MA'DIN POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE

MALAPPURAM

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

SEMINAR REPORT
ON
IBOC TECHNOLOGY

PRESENTED BY,
ABDUL SHUKOOR P P
REG.NO-17031451
GUIDED BY
Ms. SRUTHI K
(LECTURER IN DEPT.OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING)

DEPT.OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

2019-2020
 MA'DIN POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE
MALAPPURAM

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

SEMINAR REPORT
ON
IBOC TECHNOLOGY

PRESENTED BY,
ABDUL SHUKOOR P P
REG.NO-17031451
GUIDED BY
Ms. SRUTHI K
(LECTURER IN DEPT.OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING)

DEPT.OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

2019-2020
 MA'DIN POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE
MALAPPURAM

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

CERTIFICATE

Certified that this is a report of seminar on “IBOC TECHNOLOGY”

presented by ABDUL SHUKOOR P P, Register No.17031451 , diploma in
Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Ma’din Polytechnics College,
Malappuram on in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Award of
Diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering under the Directorate of
Technical Education, Kerala state during the year 2019-2020.

Staff in charge Head of the Department

Internal examiner External examiner

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

While submitting this seminar report I would like to thank a few persons whose able advice and co-
operation made my work smoother. My foremost and heartier gratitude goes to our principal, Mr.
ABDUL HAMEED CP who provided me necessary facilities to proceed with the seminar.

I hereby express my sincere gratitude to our Head of the Department of Electrical & Electronics
Engineering Mr. MUHAMMAD ASIF K and seminar guide Ms.SRUTHI K for providing me with the
entire necessary infrastructure to complete my seminar.

I hereby express my sincere gratitude to our tutor Mr.RAGESH P, Department of Electrical &
Electronics Engineering, for providing me with the entire necessary infrastructure to complete my
seminar.

I also express my sincere thanks to all the faculty members of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Department for their kind co-operation and valuable suggestions during the period of this work. I take this
opportunity to thank all my friends who helped me throughout this work and for their patient discussion
and suggestion and for their timely aid.

Finally, I take opportunity to thank my parents for their blessings and suitable help. Above all, I
thank God Almighty for His abundant blessings without His blessings I would not have been able to
complete this venture
 ABSTRACT
FM Transmitter is a device which generates frequency modulated signal. It is one element of a
radio system which, with the aid of an antenna, propagates an electromagnetic signal. Standard FM
broadcasts are based in the 88 – 108 MHz range. Advancements have been made in the way FM is
broadcast. This includes utilizing such technologies as Hybrid Digital (HD) Radio, Software Defined
Radio (SDR) and Cognitive Radio.

HD Radio uses IBOC (In-Band On-Channel) as a method of broadcasting digital radio signals
on the same FM channel, and at the same time as the conventional analog signal while Software defined
radio (SDR) is the term used to describe radio technology where some or the entire wireless physical
layer functions are software defined.

The In-Band On-Channel (IBOC) solution to replace stereo quality FM transmission with CD
quality sound using the same FM channel has had further advances in the USA. The National Radio
Systems Committee (NRSC) has evaluated the iBiquity Digital Corporations. FM IBOC System to
determine the compatibility of IBOC operation with analog reception of existing FM stations. This paper
outlines the basic technical fundamentals of IBOC, the current status of the technology and the possible
impact of IBOC on the Australian broadcasting environment.

In-band on-channel (IBOC) is a hybrid method of transmitting digital radio and analog radio
broadcast signals simultaneously on the same frequency. By utilizing additional digital subcarriers or
sidebands, digital information is "multiplexed" on an AM or FM analog signal, thus avoiding re-
allocation of the broadcast bands. However, by putting RF energy outside of the normally-defined
channel, interference to adjacent channel stations is increased when using digital sidebands. IBOC does
allow for multiple program channels, though this can entail taking some existing subcarriers off the air to
make additional bandwidth available in the modulation baseband. On FM, this could eventually mean
removing stereo. On AM, IBOC is incompatible with analog stereo, and any additional channels are
limited to highly compressed voice, such as traffic and weather. Eventually, stations can go from hybrid
mode (both analog and digital) to all-digital, by eliminating the baseband monophonic audio. The IBOC
technology developed by iBiquity Digital Corporation focuses on a transition to digital that works within
existing broadcasting infrastructure. The IBOC digital signal is placed within the existing analog FM
spectral emissions mask, and as a result IBOC is proposed as the digital solution which may be
implemented without the need for new frequency allocations or without disruption to the existing
broadcasting infrastructure.
 CONTENTS

CHAPTER TITLE PAGE

1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 BACKGROUND 1
1.2 OBJECTIVES 2
1.3 SCOPE 2
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE 2
1.5 REPORT OVERVIEW 3
2 FM TRANSMITTERS 4
2.1 OVERVIEW 4
2.2 BLOCK DIAGRAM 5
2.3 CIRCUIT DESIGN 6
2.4 FM TRANSMITTER LIMITATIONS 7
2.4.1 FREQUENCY CONTROL 7
2.4.2 NOISE 8
2.5 FM TRANSMITTER OPTIMISATION 8
3 MODERN RADIO TRANMISION TECHNOLOGY 11
3.1 IBOC HD RADIO 11
3.2 WORKING PRINCIPLE OF HD RADIO 11
3.3 IBOC CAPABILITIES 12
4 FM TRANSMISION USING HD RADIO TECHNOLOGY 14
4.1 IBOC MODES OF OPERATION 14
4.1.1 HYBRID MODE 14
4.1.2 EXTENDED HYBRID MODE 15
4.1.3 ALL DIGITAL MODE 16
5 COMPARISON OF HD RADIO AND EUREKA 17
6 BENEFITS OF HD RADIO TECHNOLOGY 20
7 DISADVANTAGES OF HD RADIO TECHNOLOGY 21
8 CHALLENGES OF IBOC TECHNOLOGY 22
9 CONCLUSION 23
10 REFERENCES 24

i
 LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE No: TITLE PAGE No:

2.1 Block Diagram Of FM Transmitter 5

2.2 Inductance 5
2.3 Frequncy 6
2.4 Schematic Diagram Of FM Transmitter 6
2.5 An FM Signal With Noise 8
2.6 Pre-emphasis Circuit 9
2.6 Block Diagram Of A Basic PLL 10
3.1 How HD Radio Works 12
4.1 FM HD Radio Hybrid Mode 14
4.2 Extended Hybrid Mode 15
4.3 All Digital Mode 16

iii
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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND
Frequency modulation (FM) is a technique for wireless transmission of information where the
frequency of a high frequency carrier is changed in proportion to message signal which contains the
information according to FM was invented and developed by Edwin Armstrong in the 1920’s and 30’s.
Frequency modulation was demonstrated to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for the first
time in 1940, and the first commercial FM radio station began broadcasting in 1945 . FM is not a new
concept. However, the concept of FM is essential to a wide gamut of radio frequency wireless devices and
is therefore worth studying. This seminar will explain the design decisions that should be made in the
process of design and construction of an FM transmitter. The design has also been simulated. For a long
time radio was the largest mass media but in recent years it has lost a number of listeners. In contrast,
total media consumption has increased. Young people are abandoning traditional media and want to
decide on where, when and how they receive media content, for example via Internet and mobile
telephones. Listeners are most interested in easily being able to select radio stations, to have better sound
quality and audibility and to increase accessibility for people with visual and auditory impairments.
Listeners also want a wider range of radio channels over the whole country. Consumers ‘needs must be
met hence the need for advancements in the field of radio broadcast.
New technology creates the necessary conditions for improvements. This seminar also evaluates the
different technologies on the basis of questions like:

 How well does the technology satisfy consumers’ needs?

 What functionality does the technology offer?
 How efficiently does the technology utilize the available spectrum?
 What financial conditions are available for the technology?
 Standardization policy for the technology.

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1.2 OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this seminar are:
 To review present-day FM transmitters and their limitations.
 To present some modern digital technologies that has been developed for effective FM signal
generation.
 To provide an overview of the Radio communication issues that might be improved through the
use of Hybrid Digital Radio (HD Radio), Software Defined Radio (SDR) and Cognitive Radio
Systems (CRS). iv. To accusatively compare these technologies.

1.3 SCOPE
This seminar covers the design of FM transmitters for quality audio transmission and explains
some of the modern trends in FM signal generation, highlighting their prospects. It also covers the
advantages these technologies offer over traditional radio broadcasting and brings to light various
distinguishing features possessed by these technologies.

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE
The role that radio plays in the society is an important issue to consider in discussions about
which technology can best distribute radio in the future. The fact that radio has an important role in
society can be clearly seen in the number of listeners. Despite the rise in the total consumption of media,
radio has lost a number of listeners according to a survey reported in [3, pp. 40-49].

The medium of radio has many positive characteristics for listeners. It is:
 Free from subscription charges
 Simple to use
 Possible to listen to everywhere, including sparsely populated areas and while in motion in cars
and trains.
 Possible to listen to while doing something else
 Important as a channel of information, especially in crises and catastrophes.
 An important medium for traffic information, shipping and mountain rescue. Radio needs to be
developed to satisfy the needs of future consumers, hence the need for this study.

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1.5 REPORT OVERVIEW

 Chapter one provides an overview of the seminar by giving description of the topic.
 Chapter two deals with FM transmitters, their drawbacks and how they are overcome.
 Chapter three covers modern radio transmission technologies: IBOC Hybrid Digital (HD)
Radio and Software Defined Radio (SDR); explaining their advantages, limitations and how they
enhance radio communication.
 In chapter four, SDR and HD radio technologies were compared with other radio technologies.
It also includes the conclusion.

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CHAPTER 2
FM TRANSMITTERS

2.1 OVERVIEW
An FM Transmitter is a device which generates frequency modulated signal. It is on
element of a radio system which, with the aid of an antenna, propagates an electromagnetic
signal [3]. Some of its applications include:

 Non-commercial broadcasting.
 Commercial broadcasting.
 Television audio.
 Public Service communications.
 Radio Service Communications.
 Point-to-point microwave links used by telecommunications companies.

FM transmitters work on the principle of frequency modulation which compares to the

other most common transmission method, Amplitude Modulation (AM). AM broadcasts vary
the amplitude of the carrier wave according to an input signal. Standard FM broadcasts are
based in the 88 - 108 MHz range; otherwise known as the RF or Radio Frequency range.
However, they can be in any range, as long as a receiver has been tuned to
demodulate them. Thus the RF carrier wave and the input signal can't do much by themselves
they must be modulated. That is the basis of a transmitter.

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2.2 BLOCK DIAGRAM

2.1 Block Diagram Of FM Transmitter

The diagram above is the basic building block of every FM transmitter. It consists of an AF
(Audio Frequency) Amplifier that amplifies the audio voltage from the microphone and feeds this signal
into an RF oscillator for modulation. The oscillator produces the carrier frequency in the 88-108 MHZ
FM band. The low power of the FM modulated carrier is then boosted by the power amplifier. A buffer
amplifier is placed between the RF oscillator and the power amplifier to eliminate loading of the
oscillator. A low pass filter is also present lo limit the RF signal to a range of choice while the antenna
radiates it.
The design of an FM transmitter must consider multiple technical factors such as frequency of
operation, the stability and purity of the resulting signal, the efficiency of power use, and the power level
required to meet the system design objectives. Some pre-design considerations include:

 Inductance of an Air Core Coil

Self-madeinductor has a valuedetermined by its radius r, length x and number of wire turns n.

2.2: Inductance

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 Frequency
The specific frequency, f generated is now determined by the capacitance C and inductance L measured
in Far ads and Henry respectively.

2.3:Frequency
 Resonant Frequency of a Parallel LC Circuit
The variable capacitor and self-made inductor constitute a parallel LC circuit also called a tank
circuit which vibrates at a resonant frequency to be picked up by an FM radio. The underlying physics is
that a capacitor stores energy in the electric field between its plates, depending on the voltage across it,
and an inductor stores energy in its magnetic field, depending on the current through it. The oscillation
frequency is determined by the capacitance and inductance values.

2.3 CIRCUIT DESIGN

2.2: Schematic of FM Transmitter.

In theory, as long as there is a supply voltage across the parallel inductor and variable capacitor, it should
vibrate at the resonant frequency indefinitely. Referring to the schematic above, C2 and C4 act as
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SEMINAR REPORT 2019-2020
decoupling capacitors and typically 0.01 uF (or 0.1 uF) are used. C4 attempts to maintain a constant
voltage across the entire circuit despite voltage fluctuations as the battery dies. A capacitor can be thought
of as a frequency dependent resistor (called reactance). Speech consists of different frequencies and the
capacitor C1 impedes them. The net effect is that C1 modulates the current going into the transistor.
Using a large value for C1 reinforces bass (low frequencies) while smaller values boost treble
(high frequencies). The C3 capacitor across the 2N2222A transistor serves to keep thetank circuit
vibrating. In reality however, thefrequency decays dueto heating losses. C3 is used to prevent decay and the
2N2222Aspec sheet suggests a capacitance between 4 to 10 pF.
The C3 capacitor across the 2N2222A transistor serves to keep the tank circuit vibrating. In
theory, as long as there is a supply voltage across the parallel inductor and variable capacitor, it should
vibrate at the resonant frequency indefinitely. In reality however, the frequency decays due to heating
losses. C3 is used to prevent decay and the 2N2222A spec sheet suggests a capacitance between 4 to 10
pF.
The 2N2222A transistor has rated maximums thus demanding a voltage divider made with R2 and
R3 and emitter current limiting with R4. The 2N2222A's maximum rated power is P max = 0.5 W. This
power ultimately affects the distance you can transmit. Overpowering the transistor will heat and destroy
it. To avoid this, one can calculate that the FM transmitter outputs approximately 124 mW and is well
below the rated maximum.

2.4 FM TRANSMITTER LIMITATIONS

The major drawbacks experienced by FM transmitters are noise and frequency control.

2.4.1 FREQUENCY CONTROL

This arises from the presence of frequency synthesizers (oscillators). Due to limited bandwidth, it
is necessary for the carrier frequency of a radio transmitter to be as exact as possible. Issues relating to this
include:
 Poor frequency Accuracy: The transmitter must be on the exact frequency that the
receiver is expecting it to be. This is primarily determined by the master reference
oscillator.
 Undesired Spurious Generation: The synthesizer must also minimize spurious
signals which corrupt the transmitted signal and make receiver demodulation difficult.

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2.4.2 NOISE
Noise is typically narrow spikes of voltage with lots of harmonics and other high frequency
components that add to a signal, interferes with it and sometimes, completely obliterates the signal
information.
FM systems are generally better at rejecting noise than AM systems. Poor design results in
excessive Phase Noise, a “smearing” of the Transmitter Local Oscillator signal that the Receiver interprets
as noise, making accurate demodulation difficult and a corresponding high probability of error. Noise can
also result from poor power supply regulation and/or filtering.

2.5 FM TRANSMITTER OPTIMISATION

Having discussed the drawbacks of an FM transmitter, techniques employed in mitigating them
include:
 Use of Limiter Circuits:Limiter circuits can be embedded into FM transmitters to deliberately
restrict the amplitude of received signals. This is based on the fact that FM signals have constant
modulated carrier amplitude. Any amplitude variations occurring on the FM signal are effectively
clipped by these circuits. This amplitude variation in turn does not affect the information content
of the FM signal, since it is contained solely within the frequency variations of the carrier.

2.3: An FM signal with Noise.

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 Pre-emphasis:Noise can interfere with an FM signal and particularly with the high-frequency
components of the modulating signal. This technique is used to overcome these high frequency
noises. A simple high-pass filter can serve as a transmitter’s pre-emphasis circuit. A sample pre-
emphasis circuit is shown below:

2.4: Pre-emphasis Circuit.

 Phase Locked Loop (PLL):PLL is basically a closed loop frequency control system whose
functioning is based on the phase sensitive detection of phase difference between the input and
output signals of the controlled oscillator according to It is used to lock the central frequency of a
transmitter to a stable crystal reference frequency. A basic phase locked loop consists of three (3)
elements:
 Phase Comparator: This circuit block within the PLL compares the phase of two
signals and generates a voltage according to the phase difference between the two
signals.
 Loop filter: This filter is used to filter the output from the phase comparator in the
PLL. It is used to remove any components of the signals of which the phase is being
compared from the VCO line. It also governs many of the characteristics of the loop
and its stability.

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 Voltage controlled oscillator (VCO): The voltage controlled oscillator is the circuit
block that generates the output radio frequency signal. Its frequency can be controlled
and swung over the operational frequency band for the loop.

Voltage Controlled
Reference Phase Comparator
Oscillator

Error Voltage Generated

by the phase detector. Loop Filter
Tuned voltage used
to control VCO.

2.5: Block Diagram of a Basic PLL.

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CHAPTER 3
MODERN RADIO TRANSMISSION TECHNOLOGIES

3.1 In-Band On-Channel (IBOC) HYBRID DIGITAL (HD) RADIO

HD Radio IBOC (In-Band On-Carrier) is a method of broadcasting digital radio signals on the
same channel, and at the same time as the conventional AM or FM signal. iBiquity Digita l Corporation
developed this solution in response to the need for a digital system that didn’t require additional
frequency bands which were not available. IBOC is an evolutionary system, allowing increased
performance as the number of digital receivers increase.
Renee , points out that HD Radio is a new technology that enables AM and FM Radio stations to
broadcast their programs digitally, a tremendous technological leap from today's familiar analog
broadcasts. HD Radio is the only current digital radio solution which operates in the existing FM band.
It allows the transmission of the existing unchanged FM analog signal along with digita l subcarriers
which provide CD quality audio – as well as the possibility of multiple digital channels. Both the
conventional FM analog signal and the digital sidebands fit within the typical spectral mask
allocated for FM stations.

3.2 WORKING PRINCIPLE OF HD RADIO

Firstly, the radio station simultaneously creates a digital and analog audio broadcast.The digital
signal is then compressed for multicasting and enhanced services while the analog signal is left untouched,
both of which are transmitted at the same time. Signal travels through the broadcast area while receivers shoot
trough bounced signals to enhance clarity.

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3.1 HD Radio Works

1. Analog and Digital audio broadcast simultaneously created.

2. Digital audio Compression
3. Digital Broadcast Antenna for transmission of compressed digital signal and analog audio
simultaneously.
4. Interference: digital signal is less prone to signal dropout and reflections unlike analog signal
5. In Car HD Radio System

3.3 IBOC CAPABILITIES

IBOC enables the broadcaster to select the desired audio quality and data transmission rate
however, as expected, there is a tradeoff between audio quality and the data transmission rate.
The audio quality at 96 kb/s is near CD quality but in Hybrid mode this only allows 1 kb/s for data. IBOC
allows the bit rate to be adjusted in 8 kb/s steps. By transmitting audio at the satellite DARS3 bit rate of 64
kb/s, additional data capacity, exceeding that of the current generation of mobile phones (9 . 19kb/s), is
available. At times when audio quality is not as important, the audio bit rate may be reduced to as low as 48
kb/s but audio quality will be reduced to near telephone audio quality.
IBOC incorporates a 4.5 second delay between the analog and digital audio signals. The receiver
initially acquires the analog signal and takes a few seconds to begin to decode the audio on the digital
sidebands. If 10% of the digital data blocks sent are corrupted during transmission, the IBOC receiver
reverts to the analog signal. This is referred to as the .blend-to-analog. Feature of IBOC. The blend process is

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perceived to have the same quality as the analog audio and the process itself does not degrade the audio quality
below that of analog.
Field tests indicate that Hybrid FM IBOC digital coverage is comparable to analog coverage but
IBOC reception can be obtained in areas where the analog service is currently of an unacceptable quality due to
interference such as co-channel interference, impulse noise and multi-path fading.

 The enhancements claimed over traditional analog FM broadcasting include:

 Almost full immunity from typical FM multipath reception problems;
 Significantly improved full stereo coverage;
 Flexible datacasting opportunities: and Efficient means for FM broadcasters to begin the transition to
digital broadcasting
 Use of OFDM in IBOC allows on-channel digital repeaters.

It is expected that there will be a trade off in audio signal-to-noise ratios in some areas where 1st
adjacent (IBOC) stations overlap, but this is only expected where 1st adjacent interference currently exists
with adjacent channel analog services.
The iBiquity field tests conducted with eight FM broadcasting stations in the US, concluded that digital
coverage with one hundredth the power (-20dB) of analog, extended to the 45 - 50 dBu signal level.

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CHAPTER 4
FM TRANSMISSION USING HD RADIO TECHNOLOGY

4.1 IBOC MODES OF OPERATION

FM IBOC is an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex) system which creates a set
of digital sidebands each side of the normal FM signal. The combined FM and IBOC signal fits in the
same spectral mask as is specified for conventional FM. The system allows for growth towards eventual
full utilization of the spectrum by the digital signal in three steps: Hybrid, Extended Hybrid, and Full
Digital.

4.1.1Hybrid Mode
In this mode the digital signal is inserted within a 69.041 kHz bandwidth,129.361 kHz on either
side of the analog FM signal.

4.1 FM HD Radio Hybrid Mode

The IBOC Hybrid mode digital signal is transmitted in sidebands either side of the analog
FM signal and each sideband is approximately 23 dB below the total power in the FM signal. The
hybrid sidebands are referred to as Primary Main (PM) sidebands.

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The host analog signal may be mono or stereo, and may include subsidiary communica t ion
channels. The total power of the digital sidebands is 20 dB below the nominal power of the FM analog carrier
with power relative to the total analog FM power of .41.39 dB/kHz.

4.1.2 Extended Hybrid Mode.

This mode includes the hybrid mode and additional digital signals are inserted closer to the analog
signal, utilizes a 27.617 kHz bandwidth, 101.744 kHz on either side of the analog FM signal.

4.2 Extended Hybrid Mode

The IBOC Extended Hybrid mode digital sidebands are extended towards the analog FM signal
to increase digital capacity. The extended hybrid sidebands are referred to as Primary Extended (PX)
sidebands. The total power of the digital sidebands is 20 dB below the nominal power of the FM analog
carrier with power relative to total analog FM power of .41.39 dB/kHz.

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4.1.3 All Digital Mode

This mode replaces the analog signal with additional digital signals and also includes the digital
signals of the Hybrid and Extended Hybrid modes.

3.3 Digital Mode

With IBOC All Digital, the primary digital sidebands are extended as in IBOC Extended Hybrid and
the analog signal is removed and replaced by lower power digital secondary sidebands, thus expanding the digital
capacity. The total power of the digital sidebands is 10 dB below the nominal power of the replaced FM analog
carrier with power relative to total analog FM power of .31.39 dB/kHz.

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CHAPTER 5
COMPARISON OF HD RADIO AND EUREKA TECHNOLOGIES

Many Canadian broadcasters already have knowledge of, and experience with, the Eureka system
that has been implemented in this country using L-band frequencies. In this section, the principal
differences between the Eureka system and the FM-band version of HD Radio are outlined, so that the
capabilities of the latter technology can be compared with its more well-known counterpart.
 Data capacity per transmitter: HD Radio is intended for implementation in the existing VHF
FM band and needs to comply with the 200 kHz channel spacing scheme utilized for analog
frequency allotments. This bandwidth limitation means that the maximum effective audio data
payload (after error correction) for the digital signal carried on each transmitter is about 96
kbits/sec. The wider channel bandwidth used for L-Band Eureka transmission permits a
comparable audio data throughput per transmitter of about 1152 kbits/sec.
 Audio Programs per transmitter: In most cases, up to three (HD1/HD2/HD3) separate digital
audio programs can be accommodated within the data capacity transmitted by HD Radio. Using
the current standard MPEG-2 audio coding scheme, Eureka can generally deliver a minimum of 5
stereophonic audio programs; however, in some countries (e.g. the UK), as many as 10-11
programs of lower quality are being delivered. The Eureka standard has recently been modified to
permit the use of DAB+TM audio coding, which should permit 15-20 high-quality audio
programs to be carried on each digital transmitter.
 Audio Quality: Proponents of both HD Radio and Eureka claim that the audio delivered by their
system is “CD-quality” (which is not actually defined). In fact, for both systems, audio quality is
a trade-off against the number of individual programs delivered by a given transmitter and
whether these are stereophonic or monophonic. Each system can be viewed simply as a “digital
pipeline’ through which a finite number of data bits can be delivered to listeners. How this data
stream is shared by all the audio programs that must be carried is generally left to individual
operators to decide.
 Ancillary Services: Both the HD Radio and Eureka systems have the ability to deliver program-
associated data (PAD), such as text streams containing the name of the station, the program name,
artists’ names, etc. Due to its much higher data capacity, the Eureka system can also carry other
ancillary services, such as Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) or Internet Protocol (IP) data.

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 Multipath Immunity: Both HD Radio and Eureka utilize a transmission method known as
Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), where the digital data is spread over many
carriers. As a result, both systems are largely immune to the multipath problems that plague FM
analog transmissions. Because of its wider bandwidth, the Eureka system benefits more from
OFDM than does HD Radio.
 Transmitter Configurations: HD Radio transmissions must originate from the same site as the
FM transmissions to which they are related. Typical equipment requirements are discussed in
Section 9 and Appendix 2 of this report. Each FM broadcaster requires its own HD Radio
transmission facilities; however, just as in FM, several broadcasters may be able to share a
common antenna. Since Eureka operates in a separate band, each installation requires its own
transmitter, which is shared by all program services licensed for that multiplex. As with the FM
band, L-Band antennas can be shared when appropriate. It is not necessary to co-locate analog
and digital facilities when Eureka transmissions are utilized, so there is more flexibility in siting.
L-Band antennas are also much smaller than those used in the FM band, making it possible to
utilize less robust supporting structures.
 Permissible Power: In order to minimize interference to the host FM station and frequency-
related neighbouring stations, hybrid HD Radio signals must be limited to 1/100th the power
transmitted by the analog FM station with which they are associated. While this allows a 100 kW
FM station to emit an HD Radio power of 1 kW, smaller FM operations (e.g. Class A stations)
may only be radiating 30-60 watts of digital power, which affects their ability to penetrate
buildings and overcome signal path obstructions. In areas subject to the Canada-US agreement on
L-Band, the maximum power limit for the Eureka system is 50 kW ; however, it is very expensive
to generate such high power in this band and most facilities operate at a much more modest level.
A considerable advantage of the Eureka system is that it can utilize on-channel repeaters. This
enables broadcasters to avoid using high-powered individual transmitters and instead to construct
a network of interconnected smaller transmitters that can produce signal levels throughout the
coverage area that are strong enough to overcome the higher building attenuation and other
obstruction losses prevalent at LBand.
 Outdoor Coverage: The area within which reliable coverage of a typical hybrid HD Radio
transmitter is possible is detailed in Section 6 of this report. As a rule of thumb, it can be
assumed that the realistic outdoor reception limit for digital service to mobile receivers will extend
to a point somewhere between the official 3 mV/m (69.5 dBµV/m) and 1 mV/m (60 dBµV/m)
contour of the related analog FM station, depending upon local conditions. Work is being carried

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out in the US to investigate possible back-filling of HD Radio coverage gaps with on-channel
digital repeaters; however, the outcome of this is still uncertain because of the increased potential
for interference to analog services. The reliable coverage of Eureka L-Band transmitters is
primarily determined by antenna height, transmitter power and the roughness of the local terrain.
Due to the higher frequencies, signal attenuation as a function of distance is much greater at L-
Band than in the FM band. Unless high antennas are used and the local terrain is quite flat, the
coverage of individual L-Band transmitters will seldom exceed 30-40 km. On the other hand,
Eureka’s coverage range and reliability can be extended almost indefinitely through the use of on-
channel coverage extenders and gap-filler transmitters. Of course, this requires multiple
transmitter sites, adding both capital and operating costs.
 Indoor Coverage: All digital transmission systems experience more difficulties than analog
systems when indoor reception is attempted. Whereas analog FM reception may simply become
noisy (hissy) when building walls attenuate the signals, digital services can fail altogether. With
respect to the reception of HD Radio indoors, the CBC did not evaluate this with specific tests;
however, the Corporation’s engineering assessment report states:
“Some limited indoor assessment has demonstrated that HD Radio is very difficult to receive in an
indoor environment. Consequently, it should be expected that any HD2 services would not be
received in indoor conditions with the current generation of receivers.”
Canadian experience with L-Band Eureka receivers operating indoors has also been
spotty. Due to the shorter wavelengths, L-Band signals experience even greater through-the-wall
signal attenuation than do FM and HD Radio signals. On the other hand, where even small
windows and other openings exist, the shorter-wavelength signals are much better able to creep
inside. Whereas table-top L-Band receivers and tuners are able to function reasonably well under
indoor reception conditions, smaller personal portable DRB receivers often must be carefully
situated. It should also be noted that on-channel repeaters common in Eureka transmissions
provide spacediversity that considerably enhances indoor reception.

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CHAPTER 6
BENEFITS OF HD RADIO TECHNOLOGY

 It renders new and crisp, crystal-clear sound without pops, hiss, or fades (i.e. enhanced sound
fidelity)
 It provides advanced data and audio services which include
 Surround sound.
 Multi-casting - Multiple audio sources at the same dial position.
 On-demand audio services -Will give users instant access to news and Information.
 Store-and-replay – Will allow listeners rewind a song they just heard or store a radio program for
replay later.
 “Buy” button- Will turn the radio into an interactive device for ecommerce, allowing for instant
purchases of concert tickets to advertised products.
 It uses theadvanced technology to display information text on theradio screen.
 This advanced display mechanism of the HD Radio has now enabled syndicated radio programs to
provide regional and local information in a text format.
 Its conversion process is unique and easy because there is no servicedisruption and same dial
position. No new networks need to be constructed to introduce HD radio
 It’s free, No subscription fees: It is not a subscription service like satellite radio. It is the same free,
over-the-air broadcast radio only better.
 It provides a seamless transition for customers.

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CHAPTER 7
DISADVANTAGES OF HD RADIO TECHNOLOGY

 An HD Station’s broadcasting range is only equal to the range of a terrestrial broadcasting tower
so doesn’t cover a wider area as would satellite radio.
 HD Radio is not able to speak with a disc jockey because it is designed to automate. Customers
therefore will not get live assistance.
 Cost of equipment is quite high.

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CHAPTER 8
CHALLENGES OF IBOC TECHNOLOGY

AM IBOC in the United States still faces some serious technological challenges of its own,
including nighttime interference with other stations iBiquity was previously using PAC (also used at
a higher bitrate in Sirius satellite radio, Digital Audio Radio Service), but in August 2003 a switch to
HDC (based-upon ACC) was made to rectify these problems. HDC has been customized for IBOC, and it
is also likely that the patent rights and royalties for every transmitter and receiver can be retained longer
by creating a more proprietary system. Digital Radio Mondale is also developing an IBOC system, likely
to be used worldwide with AM shortwave radio, and possibly with broadcast AM and FM. Neither of
those have been approved yet for ITU region 2 (the Americas). The system, however, unlike HD Radio,
does not permit the existing analog signal and the digital signal to live together in the same channel.
DRM requires an additional channel to maintain both signals.
Both AM and FM IBOC signals cause interference to adjacent-channel stations, but not within
the station’s interference- free protected contours designated by the U.S. Federal Communicat ions
Commission (FCC). It has led to derogatory terms such as IBAC (In-band adjacent-channel) and IBUZ
(since the interference sounds like a buzz.) The range of a station on an HD Radio receiver is
somewhat less than its analog signal. However, in June, 2008, a group of US broadcasters and equipment
manufacturers requested that the U.S. FCC increase the permissible FM IBOC power from 1%
(currently) to a maximum of 10% of the analog power. On January 29, 2010, the FCC approved the
request. In addition, tropospheric ducting and e-skip can reduce the range of the digital signal, as well as
the analog.
In-band on-channel digital radios using iBiquity's standard are being marketed under the
brand "HD Radio" to highlight the purported quality of reception. As of June 2008, over 60 differe nt
receiver models have been made, and stations have received blanket (no longer individual and
experimental) authorization from the U.S. FCC to transmit in a multiplexed multichannel mode on FM.
Originally, the use of HD Radio transmission on AM was limited to daytime only, and not allowed at
night due to potential problems with sky wave radio propagation. The FCC lifted this restriction in early
2007. DRM, however, is being used across Europe on shortwave, which is entirely AM sky wave
without issue. With the proper receiver, many of those stations can be heard in North America as well,
sans the analog signal.

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CHAPTER 9
CONCLUSION

FM transmission is an area of communication that is always moving with technologica l

advancements. As the new digital radios become more available, dramatic improvements will be heard
by listeners. Careful design of the new transmissions systems will pay off with reduced costs and
improved performance and reliability. HD Radio FM is both robust and efficient in the diffic ult mobile
environment, SDR provides flexibility and Cognitive Radio will definitely define a whole new level
of FM transmission.
US broadcasters have taken the view that, while in-band DRB may degrade existing FM analog
services, such impact would be tolerable. This is because FM services in most large US markets are
already interference-limited to a greater extent than currently occurs in Canada. Moreover, they say, the
long-term benefit of introducing digital services in the FM band outweighs the near-term negative impact.

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CHAPTER 10
REFERENCES

 Russell Mohn, “A Three Transistor Discrete FM Transmitter,” ELEN 4314 Communications

Circuits - Design Project, pp. 1, April 2007.
 “FM broadcasting in the United States” Ibiquity /ATTC/ Dynasat FM IBOC Test Data Report,
Aug 2001
 T.U.M Swarna kumara et al., “A Mini Project on Simple FM-Transmitter”.
 E. F. Louis, Principles of Electronic Communication Systems. McGraw-Hill, 2008
 “The Future of Radio”. The Swedish Radio and TV Authority, 2008.
 Holm, Steve (2007). "Lydkvalitetet i DAB digitalradio". Digitale Utgivelser ved UiO.
Retrieved 2009-01-03. (Norwegian).
 C. Renee, “An Industrial White Paper: HD Radio”
 C. W. Kelly, “Digital HD Radio AM/FM Implementation Issues”, USA.
 C. W. Kelly, “HD-Radio: Real World Results in Asia”, USA.
 Groome B., “HD Radio (I.B.O.C)”,TMH Publication 3rd edition 1999.
 Robinson, David J. M. (2002-07-09). "DAB sound quality". OFCOM: Regulation in digital
broadcasting: DAB digital radio bitrates and audio quality; Dynamic range compression and
loudness. Retrieved 2009-01-03.

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