that is designed to conduct, connect and/or radiate heat from its bottom surface to a VAM product. Figure 4.6-1 illustrates the location on the Iridium Certus 9770s power amplifier where the dominate heat is generated. At a minimum, it is recommended that heat sinks on a VAM product contact the Iridium Certus 9770 at this location. Depending on a VAM product design and use case scenarios, larger heat sink contact zones may be required. Figure 4.6-1: Primary Heat Source location A VAM product is responsible for dissipating enough heat from the Iridium Certus 9770 into the This document contains Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary Information may which may not be used, reproduced, or disclosed without written approval from Iridium Satellite LLC. IR3142-ICD-006 Issue 1 v2.1 Page 12 of 16
ambient environment to ensure that both the Iridium Certus 9770s ambient and case temperature does not exceed the temperatures in Table 4.6-1. If the Iridium Certus 9770 gets too hot, its thermal protection circuitry can shut the transceiver off and put it into a fault mode. Once the Iridium Certus 9770 enters a fault mode, a reset or power up is required to recover. Reference 1 describes how to read the status of internal temperature sensors and the notifications that are generated if the Iridium Certus 9770 goes into fault mode. Parameter Maximum Case Temperature Maximum Ambient Temperature Value 75 C 70 C Table 4.6-1: Thermal Management Temperature Specifications When transmitting or when ambient temperatures exceed 60 degrees C, the Iridium Certus 9770s caseworks can be hot to the touch. Avoid direct contact with the transceiver in order to avoid burns. 5 Environmental The environmental specifications for the Iridium Certus 9770 are summarized in Table 5-1 below. Parameter Operating Temperature Range Operating Humidity Range Storage Temperature Range Storage Humidity Range Operational Vibration Value
-40 C to + 70 C 95% RH
-40 C to + 85 C 93% RH 0.02 g/Hz from 10 Hz to 40 Hz, 40 Hz to 500 Hz dropping 6dB per octave 0.96 m/s from 5 Hz to 20 Hz, 21 Hz to 500 Hz dropping 3 dB per octave 10 G peak shock over a period of 11 ms, 3 shocks in 3 perpendicular orientations Shock Table 5-1: Environmental Specifications This document contains Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary Information may which may not be used, reproduced, or disclosed without written approval from Iridium Satellite LLC. IR3142-ICD-006 Issue 1 v2.1 Page 13 of 16
6 Regulatory Approvals The Iridium CertusTM 9770 Transceiver is a regulatory approved module that can be fitted within an enclosed host system. With appropriate external connections, the host system can be designed to meet full transceiver regulatory tests and sold as a Regulatory Certified product that meets CE, FCC and IC requirements. The Iridium CertusTM 9770 is tested to the regulatory and technical certifications shown in Table 2 (See Note below). The Iridium CertusTM 9770 is certified as a module for non-portable applications i.e. those that do not combine the Iridium CertusTM 9770 with another radio element and have an intended separation distance of over 30 cm from a person. The OEM integrator is responsible for ensuring that their end-product complies with additional compliance requirements required with this module installed, such as digital device/unintentional emissions requirements and any additional potential RF exposure requirements, such as portable use or co-location requirements. Table 2: 9770 Regulatory and Technical Certifications. Regulatory Approvals Radio Tests EMC Tests Electrical / Mechanical /
Operational Safety Tests EU (RED) ETSI EN 301 441 V2.1.1
(2016-06) ETSI EN 301 489-1 V2.2.1
(2019-03) IEC 62638-1:2014 ETSI EN 301 489-20 V2.1.1
(2019-04) EN 50665: 2017 FCC 47 CFR Part 2: 2018 FCC 47 CFR Part 15B: 2018 FCC 47 CFR Part 25: 2018 RSS170 Issue 3 (2015-07) ISEDC RSS-GEN Issue 5 + A1
(2019-03) ISEDC RSS-GEN Issue 5 + A1
(2019-03) FCC Industry Canada 6.1 Unauthorised Changes Iridium has not approved any changes or modifications to this device by the user. Any changes or modifications could void the users authority to operate the equipment. Iridium napprouve aucune modification apporte lappareil par lutilisateur, quelle quen soit la nature. Tout changement ou modification peuvent annuler le droit dutilisation de lappareil par lutilisateur. This document contains Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary Information may which may not be used, reproduced, or disclosed without written approval from Iridium Satellite LLC. IR3142-ICD-006 Issue 1 v2.1 Page 14 of 16
6.2 Radio Interference This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules and Industry Canada licence-exempt RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device. Under Industry Canada regulations, this radio transmitter may only operate using an antenna of a type and maximum (or lesser) gain approved for the transmitter by Industry Canada. To reduce potential radio interference to other users, the antenna type and its gain should be so chosen that the equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) is not more than that necessary for successful communication. Le prsent appareil est conforme aux CNR d'Industrie Canada applicables aux appareils radio exempts de licence. L'exploitation est autorise aux deux conditions suivantes : (1) l'appareil ne doit pas produire de brouillage, et (2) l'utilisateur de l'appareil doit accepter tout brouillage radiolectrique subi, mme si le brouillage est susceptible d'en compromettre le fonctionnement. Conformment la rglementation d'Industrie Canada, le prsent metteur radio peut fonctionner avec une antenne d'un type et d'un gain maximal (ou infrieur) approuv pour l'metteur par Industrie Canada. Dans le but de rduire les risques de brouillage radiolectrique l'intention des autres utilisateurs, il faut choisir le type d'antenne et son gain de sorte que la puissance isotrope rayonne quivalente (PIRE) ne dpasse pas l'intensit ncessaire l'tablissement d'une communication satisfaisante. 6.3 RF Exposure This equipment complies with FCC and IC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. The antenna should be installed and operated with minimum distance of 30 cm between the radiator and your body. Antenna gain must be below: 3.0 dBi. This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. Cet appareil est conforme aux limites d'exposition aux rayonnements de la IC pour un environnement non contrl. L'antenne doit tre install de faon garder une distance minimale de 30 centimtres entre la source de rayonnements et votre corps. Gain de l'antenne doit tre ci-dessous: 3.0 dBi. L'metteur ne doit pas tre colocalis ni fonctionner conjointement avec autre antenne ou autre metteur. 6.4 FCC Class B Digital Device Notice This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be This document contains Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary Information may which may not be used, reproduced, or disclosed without written approval from Iridium Satellite LLC. IR3142-ICD-006 Issue 1 v2.1 Page 15 of 16
determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
- Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
- Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
- Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
- Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. 6.5 Labelling Requirements for the Host device The host device shall be properly labelled to identify the modules within the host device. The certification label of the module shall be clearly visible at all times when installed in the host device, otherwise the host device must be labelled to display the FCC ID and IC of the module, preceded by the words "Contains transmitter module", or the word "Contains", or similar wording expressing the same meaning, as follows:
Contains FCC ID: Q639770 or Contains transmitter module FCC ID: Q639770 Contains IC: 4629A-9770 or Contains transmitter module IC: 4629A-9770 L'appareil hte doit tre tiquet comme il faut pour permettre l'identification des modules qui s'y trouvent. L'tiquette de certification du module donn doit tre pose sur l'appareil hte un endroit bien en vue en tout temps. En l'absence d'tiquette, l'appareil hte doit porter une tiquette donnant le FCC ID et le IC du module, prcd des mots Contient un module d'mission , du mot Contient ou d'une formulation similaire exprimant le mme sens, comme suit:
Contains FCC ID: Q639770 or Contains transmitter module FCC ID: Q639770 Contains IC: 4629A-9770 or Contains transmitter module IC: 4629A-9770 6.6 CAN ICES-3 (B) / NMB-3 (B) This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003. Cet appareil numrique de classe B est conforme la norme canadienne ICES-003. 6.7 Simplified EU Declaration of Conformity Iridium Satellite LLC hereby declares that the radio equipment Iridium CertusTM 9770 Transceiver complies with Directive 2014/53/EU. The full text of the EU declarations of conformity is available at the following internet address: www.iridium.com under partner resources. This document contains Iridium Satellite LLC Proprietary Information may which may not be used, reproduced, or disclosed without written approval from Iridium Satellite LLC. IR3142-ICD-006 Issue 1 v2.1 Page 16 of 16