MEASURING DVB-T SIGNALS Vclav n Institute of Radio Electronics FECT Brno University of Technology, Purkyova 118, 612 00 Brno

tel.: +420 5 41149107, e-mail: ricny@feec.vutbr.cz Abstract: The paper deals with the methods and instrumentation for practical measuring of parameters of digital DVB-T signals that are very topical with regard to the opening of the regular digital TV broadcasting in the Czech Republic. 1 Introduction The problems of digital terrestrial broadcasting {standard DVB -T -Terrestrial), or its technological modifications DVB-T MHP (Multimedia Home Platform), DVB-H (Handheld) is very topical because it is starting its operation in this country presently. Measuring the DVB-T signals is relatively complicated owing to the modulation method used COFDM (Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex). Measuring DVB-T signals requires sophisticated measuring equipments. Most of these measuring is possible to be accomplished in the laboratory of digital TV technology in our institute (see Fig.1). Basic parameters of DVB-T broadcasting: number of carriers - mode 2k -1705, mode 8k - 6817 carriers, modulation of carriers - QPSK, 16-QAM or 64-QAM, code rate of Viterbi correction 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, guard interval 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32. Fig.1: Workplace for DVB-T signals measuring There are 120 variants theoretically. Attainable data rate depends on the select combination and bandwith of the transmission channel. The variant COFDM used in the Czech Republic: mode - 8k, code rate - 2/3, guard interval - 1/8, inner modulation of carriers 64-QAM. This variant allows us the data rate cca 23 Mbit/s in the 8 MHz TV channel. 2 Measuring basic parameters of DVB-T signals Measuring DVB-T signals requires: the test receiver with constellation analyzer, the spectrum analyzer or DVB-T test transmitter. Basic measuring are as follows: measuring the received signal level, measuring the C/N (CNR - Carrier to Noise Ratio), measuring the BER (Bit Error Rate) Other special kinds of measuring include e.g. constellation analysis of DVB-T signals by the constellation diagram inclusive the evalution S/N (SNR- Signal to Noise Ratio), phase jitter, amplitude imbalance and phase error of I/Q signals and measurement of MER (Modulation Error Rate), spectrum analysis of DVB-T signal e.g.measuring the Crest Factor,

 the analysis of the multipath reception by the measuring of Impulse Response, the analysis of the Doppler Effect. 2.1 Measuring the received signal level This parameter is usually measured by the test receiver DVB-T or the spectrum analyzer on the arbitrary frequency inside the receiced channel. The levels of carriers are practically identical because frequency spectrum is flat - see Fig.2. The experiments prove that the received signal level 40 dBV in the matched receiver input is sufficient for sufficient quality of the picture. Measuring the lowest level of the received signal for breaking the decoder in the DVB-T receiver (Set Top Box) belongs to this measuring group too. The threshold level for the decoder latch (for BER after Viterbi decoding BER<10-3 ) is usually around 35 dBV. 2.2 Measuring the C/N (CNR - Carier to Noise Ratio), Test receiver DVB-T is frequently used for measuring C/N. The results of this measuring are not usually accurate with regard to the use of the frequency filtering (separation) of the carrier power and the noise power. It is possible to use more successfully the spectrum analyzer with detetector RMS for measuring C/N. The frequency spectrum of DVB-T signal is shown in Fig.2. The determination of carrier power C The noise marker placed in the middle of the channel is used for measuring the signal power density C [dBm/Hz]. It is necessary to recount the measured value C depending on the Nyquist bandwith BN. It holds good in the logarithmic expression C = C + 10 log BN [dBm] The determination of noise power N The noise marker for measuring the noise Power density N [dBm/Hz] must be placed very closely to the shoulder of the spectrum of DVB-T signal. The measured value N Fig.2: Spectrum of a DVB-T signal must be re-counted depending on the Nyquist bandwidth BN once again. It holds good in the logarithmic expression N = N + 10 log BN [dBm] (2) The Nyquist bandwidths of the DVB-T signal are BN = 7,61 MHz for 8 MHz TV channel, BN = 6,66 MHz for 7 MHz TV channel, BN = 5,71 MHz for 6 MHz TV channel. Then the logarithmic expressed ratio is (C/N)dB = C - N = C - N [dB] Example The measured value of the signal power density C = - 90 dBm/Hz The measured value of the noise power density.. N = -120 dBm/Hz For used 8 MHz TV channel is BN = 7,61 MHz . After the substitution into relations (1), (2) and (3) C = - 21,2 dBm N = - 51,2 dBm (C/N)dB = 30 dB (3) (1)

2.3 Measuring the BER There are usually four Bit Error Rates BERs defined (before and after Viterbi decoding, before and after Reed Solomon decoding). BER before Viterbi decoding (pre-Viterbi) provides the main information about the transmitted signals. BER can be measured e.g. by the test receiver DVB-T (the measuring range of measured BER is usually 1.10-8 - 1.10-2). The faults in the picture with BER < 1.10-3 are not practically perceptible. Notice: All DVB-T receivers have installed the systems for measuring the signal level and BER with displaying the measured values in a form of bar graphs. Fig 3 shows the results of measuring BER and C/N depending on the level of DVB-T signal. Fig.3: Bit Error Rate befor and after Viterbi decoding (BER1, BER2) and C/N as functions of signal Vin for DVB-T signal - mode 8k, code rate 2/3, guard interval 1/8, modulation 64-QAM These dependences were measured in the test receiver MSK 33 (fa. Kathrein)

decoding (BER2) and level

, inner

Examples of constellation analysis

Most test receivers DVB-T allows us the constellation analysis by the display of the constellation diagram of DVB-T signals. Several previews of the constellation diagrams displayed by the test receiver MSK 33 are shown in the Figs. 4a - 4d.

a)

b)

c)

d)

e)

Fig. 4: Constellation diagrams for the signal DVB-T with 64-QAM inner modulation: a) signal without faults, b) signal with low broadband noise, c) signal with amplitude hum, d) signal with phase noise, e) signal with I/Q phase error.

4 Measuring the Impulse Response The digital data in the frequency domain measured by the test receiver DVB-T can be recounted by means of the fast Fourier transform into the time domain. Thus it is possible to measure the time delay and the level of echoes (reflections) in the transmission channel (multiple reception) or the distance of reflection in the form of the impulse response (see Fig.5). In the ideal case of one signal path, the impulse response has one main impulse response only.

Fig.5: Display of two echoes by the test receiver MSK 33 (Kathrein).

5 Conclusion The structure of the DVB-T signal is relatively complicated with regard to the modulation the method COFDM used. Detailed analyses of these signals require the measuring of many parameters. The influence of various parameters on the final picture quality is, however, diverse. Therefore it was possible to demonstrate the methods and the measuring of the main parameters only with regard to the short extent of the paper. Acknowlement The results described in this contribution were created and supported within the framework of the research project MSMT Czech Republic No. MSM 0021630513 Electronic Communications Systems and Technologies of New Generation and project of Grand Agency Czech Republic No. 102/05/2054 Klma, M.at al: Quantitative Aspects of Processing of Audiovisual Informations in Multimedial Systems. References [1] n,V. Laboratory Education of Students in Branch of Digital Television at the FEEC BTU Brno. In Proceedings of the 18th International Scientific Conference on Applied Electromagnetics and Communications. Dubrovnk, 2005. pp. 433 436. [2] Fischer,W. Digital Television. Springer Verlag Berlin, 2004. [3] O' Leary,S. Understanding Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting, Artech House London, 2000 [4] De Bruin, R. Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting Technology, Standards and Regulation. Artech House London, 1998