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== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* [http://www.astronautix.com/craft/orbcomm.htm Orbcomm] at [[Encyclopedia Astronautica]]
* [http://www.astronautix.com/craft/orbcomm.htm Orbcomm] at [[Encyclopedia Astronautica]]
* [http://qrg.broker.freenet6.net/?q=orbcomm Orbcomm] at the [http://qrg.broker.freenet6.net/ Global Frequency Database]
* [http://norave.ath.cx/?q=orbcomm Orbcomm] at the [http://norave.ath.cx/ Global Frequency Database]


[[Category:Communications satellite operators]]
[[Category:Communications satellite operators]]

Revision as of 16:02, 9 November 2010

ORBCOMM, Inc.
Company typeWireless data networking
IndustryTelecommunications
Founded1993 by Orbital Sciences and Teleglobe
HeadquartersFort Lee, NJ
Key people
Chairman: Jerome (Jerry) Eisenberg
CFO: Robert G. Costantini
CEO: Marc Eisenberg
EVP Technology and Operations: John J. Stolte
Productssatellite communications and integration services
Revenue$24.50 million USD (2006)
Number of employees
98
Websitehttp://www.orbcomm.com/
http://www.orbcommeurope.com
http://www.orbcomm.co.jp/index.html
http://www.orbcomm.co.kr/
http://www.orbcomm.co.ma

ORBCOMM (Nasdaq: ORBC) is a company that offers M2M[1] global asset monitoring and messaging services from its constellation of 29 LEO communications satellites orbiting at 775 km. Like its voice-centric competitors Iridium and Globalstar, it filed for Chapter 11 protection, in September, 2000. ORBCOMM issued a public offering of stock in November 2006.[2] The company sold 9.23 million shares of common stock.

In 2004 Orbcomm struck a deal with the controversial VeriChip, a company that specialises in producing implantable RFIDs for use in humans. The plan was to produce one that could track its position via GPS and report its position using the Orbcomm constellation, but has since gone quiet and no mention of it can be found on the Orbcomm website.[3]

Satellites

File:ORBCOMM integrated.jpg
A stack of 8 ORBCOMM Microsats are mated to their Pegasus launch vehicle in its final assembly stage

Each satellite weighs 42 kg (92 lb). Two disc-shaped solar panels articulate in 1-axis to track the sun and provide 160 watts of power. Communication with subscriber units is done using SDPSK modulation at 4800 bit/s for the downlink and 2400 bit/s for the uplink.

Each satellite has a 56 kbit/s backhaul that utilises the popular TDMA multiplexing scheme and QPSK modulation.[4]. In the continental US, ORBCOMM is committed to relaying 90% of the text messages within 6 minutes. With the current constellation of ORBCOMM satellites, there is likely to be a satellite within range of almost any spot on Earth at any time of the day or night. Every satellite has an on-board GPS receiver for positioning.

On 19 June 2008 six additional ORBCOMM satellites were launched with the Cosmos-3M rocket:[5] one ORBCOMM CDS weighing 80 kg, and five ORBCOMM Quick Launches weighing 115 kg each.[6][7] These new satellites were built by German OHB System AG (platform) and by Orbital Sciences Corp. (payload) and included a secondary AIS.[8][9] Design and production of the satellite platform was subcontracted by OHB System to Russian KB Polyot. On November 9, 2009 ORBCOMM filed a report to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission stating that since launch, communications capability for three of the quick-launch satellites and the CDS has been lost.[10] The failed satellites experienced attitude control system anomalies as well as anomalies with its power systems, which resulted in the satellites not pointing towards the sun and the earth as expected and as a consequence have reduced power generation. The company has filed a $50 million claim with its insurers covering the loss of all six satellites[11] and received $44.5 million in compensation.

On 3 September 2009 a deal was announced between ORBCOMM and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) to launch 18 second generation satellites on SpaceX's Falcon 1e rocket. These spacecraft are due to launch between 2010 and 2014.[12]

Services

ORBCOMM provides satellite data services, As of August 18, 2009, ORBCOMM reported 500,000 billable subscriber communicators on the company's U.S.-based gateway control center. ORBCOMM has control centers in the United States, Brazil, Japan, and Korea, as well as U.S. ground stations in New York, Georgia, Arizona, and Washington State, and international ground stations in Curaçao, Italy, Australia, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Argentina, Morocco, Japan, Korea, and Malaysia. Plans for additional ground station locations are under way.

ORBCOMM services can be integrated with business applications. Customer data can be retrieved or auto-forwarded via SMTP or HTTP/XML feed directly over the Internet or through a dedicated link.[13]

Hardware

Many different devices are available for connecting to the Orbcomm networks, most of them being simple RS-232 modules with an antenna and a power supply however there are more advanced ones available that have a simple programmable computer and GPS built in. Such modules are generally used for asset tracking. Very basic transceivers cost around the $150 mark while others can cost over $400

Digi International SatCom Gateways & Modules

Digi International provides wireless M2M products and solutions designed to connect and securely manage local or remote electronic devices over the network or the Web. Digi’s line of satellite products ranges from simple modules to sophisticated multi-mode gateways.
Satellite Products:
-m10 - Miniature satellite modem with global satellite connectivity designed for asset tracking and remote device communication applications.
-ConnectPort X5 - Telematics gateway for Vehicle Area Network (VAN) traffic to IP connectivity using cellular or Wi-Fi connections.
-m100 - Programmable smart satellite modem with integrated GPS receiver designed for global mobile/fixed asset tracking and remote device communication.
-m200 - Dual-mode telematics platform combines cellular and satellite connectivity for mobile/fixed asset tracking and management.
-RTU - Telemetry platform for fixed site monitoring and control applications with global satellite connectivity.

Quake Global ORBCOMM Modem Products

Quake Global was formed in 1998 and has produced the majority of ORBCOMM Communicators with approximately 300,000 built by 2009. QUAKETM is constantly bringing new technology and better performance to the market as exhibited by the introduction of the Q-Pro with GSM/GPRS, ORBCOMM, Globalstar, Iridium and GPS with the World's first and only unified communications protocol for access to every available network so your data can be delivered by the most simple and cost efficient network regardless of the location of the asset you are monitoring.
-Q1000 - The most compact ORBCOMM modem.
-Q1200SG - A programmable ORBCOMM modem.
-Q1400 - A programmable modem with internal GPS.
-Q4000 - A programmable dual mode (GSM/GPRS & ORBCOMM) modem with internal GPS, CAN Bus J1939, Digital and Analog I/O.
-Q-Pro - A programmable multi-mode IP-67 sealed modem with global coverage spanning ORBCOMM, Iridium, Globalstar and GSM/GPRS, with internal GPS, CAN Bus J1939, Digital and Analog I/O and the world's only unified communications protocol for access to every available network.

Stellar DS100 and DS300

In 2005, Stellar Satellite Communications released two Orbcomm Communicators...
-DS100 - a compact Orbcomm modem
-DS300 - a rugged Orbcomm modem that also has GPS and an Atmel AVR processor (Atmega128L equipped with 128K of flash memory, 4K of RAM and 4K of EEPROM) for 3rd party embedded software. Atmega128L
-DS401 - a rugged Orbcomm modem that also has GPS and an Atmel AVR processor (Atmega128L equipped with 128K of flash memory, 4K of RAM and 4K of EEPROM) for 3rd party embedded software and an expansion bay for Cellular modem. Atmega128L

Both the DS100 and DS300 are designed and manufactured by Delphi Corporation.

Remote Intelligence Systems

Orbisat 100 - a compact unit consisting of an integrated Orbcomm modem as well as a GPRS modem with 2 GPRS cards. This unit is the first commercial GPRS / Satellite dual modem. Enables reliable, ubiquitous and low-cost communication. www.remintel.com

Magellan GSC 100

In 1998 Magellan released a GPS and email device called the GSC 100 that used the Orbcomm network for sending and receiving emails. A basic package for $50 a month would buy 30,000 characters of outgoing emails[14]. The Magellan GSC 100 communicator is no longer in production.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Orbcomm Global M2M Connecting the Worlds Assets
  2. ^ "ORBCOMM Inc.'s 2007 10K". SEC.
  3. ^ Deal forged to equip VeriChip with GPS ,WND
  4. ^ [1], SEC Info
  5. ^ "Russia's Cosmos 3M rocket blasts off with six U.S. satellites". RIA Novosti.
  6. ^ OHB-System milestones
  7. ^ OHB-System missions
  8. ^ [2]
  9. ^ Orbcomm failures
  10. ^ http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1361983/000095012309059834/c91352e10vq.htm
  11. ^ http://www.spacenews.com/satellite_telecom/091113-defective-satellites-hobble-orbcomms-ais-business.html
  12. ^ "ORBCOMM AND SPACEX REACH DEAL TO LAUNCH SATELLITE CONSTELLATION". SpaceX. 2009-09-03. Retrieved 2009-09-03.
  13. ^ Our Technology Ground Segment
  14. ^ Tel/Com GPS Units - Magellan GSC 100

Sources

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