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1999/IV 164 DVB-T High-precision test receiver Monitoring of DAB and DVB-T transmitter systems Airborne VHF/UHF transceivers Secure voice and data transmission News from Rohde & Schwarz

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Page 1: News from Rohde&Schwarz · 2016-11-30 · 4 News from Rohde&Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV) Articles After successful startup of the first European DVB-T network (terrestrial digital

1999/IV

164

DVB-THigh-precision test receiver

Monitoring ofDAB and DVB-T transmitter systems

Airborne VHF/UHF transceiversSecure voice and data transmission

News from Rohde& Schwarz

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2 News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV)

Articles

Number 164 1999/IV Volume 39

Christoph Balz;Mathias Leutiger

Michael Fraebel

Peter Wollmann

Erwin Böhler;Daniel Seemann

Jörg Pfitzner

Harald Weigold

Christoph Balz

Theodor Fokken

DVB-T Test Receiver EFA-TThe test reference: now for terrestrial digital TV too ..................................... 4

Mobile Air Traffic Control Tower MX400Out in the wilds – air traffic control in no-man's-land ...................................8

Optical Network Analyzer Q7750 and Optical Chirpform Test Set Q7606Unique measuring instruments for wavelength division multiplex ................ 11

Communication System Panel TS-CSPClear layout instead of cable jungle – flexible wiring of test systems ........... 14

Monitoring DAB and DVB-T transmitter systemsMeasurements made easy: firm grip on complex problems ........................ 17

MPEG2 measurement generators and decodersLet's go west: ATSC ready for takeoff ...................................................... 20

TV Test Receiver EFAA precision instrument that also analyzes arbitrary QAM signals ............... 22

Miniport Receiver EB200: hard times for eavesdroppers ........................... 24

Correction of test hint in issue No. 163:“Conversion of C/N or SNR to Eb/N0 in DVB” ........................................ 25

With digital video broadcasting (DVB) the lastgreat bastion of analog technology in the fieldof consumer electronics industry is about to beconquered. Rohde& Schwarz has backed theright “horse” at a very early stage and is now

able to offer a comprehensive range ofoperational and test equipment. For example

the new TV Test Receiver EFA-T, the first testreceiver allowing realtime measurements on

DVB-T signals (page 4). Further articles ondigital TV from page 17 onwards

Photo 43 396

Application notes

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News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV) 3

Panorama

Regular features

Imprint

EMC test centers of any size – precise, fully automatic and universal ......... 26

3G test scenario in research and development: Third-generationmobile radio – universal test concepts pave the way ................................ 29

Airborne VHF/UHF Transceivers Series 6000Software radios – top in secure data and voice transmission ..................... 32

In brief: Rohde& Schwarz Web site in new lookand more comprehensive than ever ........................................................ 28

In brief: The world’s first portable crystal clock returnshome to Rohde& Schwarz museum ......................................................... 37

Information in print ............................................................................... 34

Press comments .................................................................................... 35

Newsgram .......................................................................................... 36

Final article: How random is chance? ..................................................... 38

Christian Hess

Akihiko Yoshimura

Dr Ralph Wernsdorf

Reinhard Göster

Holger Jauch

Ekkehardt Claußen

Phot

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350

/5

Many renowned companies of the automobile,consumer electronics and mechanical

engineering industry have for years relied onEMC test technology from Rohde& Schwarz:covering everything from small EUTs to wide-body aircraft. Recently Audi AG put its new

EMC test center into operation, fully equippedwith Rohde& Schwarz technology (page 26)

Published by ROHDE&SCHWARZ GmbH&Co. KG · Mühldorfstraße 15 · D-81671 München · SupportCenter: Tel. (+49) 01805124242 · E-mail: [email protected] · Fax (+4989) 4129-3777Editor and Layout: Ludwig Drexl, Redaktion – Technik (German) · English translation: Dep. 5CL4Photos: Stefan Huber · Circulation 90000 six times a year · ISSN 0028-9108 · Supply free of chargethrough your nearest Rohde&Schwarz representative · Printed in Germany by peschke druck, MünchenReproduction of extracts permitted if source is stated and copy sent to Rohde& Schwarz München.

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4 News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV)

Articles

After successful startup of the first European DVB-T network (terrestrial digitalvideo broadcasting) in Britain with currently over 500000 users, DVB-T is gainingground in Europe at an ever faster pace. In this context the new DVB-T model ofthe EFA family of test receivers [1] meets the demand for high-precision receptionmeasurements. Compact in design and featuring comprehensive automatic test func-tionality, the instrument is ideal in R&D, transmission modulator production andoperative monitoring of TV signals.

DVB-T Test Receiver EFA-T

The test reference:now for terrestrial digital TV too

Universal test receivers fordigital TV

Terrestrial digital TV is being intro-duced in the face of competition fromother, likewise digitally modulated TVsignals transmitted via satellite andcable. The digital standards reducethe problems encountered with fore-runner analog transmission, like limit-ed program variety, degraded signalquality under adverse reception con-ditions or system-inherent shortcomings.Three major terrestrial digital TV stand-ards have established themselves todate. The ATSC standard adopted in

1996 by the Federal CommunicationsCommission (FCC) is applied in theUnited States, Canada, Argentina,South Korea and Taiwan. ISDB-T, theJapanese version of the DVB-T stand-ard, is currently only used in Japan,where the first countrywide network isplanned for the year 2003.

The most widely used standard, andthus the one apparently progressingat the fastest pace, is the DVB-T stand-ard specified by the European Tele-communications Standards Institute(ETSI) in 1997. It has been adoptedin over 19 countries, including the

15 EU member nations, as well asAustralia, New Zealand, India andSingapore. Following the British lead,the introduction of digital TV to thisstandard is now approaching inSpain, Sweden and New Zealand.

In the light of competition from cableand satellite and the high expectationsof TV viewers, the requirements madeon the reliability and quality of digitalsignals are extremely high. The EFAtest receiver family now comes with anew model – EFA-T – that covers allthe measurement tasks to be per-formed in this scenario.

FIG 1 DVB-T Test Receiver EFA-T completes theuniversal EFA test receiver family adding mea-surements on terrestrial digital TV systems

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News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV) 5

Articles

EFA-T – characteristics

The test receiver, fully compatible inall its functions with ETS300744,receives, decodes and analyzes DVB-Tsignals. All essential parameters fordemodulation of the receive signal canbe selected automatically or manually:• Bandwidth 8 MHz, optionally

6 MHz or 7 MHz• COFDM modulation with 2K or

8K FFT• QPSK, 16QAM or 64QAM

constellation• Code rate 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 5/6,

7/8• Guard interval 1/4, 1/8, 1/16,

1/32• Hierarchical demodulation

� = 1, 2, 4

EFA-T – test reference for DVB-T

The newly developed Test ReceiverEFA-T features a multitude of innova-tive measurement functions right fromthe basic version, making it a test ref-erence for the systematic detection andanalysis of failures and disturbancesin the transmission channel (severalinternational patents pending). Apartfrom total analysis, for example of bit

error rate (BER), detailed analyses offreely selectable carrier ranges of theOFDM signal can be performed. Theseinclude:• Constellation diagrams• Calculation of transmission

parameters• Display of modulation error ratio

(MER) as function of frequency• Presentation of eye aperture as

function of frequency

Any failures and disturbances alreadyappear in the display of all carriers ofthe OFDM signal. They can then beaccurately localized by narrowingdown the carrier range (see FIGs 3 to8). A particularly effective method hereis presentation of eye aperture as afunction of frequency (FIG 5). What itmeans is that the I and Q values areshown together with the decisionthresholds, revealing any transmissionerrors at a glance and allowing dis-turbed carriers to be identified.

Investigations have shown that trans-mission errors (BER) are attributableoften to only a few carriers while mostcarriers are decoded correctly.Detailed analysis is possible by meansof constellation diagrams of previouslyidentified single carriers.

OFDMdemodulator

Level meter

Noise generator

Receive section SAW

Osc.

LPF

A

D

MPEG2measurement

decoder

(optional)

DSP:Constellation

analyzer

Parameter analyzer

I/Q (f)

MER (f)

Control bus

AGC 2

AGC 18 (7/6) MHz

fIF,1 = 36 MHz fIF,2

fOSC

fCLK

Synchroni-zation

NCO

FFT2/8 K

Channelestimation

Displaycontroller

MPEGinterface

Energydispersal

Reed-Solomon-decoder

Otherde-inter-leaver

Viterbidecoder

Innerde-inter-leaver

FEC

FIG 2 Operating principle of EFA-T

EFA-T – operating principle(FIG 2)

First the receive signal is conditioned for

the OFDM demodulator. Three slots for fil-ters of 8 MHz (optionally 6 or 7 MHz)bandwidth are available in the receive

section for band limiting.Noise can be superimposed on the receivesignal by a built-in noise generator and

associated attenuator. The C/N ratio isentered directly thanks to a level meter forboth the wanted and noise signal.

Down-conversion to the second IF is fol-lowed by passive analog lowpass filters,the signal then passing to an A/D converter

with 12 bit resolution (fixed-frequency sam-pling without oscillator tracking).The digitized signal is then applied to the

synchronization, digital complex mixer, FFT,channel estimation, error protection andMPEG2 processing stages.

After channel estimation, the I and Q com-ponents are coupled out for the constella-tion diagram and calculation of further

transmission parameters and taken to theDSP section. This directly drives the displaycontroller, which results in extremely fast

graphical processing of measured results.

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6 News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV)

Articles

· EFA-T – realtime signalanalysis

The powerful digital signal processingof EFA-T provides fast and thoroughanalysis of the received DVB-T signal.Analysis is performed simultaneouslywith, but quite independently of, de-modulation and decoding. The MPEGtransport stream is permanently avail-able for decoding as well as for visionand sound reproduction.

Thanks to this realtime analysis capa-bility, the high number of measuredvalues necessary for the complex cal-culation and display processes aremade available in an extremely short,so far unequalled time for subsequentmathematical/statistical processing.Because of its high-speed data acqui-sition, Test Receiver EFA-T is an idealchoice not only in R& D but also inproduction applications, where shortmeasurement cycles are called for.

EFA-T – mobile or stationary

To meet different requirements in thetransmission of DVB-T signals, theOFDM demodulator can be optimizedfor mobile as well as stationary recep-tion simply at a keystroke. The result-ing settings mainly affect the speedand channel equalization process aswell as internal level control. Recep-tion is thus possible even under highlyadverse conditions.

The bandwidths of the main internalphase control circuits can also be con-figured, for example to analyze noisysignals (eg phase noise) or signalsexhibiting particularly strong jitter.

EFA-T – the monitoringreceiver

Monitoring receivers permanently mon-itor the main parameters of broadcastsignals directly at the transmitting sta-tion. An alarm is triggered if a mea-sured value is outside a predefinedtest interval. Test Receiver EFA-T is tai-lored for this application: six parame-ters with separately selectable alarmthresholds can be chosen for monitor-ing (FIG 9). Particularly worth empha-sizing is BER monitoring at the vari-ous stages of reception. This allowsemerging problems to be identifiedat an early stage.

All errors occurring are saved in EFA-Ttogether with the date and time in errorreports comprising up to 1000 entries.In addition, EFA-T triggers an acousticalarm for the operating personnel.

3

4

5

6

FIG 3 Measurement menu: all importantdata and DVB-T configuration visible ata glanceFIG 4 Constellation diagram, here withsimultaneous display of 100 OFDM symbolsFIG 5 Complete analysis of transmissionchannel showing I/Q as function offrequency. Disturbance at carrier frequency1300 is clearly discernibleFIG 6 Display of transmission channel(same signal as FIG 5). Disturbed carrier isidentified as number 1299FIG 7 Display of MER as function offrequency (same signal as FIG 5). Here too,disturbance at carrier frequency 1300 isclearly discernibleFIG 8 Constellation diagram for detailedanalysis of disturbed carrier (scattered pilot).Diagram shows that it is narrowbandinterferenceFIG 9 Ideal for monitoring tasks: simultane-ous monitoring of six key parametersFIG 10 Parameter calculation for 2K FFT.Here detailed analysis of central carrier(number 852 of transmitted OFDM spectrum)

Captions for FIG 3 to 10

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Articles

Condensed data of DVB-T Test Receiver EFA-T

Frequency range 45 MHz to 1000 MHz5 MHz to 1000 MHzwith optional RF Preselection (EFA-B3)

Input level range –47 dBm to +14 dBm–84 dBm to +14 dBm (low-noise)with optional RF Preselection (EFA-B3)

Bandwidth 6/7/8 MHzFFT mode 2 K and 8 KModulation QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAMGuard interval 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32Inner code rate 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8BER analysis before Viterbi, before and

after Reed-SolomonMeasurement functions level, BER, MER, carrier suppression,

quadrature error, phase jitter,amplitude imbalance

Graphical displays constellation diagram, MER (f), I/Q (f),further graphics in preparation(eg spectral analysis)

Output signals MPEG2-TS: ASI, SPIOptions MPEG2 Decoder (EFA-B4),

RF Preselection (EFA-B3)

Reader service card 164/01

REFERENCES

[1] Christoph Balz; Ernst Polz; Walter Fischer:TV Test Receiver Family EFA – Top fit fordigital television. News from Rohde &Schwarz (1996) No. 152, pp 17–19

EFA – the analog and digitalfamily

Although digital TV will constantly gainin importance, analog TV will continueto be used on a very large scale for along transition period. This is due to thelimited available frequency resourcesand the enormous number of analogTV sets in circulation since colour TV wasintroduced. So TV signals with analogand digital modulation will coexist inthe same frequency band.

This fact is taken into account in theEFA test receiver family. An analogreceiver can be fitted with DVB-Toption EFA-B10 to yield a combinedinstrument for measurement of analogand digital terrestrial TV signals. Herethe modular and future-oriented con-cept of the EFA test receiver familyagain proves its value.

Further options like MPEG2 DecoderEFA-B4 enhance test receiver function-ality to produce a compact and uni-versal all-in-one instrument for mea-suring digital and analog TV signals.

Mathias Leutiger; Christoph Balz

7

8

9

10

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8 News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV)

FachbeitragArticles

Mobile Air Traffic Control Tower MX400

Mobile Air Traffic Control Tower MX400 (FIG 1) from Rohde&Schwarz was designedfor versatility. It is used worldwide wherever reliable air traffic has to be taken upwithin a minimum of time and the necessary infrastructure is lacking. It has beentried and tested on many occasions under the most adverse conditions and is beingused by international customers, among them the peacekeeping forces in Kosovo.

Ready to go – even inno-man's-land

MX400 ensures smooth operation inalmost any region of the world. It canstand in for a stationary tower, for in-stance, if the latter is still under con-struction or shut down for modifica-tion or maintenance. It does not makeany difference whether civil or militaryinstallations are concerned. Effective

thermal insulation of the cabin and apowerful split air-conditioning systemprovide optimum working conditionsfor staff and reliable system operationeven under the most severe climaticconditions. Since infrastructure at theMATC tower site is mostly insufficientor not available at all, the system workson a separate Diesel generator anduninterruptible power supply.

MX400 is suitable for a whole varietyof applications:• Standby system for main ATC

tower• Visual control room for airfields/

training center• Semi-permanent system for

airfields with seasonal air traffic• Mobile system for search and

rescue operations• Operations center for air defense

Out in the wilds – air traffic controlin no-man's-land

Phot

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erk

Köln

FIG 1 MX400 is set up in a minimum of timeand usable at any site thanks to powerful air-conditioning and autonomous power supply

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News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV) 9

Articles

Modular, customized concept

Trailer and power supplyMX400 is of modular design, config-ured in close cooperation with the cus-tomer and tailored to his needs(FIG 2). It is made up of• a trailer with integrated hydraulic

platform and detachable cabinand

• a separate Diesel generator on asingle-axle trailer (FIG 3).

A scissor-lift hydraulic system elevatesthe cabin to the required operationalheight of 6.5 m (or to levels in be-tween). The cabin is designed as anindependent subsystem meeting alloperational requirements of a mobilesystem (FIG 5) and complies with thestandards of ATC authorities and theICAO (International Civil AviationOrganization). HF, VHF and UHF radiocommunication

The proven transceivers of the 200/400U series from Rohde& Schwarzare used for communication in the VHF

Phot

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erk

Köln

Global use and highly mobile

MX400 is set up and put into opera-tion in a minimum of time. Two per-sons will need approximately one hour.The tower is easily transported, sochanging the site is just as fast. Cabindimensions (20" standard size) are inline with DIN and ISO regulationsand standards. This simplifies interna-tional transportation:

… by land• The complete system can be

attached to a vehicle, eg Unimog,with the generator coupled to thetrailer or

• piggybacked on a truck

… by sea• Transport in a ship as the top

container

and UHF bands. HF transceivers anda VHF-UHF direction finder are optional.Controllers are integrated for opera-tion of the entire radio equipment.

FIG 4 Loading MATC in Ilyushin IL-76 trans-port plane

Voice recording

Dieselgenerator

Distributor

Vertical, stacked antennas

Sensors

External interfaces

Voice switching

Air-condi-tioning

VHF-UHF radiocommunication system

FIG 2Up to three controlpositions allow full

access to radiocom-munication

equipment, voiceswitching system

and meteorologicaldata

… and by air• Transport in a plane, eg Hercules

C-130 or Ilyushin (FIG 4)• or by helicopter

FIG 3 Trailer and generator: compact anddesigned for international transportation

Phot

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erk

Köln

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10 News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV)

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Phot

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960

Highly selective, automatic filters pre-vent collocation problems and ensureundisturbed radio operation. Up tofour vertical, stacked antennas makesetting up of additional antenna mastsin the field unnecessary.

Voice switching systemThe voice switching system assumesthe function of a telephone exchange.It allows access to any transceiver viaselection panels.

Voice recordingUsing a digital recorder, all calls fromthe voice switching system can be

Phot

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738/

3

Reader service card 164/02

FIG 5Control tower cabin with three

ATC workstations

FIG 6VHF-UHF transceivers from Rohde& Schwarz

used for radiocommunication

stored on a hard disk or magneto-optical storage medium that can beextensively accessed via the applica-tion software.

Meteorological equipmentSensors are fixed to an external maston the roof of the control tower cabin.ATC-relevant data are displayed andevaluated at the control positions.

Diesel generatorThe separate generator provides suf-ficient power for autonomous systemoperation over several days.

Safety packetThis comprises signal lights, opticalobservation and signalling equipment,crash alarm, fire extinguishing system,etc.

The system equipment shows: nothinghas been forgotten. MATC can assumeoperation at any site quickly andreliably.

Michael Fraebel

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News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV) 11

Articles

Before:one fiber, one wavelength

The developers of the first fiberglasstransmission links knew that their band-width resources were immenselygreater than those of copper cables.But many years of intensive researchwere required before this potentialcould be adequately utilized.

Until about three years ago, informa-tion in fiber-optic cables was transmit-ted to relatively wideband receiversalmost exclusively with a single wave-length. More than ten years agoalready, engineers achieved datarates of 2.5 Gbit/s with this methodin the laboratory, shortly after10 Gbit/s and more. Since these trans-mission rates are now far too low for

Unique measuring instruments forwavelength division multiplex

Optical Network Analyzer Q7750 andOptical Chirpform Test Set Q7606

FIG 1Users familiar withRF network analysiswill immediately feelat ease with OpticalNetwork AnalyzerQ7750: only theenter key labelled“THz” may seemunusual at first

Phot

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308

The enormous amount of data distributed today around the globe is mostly trans-mitted via fiber-optic cables, submarine cables featuring largely in this [1]. Anefficient way of increasing the data rate in fiber-optic cable networks is to transmitseveral optical wavelengths using the wavelength division multiplex method.ADVANTEST, a cooperating partner of Rohde& Schwarz for many years, haslaunched two completely new and unique instruments on the world market formeasurements on active and passive components in this application. Ph

oto:

Pho

todi

sk

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12 News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV)

Articles

handling international informationexchange, eg on the Internet, newways were sought of making full useof the bandwidth capacity of glassfibers.

Now:one fiber, many wavelengths

Since a data rate increase at the trans-mitter end can presently only beachieved with considerable technicaloutlay, the use of several multiplexedoptical wavelengths is an efficientalternative. It is possible, for instance,to transmit 20 Gbit/s using eight ofthe presently favourably priced2.5 Gbit channels on a single fiberwith the aid of WDM (wavelengthdivision multiplex). With greater chan-nel density of up to 128 x 10 Gbit/s,laboratories are about to achievetransmission rates in the terabit range(DWDM = dense wavelength divisionmultiplex).

In the high-frequency range the stepinto multiplexing was taken decades

ago. With optical transmissions thiswas not possible for a long time since,until a few years ago, really stabletransmitters were not available. In thebeginning, the developers made dowith two widely spaced wavelengths,but this proved to be unsuitable forlong-haul transmissions. All modernWDM and DWDM systems operatein the region of 1550 nm with a chan-nel spacing of often only 100 GHz(0.8 nm) and soon even 50 GHz(0.4 nm).

Compared to the standards used inradiocommunication, this spacingstrikes one as being very wide. Thesituation is completely different in thecase of optical transmissions. Hereextremely stable lasers and highlyselective wavelength demultiplexersare required, which also makes highdemands on measuring instruments.

ADVANTEST took up the challengeand extended its range of measuringinstruments accordingly, presentingtwo new instruments that are absolutelyunique on the world market.

Unrivalled instruments formeasurements on active andpassive components

Optical Network Analyzer Q7750(FIG 1) is designed for characterizingpassive elements, eg optical wave-length splitters, which split up theWDM signal into single channels be-fore it can be detected by a receiver.

Anyone familiar with RF network anal-ysis will quickly feel at ease with thisinstrument. Only the enter key labelled“THz” (1 THz = 1000 GHz) indicatesthat Q7750 measures in the regionof infrared light. It simultaneouslymeasures reflection and transmissioncharacteristics, the display beingswitchable between amplitude, opti-cal group delay and chromatic dis-persion. Revolutionary are not only thetype and scope of result recording butalso the short measurement time of onlyseveral seconds depending on instru-ment settings.

Optical Chirp Test Set Q7606 (FIG 2)is used for characterizing active com-

FIG 2 Optical Chirp Test Set Q7606 measureswavelength stability during level transition withunrivalled time-domain and spectral resolution

Phot

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307

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Condensed data of Q7750

Wavelength 1530 nm to 1600 nmChannels S11 and S21 (optical)Measurement functions amplitude, group delay,

chromatic dispersionWavelength error �0.025 nmSweep range 0.1 nm to 70 nmDynamic range transmission: 35 dB (typ. 40 dB)

reflection: 33 dB (typ. 38 dB)Group delay 0.1 ps to 25 nsChromatic dispersion 0.01 ps/nm to 1 µs/nm

Condensed data of Q7606

Wavelength 1510 nm to 1590 nm (Q7606B)1530 nm to 1580 nm (Q7606A)

Power range –20 dBm to +10 dBm (Q7606B)–10 dBm to +10 dBm (Q7606A)

Free spectral range 150 GHz �15 GHzDemodulation bandwidth 100 Hz to 50 GHzResolution of resolution bandwidth 20 MHz ppInsertion loss 10 dB (Q7606B only)

Reader service card 164/03

FIG 3Amplitude (blue) and optical frequencymodulation (red)

ponents, ie laser generators and mod-ulators. It measures wavelength sta-bility during level transitions with unri-valled resolution in the time domainand spectrum. Q7606 works by theprinciple of an optical heterodyningreceiver and its 20 MHz frequencyresolution in the spectral range ishigher by several powers of tens thanthat of an optical spectrum analyzer.This instrument opens up completelynew potential in the fairly young fieldof optical phase modulation, unrivalledby any other product on the market.FIG 3 shows amplitude (blue) andoptical frequency modulation (chirp)characteristics for comparison.

By offering these new measuringinstruments, Rohde&Schwarz will con-tribute its share to reducing the timefor measuring important parametersof WDM components in development,production and quality assurance.Users will be able to advance thedevelopment of even more powerfultransmission components for the infor-mation society of the future.

Peter Wollmann

REFERENCES

[1] Peter Wollmann: Global players under thesea: market leader for fault location in sub-marine cables. News from Rohde&Schwarz(1999) No. 163, pp 42–43

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14 News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV)

Automatic test systems for functional tests and final testing of electronic productsrequire a large variety of DUT fixtures, stimulus signals, etc. Soon there is a tangle ofconnecting cables and it gets even worse if something has to be changed. Communi-cation System Panel TS-CSP with its switch matrix modules is the solution to thisproblem. It was specially designed for use in production test systems and establishesany kind of connection between DUT and measuring instruments efficiently and cost-effectively. Convenient software makes it easy for the user to have everything undercontrol and to make changes quickly and error-free.

Clear layout instead of cable jungle –flexible wiring of test systems

Communication System Panel TS-CSP

FIG 1Communication System Panel TS-CSP –switching center for test systems (here inconjunction with Digital RadiocommunicationTester CMD65 for testing mobile phones)

Articles

Efficient and versatile formodern production environments

Instead of a chaotic tangle of cablesas can often be found between DUTfixture, measuring instruments, relayboxes or data acquisition cards andpower supplies, CommunicationSystem Panel TS-CSP (FIG1) providesa cost-effective alternative that isespecially appreciated in modern pro-duction environments. All DUT signalsare distributed via switch matrix mod-ules that can be conveniently intercon-nected via software as required.

In a conventional configuration severalsignal sources and measuring instru-ments are often connected with a mul-titude of cables via various plug-inadapters or with the aid of expensivepylon connections. Not so with TS-CSP.The panel significantly cuts time andcosts incurred in the configuration,maintenance and modification of testsystems. Signals are combined ingroups and then distributed in the

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FIG 2 User interface for interactive access toall device functions

RF testpoints with signals in the fre-quency range from DC to 12 GHz canbe set on the measuring devices undersoftware control.

What is more, node potentials, oper-ating voltages and audio signals thathave to be checked as part of func-tional tests can also be switched auto-

matically via the Universal SwitchMatrix TS-USM.

Measurement functions for analog volt-ages as well as digital signal acquisi-tion are already implemented inTS-USM. A programmable voltagesource for analog output levels anddigital output ports for DUT stimula-

FIG 3Clear layout insteadof cable jungle: neat

graphical userinterface for switch

matrix relays

There are many applications …

Communication System Panel TS-CSPis ideal for use in:• Functional test systems for

telecommunication products suchas mobile phones, cordlessterminal equipment and associ-ated base stations

• Production testers for productsfrom automation, sensor technol-ogy and telemetry sectors

• Automotive test systems• EMC/EMI test systems as RF

switch matrix• Lab test sets

TS-CSP. The optimization of the panelfor use in production systems and theintegrated switching technique resultin an extremely favourable price/per-formance ratio per test channel.

Compact integration of basicfunctions into modular concept

Two types of cabinets are available toaccommodate either two or five switchmatrix modules. This means that effi-cient solutions can be implementedeven for small production test systems.The following switch matrix modulesare available:• TS-USM

Universal Switch Matrix: offeringmulti I/O functionality

• TS-RFMRF Switch Matrix: for RF signalswitching

• TS-USMFUniversal Switch Matrix Fixture:rugged fixture interface for use inproduction tests

Two different RF Switch Matrix Mod-ules TS-RFM with four or twelve relaysare available for efficient RF signaldistribution. The required number of

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16 News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV)

Condensed data of TS-CSP, TS-USM, TS-RFM

TS-CSP Slots 2 or 5 (cabinet height of 2 HU or 4 HU)Remote-control interface IEC/IEEE bus or direct TTL with PS-B11

TS-USM Digital inputs/outputs 40Optocouplers 8 inputs, 8 outputs, 5 V/24 VOpen-collector drivers 16A/D converter 8 channels/12 bits, 2 channels/16 bitsD/A converter 1 channel, 16 bits, �5 V/�10 VAF matrix analog switch, relay matrix

single relays, power relays

TS-RFM TS-RFM1 12 RF relays, DC to 12 GHzTS-RFM3 4 RF relays, DC to 12 GHz

Reader service card 164/04

tion are also integrated. DUT power-ing from an external supply unit isswitched by power relays in TS-USM.

To control the switch matrix modulesan IEC/IEEE bus interface is providedas standard. A high-speed TTLinterface is optionally available in theform of PC Card Interface PS-B11.

Simultaneous testing throughcascading

Simultaneous testing of several DUTsis made possible by flexible scalingand the large number of channels pro-vided by TS-CSP. Fitted with a remote-control interface, TS-USM can be usedas a baseboard for cascading furtherswitch matrix modules. In this way high-performance systems can then be con-figured to contain, for instance, thecomplete signal switching of a func-tional tester for mobile phones that isable to simultaneously test a panel offour PCBs.

Straightforward cabling forcomplex test systems

The DUT fixture can be connecteddirectly, ie mechanically docked, toUniversal Switch Matrix TS-USM withthe aid of two 160-pin connectors.

Often, however, the DUT fixture islocated remotely in an automated con-tacting station within a production line.In this case the Universal Switch MatrixFixture TS-USMF can be used to con-nect the DUT fixture to the TS-CSPpanel. The test and supply signal linesare combined in DUT-specific groupsand rearranged so that they can beadapted with the aid of lockable edgeconnectors. This significantly cuts thetime required to service and maintainthe tester and adapt the DUT fixture.The RF cable connections to the mea-suring instruments are made viaN connectors. SMA connectors, pre-ferred for test fixtures, are providedto take the signals from the DUT to RFSwitch Matrix TS-RFM.

Comprehensive software supportensured

Rohde& Schwarz provides comprehen-sive driver support for C programminglanguage under LabWindows/CVI.The driver software conforms to theinternational VISA (virtual instrumentstandard architecture) standard drawnup to provide standardized softwaremodules for more efficient test programgeneration. TS-CSP of course featuresthe hardware and software selftestfunctions that are required for use inproduction environments.

Based on this driver software, anoperating program is available for thecommunication system panel (FIG 2)that allows the user to control the panelsimply by mouse clicks. This reducesfamiliarization time to a minimum. Asthe relay matrix modules too can becontrolled from the graphical user in-terface (FIG 3), the test engineer canput fixture wiring into operation andtest it interactively.

Erwin Böhler; Daniel Seemann

Articles

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News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV) 17

Monitoring DAB and DVB-T transmitter systems

Complete product line forcomplex measurement tasks

Modern DAB and DVB-T systems usecomplex modes of digital transmission,the measurement and identification ofwhich require special instruments andmethods. All major technical parame-ters of such systems can be measuredwith Spectrum Monitoring SystemARGUS-IT (formerly SMSI) [1] togetherwith Spectrum Analyzer FSE, SignalAnalyzer FSIQ or EMI Test ReceiverESI plus Measurement SoftwareArgusMon (FIG 2). Some typical mea-surements are described below.

FIG 2Dialog window of EMI Test Receiver ESI inDAB/DVB-T measurements with MeasurementSoftware ArgusMon

FIG 1 Rohde& Schwarz offers an extensiverange of stationary and mobile monitoring andmeasuring equipment for the latest methods ofdigital transmission

Measurements made easy:firm grip on complex problemsTo identify transmitters, handle interference and verify compliance with stipulatedconditions for authorization, the monitoring services of licensing authorities mustbe capable of measuring the technical parameters of transmitter systems off air.Rohde & Schwarz offers an extensive range of monitoring and measuring equip-ment for this purpose (FIG 1).

Evaluation of interference on digitaltransmission links additionally requiresmeasurements of coverage and biterror rate. Here too, Rohde& Schwarzis able to offer a wide selection of cov-erage measurement systems [2].

Application notes

Typical tasks of monitoringservices

Receive levelThe strength of the receive level mustbe known to assess quality and prop-agation conditions. And it is also thebasis for coverage measurements.Unlike with analog signals, the typeof detector used plays an importantrole in transmissions with digital con-tents. Depending on the modulationof the individual carriers, the level ofa DAB/DVB-T signal has differentpeak, average and rms values.Whereas the peak value of the maincarrier (or the sum of the carriers withCOFDM) represents the maximum ofthe rms values collected during themeasurement time, the time-averagedrms value corresponds to the powerof an unmodulated CW carrier of thesame level. Both values can be var-ied by suitably influencing (coding) thetransmitted information. For example,if you ensure that practically no64QAM values simultaneously have 0°or 180° phase and maximum ampli-tude, the result is a signal with a verylarge margin between peak and rms,whereas in simple frequency shift key-

Photo 43 172/2

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18 News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV)

Application notes

ing without any amplitude modifica-tion the two values will be the same.

For adequate reception quality, thetotal energy applied to the receiver,ie the rms value, is decisive. If the dig-ital transmission system is the sourceof interference however, the peak valueis the key factor, since this determinesthe extent of interference especially onanalog receivers. So monitoring ser-vices must be capable of measuringboth peak and rms values. The differ-ence between the two is called the crestfactor and specified in dB. It is a char-acteristic feature of every kind of dig-ital transmission, and for DAB/DVB-Tit is typically between 10 dB and13 dB. To avoid impairment of otherradio services by high peak loads andto make effective use of available trans-mitter power, it is necessary to keepthis value as low as possible, for ex-ample by appropriate coding of thedata stream.

Digital transmission systems take up alot of bandwidth, so broader IF filtersthan for analog radio services areusually needed to measure levelaccurately. Assuming that the transmit-ted energy is uniformly distributedacross the used channel (as with DABand DVB-T), the entire level can alsobe measured with narrower filters andconverted to the actual bandwidth. TheArgusMon software sets the analyzerto a filter bandwidth of 1 MHz for thismeasurement. Conversion to entirelevel is done automatically using theoccupied bandwidth measured narrow-band.

Occupied bandwidthThis is an important criterion for iden-tifying radio services since their chan-nel spacings are known. And measur-ing the occupied bandwidth of digitalsystems is especially important becausethey often tend to produce consider-able spurious emissions due to thetypes of modulation used, and theseunduly expand the actual occupiedbandwidth. Basically bandwidth ismeasured by the same principles as

for analog signals. The decisive pa-rameter in most cases is the 99%bandwidth, ie the bandwidth intowhich 99% of the total emitted ener-gy falls. The DAB/DVB-T signal isscanned for this purpose using a 1 kHztest filter. Calculation of the 99% band-width is then made by graphical inte-gration of the recorded RF spectrum.Two markers are set on the cutoff fre-quencies for a plausibility check bythe user.

FrequencyThe frequency of DAB/DVB-T signalscannot be measured like with analogsignals because of the special natureof the modulation. Measurement Soft-ware ArgusMon calculates thefrequency using the two marker fre-quencies of the bandwidth measure-ment and displays it.

Vestigial sideband characteristicMeasuring the characteristic of vesti-gial sideband emissions is of particu-lar importance with DAB/DVB-T trans-mitters.

Due to the almost rectangular form ofthe RF spectrum of DAB/DVB-T trans-mitters, practically the full transmittingenergy is present directly at the bound-ary to channels of adjacent radio ser-vices – unlike with all other systems.The specified transmitter mask, defin-ing spectral characteristic versus fre-quency, has very steep edges at thechannel boundaries to prevent undueimpairment of other radio services byvestigial sideband emissions. Compli-ance with these masks is especiallydifficult in the case of DAB/DVB-Ttransmitters since the type of signalinvolved, with its large number of ad-jacent carriers, is susceptible to theformation of intermodulation products.Reducing vestigial sideband emissionsto an acceptable level can in mostcases be achieved only by consider-able technical effort at the transmitterend. Monitoring services as well asthe operators of such transmitters musttherefore be able to measure the char-acteristic of sideband emissions. Thecurrently valid transmitter masks forDAB and DVB-T (FIG 3/4) stipulate

DVB transmitter mask for 8 MHz systems

Frequency offset

–130 dB

–110 dB

–90 dB

–70 dB

–50 dB

–30 dB

–12 MHz –7 MHz –2 MHz 3 MHz 8 MHz

Relative level (referred to 4 kHz filter)

FIG 4DVB transmitter maskaccording to Chester

agreement 1997

Frequency offset

DAB transmitter masks

–130 dB

–110 dB

–90 dB

–70 dB

–50 dB

–30 dB

–4 MHz –3 MHz –2 MHz –1 MHz 0 MHz 1 MHz 2 MHz 3 MHz 4 MHz

Relative level (referred to4 kHz filter)

critical casesnon-critical cases

FIG 3DAB transmitter

masks according toWiesbadenagreement

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News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV) 19

channel as effectively as possible whileletting the adjacent channel pass. Inthis way the test receiver is protectedagainst overloading by the strong usedsignal while maintaining its full sensi-tivity in the range of interest of vesti-gial sideband emissions. The notch fil-ter must be tunable. The attenuationalong the frequency band to be rep-resented must be added to the mea-sured signal to obtain the true, unfil-tered signal. The tracking generatorof the analyzer is needed to accuratelydetermine the filter response curve.FIG 5 illustrates the test setup. Theexample in the box right demonstrateshow easy such measurements can be.

Summary

The combination of Spectrum Monitor-ing System ARGUS-IT with instrumentsFSE, FSIQ or ESI makes it very easy tocarry out all the above measurementson DAB/DVB-T signals required forinterference handling and evaluationof the RF signal characteristic.

Jörg Pfitzner

–30 dBµV

–10 dBµV

10 dBµV

30 dBµV

50 dBµV

70 dBµV

90 dBµV

682 MHz 684 MHz 686 MHz 688 MHz 690 MHz 692 MHz

DVB signal characteristic

Level/4 kHzLimit line REFERENCES

[1] Wolf D. Seidl: Spectrum monitoring the ITUway. News from Rohde & Schwarz (1997)No. 153, pp 26–27

[2] Michael Lehmann; Dr Manfred Schukat:Coverage measurement and monitoring sys-tems for DAB-T and DVB-T. News fromRohde& Schwarz (1999) No. 162,pp 22–24

level reductions down to –126 dB(referred to entire level and 4 kHzmeasurement bandwidth).From FIG 3 it can be seen that thespectral characteristic of a DAB trans-mitter would have to be recorded witha dynamic range of at least 110 dBto verify compliance with the criticalmask. This is not possible with currentlyavailable test receivers or analyzersalone. The limits of measurement tech-niques also show for DVB-T. In the pres-ence of a multicarrier signal, testreceivers too are susceptible to inter-modulation, so the maximum used levelmust not exceed about 50 dBµV forthis measurement (provided that ameasurement filter with 4 kHz band-width is available). With this usefullevel, emissions of –27 dBµV wouldhave to be measured accurately at afrequency offset of 12 MHz from theDVB-T center.

To measure the vestigial sidebandcharacteristic of DAB and DVB-T trans-mitters, the signal is fed through anotch filter, which rejects the used

FIG 6Result of vestigialsideband measure-ment with widedynamic range Reader service card 164/05

Receiver

Signal

Filter RF input

Tracking generator

2

1 Switching matrix

FIG 5Block diagram ofsetup for measuringDAB/DVB vestigialsideband emissions

Application notes

Measurements made easy withArgusMon software

Vestigial sideband emissions of DVB trans-mitter above used channel (FIG 6)

First the notch filter is manually tuned sothat the passband begins at the cutoff fre-quency to be represented (depending onthe edge to be measured). A tunable high-pass or lowpass filter or a bandpass filtermay also be used.

The only values you have to enter in theArgusMon software are those for the fre-quency band to be displayed (682 MHzto 692 MHz). The program automaticallytakes the other values like center frequency(680 MHz) and bandwidth (7.61 MHz)from the results of measurement in the usedchannel.

Once the measurement is started, everythingelse is automatic. First the filter responsecurve, then the level characteristic of thefiltered signal are measured across the bandof interest, and the values of the two curvesare added. The result is a graphical pres-entation of the true – ie unfiltered – signalcharacteristic. The relevant limit line nor-malized to the level is inserted into the dia-gram so that you see at a glance whetheror not the transmitter complies with the stip-ulated mask.

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20 News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV)

Application notes

For the last three years Rohde &Schwarz has been accompanying theworldwide introduction of digital TVwith its “dream team” made up ofMPEG2 Measurement GeneratorDVG, MPEG2 Measurement DecoderDVMD [1] and the optional softwarepackages Stream Combiner™ andStream Explorer™ [2]. The instrumentsare now multistandard units and sup-port the North American ATSC stand-ard which differs from the Europeanstandard in some essential features:� High-resolution formats

(480, 720, 1080 lines)� Progressive scanning (60 Hz)� 6-channel Dolby surround AC-3-

coded audio� Other tables� Data-compressed table contents

Let's go west:ATSC ready for takeoff

MPEG2 Measurement Generator DVGis a versatile transport stream signalsource especially suited for continuousoperation. It is able to provide a com-prehensive range of test patterns(bounce, sweep, colorbars, etc), testtones (CCITT.033) and moving picturesequences in a seamless loop. Thismakes it an ideal instrument for pro-duction testing of set-top boxes andfor testing modulators and transmis-sion links. The generator has been re-vised and upgraded and the follow-ing enhancements have been added:� ATSC sequences with HDTV video

and audio elementary streams(Dolby AC-3)

� Faster hardware� Larger memory� Expansion of SPI and ASI

interfaces to 208 bytes/packet

With the aid of the optional softwareStream Combiner™ DVG-B1, otherexternal elementary streams can alsobe integrated and multiplexed to acontinuous seamless transport streamfor DVG (FIG 2). This function wasenhanced particularly for the use ofDolby AC-3-coded audio and 4:2:2or HDTV video sequences of up to25 Mbit/s. An ATSC setup ensures thatthe program paradigm is adhered toand that all required ATSC tables anddescriptors are added. The compre-hensive editor enables modification ofATSC tables (STT, MGT, TVCT, CVCT,RRT, EIT, ETT, PIT) and their extensionby other descriptors. The editor alsouses Huffman coding for informationin plain text within the tables. Alsonew is the possibility of including com-

A special standard complying with national requirements is used in the US forterrestrial broadcasting of digital TV signals: ATSC (Advanced Television SystemsCommittee). Same as the European DVB standard, ATSC is based on MPEG2 codingbut it differs in some essential features. Several countries in South America andAsia are about to adopt this standard. So Rohde&Schwarz has integrated the ATSCstandard in all its measuring instruments concerned.

MPEG2 measurement generators and decoders

Phot

o 42

499/

3 FIG 1MPEG2 Measurement Generator DVG andMPEG2 Measurement Decoder DVMD withoptional software now also support the NorthAmerican ATSC standard

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News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV) 21

Application notes

FIG 2 Configuring an ATSC transport stream for MPEG2 Measurement Generator DVG withStream Combiner™ software

prehensive or non-standardized tablesand descriptors from files.

MPEG2 Measurement Decoder DVMDserves for monitoring DVB-conformaltransport streams at nodes in trans-mission links and distribution centers.It monitors the transport stream forerrors to ETR290 (DVB MeasurementGuidelines), eg data rates used,whether all time stamps are correctand whether all necessary tables areincluded at the specified repetitionrates. This monitoring task can nowalso be performed on ATSC transportstreams.

The software package StreamExplorer™ DVMD-B1 available as anoption for DVMD is now ATSC-compat-ible too. In addition to performingMPEG2-specific measurements itdetermines the data rate of ATSC ele-mentary streams and tables and of-fers an ATSC table interpreter withHuffman decoding for compressed in-formation texts. Thus the completetable content of ATSC transportstreams can be detected, displayedand easily monitored (FIG 3).

All products mentioned come from nowon as multistandard models, ie DVGand DVMD as well as StreamCombiner™ and Stream Explorer™

comply with the European DVB andthe North American ATSC standard.Older instruments can be upgraded.

Thanks to these new characteristics,customers in North America will bewell-equipped for ensuring thereliability of digital TV. The instrumentswill also support European manufac-turers producing for the North Ameri-can market and enable them to guar-antee the required high quality of theirproducts in development and produc-tion.

Harald Weigold

FIG 3 Data rate monitoring of ATSC tables (PSIP) with MPEG2 Measurement Decoder DVMD andStream Explorer™ software

REFERENCES

[1] Fischbacher, M.; Weigold, H.: MPEG2 Gen-erator DVG and MPEG2 Measurement De-coder DVMD – Test equipment for digitalTV in line with MPEG2. News from Rohde&Schwarz (1996) No. 152, pp 20 – 23

[2] Fischbacher, M.; Rohde, W.: PC softwarefor MPEG2 dream team DVG/DVMD. Newsfrom Rohde& Schwarz (1997) No. 154,p 29

Reader service card 164/06 for informationon DVG, DVMD and optional software

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22 News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV)

Analysis of arbitrary QAMsignals with EFA

Digital TV Test Receiver EFA (see alsopage 4 in this issue and [1]) is idealnot only for DVB-C measurements butalso for the analysis of arbitrary QAMsignals (model 20 or 23) since it canbe optimally configured for the pur-pose. No special sync words are re-quired for signal synchronization, dis-play of the constellation diagram, pa-rameter calculations or spectrum andecho measurements. However, correctsynchronization to the input signal es-sentially depends on the data usedfor modulation, especially if these arerepetitive data sequences.

A precision instrument that also analyzesarbitrary QAM signals

What to observe in modulationusing PRBS sequences

PRBS (pseudo-random binary sequences)are frequently used to generate QAMsignals. The advantage of such sig-nals is their seemingly random distri-bution, which in the case of QAMleads to uniform occupation of alldecision fields. Various standardsequences with bit lengths of 29–1,215–1 and 223–1 are used. Thesequence 29–1 is not suitable however,especially in conjunction with higher-order QAM (eg 256QAM), and forthe following reasons:1. If a standard sequence is used,

the data sequence is cyclicallyrepeated. At the end of a se-quence, the next one startsimmediately, ie the signal isperiodic. The output signal of theQAM modulator therefore has a

discrete spectrum. With a veryshort PRBS, as with 29–1, thediscrete lines of the spectrum arespaced far apart, so synchroniza-tion to the input signal is notpossible.

2. With 256QAM, 8 bits arecombined to form a symbol. Witha short PRBS, only a few differentbit combinations are possible. Ifthe 29–1 (= 511 bits) sequence iscyclically repeated, the symbolsrepeat after as few as eightsequences. So, with 256 differentdecision fields (in the case of256QAM), only about twosymbols per decision field arepossible before the sequencerepeats. Random distributionresults in some decision fieldscarrying no symbols at all whileothers carry four and more.

Quadrature amplitude modulation(QAM) is increasingly gaining in impor-tance in modern communication andtransmission systems, offering, as itdoes, particularly high spectrum effi-ciency and reliability in digital datatransmission. This applies to wired andwireless links alike.

TV Test Receiver EFA from Rohde &Schwarz, the test reference for analogand digital TV signals, analyzes anddisplays even arbitrary QAM signalswith high precision without specialsynchronization sequences.

Application notes

TV Test Receiver EFA

FIG 1 The EFA instrument family is a versatile,high-performance TV test receiver and demodu-lator platform that can be optimally configuredfor any application, whether digital or analog

Phot

o 43

310/

5

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News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV) 23

However, to synchronize the QAMsignal correctly, it is necessarythat all decision fields be occu-pied with an equally frequentnumber of symbols.

Both of these problems are of a ba-sic, ie physical nature, and thereforeapply to all measurements of QAMsignals irrespective of the measuringinstrument used.

How to do it

In our example, Signal GeneratorSMIQ [2] from Rohde & Schwarz withoption SMIQ-B10 supplies the QAMsignal, which is then evaluated by TVTest Receiver EFA. FIG 2 shows theQAM modulator settings required forcorrect transmission of a QAM signaland for analysis by the test receiver.

Application notes

SMIQ internally generates I/Q signalsfor any standard required and sup-plies the modulated signal at itsRF output.

The above settings are selected so thatall physical and technical requirementsnecessary for synchronizing all QAMsignals up to 256QAM (FIG 3 and 4)are met.

Summary

TV Test Receiver EFA is an ideal choicefor the analysis and evaluation ofarbitrary QAM signals, even for sig-nals containing no synchronizationinformation at all. To ensure correcttransmission of such signals, only afew physical relationships have to betaken into account, for example thelength of the random sequence in

repetitive data sequences. Differentialcoding must also be selected on thegenerator. Excellent results can beachieved in this way even for relative-ly short sequences, for example PRBS215–1.

Christoph Balz

REFERENCES

[1] Christoph Balz; Ernst Polz; Walter Fischer:TV Test Receiver Family EFA – Top fit fordigital television. News from Rohde &Schwarz (1996) No. 152, pp 17–19

[2] Johann Klier: Signal Generator SMIQ – High-quality digital modulation up to 3.3 GHz.News from Rohde& Schwarz (1997) No.154, pp 4–6

Reader service card 164/07

Settings on QAM modulatorSMIQ with option SMIQ-B10(after preset)

Frequency:Frequency: 36.000 MHz

Level:Amplitude: – 7dBm

Digital Modulation:State: ONModulation:

Type: 256QAM – 8b/symbSymbol Rate: 5 000 000 symb/s

Digital Modulation:Source:

Source: PRBSPRBS Length: 215–1

Filter:Filter Type: SQR COSFilter Parameter: 0.15

Coding: Phase Diff.

FIG 3 (top right)Constellation diagram for 256QAM

FIG 4 (bottom right)Parameters calculated for 256QAM

FIG 2 Settings required on Signal GeneratorSMIQ for synchronizing arbitrary 256QAMsignal with TV Test Receiver EFA

Settings on TV Test Receiver EFA(after preset)

Mode:QAM Analyzer/Demod

Input: IF (36 MHz)Status:

Order of QAM: 256SAW Filter Bandwidth: OFFSymbol Rate:

Symbol Rate Value: 5 MSPSSpecial Function:

Min BER Integr.: BER EXTMPEG Data Output:

Par. MPEG Data PLL: ONIQ Inversion: Normal

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24 News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV)

Application notes

Industrial espionage causesserious damage

Professional eavesdroppers use sophis-ticated electronic techniques to gethold of the information they want. Theeffort seems to pay off, seeing as howinformation and communication arefactors of strategic importance nowa-days. The high-tech industry is a par-ticularly promising target. In Germanyalone, the losses caused by industrialespionage are estimated at severalbillion marks per year.

Miniature transmitters have long beenpopular devices for finding out, acous-tically, about what other people aredoing. Today it is no problem, not evenfor amateurs, to come by the equip-ment required. Socalled spy shopsoffer their products openly on theInternet – miniature transmitters foreavesdropping on rooms and tele-

Miniport Receiver EB200

Hard times for eavesdroppers

phones, directional microphones andminiaturized cameras concealed incigarette packs and pens.

Swatting small bugs fast:EB200 with DIGI-Scan

With EB200 on their tail, buggingdevices have no chance of hiding.RF Spectrum DIGI-Scan, an option forEB200, provides the user with an over-view of the current frequency spectrumwithin seconds. It detects any interfererand also hopping frequencies in a shotand then pinpoints them withthe aid of its handheld directionalantenna.

An electronic “tracker dog” –easy to handle

The exact localization of miniaturetransmitters starts with determinationof the frequency on which they areoperating. This is done by calling upthe DIGI-Scan option on EB200 andallowing the receiver to scan theselected frequency range (FIG 2).Localization of miniature transmittersat close range is made possible bythe differential mode of DIGI-Scan(FIG 3). After calling up this mode, thecurrent spectrum is stored as a refer-ence. New spectra are superimposedon the reference spectrum, and anynewly appearing signals or variationsin signal strength are clearly discern-ible as peaks. Once the frequency ofthe spy transmitter is determined inthe DIGI-Scan mode, the remainder issimple and fast: set EB200 to the fre-quency (FIG 4), call up the TONE

The optional DIGI-Scan allows Miniport Receiver EB200 – the portable all-in solutionfor radiolocation [1] – to cover a wide RF spectrum from 10 kHz through 3 GHz.This gives the user a variety of applications, including the detection and localiza-tion of spy transmitters (FIG 1).

FIG 1 Thanks to its low weight, powerful directionalantennas and high sensitivity, MiniportReceiver EB200 is perfectly suited fornumerous applications, eg for detecting spytransmittersPh

oto

4340

8/1

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News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV) 25

REFERENCES

[1] Günther Klenner: Miniport Receiver EB200and Handheld Directional Antenna HE200– Radiolocation from 10 kHz to 3 GHz withportable equipment. News from Rohde&Schwarz (1997) No. 156, pp 4–6

In the test hint “Conversion of C/N orSNR to Eb/N0 in DVB” in issueNo. 163, “C” rather than “S” wasincorrectly used in some equations. Thecorrect equations are printed on theright. Please overlook our mistake.

Application notes

mode in the display menu and set thelevel of the determined frequencyapproximately to the center of the barshown on the level display. For local-izing emission sources with the hand-held antenna, the user only has toobserve the level display or the loud-ness of the tone. The maximum levelor the loudest tone will guide himstraight towards the transmitter.

EB200 is the only portable mini-receiver combining spectrum displayand level/tone search in a single unit.

Theodor Fokken

Reader service card 164/08

S N⁄ Eb N0⁄ 10 lg188204-----------× 10 lg m( )× 10 lg P( )× 10 lg 1 α

4---–

× dB–+ + +=

Eb N0⁄ S N⁄ 10 lg188204-----------×– 10 lg m( )×– 10 lg P( )×– 10 lg 1 α

4---–

× dB+=

Eb N0⁄ S N⁄ 10 lg188204-----------×– 10 lg m( )×– 10 lg 1 α

4---–

× dB+=

Eb N0⁄ S N⁄ 10 lg188204-----------×– 10 lg m( )×– 10 lg P( )×– 10 lg 1 α

4---–

× dB+=

Equation 1

Equation 2

For measurements in the QAM demodulator,�cos roll-off filtering has to be taken into account.

For measurements in the satellite demodulatorwith QPSK, the equation for determining theBER as a function of Eb/N0 after Viterbi FEC isas follows:

Correction

FIG 3 EB200 in differential DIGI-Scan mode

FIG 2 EB200 in normal DIGI-Scan mode

FIG 4 EB200 in DIGI-Scan mode with high IF resolution for frequency tuning

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26 News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV)

EMC test centers of any size –precise, fully automatic and universalDecades of experience and an allround product range have made Rohde& Schwarza market leader in the field of EMC test technology and EMC test centers. A largenumber of renowned companies of the automobile, consumer electronics andmechanical engineering industry have for many years relied on its EMC technology,covering everything from small EUTs to wide-body aircraft. Recently Audi put itsnew EMC test center into operation, fully equipped with Rohde&Schwarz technology.This article gives an example of the EMC test center concept that has already provenitself at other well-known companies.

Photo: 43 350/1

FIG 1 Measurements are performed automati-cally in the large anechoic chamber, so theoperator can fully concentrate on EUT response

State-of-the-art test technologyfor high-tech vehicles

The EMC test center of Audi AG inIngoldstadt comprises a large and asmall anechoic chamber and severalshielded and unshielded operatingareas. Audi thus has all the requiredfacilities within its premises to test indetail the electromagnetic compatibil-ity of its vehicles and supplied parts.The center can test to all relevant reg-ulations such as EU directive 95/54,ISO 11451/11452, DIN/VDE 40839and CISPR 12 standards as well asin-house regulations.

The efficient and reliable test systemscan be flexibly deployed for both in-development measurements and ap-proval testing. The outstanding fea-tures of the systems are:� Powerful software for short

preparation and test times andthus for high throughput

� Precise units and system compo-nents ensuring reproducible testresults

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News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV) 27

EMS Software EMS-K1:What’s new in version 1.20?

� Analysis mode:– Combination of automatic and

manual scan, with free selection offrequency steps, variation ofmodulation parameters and changeof antenna polarization andturntable position

– Display of system parameters intest window

– Reduction of test times bysimultaneous measurement offorward and reflected power withtwo power meters

� EUT monitoring: interface for new EUTMonitoring Software EMON-K1

EUT Monitoring SoftwareEMON-K1: new ways

for EUT monitoring

� Synchronous monitoring (completemeasurement at each test frequency)or asynchronous operation (free-running measurement) in combinationwith EMS Software EMS-K1

� Representation of measurement datain expressive graphical or tabularform

� Convenient reporting

� Storage of all setups and test resultsin ASCII and WMF format for furtherprocessing

� Monitoring and stimulus channels

� Device drivers can be created by user

� Graphical user interface and context-sensitive help

Panorama

� High accuracy through automaticcorrection of frequency-responseerrors

� Reliable and fully automaticsystems allowing the user to fullyconcentrate on the equipmentunder test

� Fully automatic monitoring andresult logging of the equipmentunder test

Complete vehicle testing in largeanechoic chamber

Even if a high degree of reliability ofthe individual components is attainedas a result of EMC testing duringdevelopment, a final test of theassembled vehicle is indispensable.Once built-in, components might showa quite different behaviour than in theTEM cell or stripline.

For this reason the anechoic chamberof 25 m x 20 m x 10 m with chassisdynamometer (FIG 1) serves for test-ing vehicles as a whole. The test sys-tem simulates the electromagneticfields occurring in the open in the fre-quency range from 6 MHz to 3 GHz.

High-precision EMC test tech-nology from Rohde& Schwarz

At the beginning of the signal chain,Signal Generator SME03 generates anRF signal that can be modulated andlevel-controlled. This signal is taken topower amplifiers via a remotely control-led relay matrix. The amplifiers supplyRF output power of up to 10 kW, whichyields field strength of up to 200 V/m.Four isotropic field sensors transmit themagnitude of the field strength mea-sured at the site of the equipment undertest via fiber-optic cables.

The three log-periodic antennas usedin vehicle measurements weredesigned for high field strength andhigh test volume. A remotely control-led antenna installed on the rear wallof the chamber covers the range from3 MHz to 30 MHz. The two otherantennas (30 MHz to 220 MHz) and(220 MHz to 1 GHz) are mounted ona railed carriage. A horn antenna isused above 1 GHz.

Measurement of forward and reflectedpower is implemented by two Millivolt-meters URV5. The settling time at eachfrequency point can be largely reducedby using two power meters that are sup-ported by optimized software.

EMS Software EMS-K1 of the field-strength controller (see box) controlsthe test routine and supports all com-mon methods of electric field genera-tion:� Electric field levelling with closed

control loop (EUT and field sensorare at the same location)

� Substitution method (currently themost widespread method; theactual measurement is precededby a reference measurement inthe empty chamber)

� Theoretical method (the requiredpower is evaluated by means of aformula or from antenna gainavailable in tabular form)

Due to the high field strength, nobodyis allowed to remain in the anechoicchamber, so the EUT monitoring systemperforms stimulation and monitoringof the equipment under test via fiber-optic cables. The system is controlledby a separate PC that runs with thenewly developed EUT Monitoring Soft-ware EMON-K1 (see box). It controlsthe system and provides informationabout the EUT functions, which is thensent to the field-strength controller.

A video system with three fixed cam-eras provides an overview of the an-echoic chamber and, with the aid oftwo mobile cameras, enables the userto check the instruments in the vehi-cle. The current values of frequencyand field strength are then shown inthe pictures of the mobile cameras.

An intercom with several stations simpli-fies preparation of the vehicle to undergotesting and maintenance of the chassisdynamometer and amplifiers.

Large-scale projectsin good hands

The whole project was implementedwithin 12 months. With such tightschedules, nothing can be left tochance. Audi fully relied on Rohde&Schwarz’s long experience in theimplementation of EMC systems.

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28 News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV)

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Phot

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7

Reader service card 164/09 for moreinformation on EMC test systems

FIG 2 A look into the control room: preciseEMC technology from Rohde& Schwarz ensuresreproducible test results

Rohde& Schwarz is now present on theInternet with a totally new look. Thenew Web pages contain comprehen-sive information on all product linesas well as background information onnew technologies. What is more, alot of in-depth information materialsuch as data sheets, catalogs, appli-cation notes, technical brochures andthe in-house journal “News fromRohde& Schwarz” as well as driversoftware are available for download-ing.

In the design of the new Web site,fast and user-friendly handling wasgiven top priority. Instructions aremostly in plain text and graphics areoptimized in size to considerablyreduce download times. Dynamic navi-

gation and clear-cut layout makehandling veryeasy. The desiredtopics are quicklyfound thanks tofull-text search.

All current Rohde& Schwarz prod-ucts can be calledup on the Internetcomplete withphoto, description and most of themeven with their data sheet. The Webpages also contain an overview ofservices and seminars, news, events,general information about Rohde &Schwarz as well as a separate presssection.

The new Web pages can be found onthe Internet at http://www.rsd.de. Foroptimum viewing, Web browsers ofversion 4 and higher and activatedJava script are recommended.

Christian Hess

In addition to the design and supplyof EMC test technology Rohde &Schwarz was also responsible for plan-ning and performing the complete in-stallation of the ground-floor laboratory.Based on the standard specificationsand the scope of deliveries and ser-vices required, Rohde& Schwarz har-monized all details with the customerfrom the very beginning. A compre-hensive interface catalog was workedout and agreed upon with the sitesupervisory staff and the supplier ofthe shielded enclosures. The systemswere installed on schedule and hand-ed over to the operators after suitabletraining.

Reinhard Göster

Rohde& Schwarz Web site in new look and morecomprehensive than everRegular features

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News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV) 29

Third-generation mobile radio –universal test concepts pave the way

3G test scenario in research and development

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The world of mobile radiocommunication is undergoing dramatic changes asfar as technology, services and type approval test regulations are concerned:the third mobile radio generation (3G) is on its way (FIG 1). Pioneering mea-surement technology has to come up with solutions for increasingly complextest requirements at an early stage and should be instrumental in launching thenew generation on the road to success. Rohde & Schwarz, the world's marketleader in the field of mobile radio test technology, takes up this enormous chal-lenge with a flexible and future-oriented testconcept.

FIG 1While today’s mobile phones are mostly usedfor voice communication, those of the thirdgeneration (3G) will open up the entiremultimedia spectrum

FIG 2 gives an overview of the emerg-ing scenario. While today’s mobilephones are mostly used as terminalsfor voice communication, mobiles ofthe third generation will open up theentire multimedia spectrum from voicetelephony through video applicationsto data services based on the Internetprotocol (IP) and integrated by thewireless application protocol (WAP).It is conceivable that dedicated termi-nals like personal digital assistants(PDA) will provide access to the differ-ent services, so that a mobile acts likea mobile switching station. Transmis-sion in the local area between the ter-minal and the mobile station will bebased on standards optimized for this

framework ofthe international

3GPP (3rd generation part-nership project) body. Signal genera-tors and analyzers from Rohde &Schwarz have set standards in thisfield from the very beginning [3], [4],[5]. There is also a growing demandfor more complex test systems as 3Gactivities progress beyond the researchstage and turn into ambitious devel-opment projects. Requirements go farbeyond mere RF measurements at theair interface or signalling tests at layers1 to 3. Testing overlaid applicationsat a higher protocol level (� layer 3) isgaining in importance.

2G – 2.5G – 3G:mobile radiocommuni-cation moves on unabated

The introduction of high-speed dataservices (HSCSD) and packet-orientedtransmission methods (GPRS) for thesecond mobile radio generation (2G)is currently the first step towards newapplications using high data rates(2.5G technology). Test platforms fromRohde& Schwarz are well preparedfor this transition [1], [2].

At the same time the next mobile radiogeneration based on W-CDMA (3G)is on its way. Its standardization ismaking rapid progress within the

Photo 43 360

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30 News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV)

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purpose, like Bluetooth™, whereasmobile-to-network linkup will be viaW-CDMA or GSM.

At the network end, too, it is becom-ing obvious that IP-transparent struc-tures are about to experience a break-through. Protocol tests will gain enor-mously in importance in a scenario ofthis kind with its large number of multi-mode handover processes and thegrowing orientation towards dataapplications.

Early elimination of errors inproduct design

The principle test objective in researchand development is to minimize de-sign costs and time to market whilemaximizing product quality. Thismeans that faults during the productdevelopment process must be elimi-nated at the earliest possible stage.This process can be divided into fourphases of increasing complexity, for

which different test requirements canbe identified (FIG 3).

During the research phase the mainemphasis is initially on the investiga-tion of RF parameters and codingalgorithms under varying conditionslike interference and fading. Realtime

signal processing is not required atthis stage as finite signal sequencesare sufficient. The largest savingpotential is in the module test phase.For example previously, when the airinterface was the only access medium,signalling software could not be thor-oughly tested until after complete inte-

MSC

L3Abis

BTS

A (ATM, ...)

Today: mobile phone used

as terminal forvoice communication

Future:mobile phone used as mobile

switching station

GSM

Video glasses

Personal digital assistant

Headset

2nd generation mobile radio (2G)

WAP

BSC

L2L1

GSM

MSC

L3Abis

BTS

A (IP, ATM, ...)

3rd generation mobile radio (3G)

BSC

L2L1

W-CDMA Bluetooth™

FIG 2Third-generationmobile phones maybe used as mobileswitching stationsfor multimediaservices

FIG 3 Modern testmethods shouldeliminate faults inthe product designprocess at theearliest possiblestage

Phase 4Optimization

RF module tests

Baseband module tests

Number of errors detected

Complexity oftest scenario

Phase1Research

Phase 2Module test

Phase 3Integration test

Integration tests

Field tests

Conformancetests

Software module tests

(pure software signalling)

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News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV) 31

REFERENCES

[1] Peter Ludwig; Frank Körber: Digital Radio-communication Test Set CRTx-DUO – Testplatform for HSCSD and multicarrier appli-cations. News from Rohde&Schwarz (1999)No. 161, pp 13 –14

[2] Heinz Mellein: Type approval of GSM900/GSM1800 multiband mobiles using SystemSimulator TS8915. News from Rohde &Schwarz (1998) No. 157, pp 28–29

[3] Josef Wolf: Signal Analyzer FSIQ – The idealanalyzer for the third mobile-radio genera-tion. News from Rohde& Schwarz (1998)No. 160, pp 4 –6

[4] Klaus-Dieter Tiepermann; Andreas Pauly: Fitfor the next millennium – W-CDMA signalswith Signal Generator SMIQ and SoftwareWinIQSIM. News from Rohde& Schwarz(1999) No. 161, pp 16 –17

[5] Wolfgang Kernchen; Klaus-Dieter Tieper-mann: I/Q Modulation Generator AMIQ –Convenient generation of complex I/Q sig-nals. News from Rohde& Schwarz (1998)No. 159, pp 10–12

Complexity of test scenario

RF module tests

SSCU

PSM17

FSIQ

AMIQSMIQ

TS8950 (B)

Controller

Switch

L1

Interference& fading

Phase 2Modul test

First RF tests

Phase 1Research

Signalgeneration

SSCU

PSM17

FSIQ

AMIQSMIQ

TS8950 (A)

Signalanalysis

Controller

Switch

Phase 3Integration test

Conformance tests

SSCU

PSM17

FSIQ

AMIQSMIQ

TS8950 (C)

Signal analysis & power

measurement

Signal analysis & power

measurement

Controller

Switch

Interference& fading

Protocol tester

Phase 4Optimization

SSCU

PSM17

FSIQ

AMIQSMIQ

TS8950 (XL)

Controller

Switch

Interference& fading

Protocol tester

GUI

I

L2

L1

PCO

QOperating system

Engine…

L3

PCO

PCO

PCO

PCO

- Appl. & layer manag. entity

- Test software- …

Protocol tests

GUI

Operating system

L2/L3 protocol tester

Software module tests

L2PCO

Engine…

L3

PCO

PCO

PCO

PCO

- Appl. & layer manag. entity- Test software- …

Interface L1

Protocol testerRF front-end

Signal analysis & power

measurement

gration of the device under test (DUT).But future test equipment should en-able independent analysis of RF, base-band and software modules devel-oped in parallel. Testing via the airinterface in the integration phase canthen concentrate on errors that arisefrom module interworking. In the finaloptimization phase, complex confor-mance tests and real or simulated fieldtests are then carried out to improveproduct characteristics.

Universal test concept coveringeach product design phase

Rohde& Schwarz satisfies the differentrequirements of the four phases withan extremely flexible test concept. Thebasis of this is a modular, upgrade-able 3G Air Interface SimulatorTS8950 with integrated componentsfor protocol tests (FIG 4). Instead ofrigid test cases, this highly advancedtest system provides individually pa-rameterized test methods that can be

FIG 4Different configura-tion levels of 3G AirInterface SimulatorTS8950 meet testrequirements of allproduct designphases

combined to form any desired test sce-nario. Thanks to this strategy, TS8950is not only able to respond flexibly tothe still changing specifications result-ing from 3GPP standardization butalso supports manufacturer- and net-work-specific test sequences.

As a consequence of the R&TTEdirective of the European Commission,taking effect on 1 January 2000, man-datory type-approval tests will bereplaced by binding manufacturers’declarations of compliance, so this flex-ible test concept will gain enormouslyin importance. This approach alsoensures compliance even with the strin-gent requirements of operators like theJapanese NTT DoCoMo, which will beputting the first 3G network into oper-ation at the beginning of 2001.

The next issue of News from Rohde&Schwarz will contain more details ofthe TS8950 test system.

Holger JauchReader service card 164/10 for moreinformation about 3G solutions

Panorama

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32 News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV)

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Software-defined functions

The Series 6000 airborne transceiv-ers are the first generation of softwareradios featuring among others out-standing flexibility. Functions aremainly software-determined. The trans-ceivers can keep pace with technicalevolution by way of upgrades. Theopen instrument architecture makesthem open-ended for future needs(FIG 1).

Software radios – top in securedata and voice transmission

Combined EPMs

Series 6000 transceivers support state-of-the-art and extremely fast SATURNfrequency hopping and, for reasonsof compatibility, also the earlier, HAVEQUICK I/II. As a worldwide uniquefeature, they use SECOS frequencyhopping developed by Rohde &Schwarz, enabling countries with spe-cial security requirements to directlyinfluence the COMSEC (voice and

data security) and TRANSEC (frequencyhopping) functions.

Rohde & Schwarz implemented a com-bination of all these EPMs in the Series6000 compact multiband softwareradios and prepared them for futureupgrades through the use of P3I.

A particular benefit of this solution isthat in combination with Series 400Uground-to-air stations and tacticalground transmitters from Rohde &Schwarz, this new generation of air-borne transceivers makes up an all-round and extremely flexible air-to-ground EPM communication system.

New equipment or retrofit fornumerous platforms

Rohde & Schwarz airborne transceiv-ers provide reliable services to armedforces throughout the world on numer-ous airborne platforms including theEurofighter TYPHOON and the heli-copters TIGER and NH90.

The units of Series 6000 are suitablefor outfitting new flying platforms. Theyare also ideal for F³ (form, fit, func-tion) retrofitting projects and directconnection to existing AN/ARC-164radio equipment with or withoutadapters.

Compact and sturdy

VHF

UHF

TDMA

64 kbit/s

MULTIPLE TRANSEC

(EPM)

Series 6000 VHF/UHFairborne transceivers

Data preprocessor

COMSEC

HAVE QUICK+ SECOS

SATURN+ HAVE QUICK

P3I

Airborne VHF/UHF Transceivers Series 6000

The new series 6000 VHF/UHF airborne transceivers are of extremely compactsize and low weight and offer multifunctional applications for highly protectedand reliable data and voice communication. The software radios are able to handleall important EPMs (electronic protection measures) and thanks to P3I (preplannedproduct improvement) technology they keep pace with future developmentrequirements. The new generation was presented to an expert public at the larg-est European air show, the Aerosalon in Le Bourget near Paris.

FIG 1 New Series 6000 software radios (herecockpit version) convince through flexibility anduniversal use

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News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV) 33

FIG 3Series 6000 airborne transceivers adaptableto future requirements by means of softwareand with their modular design ensuring fastand economical maintenance

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FIG 2 VHF/UHF transceiver in version for remotecontrol

Version overview

Series 6000 comprises VHF/UHF trans-ceivers for� Local and remote control (FIG 2)� Cockpit installation with MIL bus� Avionic bay with MIL bus� Control units with/without MIL bus

Recommended extras� Special-to-type test equipment (STTE)� Key Distribution Device KDD-3700� Communication Management and

Handling Software (CMHS)

Modular design andminimum maintenance

The individual modules of the VHF/UHF transceivers have defined inter-faces. They can be replaced withoutany adjustment or alignment, ensur-ing fast and economical maintenance(FIG 3).

Other benefits are� Excellent accessibility� Standardized components� Minimum number of tools required� Minimum-scheduled maintenance Reader service card 164/11

Series 6000 with worldwide top tech-nology is expected to become a greatsuccess on the international market.Large orders for modernization of avi-onic transceiver equipment have al-ready been placed by two countries,confirming the significance of the nameRohde & Schwarz on the market forECM-resistant air-to-ground communi-cation systems.

Ekkehardt Claussen

Series 6000special features

� VHF/UHF 108 MHz to 400 MHz– 10 W AM, 15 W FM,– 30 MHz to 88 MHz optional

� Full F3 retrofitting for AN/ARCtypes like ARC-164

� Installation in cockpit oravionic bay

� EPM techniques HAVE QUICK I/II,SECOS, SATURN

� Modular design, surface-mounttechnology

� High reliability� BIT (built-in test) at module level with

high error detection probability� Information data rate up

to 64 kbit/s� Weight �4 kg

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34 News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV)

Information in print

Digital Radiocommunication Testers CMDModels for measurements to GSM and DECTModels for measurements to GSM and DECTModels for measurements to GSM and DECTModels for measurements to GSM and DECTModels for measurements to GSM and DECTas well as the latest CMas well as the latest CMas well as the latest CMas well as the latest CMas well as the latest CMDDDDD65 model plus all65 model plus all65 model plus all65 model plus all65 model plus alloptions available are covered by the new dataoptions available are covered by the new dataoptions available are covered by the new dataoptions available are covered by the new dataoptions available are covered by the new datasheet with comprehensively revised specifica-sheet with comprehensively revised specifica-sheet with comprehensively revised specifica-sheet with comprehensively revised specifica-sheet with comprehensively revised specifica-tions.tions.tions.tions.tions.

Data sheet PD 757.2596.22 enter 164/12

BMS Coverage Measurement System TS6200Due to the comprehensive description of the sys-tem and individual units, the data sheet becamea publication comprising eight pages. An extrasheet on DAB-T and DVB-T measurements is in-serted.

Data sheet PD 757.3828.22 enter 164/13

DVG & Stream Combiner™ for ATSC and DVMD& Stream Explorer™ for ATSCThe software for Measurement Generator DVGand Measurement Decoder DVMD also enablesanalysis and representation of TV signals to DVBand ATSC standards.

Data sheetDVG: PD 757.4730.21 enter 164/14DVMD: PD 757.4747.21 enter 164/15

TV Test Receiver Family EFA (5 MHz to1000 MHz) has been extended by test receiverand test demodulator for standard M/N, DVB-Ctest demodulator as well as options for videobandwidth switching, residual picture carriermeasurement, pilot deviation measurement and6 MHz SAW filter (DVB-C).

Data sheet PD 757.2421.22 enter 164/16

Voltage Sensors URV5-Z (9 kHz to 3 GHz;200 µV to 1000 V; 1 nW to 200 W) ModelsURV5-Z2 and URV5-Z4 with extended frequencyrange (including models with 5 m cables) arenow also included and the overview of powersensors was supplemented by models NRV-Z15/-Z32/-Z33/-Z55.

Data sheet PD 756.9816.22 enter 164/17

Spectrum Monitoring Software ARGUS (10 kHzto 40 GHz) offers all features required for mon-itoring, measurement, registration and statisticalevaluation of signals in individual stations aswell as in nationwide networks in combinationwith comprehensive frequency management func-tions.

Info PD 757.4818.21 enter 164/18

150 kHz Highpass EZ-25 (up to 30 MHz) en-ables conducted emission measurements (toEN50065 part I) in the presence of longwavemains disturbance signals for any CISPR testreceiver; pulse energy capability 50 mWs.

Data sheet PD 757.4976.21 enter 164/19

R&S Teisnach is system supplier for mechanicaland electrical components, offering mechanicalprecision for the world market in ISO qualityand according to NATO specifications.

Info PD 757.4624.21 enter 164/20

TV Test Transmitter SFQ (300 kHz to 3.3 GHz)Newly included in the data sheet are SFQmodels 20 for DVB-T (7/8/9 MHz bandwidths)and 30 for ATSC (8VSB/16VSB) as well as theoptions for fading simulation (up to 6 or 12 paths)and ATSC coder.

Data sheet PD 757.3334.24 enter 164/21

New application notes

Bit Error Rate Measurements with AMIQ andWinIQSIMAppl. 1GP36_0E enter 164/22

Acoustic Measurements on GSM Mobile Phoneswith Audio Analyzer UPL and Digital Radiocom-munication Tester CMDAppl. 1GA39_0E enter 164/23

GPIB-Bus Device FinderAppl. 1MA17_2E enter 164/24

Frequency Response MeasurementsAppl. 1MA09_2E enter 164/25

Schz

Digital Radiocommunication Testers CMDMultiband, multimode tests for all GSM mobiles and DECT devices

T h e solution for

• Production

• Quality assurance

• Service

• Development

DVMD & Stream Explorer™ for ATSCMPEG2 transport stream monitoring and analysis

MPEG2 Measurement Decoder DVMD and PC software Stream Explorer™ can now monitor and analyze TV signals to DVB and ATSC standards.

• One product only to cover both DVB and ATSC

MPEG2 Measurement Decoder DVMD:

• TS packet lengths 188, 204and 208 bytes

• Monitoring of PSIP tables toATSC standard

• Decoding of SDTV videoelementary streams

Stream Explorer™ DVMD-B1:

• Clear-structure display of alltransport stream elements withtable types to DVB and ATSC

• Interpretation of PSIP tablesto ATSC standard

• Realtime measurements withgraphic display

BMS Coverage Measurement System TS6200Coverage measurement for Broadcasting Networks

• Detection and localization of coverage gaps

• Determination of network quality• Applicable to any kind of con-

tinuous wave (CW) measure-ments

• Time-triggered or distance-trig-ered measurements

• Both high-speed and high-accu-racy measurements in one shot

• Spectrum Measurements• Combined use of various navi-

gation schemes (GPS, wheel trigger)

• Single-frequency measure-ments at a rate of up to 1 ms (time-triggered)

• Field-strength measurements with an accuracy of up to 0.5 dB

• Distance-triggered measure-ments to avoid redundant dataduring drive stops

• Measurement software with on-line graphics and alpha-numeric data

• Route display with carto-graphic map underlay

• ROSEVAL evaluation software (optional)

• GPS navigation module

ARGUSSpectrum Monitoring Software

“Your ARGUS eye on the spectrum”“ARGUS has the whole spectrum covered”“Your ARGUS eye on the spectrum”

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News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV) 35

Press comments

Sensitive testing with Universal TestSystem TSUIn its June edition the journal “ElektronikPraxis” reported on use of the TSU test plat-form from Rohde & Schwarz for productiontesting of ABS modules.

With a view to this highly sensitive aspect ofelectronic control equipment in motor cars,TSU was fitted with Automotive ProductionTest System APTS and the analog measure-ment subsystem AMV. The article describeshow ABS module tests are performed andpresents the benefits of APTS and AMV.

Big performance in a small packageUnder this heading the German “ElektronikJournal” described the new Microwave Sig-nal Generator SMR from Rohde & Schwarzin its May edition.

“Small, lightweight and reliable and at thesame time easy to operate and inexpensiveto buy and maintain: these are the majorrequirements stated by most users whenasked about modern microwave generators.The designers at Rohde & Schwarz were wellaware of this when starting work on their newseries, and the result was the new SMR family.”

Failure-proof broadcasting from Picdu Midi thanks to Rohde& SchwarzIn its March edition “Radio World”, which hasa worldwide circulation, dedicated an articleto the installation of Rohde& Schwarz trans-mitters for TDF (Télédiffusion de France) ontop of the Pic du Midi d´Ossau, 180 km fromToulouse in France.

The article focuses on the difficult conditionsof installing the three 2.5 kW FM transmit-ters at the site and on their functionality. “Thenew equipment is completely of solid-statedesign, which guarantees continuous oper-ation even in the event of a module or powerfailure.”

“Picture quality in digital TV” was the centralissue in edition 112 of the journal “TVAmateur”.

As the front page clearly shows, solutionsfrom Rohde& Schwarz were at the center ofattention. It displays two test patterns usedby Video Quality Analyzer DVQ to measureboth subjective and objective picture quality.The article in the journal described in greatdetail the testing technique as well as theRohde& Schwarz equipment used.

A treat for radio prosA “treat” is what “Radio Scanner” magazinecalled Miniport Receiver EB200 in its Febru-ary edition.

“For radio pros demanding maximum stan-dards that cannot even be satisfied by theperformance of a high-quality radio scan-ner, Rohde& Schwarz of Munich hasprovided another treat: Miniport ReceiverEB200, a monitoring receiver for profession-al applications.”

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36 Neues von Rohde& Schwarz Heft 164 (1999/IV)

TV transmitters for firstDVB-T network in Norway

Rohde& Schwarz received anorder for five high-power DVB-Ttransmitters from the Norwegiannetwork operator Norkring.With four 5 kW TransmittersNV6500 and one 2.5 kWTransmitter NV2500, Norway’sfirst DVB-T network is to be in-stalled. According to Norkring,the reason for ordering the newliquid-cooled transmitters fromRohde& Schwarz was the com-pact design, the advanced am-plifier technology and the com-pany’s know-how in the DVB-Tfield. Installation of the DVB-Tnetwork – starting at sites inOslo, Bergen and Gulen –marks the country’s first step intothe digital terrestrial TV era. Theproject is also the first order forthe new family of liquid-cooledTV transmitters from Rohde &Schwarz, which are at presentthe most compact worldwide andrequire the least floor space.Efficiency is also considerablyincreased thanks to state-of-the-art LDMOS transistor technology.Further reasons for placing theorder with Rohde & Schwarzwere the company’s many years

of experience in the modulationand processing of DVB-T signalsand the possibility of remote-con-trolling the TV transmitters.

IT security department ofBosch Telecom taken overby Rohde&Schwarz

SIT, Gesellschaft für Systeme derInformationstechnik mbH, a sub-sidiary of Rohde& Schwarz, hastaken over the security in infor-mation technology operations ofBosch Telecom GmbH, Stuttgart,as of 1 July 1999. Rohde &Schwarz has been successfullyactive in the field of IT security,data protection and encryptionfor quite some time. This know-how is not only used to advan-tage in new products for ITsecurity but also in the radiocom-munication systems from Rohde&Schwarz. The purpose of thisacquisition is to accentuate thedesign of solutions for secure andreliable utilization of informationand communication technology.

Radiocommunicationequipment for EurofighterTyphoon

Rohde& Schwarz was selectedas the supplier of the radioequipment for the EurofighterTyphoon, Europe’s most ad-vanced combat aircraft, whichis now going into series produc-tion. For the first batch compris-ing 147 aircraft Rohde &Schwarz won an order for 317transceivers. The VHF/UHFequipment provides clear andencrypted transmission andreception of voice signals. In thecoming ten years a total of 620Typhoon aircraft will be built forGermany, Britain, Italy andSpain and equipped with theVHF/UHF transceivers fromRohde& Schwarz. Other coun-tries have shown an interest inbuying Typhoon aircraft as well.

The VHF/UHF transceivers werespecially developed for theTyphoon: they are built by fourcompanies from the countriesinvolved in the project as agreedby their governments, withRohde & Schwarz being theleader of the consortium. Withthe participation in this projectRohde& Schwarz – which alsoprovides radiocommunicationequipment for the new TIGERhelicopter – strengthens its posi-tion as a leading supplier ofsophisticated radiocommunica-tion technology.

Rohde& Schwarz takesover REMA Leo Haagsetting up its ownsubsidiary in Spain

On 1 July 1999 Rohde &Schwarz took over REMA LeoHaag, the company’s Spanishrepresentative for many years,which will now become Rohde&Schwarz España. REMA LeoHaag has been marketingRohde&Schwarz products sincethe late 30s and is today one ofSpain’s leading electronics sup-pliers. The takeover enablesRohde& Schwarz to strengthenits position on the European mar-ket and to show direct presenceon the important Spanish growthmarket.

Stefan Böttinger

Newsgrams

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Neues von Rohde& Schwarz Heft 164 (1999/IV) 37

Newsgrams

In 1972, when the Olympic Gameswere held in Munich (summer) andSapporo (winter), the two citiesdecided to twin. As a result Sapporoorganized an exhibition of represen-tative products from the city of Munich.The mayor of Munich invited impor-tant companies of his city to partici-pate, and Rohde& Schwarz offered –as a historical milestone in measure-ment technology – its crystal clock de-veloped in 1936.

The instrument was the world’s firstportable crystal clock and referencesignal generator. The crystal clock wasaccurate to 0.004 seconds per day,and the reference signal generator to1x10–7 per day between 1 kHz and100 kHz. Because of its extremelyhigh accuracy, it was widely usedaround the world as a time standard.For Rohde& Schwarz, and in particu-lar for Dr Schwarz, one of the two

founders of the company, the instru-ment meant a great deal, as it wasby far the most popular product dur-ing the starting years of the company.

The clock, which had since been dis-played in the Access Sapporo, thenew event hall, together with otherproducts of the city of Munich, hasnow been returned. It will in future

be exhibited again in the MeasuringInstruments Museum of Rohde&Schwarz.

Akihiko YoshimuraADVANTEST

The world's firstportable crystal

clock returns homefrom Sapporo to

Munich. Dr MatthiasLudwig, Rohde &

Schwarz, expresseshis gratitude to thedirector general ofeconomic affairs of

the city of Sapporo,Noboru Takahashi

(center)

Rohde&Schwarz facultyaward 1999

As in recent years, the Day ofthe Faculty of Electrical Engineer-ing and Information Technologyheld at the Technical Universityin Munich again formed a fittingbackground for the Rohde &Schwarz faculty awardceremony. COO Hans Wagnerpresented the award this timeround to Dr.-Ing. Christian Legl(photo).

In his thesis, Dr Legl investigatedfield-programmable gate arrays(FPGAs) and developed a high-ly efficient technique for theirlogical synthesis, which receiveda lot of attention in specialist cir-cles. In his speech, Hans Wagn-er underlined the importance ofDr Legl’s contribution especiallyfor companies like Rohde &Schwarz, where FPGAs are usedas economical solutions formedium-batch applications.

The world’s first portable crystal clockreturns home to Rohde& Schwarz museum In brief

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38 News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV)

Most people have thought about chanceand predictability at some time or other.The famous tile that drops from the roofjust as someone is passing below is atypical starting point for such reflec-tions. Chance refers to events that canhardly or not at all be predicted likethe drawing of numbers at a roulettetable.

Investigation and utilization of chanceor random events have always hadtheir place in science and technology.Probability theory and mathematicalstatistics are concerned with measure-ments of random events. The followingexamples should illustrate the benefitsof the specific use of random events.

How randomis chance?

What are random numbersgood for?

The use of random numbers goes farbeyond the world of gambling. In math-ematics, for example, random eventsare employed for optimization tech-niques or for calculating complicatedintegrals. With the aid of the MonteCarlo method for instance – the nameitself tells you that chance is an impor-tant factor – the area of complicatedgeometric forms can be determinedwith high accuracy. You place a rec-tangle around the area to be calculatedand a great number of points are‘thrown’ randomly into the rectangle.Then you count the points within the

area to be calculated. The product ofthe share of the counted points andthe area of the rectangle gives you anapproximate value for the area ofinterest. With this method, the accuracyof the result depends on the numberand the randomness of the points.

Randomly generated parameters areoften used as input to simulate com-plex systems on a computer. The ad-vantage is that the simulation is “im-partial” and that system analysis isnot falsified by “preferential” param-eters. The same applies to tests involv-ing randomly generated interferencesor to random sampling when testingproduct quality.

Final article

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News from Rohde& Schwarz Number 164 (1999/IV) 39

Final article

IT security is another area of applica-tion for random numbers. In this rap-idly growing business field, profes-sional solutions are offered by SIT Ge-sellschaft für Systeme der Information-stechnik mbH, a subsidiary of Rohde&Schwarz. Through the use of bit se-quences that cannot be predicted,techniques have been established thatare now indispensable:� Encryption methods use secret

keys and other parameters pro-duced by a random generator tomake them unpredictable for non-authorized persons. For instance,SIT products offer solutions both inhardware and software that gen-erate random bit sequences for

REFERENCES

– R. Zielinski: Erzeugung von Zufallszahlen.Fachbuchverlag Leipzig, 1978.

– P.H. Müller (Hg.): Lexikon der Stochastik,Akademie-Verlag Berlin, 1991.

– R. Wobst: Abenteuer Kryptologie. Addison-Wesley, 1998.

encryption parameters (keys andinitialization values).

� With the digital signature it issimilar. If a potential attackerknows the rule for generatingkeys, he has a better chance ofcracking the code and forgingsignatures.

� With socalled challenge responseprotocols used for authentication,a potential attacker can adapt toit and prepare for the correct re-sponse if some challenges occurvery frequently.

� Random bit sequences used forstream ciphers or frequency hop-ping are normally not directlygenerated in a random way butderived indirectly from a randomlygenerated secret key. But thesederived sequences must showstatistical characteristics similar tothose of randomly generated bitsequences. In particular, the se-quence bits should not be predict-able without knowledge of thesecret key.

How are random numbersgenerated?

Random numbers used for the men-tioned applications can be generatedin a variety of ways apart from throw-ing dice or tossing a coin.

Many programming languages con-tain a function for generating randomnumbers. Numerals with statisticalcharacteristics similar to those of ran-dom figures are generated from thesystem clock of the computer and fromentered parameters. These values aremostly sufficient for simulation pro-grams and Monte Carlo calculations,but unpredictability and other cryptorequirements are only met to a limitedextent. One reason for this is that ayear has “only” about 31.5 million

seconds and such a number is quicklychecked through on a modern PC.

An interesting method is used by thee-mail encryption software PGP (prettygood privacy): the user is asked tostrike any sequence of keys on thekeyboard for generating a randomparameter. After the character se-quence has been processed in a com-plicated conversion process, the crite-rion of unpredictability should be met.

Other solutions have to be found how-ever if a great number of randomparameters is needed and/or the en-cryption keys should be generated in-dependently of the persons involved.Effective and secure generation of ran-dom numbers is also very importantwhen implementing the laws regard-ing electronic signatures.

Various physical phenomena may beused as a basis in generators produc-ing random bit sequences. One ex-ample is the noise characteristics ofZener diodes. By processing thesenoise signals, bit sequences can begenerated that are unpredictable andhave “ideal” statistical characteristics.

The next issue will look at statisticalcriteria for assessing the quality of ran-domly generated bit sequences.

Dr Ralph Wernsdorf

Reader service card 164/26

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Visit us on Internet at www.rsd.de

ROHDE& SCHWARZ GmbH& Co. KG · Mühldorfstraße 15 · D-81671 München · P.O.B. 801469 · D-81614 MünchenSupport Center: Tel. (+49)018 05124242 · E-Mail: [email protected] · Fax (+4989) 4129-3777