RFM210

Features & Benefits

• Comprehensive RF Measurement and Monitoring Capability Helps You Identify Degradations in Transmitter Performance and Efficiency Before They Become Quality and Reliability Problems
• High Performance Tuner/Demodulator Offers the Flexibility Needed for Use in a Wide Range of DVB-T Broadcast Systems
• User-configurable Alarm Relays and Alarm Reporting via SNMP Network Protocols Let You Notify Engineers and Operators of Transmitter Problems Either On-site or in a Central Monitoring Facility
• You can Connect the MPEG-2 Transport Stream Output Directly to an MPEG Protocol Monitor, Offering a Compact, Affordable Monitoring Solution to Help You Quickly Identify and Isolate Problems in Either the Transport Stream or the RF Signal
• Rackmountable, 1RU Package Simplifies Installation When Space is at a Premium

Applications

• Quality Control and RF Signal Monitoring for DVB-T Broadcast Systems

Product Information

The RFM210 offers comprehensive RF confidence monitoring and support for a wide range of DVB-T transmitter configurations, with network capability in an affordable, space-efficient package. Working in combination with other Tektronix monitoring products and backed by Tektronix world class service and support, the RFM210 offers a superior value solution for monitoring critical links in DVB-T broadcasting systems, helping broadcasters avoid costly quality and reliability problems and lower overall operating expenses.

Comprehensive RF Signal Monitoring

The RFM210 measures a comprehensive set of transmission parameters and can identify degradations in transmitter performance or efficiency before they become major quality or reliability headaches. For example, most DVB-T confidence monitors measure Bit-Error-Rate (BER) as a primary figure of merit for transmitter operations. This measurement lacks the sensitivity needed to detect the onset of performance degradation. The RFM210 measures both BER and Modulation Error Ratio (MER). The highly sensitive MER measure looks at multiple factors such as carrier leakage, I/Q level and quadrature imbalance to develop a figure of merit that can identify subtle performance degradations.

Flexible Configuration

DVB-T transmission systems throughout the world use a variety of modulation parameters. The RFM210 has the flexible tuning/demodulation capability needed to handle this variety. The tuner/demodulator can handle any standard VHF, UHF or baseband input, implements both 2K and 8K carrier mode options, and supports all DVB modulation options, guard intervals and FEC rates. Options available for 6, 7 or 8 MHz bandwidths.

Multi-layer Monitoring

Broadcasters can use the RFM210 in combination with other Tektronix monitoring products to form a multi-layer confidence monitoring solution for DVB-T transmission systems. The RFM210 demodulates the COFDM signal into either SPI or ASI transport stream formats. These outputs can go directly into MPEG protocol monitors, offering an easy, space efficient and low cost multi-layer monitoring solution. Multi-layer monitoring can help quickly determine if quality and reliability problems in the transmitted signal came from problems in the RF modulation/transmission path or the MPEG encoding and multiplexing path in the broadcast system.

Network Access and Control

The RFM210 offers network connection with access and control software that DVB-T transmission network operators and engineers can use to communicate with any RFM210 in their system. Implemented in Java in a client/server architecture, this software can display the status and measurements of any RFM210 connected to a broadcaster's enterprise network, either local or at a remote, unstaffed site.

The server software manages communication with each RFM210. It enforces any user access restrictions and maintains user-configurable status logs for each RFM210 in the network.

The client software can execute as a separate application, or as a Java applet in any standard Web browser. It presents an easy-to-use graphical interface to the RFM210, including displays for viewing measurements results, controlling tuner/demodulator parameters, and viewing system status. Other displays let users configure alarm thresholds and view alarm status. The client software also offers displays for viewing and configuring status logs. Additional graphic displays show the constellation diagram for the monitored signal, plus plots of the channel frequency response, impulse response, and group delay.

The RFM210 also supports communication through the network connection using SNMP network protocols. Using this capability, broadcasters can integrate the RFM210 into existing SNMP-based management systems, or develop their own access and control software.

Space Efficient

At most transmitter facilities, space is at a premium. The rackmountable, 1RU-high RFM210 gives broadcasters comprehensive RF monitoring without consuming large amounts of rack space.