TeamCast claims to have pulled off a demonstration of true single-frequency network (SFN) operating modes for DVB-T2 transmission. Even though SFN operating in DVB-T2 is still under definition (T2-MI Interface) and no T2 Gateways are yet available, at CCBN 2009, TeamCast successfully demonstrated a DVB-T2 SFN transmission with two Power4-T2 modulators fed from a customized MIP Inserter in its labs. The Power4-T2's first software release was successfully tested during the DVB-T2 PlugFest at RAI-TURINO in early March 2009. All the DVB-T2 modes (System A and SISO) in 5MHz, 6MHz, 7MHz and 8MHz qualified.
One of the referenced UK DVB-T2 modes was used for this test, called VV001-CR35. It consists of a 256QAM OFDM signal with a 28ms guard interval that brings about 36Mb/s of useful data rate. TeamCast took special care that its modulator design would ensure robust SFN processing against any loss of reference signals — 10MHz, 1PPS, MIP and others.
The Power4-T2 DVB-T2 modulator consists of is a future-proof platform that is ready to implement future releases of the DVB-T2 standard on the fly. Its features include:
- multiple network interfaces — DVB-S/S2, electrical and optical IP, ASI
- readiness to implement multi-PLPs and to operate in SFN
- high MER, low shoulder and low phase noise
- precorrection linear and nonlinear circuits to improve driving DVB-T2 high-power transmitters
