LEN developed an integrated system to provide both Telemetry/Telecommand continuum link and power supply management for Long Duration Balloon experiments, realized and tested by using Iridium^® platform. MSITel  (Multisource Intellingent Telemetry) is the basic module of such a system.

Some MSITel info
MSITel  is a Control Telemetry Unit designed to interface one or more intelligent I/0 units, such as the SPSys module developed in cooperation with INAF-IASF Bologna as well as different (general purposes) instrumentation. The MSITel  unit has been designed and tested to match the requirements of a system to be used onboard stratospheric balloon. MSITel  provides the remote control through the satellite system using a specific data modem. All the satellite systems can be supported, such as Iridium, Inmarsat, Globalstar, Thuraya and any other satellite systems using any data modem because MSITel  is easily adaptable to all modems that are AT command compatible. No h/w changes are needed but only the s/w must be changed. MSITel provides several I/O, both analog and digital, for a direct control of external instrumentation. Six digital outputs are 0.5 A actuators managed with a high security hardware and software logic and suitable for no-back operation such as balloon-payload separation, ballast release, etc.... All digital inputs are protect against extra voltages and integrated for a time of 10 msec (adjustable). All the external instrumentation communicates with MSITel either through RS-232 or IEEE485, Continuous /Bursted  flux or On-Demand mode. The V. 1.2 mainboard has 2 integrated GPS units.

The present version has been developed and tested for Iridium platform, which is the one able to guarantee full coverage all over the World. The Iridium modems are by NAL Research (mod. A3LA).