How to modify Starlink Mini to run without the built-in WiFi router
63 comments
·June 15, 202515155
msgodel
Ethernet seems far easier to prototype with. There's almost no off the shelf stuff for talking to RGMII whereas Ethernet you can just plug into your laptop for testing. If it's two different teams building things it seems like it would be a lot easier to just agree on Ethernet as the interface and then delay integration testing or release earlier.
15155
A $3 breakout PCB with an RGMII PHY and MagJack on it would solve this problem without resorting to analog communication.
msgodel
Assembly isn't free, either an engineer or the PCB fabricator has to put that together. Also the design isn't free and it's certainly not necessarily going to match the behavior of the device on the other side.
But your laptop's Ethernet adapter comes free with your laptop (both in terms of money and waiting to get it since it's already on your desk) and possibly even more importantly you know the laptop manufacturer and users have QAed it for you so it's absolutely going to behave the way you expect which is important when the device you're designing isn't behaving.
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MOARDONGZPLZ
A lot of this is pretty POC-y. Agree digital to analog to analog to digital is kinda inefficient, and in the abstract MAC to PHY (which is probably what you mean when you say MAC to MAC) with RGMII is probably better. My off the cuff guess is that it is likely the written-up interface is easier to access or requires less diving into internals. Not sure where the RGMII lines are, and depending on the design of the Starlink mini itself (I am ignorant of this) the lines might have been buried deeper and less accessible, who knows.
jpm_sd
RGMII isn't really designed to go board-to-board, fairly high data rates, and ideally all of the signals should be delay matched. That gets a bit trickier when there are two boards involved. Also I would expect EMI/EMC issues.
I know people do that sort of thing for evaluation kits, but it doesn't seem like a good idea for production.
CamperBob2
I'm not sure I understand the entire point of the exercise. There's already an RJ45 jack on the Mini, so no need to hack the unit to get access to an Ethernet PHY. And the WiFi router can be turned off via the setup page.
Did they remove support for the Ethernet jack on the Minis available in Ukraine? It looks like it's still present on the WiFi board, next to the power jack.
dogben
They may want to make absolutly sure no wifi signal emit from the device. Turning it off in the setup page is definitely not enough.
The wifi chip may emit signal during boot. The device may get accidentally reset in the field. SpaceX may push an update that messes with the settings.
CamperBob2
I mean, more power to them, certainly, but WiFi emissions seem like the least of your concerns when you're operating an antenna for satellite comms. There will be no shortage of side lobes at Ku band for anyone who cares to listen.
Cutting down on mass would make sense, though.
closewith
You might imagine some use cases where mass is a critical concern.
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Aspos
I know exactly what power-constrained application you have in mind, Oleg, and I like it.
rozhok
Starlink is already used for «Nemesis» night bombers as well as «Magura» sea drones.
100721
What is the specific use case you have in mind?
michaelt
Given that the blogger is based in Kiev, Ukraine? Good chance this goes on some sort of long range, Predator-style drone.
codedokode
Russians also use Musk's satellites and might find the information useful.
Also as I understand, satellites do not work over Russian territory so guess where this can be used.
burnt-resistor
I wonder how SL plans vary in Ukraine / for use in Russia. Assuming US-like pricing and limitations, for low speed drones, this would work. The gotcha is that for jet or fast prop drones in the 250-478 kts range requires a very expensive aviation plan assuming it's similar to US plans.
tomaskafka
I am not sure - afaik there is a speed limit (assumption of satellite visibility and specific latency?) over which starlink won’t work, right? It can however be useful for getting the internet without announcing yourself to a swarm of drones?
mft_
Wouldn’t this give Starlink the ability to track and/or turn off operations in real time?
littlestymaar
Maybe just for front-line deployment, it would suck to be targeted by a glide bomb because the Russians located some WiFi signal.
multjoy
[flagged]
mattmaroon
Well the author is Ukranian so I have a guess.
tenuousemphasis
Based on recent events I would guess an explosive-laden drone.
null
mattmaroon
Riding piggy back on a drone?
justsomehnguy
[flagged]
wat10000
[flagged]
mattmaroon
I like guns when they are used to stop a school shooter, but not when they are used by a school shooter.
CamperBob2
[flagged]
donohoe
Archived version: https://archive.ph/UTFTK
cdg007
good to know
Fascinating that they chose to use modulated board-to-board Ethernet instead of just running RGMII from MAC to MAC.