Department of Electronic Engineering

Tsinghua University

Deployment of DTMB SFN based on

satellite program distribution networks

Chao Zhang
z_c@tsinghua.edu.cn
DTV Technology R&D Center, Department of Electronic Engineering
Tsinghua University, China

Sep. 2015 1
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Tsinghua University

Outline

Overview of Single Frequency Networks

SFN Structure Based on Satellite Program
Distribution Networks
Laboratory Tests and Field Trials
Conclusion

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Tsinghua University

MFN and SFN

Multiple frequency network (MFN) refers to the
broadcasting network in which transmitters in different
regions use different RF channels
Single frequency network (SFN) refers to the broadcasting
network with a number of transmitting stations sending
the same RF signals at the same frequency in the same
time to achieve a reliable coverage in bigger service areas
than that of MFN

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MFN
DTTB signals transmitted in different regions may choose
different code rate, carrier mode, frame header, etc
Relatively low frequency accuracy
among different transmitters
It is unnecessary to coordinate the F2 F3

output delay of different transmitters

F7 F1 F4
The network operation is more flexible
The network construction is quite easy F6 F5

Requires much more spectrum than

SFN

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SFN
Same RF signals at the same frequency in the same time

Improvement of the spectrum

efficiency
Challenge: how to handle the time- F1 F1

delay spread from different

transmitters F1 F1 F1

Very accurate synchronization

F1 F1
among all the transmitters in the
coverage area

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Requirements and limitations

SFNs must avoid self-interference.
Transmitters within an SFN cannot operate independently.
have precise time synchronization (which may deliberately
introduce a tightly controlled delay relative to one another)
be coherent in frequency (within a few Hz)
have identical and synchronized content over the entire networks.
These requirements introduce complexity into the
network.
SFN will affect the regional or local programs due to the
requirement identical and synchronized content.

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Function block diagram of DTMB

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Forward error correction (FEC)

2 TS packets
3 TS packets
4 TS packets

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Frame TS Rate TS number/

Carrier Code Rate Mapping
Header (bps) second
C=3780 0.4 16QAM PN945 9,625,600 6400
C=1 0.8 4QAM PN595 10,395,648 6912
C=3780 0.6 16QAM PN945 14,438,400 9600
C=1 0.8 16QAM PN595 20,791,296 13824
C=3780 0.8 16QAM PN420 21,657,600 14400
C=3780 0.6 64QAM PN420 24,364,800 16200
C=1 0.8 32QAM PN595 25,989,120 17280

The frame structure synchronized with integer second is one

of the key technologies of DTMB standard, which provides a
more convenient way for the SFN planning.

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DTMB SFN Structure

Each transmitter within the network transmits the same
TV signal using the same frequency at the same time.
MPEG TS (SIP)

RX
Syn. DTTB
network
system transmitter
adapter
10MHz 1pps

GPS
MPEG TS MPEG TS (SIP) MPEG TS (SIP)

TX TS RX
SFN Syn. DTTB
network distribution network
adapter system transmitter
adapter network adapter
10MHz 1pps 10MHz 1pps

GPS GPS
MPEG TS (SIP)

RX
Syn. DTTB
network
system transmitter
adapter
10MHz 1pps

GPS

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Synchronization in SFN
SFN operation requires the stable timing reference signal
for all the transmitters within the network.
The accuracy of reference signal shall be better than 1s.
One method is to use the signal at the rate of 1 pulse per
second (1pps) provided by GPS receiver as reference.

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SFN Adapter
Functions of SFN adapter
Second-frame Initialization Packet (SIP) insertion
TS data rate adaptation
10MHz
1PPS reference

TS input 1 TS Data rate TS output 1

SIP insertion
TS input 2 adaptation TS output 2

RS232 monitor
interface

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SIP Insertion
Time tag needs to be inserted into the MPEG-2 transport
stream to ensure the synchronization of all the
transmitters within SFN
In DTMB system, the second frame initial packetSIP
is used for synchronization

PPS PPS PPS

1 1

SIP SIP SIP

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Program distribution network

Transparent transmission
Transmission delay < 1 second
Transmission jitter < 100ns
Common program distribution network
Fiber optical
SDH
Digital microwave
High speed Ethernet

TS ASI/SDI Fiber optical ASI/SDI TS

SFN adapter DTTB
Digital optical Digital optical
output transmitter
transceiver transceiver

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Project background
In November of 2014, the State Administration of Press, Publication,
Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) of the Peoples Republic of
China launched the CCTV Program Wireless Digital Coverage Project.
Because of Chinas vast territory, the complexity of geography and
climate, unbalanced development of regional economy, uneven
distribution of transmitting stations and difference of the basic facilities
and transport conditions, there will be great practical restrictions to set
up large area SFN only based on fiber optical links or microware links.
The transponder satellite will not be influenced by regional difference
compared with fiber optical distribution link or microware links.
DTMB SFN networking structure based on satellite distribution network
was proposed.
Laboratory and field tests proved that the proposed SFN structure can
support practical applications.
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System structure
Satellite

link

Do
wn
Up

link
Scrambling
DTTB SFN Earth Satellite DTTB
and
front end adapter station recerver transmitter
encryption

The SFN based on satellite distribution networks consists of DTT front-end

system, scrambling and encryption, SFN adapter, satellite distribution link and
DTTB transmitters.

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System structure
The DTT front-end system performs the video and audio compression
coding using AVS+ and DRA standards, and generates one TS by
multiplexing.
The TS is fed to the SFN adapter for SFN adaption after scrambling
and encryption.
The adapted TS is transmitted to the satellite earth station for satellite
distribution.
The satellite receiver demodulates the received satellite signal and
recovers the transmitted TS.
The recovered TS is transformed to the DTTB signal by DTTB
transmitters.

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Satellite distribute network

The satellite distribution link includes
signal transmission and connection system
uplink transmitting system
downlink receiving system
The signal transmission and connection system transmits the TS from
the SFN adapter to the satellite earth station through DS3 signal format.
The uplink transmitting system completes the satellite signal modulation,
up-conversion, high power amplifying and RF output.
The downlink system receives the satellite signal, demodulates,
descrambles and recovers the original TS signal.

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Technical difficulties
The satellite transmission equipment must guarantee the
TS structure unchanged from the SFN adapter.
The DTTB transmitters must be able to complete the
synchronization adjustment according to the reference
information in the SFN adapted TS under the long
transmission delay caused by satellite distribution.

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Technical difficulties
The following improvements are needed for the SFN adapter, the satellite
modulator and the DTTB transmitter.
The DTTB transmitter must be able to correctly identify the null
packets inserted by SFN adapter and satellite modulator, and eliminate
all null packets inserted by satellite modulator to keep the consistency of
the TS format from the satellite distribution link.
The PCR correction function of the satellite modulator should be turned
off by equipment configuration or software updating, so as to maintain
the TS signal unchanged after program distribution link at utmost.
Some satellite modulators can turn off the functions of null packet
insertion and PCR correction at the same time. Then, the satellite
distribution link will work in a transparent transmission mode. At this
situation, other devices in the network can keep traditional SFN
equipments without special changes.

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Data rate adaptation

The transmission data rate of the satellite modulator will be slightly
higher than the data rate of the DTMB system.
Additional null packets will be inserted into the adapted SFN TS by
satellite modulator changing the original adapted SFN TS.
The DTTB modulator must distinguish the null packets inserted by
satellite modulator and SFN adapter, and eliminate the null packets
inserted by satellite modulator to keep the TS unchanged.

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Data rate adaptation

1 2 3 4 5-6 7-9 10-11 12-14 15-17 18-19 20-188

Maximum Broadcasting Independent delay Frequency Power

0x47 0x40 0x15 0x10 SI_SIP Padding bytes
delay addressing adjustment offset control

1 2 3 4 5-6 7-9 10-11 12-14 15-17 18-19 20-184 185-188

Maximum Broadcasting Independent delay Frequency Power Padding

0x47 0x40 0x15 0x10 SI_SIP CRC bytes
delay addressing adjustment offset control bytes

1 2 3 4 5-188

0x47 0x1F 0xFF 0x10 Padding bytes (0xFF)

1 2 3 4 5-188

0x47 0x1F 0xFE 0x10 Padding bytes

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Laboratory tests (1)

Transmission delay measure

Satellite
modulator

Delay Satellite
analyzer receiver

TS

The delay analyzer will insert special timing tag to the measured TS, and then the TS will be
modulated and transmitted to the satellite. The satellite demodulator receives the forwarded
signal and demodulates the TS to the delay analyzer. Then, the transmission delay is
calculated by comparing the timing tags between the transmitted and received TS.

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Tsinghua University

Laboratory tests (2)

Transmission delay measure

Test results show that the satellite transmission delay is about 250ms
(248.5~249.3ms) for different satellite receivers. The transmission jitter is also
not obvious during laboratory tests. So the transmission delay of the satellite
distribution link can satisfy the DTTB SFN requirement of 1 second
transmission delay even taking into account different DTTB stations with
different geography locations.

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Laboratory tests (3)

Laboratory SFN networking test

Satellite
Distributor
modulator

SFN adapter Satellite receiver Satellite receiver

TS adapter DTMB exciter DTMB exciter

Combiner
TS

DTMB STB ETL

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Laboratory tests (4)

Laboratory SFN networking test

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Field trials (1)

DTMB working mode

Transmitting stations

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Field trials (2)

Coverage test result of single transmitting station

CCTV Tower Transmitting station 2

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Field trials (3)

Coverage test results of nonsynchronous transmission stations

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Field trials (4)

Coverage test results of SFN mode

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Conclusion
A novel DTTB SFN scheme is proposed based on satellite distribution
networks. The advantages of the satellite link are fully utilized in the
proposed scheme so that the program distribution network will not be
affected by the regional restrictions. Therefore, it is suitable for
constructing national wide or large area DTTB SFN networks. Test
result indicates that the transmission delay of the satellite distribution
link satisfies the SFN networking requirement. Both laboratory test and
field trial show that the proposed SFN structure can support practical
applications.

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Thank you!

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