Sutron Corporation Satlink Operations & Maintenance Manual, Rev 8.04.2 11/3/2016 pg. 121
12.
Telemetry
12.1.
Iridium Telemetry
Satlink may be equipped with an optional Iridium module. The module is plug and play and fits
into one of the two option ports found on SL3-1. When so equipped, Satlink is capable of
sending transmissions and receiving messages using the Iridium satellite network.
There are reasons for using Satlink with Iridium:
It may be used to provide two way remote communications with Satlink.
Iridium may be used for redundant telemetry, duplicating all data transmitted via GOES.
Iridium may be used to provide a reliable and timely way of sending alarms.
Iridium may be used to retrieve data from missing transmissions (see
Satlink’s flexible telemetry setup allows for any or all of those scenarios.
section for details on setting up Iridium.
Iridium satellite coverage is available everywhere. The diagram below shows how the signal
travels through the Iridium Gateway to an email address, etc.
12.1.1.
Iridium Antenna Placement
The Iridium antenna must be placed where it has a clear view of the sky.
Iridium satellites are not geostationary. This means that coverage of a certain area may vary from
one minute to the next. To be considered reliable, the station must have a strong signal for 10 to
20 minutes.
