TECHNICAL BULLETIN

Updates on TDMA CRC Errors Displayed on iQ Series Remotes

Technical Bulletin No: T0001097 Rev E Date Issued: November 12, 2020

Audience:
Customers using iDirect Evolution and iDirect Velocity Netw orks

Progress Update :
Issue Resolved for iDirect Evolution Netw orks: On October 24, 2019 iDirect released an iQ remote-only softw are
package, iDX 4.1.3.2, that resolves the issue of iQ Series remotes displaying TDMA CRC errors. As a remote only
softw are package, this softw are is compatible w ith netw ork softw are versions 4.1.2.x released in December 2018 and
4.1.3.x released in May 2019. This allow s partners to deploy this iQ release quickly and w ithout a full netw ork
upgrade if already running 4.1.2.x or 4.1.3.x. Customers running older softw are w ith iQ are encouraged to upgrade
their netw ork to 4.1.3.0 and to install this remote softw are package immediately.
Issue Resolved for iDirect Velocity Netw orks: On November 4, 2020, iDirect released Velocity 3.1.0.2 softw are
w hich contains an iQ remote package that resolves the issue of iQ Series remotes exhibiting TDMA CRC errors. This
remote softw are package w ill require Velocity 3.1.0.2 or later PP softw are at the hub and Pulse 2.7.1.2 or later in the
NOC and SAS.

Products Affected:
Hardw are: iQ Desktop, iQ 200 Rackmount, iQ LTE, and iQ 200 Board
Softw are: N/A

Distribution: Critical Standard Special

Purpose of Bulletin:
As noted above, this issue is resolved for Evolution netw orks. This revision of the Technical Bulletin provides the
release timeline for Velocity netw orks and explains how partners can prepare to implement the fix on release.
It has been observed in certain field deployments that the iQ Series remotes (specifically iQ Desktop, iQ 200
Rackmount,iQ 200 Board and iQ LTE), in both Evolution and Velocity netw orks, can display TDMA Cyclic
Redundancy Check (CRC) errors. The issue occurs only w hen the BUC reference is enabled on the remote.

Overview:
When a deployed netw ork does not display any upstream CRC errors and the dow nstream or upstream symbol rate
is not being reduced, it is unlikely that CRC errors w ill manifest in the future.

In an iDirect system, the remote terminal locks its local Netw ork Clock Reference (NCR) to the hub reference through
NCR timestamps distributed on the dow nstream signal and uses it for time/frequency synchronization of upstream
TDMA transmissions. The transmission frequency accuracy, both regulatory and operationally, is achieved by
compensating the transmit IF frequency at L-band w hen compared to the NCR.

As the dow nstream symbol rate decreases, the NCR timestamping becomes off -sync w hich causes the NCR to be
less stable, introducing more frequency error. As the NCR becomes less accurate it imparts frequency errors on the
upstream affecting the ATDMA return channel causing CRC errors.
Factors influencing w hen CRC errors can occur:
The occurrence of CRC errors is dependent on the follow ing variables:
1. Unit to unit variation based on oscillator initial frequency – oscillator initial tolerance impacts NCR stability.
Therefore, in the same user netw ork some units exhibit CRC errors w hereas others do not.

2. The combination of dow nstream, upstream, and RF band affect w hether CRC errors can occur. The
follow ing table show s the combinations that w ill not be impacted by this issue, therefore resulting in no CRC
errors:

T0001097 Rev E

ST Engineering iDirect, Inc. dba iDirect, 13861 Sunrise Valley Drive, Herndon VA 20171
 TECHNICAL BULLETIN

RF band Downstream symbol rate Min upstream symbol rate

C Band
C [1Msps-3Msps] >=375ksps
C [3Msps-6Msps] >=187.5ksps
C [6Msps-9Msps] >=128ksps
C [9Msps-13.5Msps] >=128ksps
Ku Band
Ku [1Msps-3Msps] >=750ksps
Ku [3Msps-6Msps] >=512ksps
Ku [6Msps-9Msps] >=256ksps
Ku [9Msps-13.5Msps] >=150ksps
Ka Band
Ka [1Msps-3Msps] >=1500ksps
Ka [3Msps-6Msps] >=1024ksps
Ka [6Msps-9Msps] >=512ksps
Ka [9Msps-13.5Msps] >=300ksps
All Bands
All bands >=13.5Msps >=128ksps

 Why does ATDMA upstream symbol rate matter? Smaller upstream symbol rates mean frequency error
is a larger percentage of overall carrier affecting TDMA demodulator to recover burst error free.

 Why does upstream RF frequency matter? Higher RF frequency (example KA band) means frequency
errors are multiplied. Frequency errors at L-band get multiplied up to RF f requency. As an example,
Ka-band is therefore 2x more sensitive than Ku band because RF frequency is 2x higher.

3. Other impairments like mobility, fade, partial blockages, and so on, that happen naturally can add additional
impairments to a TDMA burst in addition to the NCR frequency error.

T0001097 Rev E

ST Engineering iDirect, Inc. dba iDirect, 13861 Sunrise Valley Drive, Herndon VA 20171
 TECHNICAL BULLETIN
Additional Assistance
For more information regarding this issue, please use the follow ing contact information:

To contact ST Engineering iDirect, Inc. dba iDirect for assistance:

Company Web site: http://w w w.idirect.net
Main Phone: +1 703.648.8000
TAC Contact Information:
Phone: +1 703.648.8151
Email: tac@idirect.net
Web site: http://support.idirect.net

To contact iDirect Governm ent for assistance:

Company Web site: http://w w w.idirectgov.com
Main Phone: +1 703.648.8118
TAC Contact Information:
Phone: +1 703.648.8111
Email: tac@idirectgov.com
Web site: http://tac.idirectgov.com

T0001097 Rev E

ST Engineering iDirect, Inc. dba iDirect, 13861 Sunrise Valley Drive, Herndon VA 20171