Readiness report
AMSAT CubeSatSim — CubeSat Simulator (hardware v2.1.0) · 2026-09-02 19:07 · complete · 34 searches, 7 pages fetched, est. $0.37
Cybersecurity — software & network: Do not place on an open network · 2 findings
Details in the Cybersecurity section of the report below.
Readiness: AMSAT CubeSatSim — CubeSat Simulator (hardware v2.1.0)
Verdict: Ready with caveats · 2026-09-02 · est. parts cost insufficient pricing Cybersecurity — software & network: Do not place on an open network
This is a cold check establishing the initial baseline for future drift tracking. The vast majority of components (Raspberry Pi Pico, INA219 monitors, BME280 and MPU6050 breakout modules, rectifiers, fuses, chip ferrites, switches, connectors, and Keystone battery clips) are active, in stock, and readily available from authorized catalog distributors and major retail outlets. However, the RF transceiver section relies on specialty modules—the UHF module U6 (SR105U) and its VHF alternative U7 (Dorji DRA818V)—that are completely absent from ECIA-authorized distributors. These transceivers must be procured through maker marketplaces (such as Tindie), direct vendor storefronts, or international sellers, introducing lead-time and procurement channel variability.
Action required
| Part | Problem | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
| SR105U (U6 - Main Board) | Not stocked by authorized catalog distributors; specialty sourcing required. | Procure from Tindie storefront "sunrise" ($7.50–$8.00), direct vendor Odlstore ($22.50), or AliExpress. Alternatively, use earlier drop-in variant SR_0W5U / SR-FRS-0W5. |
| Dorji DRA818V (U7 - Main Board) | Not stocked by authorized catalog distributors; specialty sourcing required. | Procure via Tindie DORJI official store ($8.98) or AliExpress ($11.67) if building the VHF configuration. |
Parts
1. Integrated Circuits and Proprietary Modules
| Part | Spec/Package | Status | Stock | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi Pico (U1) | Microcontroller board, 3.3V logic | Readily available | In stock | $2.99 | Micro Center |
| SR105U (U6) | 0.5W UHF FM module, footprint SR_FRS_0W5 | Hard to obtain | In stock | $7.50 | Tindie (store sunrise) |
| Dorji DRA818V (U7) | VHF FM module, footprint DORJI_DRA818V | Hard to obtain | In stock | $8.98 | Tindie (DORJI store) |
| INA219AIDR (U2, U10–U14 Solar; U2 Battery) | Digital Current/Power Monitor, SOIC-8 | Readily available | 29,736 | $2.12 | DigiKey |
| INA219 "Purple Board" (U1 Battery; U3–U8 Solar) | Sensor breakout module | Readily available | In stock | $6.90 | DigiKey |
| MPU6050 Module (J4) | 6-DOF IMU breakout board | Readily available | In stock | $12.99 | Micro Center |
| BME280 Module (J5) | Environmental sensor breakout board | Readily available | In stock | $9.00 | Newark |
2. Diodes and Protection
| Part | Spec/Package | Status | Stock | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BYW27-400 (D1) | Avalanche rectifier, 400V 1A, DO-41 axial | Readily available | 4,835 | $0.43 | DigiKey |
| 1N5817 (D2, D10 Main; D1–D6 Solar) | Schottky rectifier, 20V 1A, DO-41 axial | Readily available | 8,866 | $0.29 | DigiKey |
| 1N4148 (D3) | Small signal diode, 100V 200mA, DO-35 axial | Readily available | 1,488,004 | $0.10 | DigiKey |
| BAT20J (D7–D12 Solar) | Schottky diode, 23V 1A, SOD-323 | Readily available | 39 | $0.62 | DigiKey |
| RHEF100-2 (F1 Main) | PTC resettable fuse, 30V 1A, radial PTH | Readily available | 11,412 | $0.84 | DigiKey |
| MF-R010 (F1 Battery representative) | PTC resettable fuse, radial PTH | Readily available | 12,053 | $0.40 | DigiKey |
3. Passive Components
| Part | Spec/Package | Status | Stock | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 kΩ (R1, R3, R7, R30 Main) | Axial 0.1 inch | not checked | — | — | — |
| 100 Ω (R8, R19 Main) | Axial 0.1 inch | not checked | — | — | — |
| 220 Ω (R9, R20, R29 Main) | Axial 0.1 inch | not checked | — | — | — |
| 68 Ω (R13, R15 Main) | Axial 0.1 inch | not checked | — | — | — |
| 180 Ω (R14 Main) | Axial 0.1 inch | not checked | — | — | — |
| 4.7 kΩ (R23, R24 Main) | Axial 0.1 inch | not checked | — | — | — |
| 10 kΩ (R27 Main) | Axial 0.1 inch | not checked | — | — | — |
| 10 kΩ (R2, R3 Battery) | 0603 SMD | not checked | — | — | — |
| 0.1 Ω Shunt (R1, R2, R5, R6, R9, R10 Solar) | 0805 SMD, 1% tolerance | not checked | — | — | — |
| 4.7 kΩ (R3, R4 Solar) | Axial 0.1 inch | not checked | — | — | — |
| 18 pF (C1, C3 Main) | 0603 SMD | not checked | — | — | — |
| 16 pF (C2, C4 Main) | 0603 SMD | not checked | — | — | — |
| 100 nF (C6, C9 Main; C2–C7 Solar) | 0603 SMD or PTH Small | not checked | — | — | — |
| 47 µF (C5 Main) | PTH Small Electrolytic/Tantalum | not checked | — | — | — |
| BLM18AG121SN1D / 303030001 (L1, L2 Main) | Chip Ferrite Bead, 120 Ω @ 100 MHz, 0603 SMD | Readily available | 706,451 | $0.10 | DigiKey |
4. Connectors and Electromechanical
| Part | Spec/Package | Status | Stock | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stacking Header (J1 All Boards) | 20x2 (40-pin) female stacking header, 0.1" pitch | Readily available | In stock | $2.95 | Adafruit Industries |
| ANT-916-CHP-T (E1, E2 Main) | 916 MHz chip antenna, SMD | Readily available | 2,656 | $3.61 | DigiKey |
| SMA Vertical Female PTH (X2, X3 Main) | SMA jack PCB mount vertical | Readily available | In stock | $4.49 | Vetco Electronics |
| SJ1-2503A (J13, J14 Main) | 3.5mm stereo audio jack, PTH | Readily available | 24,760 | $0.75 | DigiKey |
| SparkFun USB-C Breakout (J8 Main) | USB-C receptacle breakout board | Readily available | In stock | $4.95 | SparkFun Electronics |
| Micro JST 2-pin (J6, J7 Main; JP1–JP26 Solar/Battery) | JST-PH 2.0mm 2-pin vertical PTH header | Readily available | In stock | $0.50 | SparkFun Electronics |
| Keystone 1024 (BT1 Battery) | Single AA battery clip/holder, SMD | Readily available | 1,676 | $4.92 | DigiKey |
| Keystone 1012 (BT2 Battery) | Dual AA battery clip/holder, SMD | Readily available | 12,276 | $8.02 | DigiKey |
| RA-SPST (S1 Main) | Right-angle SPST slide switch, PTH | Readily available | In stock | $0.15 | Jameco |
| 5mm Status LEDs (LED1–LED5 Main) | 5mm T1-3/4 LEDs (White, Yellow, Green, Blue, Red) | Readily available | In stock | $2.70 | Parts Express |
Substitutes
| For part | Substitute | Differences | Verified | Judgment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR105U (U6) | SR_0W5U / SR-FRS-0W5 | Earlier revision from same manufacturer; identical footprint (SR_FRS_0W5), pinout, AT commands, and RF specs (0.5W, 400–480 MHz UHF). | RF specifications, pinout, and supply voltage matched from manufacturer technical listing; footprint compatibility verified per snapshot note. | Acceptable drop-in alternative. |
| SR105U (U6) | Dorji DRA818V | VHF band (134–174 MHz) instead of UHF; requires using dedicated co-routed footprint U7 on Main Board. Physically incompatible with U6 pads. | PCB has dedicated footprint U7 for DRA818V per snapshot. | Board-supported alternative build option; physically incompatible with U6 pad layout. |
| BAT20JFILM (D7–D12) | Panjit SBA130CS_R1_00001 | Vr rating 30V exceeds 23V requirement; identical 1A Io rating and SOD-323 package. | Package SOD-323, current 1A, voltage 30V matched from DigiKey parametrics. | Acceptable substitute. |
Always verify pinouts, footprint dimensions, and electrical ratings against component datasheets before ordering substitutes.
Cybersecurity — software & network
Do not place on an open network — The lab's installation script mandates Debian 11 Bullseye, an end-of-life operating system receiving no security patches, while all application dependencies are pulled unpinned.
| Component | Version | How known | Support status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian | 11 | read from project (fetched/01-install) | unsupported since 2024-08-14 |
| CubeSatSim software suite | not determined | unpinned (fetched/01-install) | — |
| Raspberry Pi Pico SDK | not determined | not determined | — |
| Python packages | not determined | unpinned (fetched/01-install) | — |
| Component | Finding | Severity | Fix available? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian | Debian 11 Bullseye reached end of life on August 31, 2026 and no longer receives security updates. | posture | No — requires platform migration |
| Python packages | dependencies unpinned: 5 of 5 in fetched/01-install | posture | Mitigation only — pin versions / use the lockfile |
What this means for your lab
If connected to a shared or campus network, anyone on the same network may be able to reach the simulator over SSH using standard Raspberry Pi credentials if they were not changed during setup. This could allow an unauthorized user to alter simulator configurations, initiate unintended radio transmissions, or access the local filesystem. In addition, the project's installation script explicitly requires Debian 11 (Bullseye), an operating system that reached end of life in August 2026 and receives no security patches, while pulling in unpinned software dependencies. Instructors should keep the simulator completely isolated on an offline lab bench or dedicated private network segment, change all default system passwords immediately, and avoid placing the device on an open campus network.
Not checked
- CubeSatSim software suite: unpinned; installed from git master without version pinning
- Raspberry Pi Pico SDK: version not determined; no advisory database for the ecosystem
- Python packages: unpinned; install script specifies no package versions
Other dependencies
- PCB Fabrication (Main, Battery, Solar Boards): 2-layer boards, approx. 10 cm × 10 cm (CubeSat form factor) — not checked.
- Primary Project Website (
https://cubesatsim.org) — not checked. - Hardware Repository (
https://github.com/alanbjohnston/CubeSatSim/tree/master/hardware/v2.1) — not checked. - Audio Signal Generation Tutorial (
https://www.hackster.io/news/learn-how-to-use-pwm-to-generate-an-audio-signal-from-your-raspberry-pi-pico-00347dece8b8) — not checked. - RF Attenuator Calculator (
https://chemandy.com/calculators/matching-pi-attenuator-calculator.htm) — not checked. - Adafruit INA219 Current Sensor Hardware Repository (
https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit-INA219-Current-Sensor-PCB) — not checked.
Watch list
- SR105U / SR_0W5U UHF Modules: Specialty walkie-talkie transceivers produced by niche manufacturers. Stock is limited to secondary marketplace sellers (Tindie, AliExpress, direct hobby stores) and subject to sudden exhaustion.
- Dorji DRA818V Modules: Similar to the UHF module, this VHF transceiver is only available via Dorji's direct web channels or maker portals, leaving it vulnerable to supply-chain disruption.
- BAT20J Schottky Diodes: Distributor inventory for the STMicroelectronics part is shallow at primary catalog distributors (39 units at DigiKey), though deeper stock remains at Newark and Arrow, and drop-in alternatives (Panjit SBA130CS) exist.