Munich, Germany. In preparation for the Olympic Games 2020 in Tokyo, the Japanese broadcasting world is getting ready for 8K Ultra High-Definition TV (UHDTV). Rohde & Schwarz reports that in 2018, public broadcaster NHK will roll out the needed ISDB-S3 standard.
Rohde & Schwarz also reports that SiTune Corp., a manufacturer of RF and mixed-signal semiconductors, silicon tuners enabling triple-play, and satellite and terrestrial/cable receivers, has successfully tested its tuners for 8K Ultra High-Definition satellite TV in line with the ISDB-S3 standard. The R&S SLG satellite load generator from Rohde & Schwarz generated the ISDB-S3 signals. It is the first signal generator with this capability. In the interoperability test, the SiTune STN6528 tuner successfully received and demodulated the ISDB-S3 signal. The SiTune STN6528 tuner was operated as a plug-in board on an SC1501 demodulator evaluation board from Socionext.
SiTune introduced an ISDB-S3 tuner in January 2016. By the second quarter of 2018, the manufacturer will start mass production of the tuner, which supports satellite, terrestrial, and cable reception.
The multichannel R&S SLG signal generator from Rohde & Schwarz was used for the tests. The R&S SLG simultaneously generates up to 32 satellite transponders in real time. This compact 1U, 19-in. unit replaces a full rack of many separate signal generators. Users save energy and space and eliminate the time-consuming, error-prone operation of multiple instruments as well as the cost of servicing and calibrating them. The R&S SLG can be operated in the 250-MHz to 3,225-MHz frequency range with a modulation bandwidth of 500 MHz. Customers have a choice of transmission standards, including DVB-S, DSNG, DVB-S2, DVB-S2 wideband, DVB-S2X (also with channel bonding), ISDB-S, and ISDB-S3. Several R&S SLG generators can be cascaded to generate signals for the entire satellite IF band. In multicarrier operation, the R&S SLG generates up to 32 transponder signals and transmits the content of transport streams that are fed into the instrument via an ASI, Gigabit Ethernet, or optical SFP+ interface via IP.
The R&S SLG is suitable for developing and testing set-top boxes and tuners in the consumer equipment industry as well as for testing professional satellite terminals, terrestrial satellite station receivers and components, and satellite payloads in the aerospace and defense industry. Satellite operators use the R&S SLG to simulate transponders and for tests to optimize transmissions.
The ISDB-S3 test setup, with the SiTune STN6528 tuner based on the Socionext SC1501 demodulator evaluation board and the R&S SLG satellite load generator from Rohde & Schwarz, will be showcased from November 15 to 17 at Inter BEE 2017 in Tokyo.