IMT features new SkymasterTX COFDM transmitter for news helicopters

Integrated Microwave Technologies highlighted its new Nucomm SkymasterTX Digital COFDM Video Downlink Transmitter at IBC2012.

SkymasterTX is a lightweight digital COFDM video downlink transmitter designed to address the unique requirements of airborne downlinking in news helicopters.

With a built-in H.264 (MPEG-4) encoder and optional MPEG-2 encoder, it caters to users with legacy receive systems. Its ability to support both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 systems protects IMT’s customers’ capital investments in earlier legacy technologies while enabling them to take advantage of the newest MPEG-4 encoding.

MPEG-4 requires a bit rate of 50 percent less than MPEG-2, improving the reliability of the transmission. MPEG-4 encoding also allows users to transmit high definition video without sacrificing performance.

The airborne downlink transmitter has secure BCRYPT AES 128/256 encryption, ensuring seamless integration and interoperability with any standard-compliant equipment that users may already have in their inventory. The chassis design features ARINC mounting, with all of the connections and controls located on one side of the unit. This allows users to remove SkymasterTX from one aircraft and install it in another with ease.