Iridium 9603

S B D T r a n s c e i v e r Devel oper’s Ki t
REVISION 1.0
9603 SBD Transceiver Product Developers Guide
Revision 1.0

Table of Contents

1 What is the Iridium 9603 Developer’s Kit .............................................................. 4

1.1 Parts List...................................................................................................................................... 4

2 How to use the 9603 Developer’s Kit ..................................................................... 5

2.1 Power Supply .............................................................................................................................. 5
2.2 ON / OFF ..................................................................................................................................... 6
2.3 90ms SYNC INPUT ..................................................................................................................... 6
2.4 DATA PORT ................................................................................................................................ 6
2.5 TEST PORT ................................................................................................................................ 6

3 Example Scenarios ................................................................................................. 7

3.1 Setting the Default Configuration ................................................................................................. 7
3.2 Power-on to Sending a Message ................................................................................................. 7
3.3 Automatic Notification Registration .............................................................................................. 8
3.4 Automatic Notification Message Reception ................................................................................. 8
3.5 Automatic Notification Automatic Registration ............................................................................. 9
3.6 Sending a Message with Minimal Radio Activity .......................................................................... 9
3.7 Powering Down............................................................................................................................ 9

4 Supported AT Commands .................................................................................... 10

5 More about the Iridium 9603................................................................................. 11

5.1 Size and mounting holes ........................................................................................................... 11
5.2 User Connector Pin out ............................................................................................................. 11
5.3 Antenna Connector .................................................................................................................... 12

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LEGAL DISCLAIMER AND CONDITIONS OF USE

This document contains information for the Iridium 9603 (“Product”) and is provided “as is.” The purpose of providing such
information is to enable Value Added Resellers and Value Added Manufacturers (collectively, “Product Developer(s)”) to
understand the Product and how to integrate it into a wireless 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 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 Product specifications and materials and/or
revise this document or withdraw it at any time. This document is provided in conjunction with the purchase of the Product
and is therefore subject to the Product Sales Terms and Conditions set forth at http://www.Iridium.com/support/library/Legal
Notices.aspx. The Product Developer assumes any and all risk of using the Product specifications and any other
information provided.
Your use of this document is governed by your Partner Agreement with Iridium. Please review your Partner Agreement and
the Iridium Product Sales Terms and Conditions that govern your relationship with Iridium. This document is strictly
Proprietary and Confidential to Iridium. Consistent with your Partner Agreement with Iridium, you may not this document (or
any portion thereof) to others without express 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.
IRIDIUM MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS, GUARANTEES, CONDITIONS OR WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR
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WHETHER ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITIES OF SUCH DAMAGES. IRIDIUM IS NOT LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM MADE
BY A THIRD PARTY OR MADE BY YOU FOR A THIRD PARTY.
Your use of the information contained in this Guide is restricted to the development activity authorized under the
agreement(s) between you and Iridium, and is otherwise subject to all applicable terms and conditions of such
agreement(s), including without limitation software license, warranty, conditions of use and confidentiality
provisions.

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.
Diversion contrary to U.S. law is prohibited. For further information, contact the U.S. Department of
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1 What is the Iridium 9603 Developer’s Kit

The Iridium 9603 is the latest Short Burst Data Transceiver from Iridium. It is much smaller than its
predecessor, the Iridium 9602, and is intended to be mounted onto a PCB using the two mounting
holes provided. More information on the Iridium 9603 is provided in the Iridium 9603 Developer’s
Guide.

Figure 1. Iridium 9603 Transceiver

The Iridium 9603 Developer’s Kit includes a 9603 mounted onto a Test Interface Card (TIC). This will
allow for easy powering, control and interfacing to the 9603 and allow use of the 9603 with off the
shelf hardware (e.g. with 5V DC power supply, Iridium-approved antenna, etc.)

1.1 Parts List

Each Developer’s Kit consists of:
1. 1 x Iridium 9603 module (mounted on a ‘Iridium 9602 TIC Board’)
2. 1 x Iridium 9602 Test Interface Card (TIC)
3. CD with 9603 Developer’s Guide, SBD Service Developer’s Guide, reference design files in a variety of formats.
4. 1 x Pigtail cable, U.FL to SMA (SAMTEC MH113-MH1RP-01BJ1-0150)
5. Power Supply
6. Packaging

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2 How to use the 9603 Developer’s Kit

9603
Pigtail RF Connector 1
Is under 9603
module
SMA

LK-1

LK-3
Power
LED

Figure 2. Iridium 9603 Developer’s Kit.

2.1 Power Supply

There are two methods DC power can be supplied to developer kit.
1. Either +5VDC from a laboratory bench power supply connected to the red & black jacks or
2. Use of a DC power block (6VDC 1.5A) to connected to the DC Power Feed jack (not provided).
Link LK1 should be set as follows:
o Connecting Pin 1 to Pin 2 supports a laboratory power supply (This is the default setting)
o Connecting Pin 2 to Pin 3 supports the DC Feed from an external power block
The “9602 Power Present” indicator should light when board power is on.

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2.2 ON / OFF
After the DC power is connected, the Iridium 9603 module can be turned on and off using the ON/OFF switch.
Link LK3 should be set as follows:
o Connecting Pin 1 to Pin 2 supports ON/OFF via the switch (This is the default)
o Connecting Pin 2 to Pin 3 turns off the module
o Disconnect the link and use a digital signal attached to Pin 2 to support automatic ON/OFF signalling
from another source
The “ON/OFF Signal” and “9602 Active” indicators should both light when the switch is set to the ON position (push to the
right).

2.3 90ms SYNC INPUT

This port is used for special test modes. It is not intended for general use by developers.

2.4 DATA PORT

The RS-232 serial port is the main serial data port for the Iridium 9602 TIC Board supporting the AT command interface to
the module.. The TIC board provided RS-232 level conversion while the Iridium 9603 transceiver interface is 3.3 volt
CMOS. Product Developers should use a standard straight through cable with 9 pin D-type connections to interface the
Application Board to a PC.
The default port settings are 8 bits, 1 stop bit, no parity, no handshake at a baud rate of 19200
Quick check:
Turn on the 9603 module.
Type “AT+CGMR” into a serial data terminal connected to the DATA Port.
You should receive back some HW and SW revision information from the 9603 module.
The AT control interface for the data port has not changed from the 9602. Please see section 4 for the full list of supported
AT commands

2.5 TEST PORT

This port is used for special test modes. It is not intended for general use by developers.

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3 Example Scenarios
3.1 Setting the Default Configuration
The Field Application (FA )sets the Transceiver’s default configuration to no handshaking, no flow control, radio enabled,
SBD automatic notifications enabled.

To Transceiver (from FA) To FA (from Transceiver) Description

AT&K0
Disable RTS/CTS flow control
OK
AT*R1
Enable the radio
OK
AT+SBDMTA=1
Enable SBD ring indications
OK
AT&W0
Store the configuration as profile 0
OK
AT&Y0
Select profile 0 as the power-up default
OK

3.2 Power-on to Sending a Message

The FA will power up the Transceiver, wait for the Transceiver to acquire the network, and send a 70-byte
message.

To Transceiver (from FA) To FA (from Transceiver) Description

Apply power to the Iridium 9603
Wait for DSR to become asserted
AT+CIER=1,0,1,0 Enable service indication reporting (note that this can be stored
OK in the default configuration)
+CIEV: 1,1 Wait for the Iridium 9603 to acquire the network
AT+SBDWB=70
READY
Transfer message to Iridium 9603
<binary transfer>
0
AT+SBDIX
Perform SBD session
+SBDIX: 0,23,0,-1,0,0
AT+SBDD0
Clear the MO message buffer
OK

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3.3 Automatic Notification Registration

The FA verifies its registration state, performs a registration in order to be able to receive automatic notifications, and
enables automatic notification indications.

To Transceiver (from FA) To FA (from Transceiver) Description

AT+SBDREG? Query the Transceiver registration status
+SBDREG:0 Transceiver is detached, i.e. un-registered
AT+SBDREG Tell the Transceiver to register for automatic notifications
+SBDREG:2,0 Transceiver is now registered
AT+SBDREG? Query the Transceiver registration status
+SBDREG:2 Transceiver is registered
AT+SBDMTA=1
Enable SBD ring indications from Transceiver to FA
OK

3.4 Automatic Notification Message Reception

The FA verifies its registration state. Upon receiving a automatic notification the FA initiates an SBD session to receive an
MT message.

To Transceiver (from FA) To FA (from Transceiver) Description

AT+SBDREG? Query the Transceiver registration status
+SBDREG:2 Transceiver is registered
… Vendor application sends an MT message to the GSS
Transceiver indicates an incoming message. The RI line also
+SBDRING toggles.
FA initiates an SBD session in answer to the automatic
AT+SBDIXA notification
Transceiver informs FA that a 90-byte message was
+SBDIXA:0,23,1,237,90,2 successfully received with MTMSN 237, and that two further MT
messages are queued at the GSS
AT+SBDRB
FA retrieves the received message from the Transceiver
<binary transfer>

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3.5 Automatic Notification Automatic Registration

The FA verifies its registration state and enables automatic registration using the “Ask” mode.

To Transceiver (from FA) To FA (from Transceiver) Description

AT+SBDREG? Query the Transceiver registration status
+SBDREG:2 Transceiver is registered
AT+SBDAREG=2
FA sets the automatic registration to “Ask” mode
OK
… Transceiver is moved
+AREG:0,0 Transceiver notifies FA that it needs to register
AT+SBDREG FA instructs the Transceiver to register
+SBDREG:2,0 Registration is successful

3.6 Sending a Message with Minimal Radio Activity

Assuming that service indication events have been turned on with AT+CIER=1,0,1, and the radio has been disabled with
AT*R0.
To Transceiver (from FA) To FA (from Transceiver) Description
AT+SBDWB=70
READY
Transfer message to Iridium 9603
<binary transfer>
0
AT*R1 Activate the radio and wait for the Transceiver to acquire the
OK network
+CIEV:1,1 Transceiver has acquired the network
AT+SBDI
Perform SBD session
+SBDI: 0,23,0,-1,0,0
AT*R0
Deactivate the radio
OK
AT+SBDD0
Clear the MO message buffer
OK

3.7 Powering Down

The FA flushes any pending EEPROM writes before powering down the Transceiver.
To Transceiver (from FA) To FA (from Transceiver) Description
AT*F FA tells Transceiver to flush pending writes to EEPROM and
OK waits for completion
<binary transfer> FA may now safely disconnect the Transceiver power supply.

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4 Supported AT Commands
Command Description Note
AT Attention code
A/ Repeat last command
En Echo
In Identification
Qn Quiet mode
Vn Verbose mode
Zn Soft reset
&Dn DTR option
&Fn Restore factory settings
&Kn Flow control
&V View active and stored configuration
&Wn Store active configuration
&Yn Designate default reset profile
%R Display registers
*F Flush to EEPROM
*Rn Radio activity
+CCLK Real-time clock Reads Iridium Network time if available
+CGMI Manufacturer identification
+CGMM Model identification
+CGMR Revision
+CGSN Serial number
+CIER Indicator event reporting
+CRIS Ring Indicator Status
+CSQ Signal quality
+CULK Unlock
+GMI Manufacturer identification
+GMM Model identification
+GMR Revision
+GSN Serial number
+IPR Fixed DTE rate
+SBDAREG Short burst data: Automatic registration
+SBDC Short burst data: Clear SBD MOMSN
+SBDD Short burst data: Clear SBD message buffers
+SBDDET Short burst data: Detach
+SBDDSC Short burst data: Delivery short code
+SBDI Short burst data: Initiate an SBD session
+SBDIX Short burst data: Initiate an SBD session extended
+SBDIXA Short burst data: Initiate an SBD session extended
+SBDMTA Short burst data: Mobile-terminated alert Manual
+SBDRB Short burst data: Read binary data from ISU
+SBDREG Short burst data: Automatic registration
+SBDRT Short burst data: Read a text message from the ISU
+SBDS Short burst data: Status
+SBDSX Short Burst data Status Extended
+SBDTC Short burst data: Transfer MO buffer to MT buffer
+SBDWB Short burst data: Write binary data to the ISU Manual
+SBDWT Short burst data: Write a text message to the ISU
-MSSTM Request system time

+SBDLOE SBD Lockout Expiry

Table 1: Supported AT commands

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5 More about the Iridium 9603

5.1 Size and mounting holes
The 9603 Transceiver Module is 31.5mm x 29.6mm x 8.1mm and is intended to be mounted onto a PCB of the host system.
For this purpose, two mounting holes are provided, intended for 2-56 screws of a suitable length for the mounting
application.
In the Iridium 9603 Developer’s Kit, 2-56 x 1/2” buttonhead socket capscrews (McMaster 92949A081) are used to attach the
9603 Transceiver Module. A .050” hex wrench is required to remove the 9603 Transceiver module. These screws attach
through a 7/32” long hollow spacer (McMaster 92510A007) and into P-KF2-256-ET PEM nuts that are pressed into the 9603
TIC (Test Interface Card) boards.

5.2 User Connector Pin out

The user connector on the 9603 is a SAMTEC ST4-10-2.50-L-D-P-TR (mating part SAMTEC SS4-10-3.00-L-D-K-TR). The
pin out of the connector is provided below. The ST4 and SS4 connectors are rated for 100 cycles.

Pin Signal direction

Signal Name Signal function Signal level
No. (WRT 9603)
1 EXT_PWR Input Supply +5 V +/- 0.5 V
2 EXT_PWR Input Supply +5 V +/- 0.5 V
3 EXT_GND Input Supply return 0V
4 EXT_GND Input Supply return 0V
Analogue
5 ON/OFF Input On/Off control input On: >=2.0V
Off: <=0.5V
6 DF_S_TX Input Data port, serial data input 3.3V Digital
7 DF_S_RX Output Data port, serial data output 3.3V Digital
8 SIG_GND Input Signal ground 0V
Data port, Data Carrier 3.3V Digital
9 DF_ DCD Output
Detect
10 DF_ DSR Output Data port, Data Set Ready 3.3V Digital
11 DF_ CTS Output Data port, Clear-to-Send 3.3V Digital
12 DF_RI Output Data port, Ring Indicator 3.3V Digital
13 DF_ RTS Input Data port, Request-to-Send 3.3V Digital
Data port, Data Terminal 3.3V Digital
14 DF_ DTR Input
Ready
15 SIG_GND Input Signal ground 0V
16 Reserved
17 Reserved
18 SIG_GND Input Signal ground 0V
Signals when the 9603 can 3.3V Digital
NETWORK
19 Output see an available satellite Available = high
AVAILABLE
network Not available= low
Supply power indicator +3.3 V
20 SUPPLY_OUT Output
output 15mA maximum

Table 7: User Connector Pin Allocation

Figure 3 provides a reference for the pin designation. The pins are marked in the figure. Note that Pin 1 is marked on the
connector.

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Pin 2
Pin 20
Pin 1 is marked on the
connector

Pin 1
Pin 19

Figure 3. Image of the 9603 Transceiver interface.

Although the user connector is physically different, the control interface that it supports is very similar to that of the Iridium
9602. See Section 4 for a full list of AT commands supported.

5.3 Antenna Connector

The main RF connector for the Iridium 9603 is a Hirose U.FL-R-SMT-1 (mating cable SAMTEC MH113-MH1RP-01BJ1-0150
Pigtail). This provides the RF connection between the Iridium 9603 module and the motherboard.

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