About Starlink Mini Versions
Currently, there is only one Starlink Mini generation: Mini 1.
It has eight known production revisions:
mini1_prod1
mini1_prod2
mini1_prod3
mini1_panda_prod1
mini1_panda_prod2
mini1_panda_prod3
mini1_panda_prod4
mini1_rugged_prod1
(You can always find a revision of your Starlink in the Star Debug app or the official Starlink app's debug data section.)
There are several internal and external differences between these revisions.
The mini1_prodX and mini1_panda_prodX revisions use different FEM chips in the antenna array: Bamboo and Panda, respectively. Because of this, these versions are not compatible at the SoC/eMMC replacement level. A SoC/eMMC pair from a Bamboo board can only be installed on another Bamboo board, and the same applies to Panda boards. If they are mixed, the terminal will constantly report low SNR and will never detect a satellite signal.
The Panda revisions have higher EIRP on some channels, while the Bamboo power graph is much flatter, with nearly the same output power across all TX channels.
All Mini 1 versions use the same Catapult CPU.
The built-in router board also has its own compatibility matrix. Router boards from mini1_prod1, mini1_prod2, mini1_prod3, mini1_panda_prod1, and mini1_panda_prod4 are interchangeable, but they are not compatible with mini1_panda_prod2 or mini1_panda_prod3.
Likewise, router boards from mini1_panda_prod2 and mini1_panda_prod3 are not compatible with any of the other revisions.
The reason is that mini1_panda_prod2 and mini1_panda_prod3 use a direct SGMII connection between the Starlink SoC and the router SoC. All other versions use Ethernet PHYs for the interconnect.
Somewhere around the mini1_panda_prod1 revision, SpaceX switched to a single type of plastic for the housing. The more fragile gray plastic on the front panel was replaced with thin ABS plastic, similar to the material used on the rear panel. As a result, the white vinyl sticker is no longer needed either.
Interestingly, the mini1_panda_prod3 revision has a slightly higher temperature rating. Its thermal trip point is set to 105 ยฐC, while the other versions are configured for 85 ยฐC.
What About โMini 2โ?
There are currently no signs of an upcoming Mini 2. This version appears to be stuck at the internal _proto2 revision and does not seem to be progressing.
What About the Rumored Battery-Powered Mini Terminal?
Starlink gRPC telemetry has included a battery and charger monitoring section for quite a long time, and it does not appear to be tied to any specific hardware revision.
Most likely, we will eventually see an additional accessory, similar to the Advanced Power Supply but with battery charging support. Alternatively, this functionality may be added to Mini 2 someday.
What is the mini1_rugged_prod1 revision?
This is a special revision designed for Starshield. It also uses the Panda FEM and is somewhat close to the early Panda production revisions, but it is still quite different.
This version has a newer and better GNSS receiver. (Sorry, I do not want to share the specific part number here)
It also includes several hardware improvements for better signal levels and phase-coherent beamforming. Also, no further details here.
Packaging and Accessories
Later versions of the Mini terminal come in updated packaging with less cardboard and paper.
The pipe adapter has also been redesigned. It is now deeper and uses an Allen key, which is included in the box.
Power supply and cable are unchanged.
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