Iridium Certus 9704 Satellite IoT Developer Kit supports Arduino programming, integrates with Blynk IoT Cloud

Iridium Certus 7904 Satellite IoT Developer Kit is a compact Arduino-programmable devkit with satellite connectivity, a microSD card for data storage, USB and LiPo battery power support, and various expansion options designed for IoT and M2M applications.

Featuring a pre-provisioned Iridium Certus 9704 module, the developer kit also supports expansion headers and connectors for Adafruit FeatherWing modules, Arduino Shields, Qwiic/STEMMA QT modules, and Arduino I2C (ESLOV) add-on boards. We have written about several Iridium satellite solutions over many years, but I think it’s the first time we’ve come across an easy-to-use Satellite IoT development kit programmable with the Arduino IDE and with Blynk IoT Cloud integration.

Iridium Certus 9704 Satellite IoT Developer Kit specifications:

• Iridium Certus 9704 Module
  • Max Message Size – 100 KB including images & soundbites through IMT (Iridium Messaging Transport) service
  • Command Interface – JSON-Based Serial Protocol for REST (JSPR)
  • Interfaces – Serial data; SPI; GPIOs; GNSS pass-through; antenna (RF pin); digital interface
  • Dimensions – 42 x 31.5 x 3.8 mm
  • Weight – 12grams
  • Temperature Range – -40°C to +85°C
  • Certifications – FCC, EU/UK (CE), Canada (ISED); all in progress…
• Launch Pad Developer Board
  • MCU – Microchip ATSAMD21J18A Cortex-M0+ microcontroller @ 48 MHz with 256KB flash, 32KB SRAM
  • Storage – MicroSD card slot
  • GNSS – U-blox MAX-M10S
  • Antenna – Helical Iridium Antenna and SMA right-angle adapter
  • USB – USB Type-C full-speed port for power and programming
  • MCU I/Os
    • 3x UART for Iridium 9704 module, GNSS module, and expansion
    • 2x SPI for microSD card and expansion
    • 1x I2C
    • 22x digital IO pins
    • 12x PWM pins
    • 8x analog inputs, 1x analog input
    • DC current per IO pin – 7 mA
  • Expansion headers using expansion MCU I/Os
    • Adafruit FeatherWing headers
    • Arduino Shield headers
    • Qwiic/STEMMA QT connector
    • Arduino I2C (ESLOV) connector
    • 10-pin connector for external control
  • Debugging – SWD connectors
  • Misc
    • Reset and User push-buttons
    • Power LED, charging LED, Tx LED, user LED
    • Piezo buzzer
  • Power management
    • 5V via USB-C port
    • 2-pin battery connector
    • Texas Instruments BQ24195L charger IC
  • Dimensions –  77 x 67 mm (including antenna connector)
  • Weight – 43 grams
• Battery – 2,500 to 3,000 mAh Lithium-Ion Battery
• Accessories – USB-C cable, microSD card

I was unimpressed the first time I accessed the documentation, as it looked like a single page with little to see. But I was just confused with the website’s navigation, and you’ll find hardware and software documentation, a getting started guide, and some source code there.

Iridium Certus 9704 Satellite IoT Developer Kit has its own board URL (https://iridium.gitlab.io/9704_launch_pad/documentation/packages/package_iridium_index.json) and an “Iridium 9704 Launch Pad” library with dependencies including Arduino Json, Aduino Log, Arduino BQ24195 and SdFat.

The instructions also explain how to integrate the devkit with Blynk IoT cloud and load an Arduino sketch to get started. With the default firmware, the Iridium 9704 Launch Pad will generate audible chirps whenever it is communicating with a satellite, and you can also monitor the signal bars, battery voltage, and data from the GNSS receiver in the Blynk dashboard.

Applications for the Iridium Certus 9704 module and IoT devkit include predictive maintenance, diagnostics, telemetry monitoring, remote asset tracking, and command and control for uncrewed aircraft, vehicles, and vessels. The company also says the module’s larger-sized data messages are suitable for remote sensing applications such as wildlife monitoring, detection of wildfires and flooding, etc…

The downside of Satellite IoT communication is often the price, and that’s still the case here since the Iridium Certus 9704 Satellite IoT devkit costs $499. It also looks like you need to ask for permission before placing an order, but maybe it’s because of limited availability at launch, and it will become more accessible over time. More details may be found on the product page and the press release.

Thanks to TLS for the tip.

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