RockREMOTE UAV OEM

RockREMOTE UAV OEM is a compact, lightweight satellite gateway for UAV manufacturers building reliable BVLOS connectivity into fixed wing, VTOL and advanced RPAS platforms. It integrates into space and weight constrained airframes and provides Certus 100 IP and Iridium Messaging Transport for command, control, telemetry and aircraft status data beyond cellular or radio coverage.

RockREMOTE UAV OEM
RockREMOTE UAV OEM

Key Capabilities

RockREMOTE UAV OEM keeps unmanned aircraft connected for command, control and telemetry beyond cellular coverage.

Add Iridium Certus 100 connectivity to fixed-wing, VTOL and RPAS platforms

Use IP connectivity or IMT messaging for payloads up to 100,000 bytes

Connect flight controllers, companion computers, sensors and avionics

Support compact aircraft designs with a 10–30 V DC input

Configure locally and manage deployed terminals through Cloudloop

Build the Right Satellite Link Into Your UAV

RockREMOTE UAV OEM integrates inside the aircraft to provide satellite command, control and telemetry beyond cellular or radio coverage. Its compact format suits tightly enclosed fuselage spaces, with flexible mounting on standoffs, rails or within internal equipment bays.

Whether you’re building industrial BVLOS aircraft for inspection, delivery or environmental missions, or developing systems for controlled airspace and government programmes, you can choose the link architecture that fits the mission. Efficient IMT messaging supports smaller aircraft and lower power budgets, while optional Certus 100 IP meets more demanding data requirements.

The same platform can scale into advanced RPAS designs, including Class II and Group 4-5 architectures. Its suitability for EASA Specific and Certified RPAS provides a path from smaller UAV deployments to larger, regulated operations.

RocKREMOTE UAV OEM Diagram

Plan Your UAV Integration

Connect RockREMOTE UAV OEM to your autopilot, companion computer or onboard controller through UART or Ethernet. It carries your telemetry or custom data packets unchanged, while MAVLink handling stays within your flight system.

Choose a UAV-suitable Certus antenna, provide a clear view of the sky, and mount the module securely inside the fuselage. You’ll also need suitable power protection and filtering for your aircraft.

Cloudloop supports setup, diagnostics and remote management as you move from development to deployment. We’ve more information here from the review on ArduPilot MAVLink telemetry tested over Iridium Certus 100, using the RockREMOTE UAV OEM .

Compare UAV Hardware Options

Product comparison
RockREMOTE UAV OEM RockREMOTE UAV OEM RockREMOTE UAV Resized RockREMOTE UAV RockBLOCK 9603 RockBLOCK 9603 RockBLOCK 9704 RockBLOCK 9704
Best Fit Embedded IP and IMT connectivity for production airframes. Enclosed IP and IMT terminal for larger UAVs and retrofits. Lightweight SBD messaging for small UAV telemetry and status data. Low power IMT for larger telemetry payloads and two way messaging.
Form Factor Integrator PCB assembly Aluminum enclosure Compact bare board SBD modem OEM PCB assembly, available as ANT or SMA
Dimensions 155.8 x 77.2 x 42.5 mm 166.5 x 74.5 x 51.5mm 45 x 45 x 16 mm SMA: 48 x 52 x 16 mm / ANT: 72 x 72 x 16.5 mm
Weight 288g 646g 39g SMA: <35 g, excluding antenna / ANT: <50 g, including patch antenna
Environmental None. Install within your airframe. IP66 None. Install within your airframe. None. Install within your airframe.
Operating Temperature –40°C to +70°C, ≤95% RH –40°C to +70°C, ≤95% RH –40°C to +85°C –40°C to +70°C, <95% RH
Power Input 10–30 V DC 10–30 V DC or PoE+ 5 V DC or 3.7 V Li-ion 4.0–5.3 V DC, 3.6–4.5 V battery or 5 V USB-C
Power Consumption Sleep: <36/75 mW at 12/24 V, Idle: 300 mW typical, Transmit: 7.25 W average Sleep: <36/75 mW at 12/24 V, Idle: 300 mW typical, Transmit: 7.25 W average Sleep: approx 73–100 µA, Idle: approx 40–50 mA, Initial charging: approx 500 mA Sleep: <5 mW, Idle: approx 60 mW, Transmit: approx 1.4 W
Satellite Connectivity Iridium Certus 100 IP and IMT Iridium Certus 100 IP and IMT Iridium Short Burst Data Iridium Messaging Transport
Message Size IMT messages from 1 to 100,000 bytes, plus IP traffic IMT messages from 1 to 100,000 bytes, plus IP traffic Up to 340 bytes sent and 270 bytes received IMT messages from 10 to 100,000 bytes
Host Interface 10/100 Ethernet and RS-232, RS-422 or RS-485 through the 30-way header 10/100 Ethernet and configurable RS-232 or RS-485 LVTTL UART, 3.3 V logic and 5 V tolerant, through a Molex PicoBlade header TTL UART or USB-C serial bridge through the 16-way header
Additional I/O Four GPIO channels, currently in development Four GPIO channels, currently in development Network Available, Ring Indicator and On/Off control signals Five digital inputs and three digital outputs
Antenna Options Customer integrated Certus and GNSS antennas through MMCX and U.FL connections External Certus antenna through TNC and GNSS antenna through SMA Integrated patch antenna or SMA connection for an external antenna ANT version with integrated patch antenna, or SMA version for an approved external antenna
Host Controller Required Yes. Connect to your autopilot, companion computer or onboard controller Yes. Connect to your autopilot, companion computer or onboard controller Yes. Your host controls the modem and prepares SBD messages Yes. Your host prepares application data and controls communications
Developer Support OEM integration guide, CAD files, developer interface board, APIs and technical documentation Technical documentation, Bluetooth configuration and Cloudloop APIs AT command set, integration documentation and RockBLOCK web services C, Python and Arduino libraries, examples and Cloudloop Data integration
Remote Device Management Cloudloop Device Manager (CDM) for remote configuration, diagnostics, logs and firmware updates CDM for remote configuration, diagnostics, logs and firmware updates No CDM Cloudloop for activation, airtime and data routing; no CDM configuration or firmware control
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Use Cases

Embedding satellite connectivity into UAV platforms that need to exchange telemetry, alerts and commands beyond reliable cellular or radio coverage.

OHAN-High-Altitude-Rocket-2

LOHAN – High-Altitude Rocket

LOHAN used RockBLOCK to transmit GPS data and receive ground commands after its autonomous spaceplane moved beyond cellular coverage. The satellite link also supported an emergency abort function, demonstrating how compact messaging can add resilient telemetry and command capability to unmanned aircraft.

ArduPilot testing of RockREMOTE UAV OEM Certus 100 device

Testing MAVLink Telemetry Over Certus 100

ArduPilot testing showed that RockREMOTE UAV OEM can provide consistent MAVLink telemetry over Iridium Certus 100 when stream rates and network settings are configured for satellite. The results give UAV developers practical guidance on latency, antenna placement and designing a reliable BVLOS IP link.

boots-uk-drone-delivery

Resilient BVLOS Medical Delivery

Skylift UAV integrated RockBLOCK 9603 as a secondary communications link for autonomous eVTOL flights delivering chemotherapy and prescriptions across the Solent. It provides reliable two-way messaging for essential commands such as stop, start and return, helping UAV OEMs build communications redundancy into BVLOS aircraft.

ETH Zurich's Autonomous UAVs

VTOL Operations Beyond GSM Coverage

Wingcopter integrated RockBLOCK into lightweight VTOL drones used for medical delivery, infrastructure inspection, forestry mapping and remote logistics. Satellite messaging allows operators to monitor flight status beyond GSM coverage, demonstrating how UAV OEMs can add reliable connectivity to aircraft designed for wide-area missions.

Technical Essentials

Use these headline specifications to assess RockREMOTE UAV OEM’s fit with your product architecture, available space, power budget and data requirements.

Certus 100 IP and IMT

Use Certus 100 IP for network based applications or IMT for efficient two way telemetry, alerts, status reports, commands and files.

22 Kbps Up / 88 Kbps Down

Transfer standard IP traffic over Iridium Certus 100 through the customer integrated 10/100 Ethernet connection.

25 Bytes to 100 KB per IMT Message

Send small aircraft status messages or larger data packages, with payload size matched to the mission.

Single 30-Way Integration Header

Connect power, Ethernet, serial and GPIO through one 30-way, 2.0 mm-pitch header. (The customer’s interface hardware must provide the magnetics required to complete the Ethernet connection).

Your Data Format

Transport MAVLink, proprietary telemetry or custom packets over UART or IP. Protocol parsing, routing and telemetry shaping remain within your flight system.

RockREMOTE UAV OEM 1

Ethernet, Serial, GPIO and Bluetooth

Connect your autopilot, companion computer or onboard controller through 10/100 Ethernet or configurable RS-232, RS-422 or RS-485. Bluetooth 5.0 supports local setup.

10–30 V DC And Low Power Operation

Integrate with your aircraft power supply and reduce consumption between transmissions using sleep and receive modes.

Compact OEM Assembly

Plan for a 155.8 × 77.2 × 42.5 mm assembly weighing 288 g, designed for integration within your airframe or equipment bay.

Customer Integrated Antennas

Select and position suitable Certus and GNSS antennas with the clear sky view required for reliable satellite and positioning performance.

Local And Remote Device Management

Configure locally over Bluetooth, then use Cloudloop Device Manager for remote configuration, diagnostics, log retrieval and firmware updates.

Product Specifications

Aircraft Integration

Product Format
OEM PCBA with mounting chassis for integration inside your airframe
Main Connector
Single 30-way, 2.0 mm-pitch integration header
Connections
Power, Ethernet, serial and GPIO
Serial Interface
Configurable RS-232, RS-422 or RS-485
GPIO
Four software-selectable input or output channels
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.0 for local configuration through RockCONNECT IoT
GNSS
Integrated multi-constellation GNSS using an external antenna
Telemetry Formats
Carries MAVLink, proprietary telemetry or custom data without interpreting the protocol
Local Configuration
Bluetooth, serial AT commands or configuration file transfer
Local APIs
Access supported device information, including connection status and Iridium signal strength
Remote Management
Configuration, diagnostics, log retrieval and firmware updates through Cloudloop Device Manager

FAQs

It depends on the device selected. With the RockREMOTE UAV OEM, many small UAVs connect the module directly to the flight controller over UART, while larger RPAS or docking systems use a companion computer to manage packet formatting, logging or routing over IP. The ideal setup depends on how much control logic you want to run off-board.

For airborne use, integrators typically choose a lightweight, low profile Certus antenna mounted externally. The MMCX port supports these flight antennas. The stub antenna included with some developer kits is intended for bench use and is not recommended for flight, especially on SWaP-constrained airframes.

The unit includes pre-drilled mounting points for secure internal installation. Integrators commonly use vibration-resistant standoffs and ensure strain relief on power and RF cabling. Placement inside composite or carbon fuselages should consider antenna positioning (requires a clear view of the sky) and heat dissipation.

The module does not parse, generate or interpret MAVLink. It transports data via UART or IP exactly as received. MAVLink formatting, routing or telemetry shaping must be performed on the autopilot or companion computer.

Yes. The module passes through any custom format over UART or IP. For routine telemetry, many integrators choose IMT because it avoids continuous IP session overhead and provides more predictable, cost efficient message delivery. IP is typically used when working with companion computers or when larger payloads are required.

The module operates from 10-30 V DC and is designed for UAV electrical systems. UAVs with high-current propulsion or noisy ESCs may benefit from additional filtering or power conditioning to ensure clean supply under load.

Cloudloop Device Manager provides message logs, status information and diagnostics. Early testing is typically done using the developer kit interface board to validate wiring, message flow and power behaviour before installing the module inside the airframe.

For most UAV missions, IMT is the more cost efficient choice. It delivers message-based telemetry without the overhead of maintaining an IP session, making it ideal for routine BVLOS updates, position reporting and system health messages.

IP is typically used when working with a companion computer, sending larger or less frequent payloads, or when you need bidirectional IP-based interactions on the ground. Both interfaces are supported, but IMT generally offers predictable costs and simpler integration for flight telemetry.

Build Satellite Connectivity Into Your UAV

Integrate reliable satellite communications into your aircraft with a compact OEM gateway. Talk to our team about your interfaces, power budget, antenna design, data requirements and development plans to confirm the right integration approach.

Complete our online form or email hello@groundcontrol.com, and we’ll be in touch within one working day.

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