117-00020 Rev 4.0 Effective Date: 28 October 2022 Page 9 of 12
Section 6: Setting up your modem
Connecting to the Iridium network
The Flightcell Iridium modem operates on the Iridium satellite network. To enable connectivity an
Iridium SIM card provisioned for the desired services is required. The SIM can be obtained from
your preferred Iridium service provider.
Configuring your DZMx to work with the modem
Your DZMx will need to be configured to use the Flightcell Iridium Modem. Instructions for
configuring a DZMx to work with the modem can be found in the Installation Manual for the DZMx.
These manuals are available from the Flightcell support page at
https://www.flightcell.com/resources.
Using the Modem Standalone
If the modem is to be used in standalone mode it will need to be connected to a PC (or embedded
device) which can control the internal Iridium transceiver directly. The Iridium modem uses the
Iridium 9523 transceiver.
The modem provides analogue audio and RS232 data. For RS232 the default data rate is 19200
baud, 8 bits, 1 stop, no parity. RTS/CTS flow control is optionally available when using RS232.
The RS232 connects directly to the Iridium 9523 modem allowing operation through the use of AT
commands. See the Iridium ISU AT Command Reference for the full set of AT commands and
responses.
Installing a SIM card
The Flightcell Iridium Modem will not register on a network until a valid SIM card with a current
account is installed.
The DZMx will provide an error message if either there is no SIM card installed, or there is an
invalid SIM installed. Please see the Installation Manual for your DZMx for more details on error
messages.
If the modem is standalone, the connected device will need to interrogate the modem via the AT
interface to determine the SIM / network registration status.
To install the SIM card:
»Remove the rubber plug in the end of the modem.
»Insert the SIM card in the slot and press till it clicks into place.
»Reinsert the rubber plug.
The correct orientation of the SIM card is with the gold contacts down, and with the end of the card
with the diagonal cut-out inserted first. The SIM card will not fully insert in the wrong orientation.
