Name: 星鏈衛星互聯網如何工作？ (How does Starlink Satellite Internet Work??☄?)
Uploaded: 2024-12-24T11:05:19.000Z
Duration: 28 min 9 s

Beaming internet from the middle of the woods, using an extra-large, pizza-sized satellite dish placed on top of your house, up to a satellite orbiting 550 kilometers outside

使用放置在房屋頂部的比薩大小的超大衛星天線，將互聯網從森林中央傳輸到 550 公里外的衛星軌道上

Earth's atmosphere, well, let's be honest, is technologically mind-blowing.

老實說，地球的大氣層在技術上令人驚歎。

進階被動語態

What's even crazier is that the Starlink satellites move incredibly fast, around 27,000 kilometers per hour, and data is being sent back and forth between them at hundreds of megabits per second, all while the dish and satellite are continuously angling or steering the beam of data pointed directly between them.

更瘋狂的是，"星鏈 "衛星的移動速度快得令人難以置信，時速約為 2.7 萬公里，數據在它們之間以每秒數百兆比特的速度來回傳輸，而天線和衛星則在不斷調整角度或轉向直接指向它們之間的數據光束。

On top of that, the dish switches between different satellites every four or so minutes, because they move out of the dish's field of view rather quickly.

此外，碟形天線每隔四分鐘左右就會切換不同的衛星，因為它們很快就會移出碟形天線的視場。

If you have no clue as to how this is possible, stick around, because we're going to dive into the multiple key technologies which enable satellite internet to magically work.

如果您不知道這是如何實現的，請繼續閱讀，因為我們將深入探討使衛星互聯網神奇運作的多種關鍵技術。

First, we'll explore inside the satellite dish and see how it generates a beam of data that is able to reach space.

首先，我們將探索衛星天線的內部，看看它是如何產生一束能夠到達太空的數據的。

Second, we'll see how this dish continuously steers the beam so that it points directly at a satellite moving across the sky.

其次，我們將看到這種碟形天線是如何持續引導光束，使其直接指向天空中移動的衛星的。

And third, we'll dive into what exactly the dish and satellite are sending inside the beam that results in your ability to stream five HD movies or shows simultaneously.

第三，我們將深入探討天線和衛星在光束內發送的信號到底是什麼，從而使您能夠同時串流播放五部高清電影或節目。

This video is quite long as it's full of in-depth details.

這段視頻很長，因為裡面有很多深入的細節。

We recommend watching it first at 1.25x speed and then a second time at 1.5x speed to understand it as a complete technology.

我們建議先以 1.25 倍速觀看，然後再以 1.5 倍速觀看第二遍，以瞭解其完整的技術。

所以，請不要走開，我們馬上開始。

First, let's start by clarifying the difference between a television satellite dish such as this one and the Starlink ground dish, which Elon Musk dubbed Dishy McFlatface, or Dishy for short.

首先，讓我們來澄清一下電視衛星天線（比如這個）與星鏈地面天線（埃隆-馬斯克稱之為 Dishy McFlatface，簡稱 Dishy）之間的區別。

TV dishes use a parabolic reflector to focus the electromagnetic waves which are the TV signals sent from broadcast satellites orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 35,000 km.

電視天線使用拋物面反射器聚焦電磁波，這些電磁波是從 35000 千米高空環繞地球運行的廣播衛星發送的電視信號。

TV satellite dishes only receive TV signals from space.

電視衛星天線只能接收來自太空的電視信號。

Dishy, however, both sends and receives internet data from a Starlink satellite orbiting 550 km away.

然而，Dishy 可以從 550 千米外軌道上的 Starlink 衛星發送和接收互聯網數據。

While the Starlink satellite is 60 times closer than TV satellites, it's still an incredible distance to wirelessly send a signal and thus the beams between Dishy and the Starlink satellite need to be focused into tight, powerful beams that are continuously angled or steered to point at one another.

雖然 Starlink 衛星比電視衛星近 60 倍，但要無線發送信號，這仍然是一個令人難以置信的距離，是以 Dishy 和 Starlink 衛星之間的光束需要聚焦成緊密、強大的光束，並不斷調整角度或轉向，以指向對方。

Compare this to TV broadcast signals which come from a satellite the size of a van and whose signals propagate in a wide fan that covers land masses larger than North America.

相比之下，電視廣播信號來自一個麵包車大小的衛星，其信號的傳播範圍比北美的陸地面積還大。

Table-sized Starlink satellites, however, need to be in a low Earth orbit to provide for 20 millisecond latencies, which is critical for smoothly playing internet games or surfing the web, and as a result their coverage is much smaller.

然而，桌子大小的 Starlink 衛星需要位於低地球軌道，以提供 20 毫秒的延遲時間，這對於流暢地玩網絡遊戲或上網衝浪至關重要，是以其覆蓋範圍要小得多。

Thus, 10,000 or more Starlink satellites, all orbiting at incredibly fast speeds in a low Earth orbit, are required to provide satellite internet to the entire Earth.

是以，要向整個地球提供衛星互聯網，需要 1 萬顆或更多顆 Starlink 衛星，它們都在低地球軌道上以難以置信的速度運行。

現在，讓我們打開 Dishy McFlatface。

At the back, we have a pair of motors and an ethernet cable that connects to the router.

在背面，我們有一對電機和一條連接路由器的以太網電纜。

Note that these motors don't continuously move Dishy to point directly at the Starlink satellite.

請注意，這些電機不會持續移動 Dishy，使其直接指向 Starlink 衛星。

They're used only for initial setup to get the dish pointed in the proper general direction.

它們僅用於初始設置，使天線指向正確的大方向。

Opening up Dishy, we find an aluminum structural backplate and on the other side we find a massive printed circuit board or PCB.

打開 Dishy，我們會發現一個鋁製結構背板，另一側則是一塊巨大的印刷電路板（PCB）。

One side has 640 small microchips and 20 larger microchips organized in a pattern with very intricate traces, fanning out from the larger to smaller microchips, along with additional chips including the main CPU and GPS module on the edge of the PCB.

一側有 640 個小型微芯片和 20 個較大的微芯片，它們以非常複雜的軌跡排列，從較大的微芯片向較小的微芯片扇形展開，PCB 板上的邊緣還有包括主 CPU 和 GPS 模塊在內的其他芯片。

On the other side are 1400-ish copper circles with a grid of squares between the circles.

另一面是 1400 個左右的銅圓圈，圓圈之間是方格網。

On the next layer, there's a rubber honeycomb pattern with small, notched copper circles and behind that we find another honeycomb pattern and then the front side of Dishy.

下一層是橡膠蜂窩狀圖案，上面有小缺口銅圈，後面是另一個蜂窩狀圖案，然後是 Dishy 的正面。

Well, in essence, we have 1,280 antennas arranged in a hexagonal honeycomb pattern with each stack of copper circles being a single antenna controlled by the microchips on the PCB.

實際上，我們有 1280 根天線，呈六角形蜂窩狀排列，每一疊銅圈就是一根天線，由 PCB 上的微芯片控制。

This massive array works together in what's called a phased array in order to send and receive electromagnetic waves that are angled to and from a Starlink satellite orbiting 550 kilometers above.

這個巨大的陣列以所謂的相控陣的方式協同工作，以向 550 公里上空軌道上的 Starlink 衛星發送和接收傾斜的電磁波。

Let's zoom in and see how a single antenna operates.

讓我們放大看看單根天線是如何工作的。

Here we have an aperture-coupled patch antenna composed of 6 layers, most of which are inside the PCB.

我們這裡的孔徑耦合貼片天線由 6 層電路板組成，其中大部分位於電路板內部。

It looks very different from the antenna of an old-school radio and is honestly incredibly complicated, so let's simplify it.

它看起來與老式收音機的天線大相徑庭，而且複雜得令人難以置信，所以我們還是簡化一下吧。

We'll remove a few of the layers for now and step through the basic principles of how we generate an electromagnetic wave that propagates out from this antenna.

現在，我們將去掉一些層次，逐步瞭解如何產生電磁波並從天線傳播出去的基本原理。

To start, at the bottom we have a microstrip transmission line feed coming from one of the small microchips.

首先，底部的微帶傳輸線饋電來自其中一個小型芯片。

This transmission line feed is just a copper PCB trace, or wire, that abruptly ends under the antenna stack.

傳輸線饋電只是 PCB 上的一條銅線，或稱導線，在天線棧下突然終止。

We send a 12 gigahertz high-frequency voltage, or signal, to the feed wire, which is a voltage that goes up and down in a sinusoidal fashion, going from positive to negative and back to positive once every 83 picoseconds, 12 billion times a second, or 12 gigahertz.

我們向饋線發送一個 12 千兆赫的高頻電壓或信號，這是一個以正弦波方式上升和下降的電壓，每 83 皮秒（每秒 120 億次）從正極變為負極，再變回正極。

Note that high-frequency electricity works differently from direct current or low-frequency 50 or 60 hertz household electricity.

請注意，高頻電的工作原理與直流電或 50 或 60 赫茲的低頻家用電不同。

For example, above the copper feed wire we have a copper circle with notches cut into it called an antenna patch.

例如，在銅饋線上方有一個銅圓，上面切有凹口，稱為天線貼片。

With DC, or low-frequency alternating current, there wouldn't be much happening because the patch is isolated, but with a high-frequency signal, the power sent to the feed wire is coupled or sent to the patch.

對於直流電或低頻交流電，由於貼片是隔離的，是以不會有太大影響，但對於高頻信號，發送到饋電線的功率會耦合或發送到貼片。

Well, as mentioned earlier, a 12 gigahertz signal is applied to the copper feed wire.

如前所述，12 千兆赫的信號被施加到銅饋線上。

When the voltage is at the bottom of its sinusoidal, or trough, we have a concentration of electrons pushed to the end of the feed wire, thus creating a zone of negative charge which corresponds to the maximum negative voltage.

當電壓處於正弦曲線的底部或谷底時，電子會被集中推向饋電線的末端，從而產生一個負電荷區，與最大負電壓相對應。

This concentration of electrons on the tip of the wire repels all electrons away, including the electrons on the top of the patch, and as a result, these electrons are pushed to the other side of the circular patch.

電子在導線尖端的聚集會排斥所有電子，包括貼片頂部的電子，是以這些電子會被推向圓形貼片的另一側。

Thus, one side of the patch becomes positively charged while the other becomes negatively charged, thereby creating electric fields between the patch and feed wire, like so.

這樣，貼片的一側帶正電，另一側帶負電，從而在貼片和饋電線之間產生電場，就像這樣。

However, when we reverse the voltage to the copper feed wire 42 picoseconds later, we have a concentration of positive charges, or a lack of electrons at the end of the wire, and thus the electrons in the patch flow to the other side.

然而，當我們在 42 皮秒後將電壓反向施加到銅饋線上時，銅饋線末端就會出現正電荷集中或電子缺乏的現象，從而使貼片中的電子流向另一端。

The voltage in the patch is flipped, and the direction of the electric fields are also flipped.

貼片中的電壓發生了變化，電場的方向也發生了變化。

Because the feed wire voltage oscillates back and forth 42 picoseconds between one peak and trough, the electric fields in the patch will also oscillate as the electrons, or current, flows back and forth.

由於饋電線電壓在一個波峰和波谷之間來回擺動 42 皮秒，貼片中的電場也會隨著電子或電流的來回流動而擺動。

If we pause the oscillation, we can see some of these electric field vectors, or arrows from the patch, are vertical, and because they're equal and opposite, they cancel out.

如果我們暫停振盪，就可以看到其中一些電場矢量或來自貼片的箭頭是垂直的，由於它們相等且相反，是以會抵消。

However, other electric fields are horizontal in the same plane of the patch, and are called fringing fields.

然而，在貼片的同一平面上還有其他水準電場，這些電場被稱為邊緣場。

These fringing fields are in the same direction, and thus they add to each other, resulting in a combined electric field pointing in this direction.

這些邊緣場的方向相同，是以它們會相互疊加，形成一個指向該方向的組合電場。

At the same time, electrons flowing from one side of the disk to the other, which is an electric current, generate a magnetic field with a strength and direction, or vector, perpendicular to the fringing electric field vector.

與此同時，從磁盤一側流向另一側的電子（即電流）會產生磁場，其強度和方向或矢量與邊緣電場矢量垂直。

As a result, we have an electric field pointing one way, and a magnetic field pointing perpendicular to that.

是以，電場指向一個方向，而磁場則與之垂直。

Let's move forward in time to where the voltage on the feed line becomes positive, and now we're at the peak of the sinusoid, 42 picoseconds later.

讓我們將時間向前推移，饋電線上的電壓變為正值，現在我們正處於正弦波的峰值，即 42 皮秒之後。

The charge concentrations, or voltage, as well as the current, is all flipped, and thus the electric and magnetic fields point in the opposite directions.

電荷濃度或電壓以及電流都發生了翻轉，是以電場和磁場指向相反的方向。

Electric and magnetic fields propagate in all directions, and by creating these oscillating fringing fields, we've generated an electromagnetic wave, which travels in the direction perpendicular to both the electric and magnetic field vectors.

電場和磁場向各個方向傳播，通過產生這些振盪的邊緣場，我們就產生了電磁波，電磁波沿著與電場和磁場矢量垂直的方向傳播。

Because the two sets of field vectors are not all in the same plane, but rather are curved, the propagating electromagnetic wave travels outwards in an expanding shell or balloon-like fashion, kind of like a light bulb on the ceiling.

由於兩組場矢量並不都在同一個平面上，而是彎曲的，是以傳播的電磁波會以一種膨脹的外殼或氣球狀的方式向外傳播，有點像天花板上的燈泡。

Let's simplify the visual, so we can see the peak and trough, or top and bottom, of each wave, and note that the trough is just a vector pointed in the opposite direction.

讓我們簡化一下視覺效果，這樣我們就能看到每個波浪的波峰和波谷，或者說波頂和波底，並注意到波谷只是一個指向相反方向的矢量。

Additionally, the strengths of these field vectors directly relate back to the voltage and signal that we originally sent to the copper microstrip feed wire at the bottom of the stack.

此外，這些場矢量的強度與我們最初發送到堆棧底部銅微帶饋線的電壓和信號直接相關。

Which means, if we want to make these electric and magnetic fields stronger, we just have to increase the voltage sent to the feed line.

這意味著，如果我們想讓這些電場和磁場變得更強，只需增加饋電線的電壓即可。

Just like a dimmer on a light switch, more power equals a brighter light.

就像電燈開關上的調光器一樣，功率越大，燈光越亮。

Thus far, we've been talking about this aperture-coupled patch antenna as transmitting, however it can also be used for receiving a signal.

到目前為止，我們一直在討論這種孔徑耦合貼片天線的發射功能，但它也可用於接收信號。

In this microchip, called a front-end module, we switch the antenna from transmit to receive and turn off the 12 GHz signal.

在這個被稱為前端模塊的微型芯片中，我們將天線從發射切換到接收，並關閉 12 GHz 信號。

When an electromagnetic wave from the satellite is directed towards DISHI, the electric fields from this incoming signal will influence the electrons in the copper patch, thus generating an oscillating flow of electrons.

當來自衛星的電磁波射向 DISHI 時，傳入信號的電場將影響銅貼片中的電子，從而產生電子振盪流。

This received high-frequency signal is then coupled to the feed line where it's sent to the front-end module chip which amplifies the signal.

然後，接收到的高頻信號被耦合到饋電線上，再送入前端模塊芯片，由其放大信號。

Thus, these antennas can be used to both transmit and receive electromagnetic waves, but not at the same time.

是以，這些天線既可用於發射電磁波，也可用於接收電磁波，但不能同時使用。

First, as seen earlier, this antenna has many more layers, and is more complicated than we've discussed.

首先，如前所述，這種天線有更多層次，比我們討論的要複雜得多。

For example, here are two circular patches.

The bottom is used to transmit at 13 GHz, while the top to receive at 11.7 GHz.

底部用於 13 千兆赫的發射，頂部用於 11.7 千兆赫的接收。

Additionally, there are two H-slots and two feed wires to support circular polarization, a reflective plane in the back, and also there are multiple features for isolating the operation of one antenna from the adjacent antennas.

此外，還有兩個 H 型插槽和兩根饋線支持圓極化，背面有一個反射面，還有多種功能用於隔離一根天線與相鄰天線的工作。

We've included these and many more details in the creator's comments, which you can find in the English-Canadian subtitles.

我們在創作者的評論中收錄了這些和更多細節，您可以在英加字幕中找到。

The second note is that there are electromagnetic waves of all different frequencies from thousands of different sources, passing through every point on Earth.

第二點是，有來自成千上萬個不同來源的各種不同頻率的電磁波，通過地球上的每一個點。

Whether it be visible light from the sun, radio waves from radio or cell towers, or

無論是太陽發出的可見光、無線電或手機信號塔發出的無線電波，還是

來自衛星或信號塔的電視信號。

Therefore, in order to block out all other frequencies of electromagnetic waves, these antenna patches are designed with very exact dimensions, so that they receive and transmit only a very narrow range of frequencies, and all the other frequencies outside this range are essentially ignored by the antenna.

是以，為了阻隔所有其他頻率的電磁波，這些天線貼片的設計尺寸非常精確，是以它們只能接收和發射一個非常狹窄的頻率範圍，而這個範圍之外的所有其他頻率基本上都會被天線忽略。

Let's move on and see how a single antenna can be combined with others in order to amplify the beam to reach outer space.

接下來，讓我們看看如何將單根天線與其他天線組合在一起，以放大波束，使其到達外太空。

This single antenna is only a centimeter or so in diameter, and using only it would be like turning on and off one light bulb and trying to see it from the International Space

這根天線的直徑只有一釐米左右，僅使用它就像打開和關閉一個燈泡，並試圖從國際空間站看到它一樣。

What we need is a way to make the light a few thousand times brighter, and then focus all the electromagnetic waves into a single, powerful beam.

我們需要的是將光亮度提高几千倍，然後將所有電磁波聚焦成一束強大的光束。

Consider the massive Mr. McFlatface PCB, 55 centimeters wide, with a total of 1,280 identical antennas in a hexagonal array.

考慮一下 "麥克弗萊特臉先生 "的巨型印刷電路板，它寬 55 釐米，六邊形陣列中共有 1280 根相同的天線。

The technique of combining all the antennas' power together is called beamforming.

將所有天線的功率組合在一起的技術稱為波束成形。

Well, let's first see what happens when we have two simplified antennas spaced a short distance away.

好吧，讓我們先來看看當兩根簡化天線相距不遠時會發生什麼。

As mentioned before, one antenna generates an electromagnetic wave that propagates outwards in a balloon shape.

如前所述，一根天線產生的電磁波呈氣球狀向外傳播。

At every single point in space, there's only one electric field vector with a strength and direction, and thus, the two antennas' oscillating electric field vectors combine together at all points in space.

在空間的每一個點上，只有一個具有強度和方向的電場矢量，是以，兩根天線的振盪電場矢量在空間的所有點上都結合在一起。

In some areas, the electric fields from the antennas are pointing in the same direction with overlapping peaks, and thus, add together via constructive interference.

在某些區域，來自天線的電場指向同一方向，峰值重疊，是以會通過建設性干擾相加。

And in other locations, they're opposite with one peak on one trough, and thus, they cancel each other via destructive interference.

而在其他位置，它們則相反，一個波峰對一個波谷，從而通過破壞性干擾相互抵消。

We can now see that the zone where they add together constructively is far tighter, or more focused, than a single antenna alone.

我們現在可以看到，它們建設性地結合在一起的區域要比單獨的一根天線緊密得多，或者說更加集中。

When we add even more antennas, the zone of constructive interference becomes even more focused in what is called a beam front.

當我們增加更多天線時，建設性干擾區域會變得更加集中，形成所謂的波束前沿。

Thus, by adding 1280 antennas together, we can form a beam with so much intensity and directionality that it can reach outer space.

是以，將 1280 根天線加在一起，我們就能形成一個強度和方向性都很強的光束，可以到達外太空。

Now you might be thinking that the strength of one antenna duplicated 1280 times over would result in a combined power of, well, 1280 times a single antenna.

現在你可能會想，將一根天線的強度複製 1280 倍，其綜合功率就是一根天線的 1280 倍。

The effective power and range of the main beam from all these antennas combined is actually closer to 3500 times that of a single antenna.

所有這些天線的有效功率和主波束範圍加起來實際上接近單個天線的 3500 倍。

The quick explanation is that by having these patterns of constructive and destructive interference, it's as if we took a single antenna, multiplied it by 1280, and then placed a whole bunch of mirrors around it, and left only a single hole for the main beam to exit through.

簡單的解釋是，有了這些建設性和破壞性干擾模式，就好比我們把一根天線乘以 1280，然後在其周圍放置了一大堆鏡子，只留下一個孔供主光束通過。

The long explanation requires a ton of math and physics, so let's move on.

冗長的解釋需要大量的數學和物理知識，所以讓我們繼續往下看。

Dishy McFlatface and the Starlink satellites undoubtedly have some rather complicated science and engineering inside.

Dishy McFlatface 和 "星鏈 "衛星無疑擁有相當複雜的科學和工程技術。

And to fully comprehend it all, you have to be a multidisciplinary student.

要完全理解這一切，你必須是一個多學科的學生。

To help you do that, check out Brilliant, which is sponsoring this video.

為了幫助您做到這一點，請查看贊助本視頻的 Brilliant 公司。