SparkFun IOTA - Satellite Communication Module (ARTIC R2)
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- 3-6 $326.23 (exc GST)
- 6+ $319.50 (exc GST)
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Is your project linked to environmental protection, awareness or study, or to protecting human life? Perhaps you are developing a wildlife tracker, ocean buoy, environmental monitoring system or need to transfer emergency medical information? Do you need to be able to transmit and receive data anywhere? If so, this is the product for you! IOTA (Integrated Open-Source Transceiver for ARGOS) allows you to send and receive short bursts of data via the ARGOS satellite network, anywhere on Earth including the Polar regions.
The ARGOS system has been around for quite a while. It was created in 1978 by the French Space Agency (CNES), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), originally as a scientific tool for collecting and relaying meteorological and oceanographic data around the world. Today, ARGOS is revolutionising satellite communication, adding a constellation of 25 nanosatellites to complement the 7 traditional satellites carrying ARGOS instrumentation. The first of these, ANGELS, is already in operation and SparkFun were among the first users to transmit data to ANGELS in October 2020. When the constellation is complete, there will be a maximum of 10-15 minutes between satellite passes.
Our transceiver shield has been tested and certified by Kinéis for ARGOS 2, 3 and 4 communication and IOTA uses the exact same RF design. Compared to other satellite communication systems, IOTA has a much lower current draw and will work with a very simple, very lightweight quarter-wave wire antenna. The ARTIC R2 chipset on IOTA operates from 3.3V and the on-board flash memory enables fast boot times. If you don’t need the full transmit power, or want to conserve your battery life, you can transmit at reduced power too thanks to the opto-isolated gain pin. The interface is 3.3V SPI and will work with a huge range of microcontrollers.
Our Arduino Library makes it really easy to get up and running with ARGOS. We’ve provided a full set of examples which will let you: configure the ARTIC R2 chipset; predict the next satellite pass; receive allcast and individually-coded messages; transmit messages using ARGOS 2, 3 and 4 encoding.
The ARGOS satellite system is restricted to specific programs and applications. Please check that your project meets these requirements before buying hardware. CLS (France) and the Woods Hole Group (America) will be able to advise if your project meets the requirements. "To meet system use requirements, all programs using Argos have to be related in some way or other to environmental protection, awareness or study, or to protecting human life." Experimental Product: SparkX products are rapidly produced to bring you the most cutting edge technology as it becomes available. These products are tested but come with no guarantees. Live technical support is not available for SparkX products. Head on over to our forum for support or to ask a question.- ARTIC-R2 Chipset
- Serial interface (SPI) for communication with MCU
- Programmable DSP core on board to ensure flexibility
- RX frequency : 466MHz
- TX frequency: 400MHz
- Fractional N frequency synthesis
- Supported TX standards:
- BPSK: PTT-A2 (ARGOS 2), PTT-VLD (ARGOS 4)
- QPSK: PTT-A3, PTT-ZE (ARGOS 3)
- GMSK: PTT-HD (ARGOS 3), PTT-MD (ARGOS 4), PTT-HD (ARGOS 4)
- Supported RX standards:
- BPSK: PMT-A3 (ARGOS 3)
- DSSS OQPSK: PMT-A4 (ARGOS 4) not available
- Supports COSPAS-SARSAT standard
- RFPA0133 Power Amplifier
- Boosts the 0dBm (1mW) output from the ARTIC by up to 26dB
- Typical maximum transmit power level: 400mW
- Programmable gain via the G8 breakout pin
- TCXO
- 26MHz temperature-compensated crystal oscillator for maximum stability
- SST25VF020B Flash memory
- Stores the ARTIC firmware, allowing fast boot times
- RF Screening Can
- Antenna Connection:
- u.FL
- or Breakout Pad
- Power requirements:
- 3.3V +/- 0.1V.
- Typical current draw:
- Sleep: 51µA
- Idle: 7.2mA
- Receive: 32.8mA
- Transmit (G8 pin high): 220mA
- Transmit (G8 pin low): 170mA
- Weight: 3g (0.1oz)
Exact shipping can be calculated on the view cart page (no login required).
Products that weigh more than 0.5 KG may cost more than what's shown (for example, test equipment, machines, >500mL liquids, etc).
We deliver Australia-wide with these options (depends on the final destination - you can get a quote on the view cart page):
- $3+ for Stamped Mail (typically 10+ business days, not tracked, only available on selected small items)
- $6+ for Standard Post (typically 6+ business days, tracked)
- $10+ for Express Post (typically 2+ business days, tracked)
- Pickup - Free! Only available to customers who live in the Newcastle region (must order online and only pickup after we email to notify you the order is ready). Orders placed after 2PM may not be ready until the following business day.
Non-metro addresses in WA, NT, SA & TAS can take 2+ days in addition to the above information.
Some batteries (such as LiPo) can't be shipped by Air. During checkout, Express Post and International Methods will not be an option if you have that type of battery in your shopping cart.
International Orders - the following rates are for New Zealand and will vary for other countries:
- $11+ for Pack and Track (3+ days, tracked)
- $16+ for Express International (2-5 days, tracked)
If you order lots of gear, the postage amount will increase based on the weight of your order.
Our physical address (here's a PDF which includes other key business details):
Unit 18, 132 Garden Grove Parade
Adamstown
NSW, 2289
Australia
Take a look at our customer service page if you have other questions such as "do we do purchase orders" (yes!) or "are prices GST inclusive" (yes they are!). We're here to help - get in touch with us to talk shop.
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