P900 wireless data-link product

The P900 is a miniature 900 MHz wireless modem from Microhard, used as a frequency-hopping spread spectrum data link with one watt of transmit power. It is a line-of-sight radio module for OEM integration, built to carry serial data between a vehicle and a ground station or among several nodes in a network.

The module supports point-to-point, point-to-multipoint and mesh operation. Nodes can be set as master, remote, repeater or mesh, and the mesh mode is self-healing with automatic routing and store-and-forward. For unmanned systems this lets a command and telemetry link extend through a repeater aircraft or between several vehicles, and the network recovers its routes when a node drops out.

The main figures are a data rate of up to 276 kbps, adjustable transmit power from 100 mW to 1 W, and an operating temperature of -55 to +85 degrees C. At 900 MHz the link is a low-bandwidth channel suited to telemetry and control rather than video. Four filter stages in the receiver are intended to reject noise and interference, and the radio offers selectable forward error correction and a 32-bit CRC. Low-power sleep and sniff modes reduce consumption in battery-powered installations.

For integration, the module measures 1.05 x 1.3 x 0.13 in and weighs 5 g, so it fits inside small airframes and payload bays. It is delivered as an OEM board for tight integration, which means the host designer provides the antenna, supply and connector interface. Optional 128-bit or 256-bit AES encryption protects the link; an export permit is required outside Canada and the USA.

Microhard lists FCC as the certification for the product.

Typical applications are remote telemetry and industrial monitoring, and within the aerospace field command-and-control and telemetry links for small and medium unmanned vehicles, where a long-range, low-rate link at 900 MHz is acceptable.