April 20, 2009 - SATEL released SATELLAR smart radio modem combining TCP/IP-functionalities, a Linux platform for customer specific applications, and a versatile modular structure. Whereas radio modems have conventionally been used to convey data across several kilometers - essentially replacing a cable in inconvenient locations - SATELLAR can do a lot more. The central unit, one of SATELLAR's modular units, is an ARM9-based computer with 64 MB RAM and 128 MB Flash memory for running customer specific software applications in addition to the Linux OS, IP-router, and web configuration server. The TCP/IP capabilities include SNMP, SSH and a Firewall among others. In addition to the Linux kernel, other components such as BusyBox, uClibc and SQLite are incorporated.
The radio unit, which is the foundation of the system, offers a 20 MHz tuning range within the UHF frequency band of 380 - 520 MHz. With a transmit power of up to 1 W and a receiver sensitivity of -119 dBm, a range of over 10 km can typically be reached in urban environments. The carrier frequency can be freely configured in 6.25 kHz steps and the channel width can be set to 12.5 or 25 kHz.
The robust die-cast aluminum housing and the wide operating temperature range of -30° to +75 °C, allow for deployment in harsh environments. Applications range from snow guns in the mountains to SCADA systems for monitoring oil or gas pipelines in the desert.
