Date: 21/09/2010

Rohde & Schwarz adds latest DVB-T2 functionalities to its transmitters

Rohde & Schwarz (R&S) has launched the R&S TSE800 coder expansion. This device allows existing R&S transmitters to be equiped with all relevant DVB-T2 functionalities, thus allowing the DVB-T2 standards to be available without having to replace the transmitters. These functionalities include multiple physical layer pipe (PLP) mode and multiple input single output (MISO) transmission for distributed transmitter sites.The R&S TSE800 can integrate into any transmitter from the R&S xx8000 generation.

R&S says that employing these techniques can boost the DVB-T2 transmission capacity by 30%. The multiple PLP mode allows different services with different parameters to be transmitted on the same channel. This includes diverse and variable data rates that arise when different modulation modes or error correction measures are used. The R&S TSE800 supports up to 16 PLPs.

The PLPs need to be fed to the transmitters' modulators in a multiplexed form. For single-frequency operation, they must be synchronized. This functionality is provided by the new DVB-T2 modulation interface (T2-MI), which has been specially defined in the standard. The T2-MI signal is physically applied via ASI or IP.

Another new function is MISO transmission for distributed transmitter sites. In a single-frequency network, this transmission mode can be used to influence signals from different transmitters so that they become significantly more robust than they would be in a DVB-T transmission.

Availability: Scheduled to be available in early 2011.