Starlink Performance Kit Durability Guide

01. General Description

1.1 Highlights of the Starlink Performance Kit

Starlink Performance was designed to be a rugged solution for customers requiring reliable, high-speed connectivity in the most demanding environments. Some of the next-generation durability features include:

• A powder-coated aluminum housing for impact protection and corrosion resistance.
• Water and dust resistant to IP68 without a connector installed, and a locking connector that provides water and dust resistance to IP69K.
• Designed to withstand environments with high vibration and impact.
• 140° scan angle ideal for enterprise and mobility applications.
• Advanced power supply with capability for AC (primary), DC (primary), or AC (primary) + DC (backup).
• Field-terminable connector for custom installations.
• Stainless steel threaded inserts for robust mounting.
• Thermal performance enhancements to efficiently melt snow and provide higher performance in extreme temperatures.

02. Starlink Performance Durability Details

2.1 Snow Melting

Starlink Performance is capable of melting snow at a rate of 8.9 cm/h (3.5 in/h) when snow density is 100 kg/m³, and at a rate of 13.2 cm/h (5.2 in/h) when snow density is 68 kg/m³. The user terminal must be installed with a tilt mount, wall mount, or pipe adapter to ensure water drains from the surface to maintain optimal signal with Starlink satellites.

2.2 Hail

Starlink Performance and the Starlink advanced power supply have been qualified to withstand hail impacts up to 1.25" in diameter without impacting performance.

2.3 Drops

Starlink Performance continues to function after a drop onto steel from 1 m on any of its surfaces, and the Starlink advanced power supply continues to function after a drop onto steel from 1.5 m on any of its surfaces.

2.4 Vibration

Starlink Performance and the Starlink advanced power supply were qualified for a rugged vibration profile on flat and wedge mounts. This profile was generated by adjusting power spectral density (PSD) levels, frequency breakpoint, and test duration to cover use cases in rail, construction, terrestrial vehicles, marine vehicles, and agriculture with a 10-year equivalent life. While some industry profiles may show a higher PSD at certain frequencies, the cumulative damage from increased test duration provides additional coverage to account for PSD differences. Each axis is run at the same levels to qualify the hardware for any installation orientation.

Figure 1: Comparison between vibration test profiles for vertical axis use.

2.5 Impact

Starlink Performance and the Starlink advanced power supply were qualified for an impact profile derived internally, consisting of 3 pulses of 50 g impact with an 11 ms pulse duration on each of the six equipment orientations on a flat and wedge mount. This test qualifies the hardware for installation in any orientation and covers most marine and off-road environments. In addition to functional impact tests, Starlink Performance survives the MIL-STD-810H impact risk profile, which consists of a 75 g impact pulse with a 6 ms pulse duration installed on a flat and wedge mount.

2.6 Water and Dust Ingress

Starlink Performance was qualified for IP68 with the connector unplugged and IP69K with the connector coupled. Uncoupled immersion tests were completed at a depth of 1.1 m for over 30 minutes. The IPx9K test was performed using water pressures greater than 8 MPa and temperatures above 80 °C. The test includes 30 seconds of active spraying at each nozzle, with nozzle locations set every 30 degrees on each face of the user terminal. The maximum distance from the user terminal to the high-pressure jet is 150 mm.

The Starlink advanced power supply was qualified for IP68 with all connectors properly coupled. The internal IPx8 immersion test was completed at a depth of 1.1 m for over 30 minutes. Additional tests were performed to IPx5 (low-pressure water jet), IPx6 (high-pressure water jet), and IPx7 (immersion <1 m) with satisfactory results.

2.7 Thermal

These temperatures assume the most unfavorable conditions (no wind and maximum solar load). Functional tests were performed up to 80 °C.

2.7.1 Thermal Performance Limits

"Maximum temperature" indicates the maximum ambient temperature at which the hardware can operate with minimal impact on performance. When the ambient temperature exceeds this value, the product will continue to operate but will reduce its duty cycle to protect itself, reducing the maximum permitted performance until it is forced to shut down at temperatures above 75 °C (167 °F). Wind, solar intensity, and mounting location can affect the duration and severity of throttling. Refer to the graph below for more details. Note that the dual-channel performance capability shown below in Figure 2 will be a future network update available for Starlink Performance.

All products are qualified to operate at temperatures as low as -40 °C (-40 °F) without impacting performance. Power consumption at lower temperatures will increase when the snow melt mode is active.

Figure 2: Performance vs. Ambient Temperature with Full Solar Load

2.7.2 Accelerated Thermal Life Testing

In addition to real-world functional tests, Starlink Performance underwent rigorous accelerated life testing to qualify the product for a minimum 10-year lifespan.

03. Starlink Advanced Power Supply Details

3.1 Input Voltage and Frequency

The AC input for the Starlink advanced power supply was qualified for input voltages from 90 V to 264 V, covering worldwide single-phase utility voltages. Additionally, the power supply was qualified for frequencies from 47 Hz to 64 Hz, covering 50 Hz to 60 Hz ± 5% utility grids.

The DC input for the Starlink advanced power supply was qualified for input voltages from 10.5 V to 57 V. However, it is recommended to power the system with DC voltages above 20 V when possible. At lower input voltages, the output power will be reduced to limit the total power supply amperage to less than 20 amps. In these cases, user terminals requiring high power (very high performance with active snow melt) may be throttled due to power limitation.

Figure 3: DC Input Voltage vs. Output Power

04. Starlink Performance Power Consumption

Power consumption is largely dependent on Starlink usage and environmental temperature. Different amounts of time spent in transmit (TX) and receive (RX) modes will increase or decrease power consumption. Please note that these numbers are average estimates and will vary with usage, different power inputs, and unit-to-unit variability.

The table above does not include power consumed by a router. The router port on the Starlink advanced power supply is capable of supplying up to 40 W of power via Ethernet (PoE) to power a router, if desired. Total power consumed, including a connected router, will depend on the router type. The Starlink router will require an additional 8 W to 12 W over the above figures.

05. References