 AO-7 has redundant command decoders of a design similar to the unit proven highly successful in AMSAT-OSCAR 6.The decoder has provisions for 35 separate functions, and is designed to provide a reliable means of controlling the emissions of the repeaters, beacons and other experiments aboard the spacecraft.AO-7 demonstrated several uses of new technologies and operations 


The uplink frequency predates the WARC 1979 allocation of 435-438 MHz by the ITU for the Amateur Satellite Service which places the uplink in the 70cm weak signal segment.