News from Rohde & Schwarz

News from Rohde & Schwarz 

Portable receiver and directional antennas 

for mobile radiomonitoring 

Redefining the boundaries of test and measurement: 

first spectrum analyzer all the way up to 67 GHz 

Compact, economical signal generator for all 

broadcasting standards used today 

2007/III 

194

By offering an unrivaled scope of functions, the 

new R&S ® PR100 revolutionizes the market for 

portable monitoring receivers: Together with 

the R&S ® HE300 portable directional antenna, 

the R&S ® PR100 is ideal for close-range and 

far-range radiomonitoring, e. g. for frequency 

monitoring or tracking telltale signals emitted 

by active electronic equipment (page 74). 

Good spectral purity, high output power, and 

short settling times are features to be associated 

with the new analog R&S ® SMB100A 

signal generator (page 18). 

Unprecedented – a spectrum analyzer that 

covers the entire frequency range up to 67 GHz 

(page 24). 

NUMBER 194 2007/III Volume 47 

2 

News from Rohde&Schwarz Number 194 (2007/III) 

44704/11a 

MOBILE RADIO 

Technology 

From SISO to MIMO – 

taking advantage of everything the air interface offers (2) .............................................4 

Protocol testers 

R&S ® CRTU Protocol Test Platform 

2G and 3G interoperability tests – from real networks to the lab ....................................8 

Signal generators 

R&S ® SMU / R&S ® AMU200A / R&S ® AFQ Generators 

Standard-compliant DVB-H signals for all tests on mobile devices ...............................12 

WPAN / WLAN / WMAN / WWAN 

Conformance test systems 

R&S ® TS8970 WiMAX Radio Conformance Test System 

State-of-the-art: all WiMAX RF certification tests ..........................................................15 

GENERAL PURPOSE 


R&S ® SMB100A Signal Generator 

Whether broadcast, aerospace and defense, or EMC: 

analog signals for every application ...............................................................................18 

Analyzers 

R&S ® FSU67 Spectrum Analyzer 

Spectrum analysis – entire frequency range now covered from 20 Hz to 67 GHz ........24 

R&S ® ZVA and R&S ® ZVT Vector Network Analyzers 

Millimeter-wave network analysis with maximum dynamic range ............................... 27 

R&S ® EVS300 ILS/VOR Analyzer 

High-precision level and modulation analysis of ILS and VOR signals ..........................30 

EMC/FIELD STRENGTH 

Test receivers 

R&S ® ESPI Precompliance Test Receiver 

Convenient software simplifies EMI measurements ......................................................33

The new R&S ® ZVA-Z110 converters from 

Rohde&Schwarz expand the R&S ® ZVA24, 

R&S ® ZVA40, and R&S ® ZVT20 vector network 

analyzers by adding millimeter-wave measurement 

capability with maximum dynamic range 

from 75 GHz to 110 GHz (page 27). 

Multistandard realtime coding, integrated baseband 

source, excellent RF characteristics – all 

this in a compact box with a convenient graphical 

user interface: This is the new R&S ® SFE 

broadcast tester (page 44). 

3 


BROADCASTING 

TV transmitters 

R&S ® NH/NV8600 UHF Transmitter Family 

High efficiency reduces energy costs by up to 25 % ...................................................... 37 

Reference 

Full DVB-T coverage of the Netherlands .........................................................................40 

The first T-DMB broadcast network in South Korea .......................................................42 


R&S ® SFE Broadcast Tester 

Compact signal generator for all current broadcasting standards ................................44 

Monitoring systems 

R&S ® DVM400 Digital Video Measurement System 

T&M equipment for IPTV .................................................................................................50 

Transmitter network monitoring 

Efficient and to the point: monitoring of digital TV signals (2).......................................53 

FOCUS 

Customer support 

Customer support center: available around the clock worldwide .................................58 

RADIOMONITORING 

Monitoring systems 

R&S ®AMMOS R&S ®AMLAB Laboratory 

Compact system for wideband interception and technical analysis .............................60 

R&S ®ARGUS Spectrum Monitoring Software 

New identification module with more than 120 decoding modes.................................66 

Direction finders 

R&S ® DDF0xA/E and R&S ® DDF195 Digital Direction Finders 

The world’s first VHF-UHF direction finding antennas for all polarizations ...................70 

R&S ® DDF0xA / E Digital HF / VHF / UHF Direction Finders 

Super-resolution DF method identifies co-channel signals ...........................................72 

Receivers 

R&S ® PR100 Portable Receiver 

Mobile radiomonitoring – portable, precise, fast ...........................................................74 

R&S ® HE300 Active Directional Antenna 

Level measurements, monitoring and transmitter location ...........................................79 

MISCELLANEOUS 

Newsgrams ......................................................................................................................82 

Published by Rohde & Schwarz GmbH&Co. KG · Mühldorfstrasse 15 · 81671 München 

Support Center: Tel. (+49) 01805124242 · E-mail: customersupport@rohde-schwarz.com 

Fax (+4989) 4129-13777 · Editor and layout: Ludwig Drexl, Redaktion – Technik (German) 

English translation: Dept. 9MC7 · Photos: Rohde & Schwarz · Printed in Germany · Circulation (German, 

English, French, and Chinese) 80000 approx. 4 times a year · ISSN 0028-9108 · Supply free of charge 

through your nearest Rohde & Schwarz representative · Reproduction of extracts permitted if source is stated 

and copy sent to Rohde & Schwarz München. 

R&S ® is a registered trademark of Rohde & Schwarz GmbH&Co. KG. Trade names are trademarks of the owners. CDMA2000® is a registered 

trademark of Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA USA). The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. 

and any use of such marks by Rohde & Schwarz is under license.

Transmitter with 

one / several antennas 

1 

N 

Part 1 of this article in number 192 

discussed SISO, SIMO and MISO 

systems (see box below) and how 

they are used in GSM, WCDMA and 

WiMAX. The tests defined as part of 

the certification process were also 

discussed along with how they can 

be implemented using instruments 

from Rohde & Schwarz. Part 2 will 

cover MIMO systems, i. e. the variants 

used in the different standards, the 

MISO 

N × 1 

relevant test scenarios and their 

SISO 

1 × 1 

MIMO 

N × M 

MOBILE RADIO 

implementation. 

FIG 1 The different diversities at a glance. 

The terms input and output always refer to the transmission 

channel. For the downlink (transmission channel from base 

station to mobile station), an input is a transmitting antenna 

of the base station and an output is a receiving antenna of the 

mobile station. 

SIMO 

1 × M 

1 

M 

Receiver with 

one / several antennas 

Technology 

4 


From SISO to MIMO – taking advantage 

of everything the air interface offers (2) 

MIMO (multiple transmitting 

and receiving antennas) 

MIMO systems have also made their 

way into test specifications, and the day 

when these multiple antenna systems 

will actually see real-world implementation 

is nearing. In MIMO, N transmitting 

antennas provide signals to M receiving 

antennas (FIG 2). In general, the transmission 

channel in a MIMO system can 

be characterized using the following 

N r × N t channel matrix H(τ,t): 

� h11 , (,) �t h12 , ( �,) t � h1, N (,) � t � t 

� 

� 

� h21 , (,) �t h22 , ( �,) 

t � h2, 

N (,) � t � 

t 

H( �,) 

t � � 

� 

� � � � � 

� 

�� 

� 

�� 

hN (,) t h r, 1� N ( ,) t h r, 2 � � Nr, N(,) 

� t 

� 

t �� 

The elements of the main diagonal h i,i 

characterize the direct transmission 

paths between the antennas, and the 

remaining elements characterize the 

mixing products. We thus obtain the 

received signal r(t) as follows: 

r(t) = H(τ,t) × s(t) + n(t), 

where H(τ,t) channel matrix 

s(t) transmitted signal 

n(t) additive noise 

In MIMO, all of the basic concepts discussed 

in Part I are combined in different 

ways. Depending on the actual technique, 

the result is either higher data 

throughput or more robust transmission. 

Logically, it makes sense to exploit favorable 

transmission conditions to increase 

the transmission rate by selecting the 

corresponding technique. Under less 

favorable transmission conditions, however, 

this does not produce the desired 

result. In these cases, we need to 

choose a technique that increases the 

transmission reliability. Increased transmission 

reliability also has a positive 

effect on the data throughput since less 

channel capacity is wasted to repeat 

blocks with errors. 

Since the properties of a transmission 

channel can fluctuate very quickly, any 

change in the transmission technique 

must be carried out quickly as well. This 

requires fast feedback of the channel 

properties from the receiver to the transmitter, 

which means that the timing 

needs for such feedback must be properly 

defined. 

From SISO to MIMO – diversities at a glance 

SISO Single Input Single Output The classic and easiest way: one transmitting and one receiving 

antenna. 

SIMO Single Input Multiple Output One transmitting and several receiving antennas. Is also often 

referred to as receive diversity. With reference to the downlink, this means one transmitting antenna at 

the base station and more than one receiving antenna at the mobile radiotelephone. 

MISO Multiple Input Single Output Several transmitting antennas and one receiving antenna. 

Is also referred to as transmit diversity. With reference to the downlink, this means more than one 

t ransmitting antenna at the base station and one receiving antenna at the mobile radiotelephone. 

MIMO Multiple Input Multiple Output Complete expansion: N transmitting antennas provide 

signals to M receiving antennas.

Transmit diversity with space time 

block coding 

The same data stream is transmitted 

using different antennas with different 

encoding (STTD – space time transmit 

diversity or space time block coding 

as described by Alamouti). This means 

that the receiver receives multiple copies 

of the same signal due to multipath 

propagation. This improves the signalto-noise 

(S/N) ratio and makes the connection 

more stable. The less correlated 

the fading channels are, the greater the 

improvement. Note that it is not possible 

to continue improving the S/N ratio 

by adding more and more antennas. The 

system tends to become saturated. 

Spatial division multiplexing 

In this technique, the transmitting 

antennas simultaneously transmit multiple 

different data streams to one 

receiver. The receiver receives parallel 

data streams on each of its antennas. 

“All” the receiver has to do is separate 

these data streams. This is possible only 

under the assumption that channels 

with different fading are present on the 

different antennas (i. e. the lower the 

correlation, the better). This technique 

increases the data throughput, but it 

makes sense only under favorable transmission 

conditions. Here, too, the possible 

gain is limited by the correlation of 

the transmission paths. 

Beamforming 

In this case, signals are not transmitted 

omnidirectionally. Instead, antenna 

arrays produce an individual beam for 

each mobile station. This means that the 

base station orients its antenna array 

so that its transmission lobe tracks the 

movements of the mobile station. This, 

however, requires a signal that can be 

assigned by frequency and / or time to a 

mobile station. Otherwise stated: Each 

mobile station must have its own lobe. 

FIG 3 

Test setup for 

WCDMA MIMO in 

the downlink under 

multipath propagation 

conditions 

with transmit and 

receive diversity. 

5 


With GSM, for example, each mobile 

station is assigned a frequency (ARFCN, 

absolute radio frequency channel number) 

for a certain number of timeslots so 

that beamforming is possible. This is not 

the case with WCDMA since a mobile 

station is identified only by its code 

within a frequency or time range which 

it shares with other mobile stations. This 

Matrix B 

d 1 

d 2 

Time 

Space 

TX 

ant. 1 

LO 

TX 

ant. 2 

TX 1 

TX 2 

Base 

station 

emulator 

RX 

h 12 

h 11 

h 22 

makes it impossible for the base station 

to use its transmission lobe to track 

different mobile stations as they move 

about. As a basic prerequisite, the properties 

of the transmission channel must 

be known at the transmitter for a base 

station to be able to direct its antenna 

array toward a specific mobile station. 

Ior Îor Ioc 

Fading 

Splitter 

Splitter 

h 21 

RX 

ant. 2 

n 2 

Fading 

Fading 

Fading 

RX 

ant. 1 

n 1 

FIG 2 

MIMO 2 × 2 with two 

transmitting and two 

receiving antennas. 

r 1 

r 2 

AWGN 

AWGN 

Example: zero forcing, 

MMSE (minimum 

mean squared error), 

MLD (maximum 

likelihood detector) 

MIMO 

RX 

d e 1 

d e 2 

RX 

antenna 

Device 

under 

test 

(DUT) 

TX / RX 

antenna

Currently defined test scenarios 

GSM 

After the test scenarios for a SIDO system 

(DARP phase 2), no additional steps 

toward MIMO are currently planned for 

GSM. 

WCDMA 

With its diversity performance tests 

9.2.2C, 9.2.3C and 9.4.2A from release 7, 

WCDMA is introducing MIMO in the 

downlink (FIG 3). These tests are also 

part of work item 26 of the Global Certification 

Forum (GCF). Transmit diversity 

is used to improve the reception 

for a specific connection in the downlink. 

From the network operator’s perspective, 

transmit diversity has the benefit 

that it does not require any changes 

in the transmission scheme used by the 

base stations. 

Unlike the tests for DARP phase 2 in 

GSM, the fading channels are not correlated. 

Apart from an AWGN signal, 

6 


no interferers are provided so far. FIG 4 

shows the implementation of tests in 

accordance with WCDMA WI-26 using 

the R&S ® TS8950W (FIG 4). With long 

term evolution (LTE) defined in release 8 

of the 3GPP specifications, WCDMA continues 

to progress. The specifications 

for LTE are scheduled for completion in 

March 2008 and the associated tests 

should be ready by December 2008. 

Since LTE, like WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e), 

is based on OFDMA, test scenarios 

similar to those described below for 

WiMAX Wave 2 will probably be used. 

WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e) 

The tests defined in Wave 1 are based 

on SISO (one transmitting antenna and 

one receiving antenna). According to the 

system profile for Wave 2, MIMO 2 × 2 

will be used with two transmitting 

antennas and two receiving antennas 

including beamforming. An enhancement 

to MIMO 4 × 4 is already included 

in the IEEE 802.16e standard, and 

MIMO 8 × 8 is currently under discussion 

in the WiMAX ® Forum. Since the 

principle is the same, we will not discuss 

these implementations in further detail 

here. The test scenarios for beamforming 

assume usage of up to four transmitting 

antennas per transmitter in the 

base station. 

WiMAX makes a distinction between 

two MIMO modes: matrix A and matrix B. 

Matrix A is a transmit diversity mode 

in the downlink using space time coding 

in accordance with Alamouti which 

increases the stability of the connection 

under unfavorable conditions. Matrix B 

is a spatial multiple access technique 

that includes single as well as multiple 

code word transmission (also known as 

vertical and horizontal encoding) and 

increases the data rate under favorable 

transmission conditions. Switching 

between matrix A and matrix B 

depends on the properties of the transmission 

channel. The base station determines 

how long to use each mode. For 

FIG 4 An R&S ® CRTU-G /-W protocol tester and two R&S ® SMU200A generators (also used as faders) generate the two downlink signals. An extension 

is needed in the signal switching and conditioning unit (SSCU) in the R&S ® TS8950W test system to add up the two downlink RF signals and to provide 

a second DUT interface. 

R&S®CRTU-W 

I/Q 

out 

R&S®SMU200A R&S®SMU200A 

BB 

Fading 

CH 1 

AWGN I/Q RF 

RF 

SIG 1 

BB 

Fading 

CH 1 

I/Q 

I/Q 

BB 

I/Q 

in 

BB: baseband unit 

C: combiner 

I/Q 

mod 

Baseband 

signals 

MOBILE RADIO Technology 

I/Q 

out 

Fading 

CH 2 

RF 

in 

RF 

out 

I/Q 

in 

UL 

DL (unused) 

AWGN I/Q RF 

RF 

SIG 2 

Combining the RF signals in the SSCU 

of the R&S®TS8950W test system: 

SIG 1 

C 

DL 1 

SIG 2 

C 

DL 2 

SIG 3 

SIG 4 

BB 

An SSCU extension is needed for DL2. 

Fading 

CH 2 

AWGN I/Q RF 

AWGN I/Q RF 

RF 

SIG 3 

RF 

SIG 4

this purpose, it must know the transmit 

channel. Feedback of the reception quality 

is included in the signaling from the 

mobile station to the base station. 

The approval tests that are specified verify 

the performance gain achieved by 

MIMO, e. g. the sensitivity with different 

modulation types, as well as the correct 

implementation of matrix A and matrix B 

and the switchover between them. 

Beamforming 

Beamforming tests for base stations 

use an approach that involves combining 

all antenna outputs of a transmitter 

in the test system with different electrical 

lengths. The base station needs 

to compensate for the different delays 

so that all signals arrive at the mobile 

station emulator (MSE) with the same 

phase and add up there. In the ideal 

case, the MSE then “receives” a multiple 

of the power corresponding to the 

number of antennas. Beamforming functionality 

is verified by assessing the gain 

in sensitivity. 

MIMO 2 × 2 tests for WiMAX 

The Wave 2 MIMO tests involve a 2 × 2 

channel model using correlated fading 

(FIG 5). An R&S ® AMU200A equipped 

with two external I/Q inputs and the 

-K74 option (“fading split mode”) can 

perform a complete 2 × 2 MIMO channel 

simulation in conjunction with two 

RF output stages (FIG 6). The complex 

correlation matrix can be programmed 

as required. The WiMAX ® Forum has 

defined three different matrices (low, 

medium and high correlation). 

Summary 

7 


More than half a year has elapsed since 

Part I of this article was published. In 

the meantime, many tests have been 

defined (and many have also been discarded). 

Clearly, however, there is 

sustained forward momentum. Many 

ideas await their implementation. One 

thing is clear, however: Rohde & Schwarz 

is continuously developing its measuring 

instruments and approval test systems 

so as to always provide the required test 

capabilities plus future viability. 

Josef Kiermaier 

FIG 5 Setup with 2 × 2 channel model and correlated fading for testing a base station with the 

R&S ® TS8970 test system. 

R&S®TS8970 test system 

AWGN 

MBS 

Base station 

(DUT) 

MAC 

BB 

ABS: antenna base station 

AMS: antenna mobile station 

BB: baseband unit 

MAC: medium access control 

MBS: multicast broadcast service 

MMS: multimessage service 

RF 

RF 

ABS 

DL / UL 

splitter 

RF switching unit 

DL / UL 

splitter 

RF to DUT 

2 × 2 MIMO 

channel 

emulation 

AWGN 

FIG 6 An R&S ® AMU200A generator and two RF output stages simulate a 2 × 2 MIMO channel (the two 

R&S ® SMU200A generators can also be replaced by an R&S ® SMATE generator). 

TX 1 

TX 2 

R&S®AMU200A 

I/Q 

I/Q 

Fading 

CH 1a 

Fading 

CH 1a 

Fading 

CH 1a 

Fading 

CH 1a 

+ 

RF to DUT 

+ 

I/Q 

I/Q 

RF signal 

analysis 

RF from DUT 

RF signal 

analysis 

AMS 

R&S®SMU200A 

Generator 1 

6 GHz 

or 

R&S®SMU200A 

Generator 2 

6 GHz 

RF 

RF 

Channel model 

Cross-correlation 

BB 

Emulation of 

mobile station 

MAC 

TX 1, CH 2a + TX 2, CH 2b 

R&S®SMATE 

I/Q AWGN RF 

I/Q AWGN RF 

TX 1, CH 2a + TX 2, CH 2b 

MMS

MOBILE RADIO Protocol testers 

In addition to conformance tests, 

interoperability tests (IOT) are 

becoming increasingly important. 

R&S ® CRTU users have an advan- 

tage in this respect: They can transfer 

these tests from real networks to the 

lab and perform them in an altogether 

quicker and more cost-efficient 

manner. The new R&S ® ITS replay tool 

in conjunction with the R&S ® ROMES 

coverage measurement software 

makes this possible. 

More information and data sheet at 

www.rohde-schwarz.com 

(search term: type designation) 

REFERENCES 

[1] R&S ® CRTU Protocol Test Platform: 

User-friendly definition of 2G and 

3G signaling scenarios. News from 

Rohde & Schwarz (2007) No. 193, 

pp 21–23 

[2] R&S ® TSMx Radio Network Analyzers: 

Radio network analyzers for all tasks and 

any budget. News from Rohde & Schwarz 

(2007) No. 192, pp 4–8 

[3] R&S ® ROMES3 Coverage Measurement 

Software: Acquisition, analysis, and visualization 

of data in coverage measurements. 

News from Rohde & Schwarz (2000) 

No. 166, pp 29–32 

8 


R&S ® CRTU Protocol Test Platform 

2G and 3G interoperability tests – 

from real networks to the lab 

For network operators and 

platform or chip manufacturers 

Error-free operation in the real network 

– this is the primary requirement 

demanded by mobile phone users and 

thus also by network operators and platform 

or chip manufacturers. Comprehensive 

tests must ensure correct functioning. 

Since processes in real networks 

are often more complex than the lab 

simulation performed during development, 

interoperability tests are of major 

importance for development purposes 

and prior to the market launch of mobile 

phones. 

IOTs are performed either in IOT labs of 

the network infrastructure manufacturers 

or in real networks under the conditions 

present there. However, these 

tests carry the disadvantage of being 

very expensive owing to the unavoidable 

costs for renting test networks. 

Moreover, errors that occur due to the 

constantly changing general conditions 

in these networks (cell power, timing, 

load, etc.) can no longer be reproduced. 

Rohde & Schwarz has therefore developed 

the R&S ® ITS replay tool for its 

interoperability tool suite (ITS) [1] software 

application. The tool allows you to 

use data about conditions and scenarios 

that appear only once in a real network 

or in an IOT lab and simulate these conditions 

and scenarios on the R&S ® CRTU 

protocol test platform in the lab. 

From field test to simulation 

in the lab 

However, before you can perform realistic 

tests in the lab, it is first necessary 

to carry out drive tests in real 

mobile radio networks. You can 

use the R&S ® TSMx radio network 

FIG 1 Section of an export report with the public land mobile network (PLMN) ID replaced and the 

determination of the network mode of operation (NMO).

analyzers [2] and the R&S ® ROMES coverage 

measurement software [3] from 

Rohde & Schwarz to conveniently handle 

these tests. R&S ® ROMES records 

the data that is generated by the analyzer 

or test phone during the drive 

test and saves it on the hard disk (see 

box on page 11) in a proprietary format 

(*.rscmd). The data is exported and analyzed 

via the software’s export function 

and combined into a field test scenario 

(f2l file), which is then played back to 

the R&S ® CRTU by means of the R&S ® ITS 

replay software option. The software 

generates a report that documents in 

detail all required changes of the scenario 

during the export process (FIG 1). If 

the measurement data is not sufficient 

for a simulation, the reason why the scenario 

cannot be simulated is automatically 

determined. If all prerequisites are 

met, R&S ® ITS replay accepts the field 

test scenario and plays it back. By using 

the graphical user interface, you can 

also make changes to layer 3 messages, 

e. g. skip, copy, insert, or delete, if necessary. 

The tried-and-tested Message 

Composer from Rohde & Schwarz makes 

it possible to edit individual messages. 

As usual, result analysis is performed 

using the Message Analyzer (FIG 2). 

Field tests in the lab 

The R&S ® ROMES coverage measurement 

software allows the initial analysis 

of the recorded scenarios. You can perform 

a virtual simulation of field tests on 

the PC in the lab and select and export 

the signaling sequences that are of 

interest to you. The processes executed 

during the export of the recorded field 

tests analyze the available measurement 

data and prepare it for R&S ® ITS replay. 

This includes the following: 

◆◆Determination 

of all necessary cells 

and associated cell parameters (e. g. 

cell timing in UMTS). Cells are set up 

as needed and then cleared down 

again as well. Thus, any number of 

Real mobile 

radio network 

FIG 2 

From the real mobile 

radio network into 

the lab: the operating 

cycle with 

R&S ® ROMES and 

R&S ® ITS replay. 

9 


Test mobile phone 

Lab test 

cells of a scenario can be played back 

on the simulator. 


of the necessary registration. 

If no registration is included 

in the sequence to be simulated, the 

actual scenario is preceded by a standard 

registration. 

◆◆Export 

of all required layer 3 

messages. 

◆◆Export 

of all cell information necessary 

for the simulation of the cell 

power. 

◆◆Inclusion 

of real time sequences. 

◆◆Simulation 

of security algorithms. 

Since the algorithms used in the network 

are proprietary, R&S ® ITS replay 

uses a standardized test-purpose universal 

subscriber identity module 

(USIM) and the algorithms based on 

the TS34.108 test specification. 

Test mobile phone 

¸TSMx 

radio network analyzer 

R&S®CRTU 

protocol test platform 

R&S®ROMES coverage 

measurement software 

R&S®ROMES export 

R&S®ITS replay 

R&S®CRTU 

R&S®ITS replay 

R&S®CRTU 

message analyzer 

After an export has been performed, 

these and many other processes ensure 

that a field test scenario that can run 

on the R&S ® CRTU is generated without 

manual interaction. You can thus 

press the start button of the R&S ® ITS 

replay application and the simulation 

will begin. The result is saved together 

with the simulated scenario and managed 

in a result overview. In contrast to 

tests in real networks, these scenarios 

are reproducible. 

Two modes for various 

requirements 

To take the various requirements into 

account, there are two different ways of 

playing back an R&S ® ITS replay scenario 

(FIG 3).

MOBILE RADIO Protocol testers 

FIG 3 R&S ® ITS replay: Its graphical user interface provides all functions that are necessary for flexibly playing back field test scenarios in the lab. 

In Strict Mode, the simulator 

expects every single message present 

in R&S ® ITS replay exactly as it was 

received when recorded in the real network. 

If a message is missing or an 

unexpected message is received, the 

scenario will be immediately terminated. 

You can thus reproduce network scenarios 

in the lab with absolute sequence 

accuracy. 

In contrast, Tolerant Mode provides 

flexibility in the sequence as well as in 

the order the messages arrive. This is 

advantageous when different mobile 

phones behave slightly differently and 

the R&S ® ITS replay scenarios are used 

for regression tests on various types of 

mobile phones. 

10 


In both modes, you can also activate 

Constraint Matching, which allows the 

bit-accurate comparison of complete 

uplink messages on the basis of individual 

messages. 

Another important point for reproducing 

a field scenario in the lab is the simulation 

of the cell power on the R&S ® CRTU. 

In many cases, it may be sufficient to 

simulate only the signaling process in 

order to detect a mobile phone malfunction. 

To handle cases where the transmit 

power of the cells has a decisive impact, 

R&S ® ITS replay can also adapt the 

power of the most important cells every 

100 ms in accordance with the recorded 

cell power. However, in this special case 

the mobile phone should be placed in 

a shielded chamber, since the interfer- 

ing effects in the lab would otherwise 

distort the result. 

In addition to interactive operation, 

R&S ® ITS replay of course also supports 

automatic tests. In this case, the 

R&S ® CRTU handles the task of operating 

the mobile phone by means of software 

remote control. 

Precise and complete measurements 

with the R&S ® TSMx 

For cost and implementation reasons, 

the receiver sections of mobile phones 

are generally rather simple in design. 

Therefore, they can neither perform calibrated 

measurements of the surrounding 

cell environment during a field 

test nor analyze the large number of

surrounding cells with sufficient accuracy. 

This is where an R&S ® TSMx radio 

network analyzer comes in handy – it 

can carry out these measurements more 

quickly, more thoroughly and more precisely. 

Irrespective of the test mobile 

phone, the R&S ® TSMx measures the 

system information and power of all 

cells to be received. Normally, no information 

is lost when this is done, and the 

simulation in the lab corresponds even 

closer to the field conditions. Moreover, 

data from neighboring cells of other systems, 

e. g. GSM, can also be included 

in this way – even if the measurements 

were not performed by the DUT itself. 

1. For many conventional mobile 

radio device platforms, 

Rohde & Schwarz offers drivers 

that allow the signaling protocols 

saved in the mobile phone to be 

used in the R&S ® ROMES coverage 

measurement software. 

2. Using the R&S ® ROMES mobile 

driver development kit (DDK), you 

can develop customer-specific 

R&S ® ROMES drivers for GSM and 

WCDMA. 

3. Rohde & Schwarz also offers a programming 

interface (C++ API) 

for R&S ® ITS replay that allows 

you to quickly convert protocol 

files of the mobile phones to the 

R&S ® ROMES format. 

FIG 4 

There are three ways of converting log data to 

the Rohde & Schwarz rscmd format. 

1. R&S®ROMES driver 

Mobile 

phone 

Mobile 

phone 

11 


Nothing comparable on the 

market 

For reproducing field tests, no other 

mobile radio protocol tester on the market 

provides a comparable solution that 

combines high accuracy, flexibility, and 

simple operation. By using the R&S ® ITS 

replay software package presented here, 

you have to record the real network data 

only once and can simulate the scenarios 

in the lab with exact reproducibility, 

thus eliminating the high costs 

associated with renting test networks. 

R&S®ROMES 

driver 

2. R&S®ROMES mobile DDK 

Virtual COM port 

UE logging format 

rscmd 

file 

Translator R&S®ROMES 

generic 

R&S®ROMES mobile DDK mobile driver 

Virtual COM port 2 (modem) / AT commands + data 

3. R&S®ITS replay C++ API 

Userspecific 

format 

User-specific 

file format 

Translator 

¸ITS replay C++ API 

If you assemble a comprehensive test 

suite over an extended period, software 

release cycles can be significantly 

reduced since real network behavior can 

be tested systematically in the lab in 

advance. 

The process described here as an example 

of how to reproduce field tests using 

the R&S ® CRTU and the advantages that 

this offers apply without any restrictions 

also when it comes to reproducing IOT 

lab tests. 

Rolf Huber 

Three different ways of converting measurement data to the Rohde & Schwarz rscmd format 

rscmd 

format 

rscmd 

format 

rscmd 

file 

rscmd 

file 

R&S®ROMES 

core

MOBILE RADIO Signal generators 

The signal generators of the 

R&S ® SMU* family as well as the 

R&S ®AMU200A and R&S ®AFQ from 

Rohde & Schwarz are capable of gener- 

ating all of the signals needed to test 

the latest generation of mobile radio 

devices with DVB-H functionality. 

* This family includes the R&S ® SMU200A, 

R&S ® SMJ100A and R&S ® SMATE generators. 

12 


The R&S ® SMU / R&S ® AMU200A / R&S ® AFQ Generators 

Standard-compliant DVB-H signals 

for all tests on mobile devices 

Combined: mobile radio and 

mobile television 

Owing to the pilot project during the 

Football World Cup 2006, the new 

DVB-H television standard for mobile terminals 

(Digital Video Broadcasting Handhelds) 

has made its way into the public 

consciousness. Many mobile phones 

with DVB-H capabilities have already 

been presented as well. As mobile radio 

and mobile television converge, there is 

increasing demand for additional tests 

among producers who need to perform 

functional testing of DVB-H and mobile 

radio components. 

The necessary standard-compliant 

DVB-H test signals (in accordance with 

ETSI EN302304) can now be generated 

using new options for the R&S ® SMU 

generator family. Available options are: 

FIG 1 User interface of the R&S ® SMU200A in the version with two paths. The upper path generates 

a 3GPP signal, and the lower path a DVB-H signal. Fading simulators are used in both paths. 

◆◆R&S 

® SMJ-K52 for the R&S ® SMJ100A 

vector signal generator 

◆◆R&S 

®AMU-K52 for the 

R&S ®AMU200A baseband signal 

generator 

◆◆R&S 

®AFQ-K252 for the R&S ®AFQ100A 

arbitrary waveform generator using 

R&S ® WinIQSIM2 

Test signals for all 

DVB-H scenarios 

These generators can deliver signals that 

comply with all common mobile radio 

standards (such as 3GPP and WiMAX). 

In combination with their new DVB-H 

functions, they provide an ideal test 

platform for DVB-H-compatible mobile 

phones. For tests involving combined 

scenarios with mobile radio and DVB-H, 

now only a single signal generator is 

needed to generate both signal types, 

either one at a time or simultaneously. 

Due to their extensive remote control 

capabilities, the Rohde & Schwarz generators 

can be used for automated tests in 

production. 

Since DVB-H receivers are sometimes 

transported at higher speeds (e. g. in 

automobiles) so that Doppler effects and 

reflections have to be taken into account, 

the optional R&S ® SMU-B14 fading simulator 

is recommended to simulate distorted 

channels. The simulator allows 

you to study how different DVB-H settings 

influence reception in terminals 

moving at higher speeds. 

The R&S ® SMU200A delivers its top performance 

when simulating co-existent 

mobile radio and broadcast standards 

in the configuration with two paths 

(R&S ® SMU-B202 / -B203 option). This

means that two complete vector signal 

generators are available in one instrument, 

each of which has the functions 

and capabilities described above. 

A generator configured in this manner 

can generate a DVB-H signal on 

one path and a mobile radio signal on 

the other. Each signal is output on a 

DVB-H is the latest extension of the DVB standards (in addition to 

DVB-T, DVB-C, DVB-S) and expands the range of functions provided 

by DVB-T. DVB-H was created in response to new requirements. Compared 

to a television set in your living room at home, a mobile phone 

that is expected to deliver TV service has a much smaller display and 

must use much less power due to its battery. The appearance and 

ergonomics of DVB-H-compatible mobile phones must also meet minimum 

requirements. For 

example, a long rod antenna 

is unacceptable for reception 

so that the transmitted 

power is subject to careful 

consideration. These 

phones are also expected to 

provide satisfactory television 

reception in trains and 

automobiles, which means 

that the transmission technology 

must be designed to 

accommodate high speeds. 

DVB-H satisfies all of these 

requirements. 

DVB-H 

services 

DVB-T 

services 

Data rate 

The DVB standard is based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing 

(OFDM), a technique used in all of the state-of-the-art radio 

standards. With OFDM, the transmitted signal is modulated onto multiple 

carriers (instead of just a single carrier). This makes the system 

less susceptible to in-channel distortion and other interference. 

OFDM also makes it possible to set up single frequency networks 

(SFN) in which adjacent transmitters output signals on the same frequency 

and are time-synchronized. This permits larger cells with 

higher output power levels since cell interference is not a problem to 

be considered. In addition, constructive superposition of signals from 

two different transmitters at cell boundaries can boost the received 

power level. 

There exists a relationship between the number of OFDM carriers 

used for transmission, the maximum possible speed of the terminal 

and the cell size of an SFN. The more OFDM carriers there are, the 

lower the maximum speed. On the other hand, additional OFDM carriers 

increase the range of a cell. DVB-T has two transmission modes 

13 


separate RF connector. These two signals 

can then be used for testing DVB-Hcompatible 

mobile phones for simultaneous 

reception of mobile radio and broadcast 

services (FIG 1). 

If you need to simulate DVB-H on multiple 

channels, you can generate a DVB-H 

signal using both paths and implement 

DVB-H versus DVB-T 

with different numbers of carriers: 2K (1705 carriers) and 8K (6817 

carriers). To provide a design compromise in networks between the 

maximum speed and the cell size, DVB-H also offers a 4K mode with 

3409 carriers. 

In order to decrease the susceptibility to interference at high speeds, 

it is possible to encode data over multiple OFDM symbols (one symbol 

represents the data of all carri- 

DVB-H program x 

containsinformation about 

the time interval to the next 

timeslot in this program. 

DVB-T program 2 

DVB-T program 1 

Service information 

Time 

FIG 2 Schematic diagram of a DVB multiplex signal consisting of two DVB-T 

sections and eight DVB-H components with time division multiplexing. 

test scenarios with adjacent channels 

structured to meet your requirements, 

for example. 

If the memory depth of the 

R&S ® SMU200A (i. e. the approx. 28 s 

duration of a test signal with the 

R&S ® SMU-B9 memory option) is not 

adequate for certain applications, you 

ers in a timeslot). 

There are also certain distinctions 

in terms of power consumption. 

In DVB-T, the different 

services in a channel 

are transmitted continuously 

using a fixed data rate. This 

means that the receiver unit 

must continuously be active. 

In DVB-H, however, time slicing 

is used to achieve the longest 

possible battery life: A 

DVB-H data stream contains a 

specific service only in a peri- 

odically repeated timeslot in which it is transmitted with a selectively 

high data rate (FIG 2). It also contains information about when 

the next timeslot will be received. The data of a timeslot is buffered 

and routed to the video decoder at the actual data rate. During the 

time interval between two timeslots, the receiver unit powers down, 

which in theory can produce power savings of up to 90 %. 

Information about when the next timeslot can be expected is transmitted 

in the data link layer (instead of the physical layer). This represents 

a significant difference compared to DVB-T. The terrestrial 

variant of the standard provides for direct transmission of video 

streams, while DVB-H transmits the content in IP packets. Packetization 

involves the use of multiprotocol encapsulation (MPE), and then 

the content undergoes forward error correction (MPE-FEC). The time 

slicing functionality is implemented as part of this process. The resulting 

transport stream consists of MPE-FEC frames and can be inserted 

directly into a DVB-T multiplex. This serves as a basis for the co-existence 

of DVB-H and DVB-T.

can use the new R&S®WinIQSIM2 tool 

for signal generation. The DVB-H signals 

generated with this Windows® software 

can be replayed as a baseband signal 

using the R&S ®AFQ100A arbitrary waveform 

generator and then converted to 

the RF by means of the R&S ® SMU200A. 

This is a way to generate transmit 

sequences lasting up to one and a half 

minutes. 

For test applications requiring 

sequences of user-definable length, 

Rohde & Schwarz offers the R&S ® SFU 

broadcast test system [*] which is capable 

of generating the necessary DVB-H 

signals in realtime. 

Clear and convenient menus, 

as always 

The menus used to make settings for 

the DVB-H option are seamlessly integrated 

into the user interface of the 

Rohde & Schwarz signal generators. The 

number of DVB-H superframes to be generated 

(which determines the duration 

of the transmit sequence) is specified in 

FIG 3 Main menu of the DVB-H option. 

MOBILE RADIO Signal generators 

14 


the main menu (FIG 3). This menu provides 

information about the main signal 

parameters such as sample rate, data 

rate and duration of a repetition cycle. 

The System Configuration menu displays 

the DVB-H signal path with the relevant 

components (FIG 4). All system parameters 

can be set by the user at precisely 

the locations in the signal flow where 

they have their actual effect. This presentation 

format also helps less experienced 

users to easily make settings, e. g. 

regarding the data sources, for which 

there are two variants: 

◆◆A 

standard-compliant DVB-H 

transport stream (ts or tps file or 

Rohde & Schwarz gts format) can be 

fed in and the video contained in the 

stream will be reproduced on the terminal. 

The R&S ® DV-ASC advanced 

stream combiner software tool makes 

it possible to generate transport 

streams from IP streams in ip4 or ip6 

format with unique contents. 

◆◆Standard-compliant 

null packets containing 

PRBS data can be used for 

non-content-dependent analysis of 

the transmitted signal. 

FIG 4 Menu allowing easy setting of all parameters in the system diagram. 

Users who want to know exactly which 

system parameter settings cause which 

changes in the TPS bits can simply click 

“TPS Settings” in the main menu to view 

the transmission parameter signaling 

bits (TPS). 

Summary 

The signal generators of the R&S ® SMU 

family as well as the R&S ® AMU200A 

are already equipped to handle the latest 

challenges resulting from the convergence 

of mobile radio and DVB-H. These 

generators provide a convenient set of 

test features in a single instrument. 

Volker Ohlen 



(search term: SMU-K52) 

REFERENCES 

[*] R&S ® SFU Broadcast Test System: Universal 

test platform for digital TV. News 

from Rohde & Schwarz (2004), No. 183, 

pp 39–43

WPAN / WLAN / WMAN / WWAN 

The R&S ® TS8970 WiMAX radio 

conformance test system [1] certi- 

fies WiMAX end products on the basis 

of validated test cases. And it keeps 

pace with the rapid development 

driven by the WiMAX Forum®. 

FIG 1 RF profiles for mobile WiMAX. 

15 


Conformance test systems 

R&S ® TS8970 WiMAX Radio Conformance Test System 

State-of-the-art: 

all WiMAX RF certification tests 

The WiMAX Forum ® 

certification program 

WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for 

Microwave Access) is synonymous with 

the implementation of the IEEE 802.16 

standard, which enables mobile, wireless 

broadband access to data networks 

(e. g. to IP or ATM networks). 

The objective of the WiMAX Forum® is 

to deploy the IEEE 802.16 standard in 

real applications. The certification program 

for WiMAX products (base stations 

and mobile stations) constitutes a major 

part of the Forum’s work, and its purpose 

is to ensure worldwide availability 

and reliability of WiMAX services. The 

R&S ® TS8970 WiMAX radio conformance 

test system performs all RF certification 

tests defined by the WiMAX Forum®. 

Profile name Channel bandwidth (MHz) f start (MHz) FFT length 

1A 8.75 2304.5 1024 

1B 

5 

10 

2302.5 

2305 

512 

1024 

2A 3.5 2306.75 and 2346.75 512 

2B 5 2307.5 and 2347.5 512 

2C 10 2310 and 2350 1024 

3A 

5 

10 

2498.5 

2501 

512 

1024 

4A 5 3302.5 512 

4B 7 3303.5 1024 

4C 10 3305 1024 

5A 5 3402.5 512 

5AL 5 3402.5 512 

5AH 5 3602.5 512 

5B 7 3403.5 1024 

5BL 7 3403.5 1024 

5BH 7 3603.5 1024 

5C 10 3405 1024 

5CL 10 3405 1024 

5CH 10 3605 1024 

WiMAX profiles organize the 

multitude of parameters 

WiMAX RF certification tests are used 

to verify the conformity of radio transmitters 

and receivers in base and 

mobile stations at the OFDMA air interface. 

OFDMA signals are characterized 

by a vast number of parameters; the 

WiMAX Forum® has therefore defined 

profiles that facilitate categorizing 

WiMAX products as well as the main 

WiMAX RF parameters. The following 

key parameters are defined by assigning 

them a profile: 

◆ ◆Operating 

frequency spectrum 

(e. g. 2.3 GHz to 2.4 GHz) 

◆ ◆Nominal 

bandwidth of signal 

(e. g. 10 MHz) 

◆ ◆Duplex 

mode 

(TDD, FDD, or H-FDD) 

Defining the nominal bandwidth implicitly 

determines the number of OFDMA 

subcarriers, and thus the transmission 

capacity of a signal. FIG 1 shows 

the TDD profiles so far defined by the 

WiMAX Forum® [2], [3]; further profiles – 

in particular also FDD profiles – will follow 

as soon as further frequency ranges 

are made available. This is definitely to 

be expected, especially since the ITU 

(International Telecommunication Union) 

adopted the WiMAX OFDMA technology 

only recently as part of the IMT-2000 

family of 3G technologies (including, for 

example, WCDMA). 

The R&S ® TS8970 test system supports 

all conceivable profiles up to 6 GHz; 

there will be no profiles for mobile 

WiMAX beyond this frequency.

Frequency 

WPAN / WLAN / WMAN / WWAN Conformance test systems 

0 1 2 3 4 DL PUSC zone 

Preamble 

FCH 

Normal DL MAP 

FIG 3 Wave 1 RF certification tests for mobile stations. 

TCP/IP layer 

Convergence 

layer 

MAC layer 

ARQ process 

PHY layer 

HARQ process 

Channel 

codec 

DL burst #1 

(normal 

UL MAP) 

DL burst #2 (burst of interest) 

M (timeslot) × N (subchannel) 

DL burst #3 

Downlink subframe 

FIG 2 Reference signals for mobile WiMAX. 

Ping error rate 

Packet error rate 

(PER) 

Block error rate 

(BLER) 

Bit error rate 

(BER) 

TCP/IP layer 

Convergence 

layer 

MAC layer 

ARQ process 

PHY layer 

HARQ process 

Channel 

codec 

Time 

DL burst #4 

Bursts with 

1/2 QPSK 

dummy symbols 

if necessary 

TTG 

0 1 2 3 4 UL PUSC zone 

Ranging 

region 

CQICH 

region 

ACK 

region 

FIG 4 

WiMAX receiver test 

methods. 

16 


UL burst #1 (burst of interest) 

UL burst #2 

Bursts with 

1/2 QPSK 

dummy symbols 

if necessary 

Uplink subframe 

Reference signal Description 

MS-01.1 MS Receiver Maximum Tolerable Signal 

MS-02.1 MS Receiver Preamble 

MS-04.1 MS Receiver RSSI Measurement 

MS-05.1 MS Receiver Physical CINR Measurement 

MS-07.1 MS Receiver Selectivity 

MS-08.1 MS Receiver Maximum Input Signal 

MS-09.1 MS Receiver Sensitivity 

MS-10.1 MS Transmit and Receive HARQ 

MS-11.1 MS Receiver Support for Handoff 

MS-12.1 MS Transmitter Modulation & Coding, Cyclic Prefix and Frame Timing 

MS-13.1 MS Transmit Ranging Support 

MS-15.1 MS Transmit Power Dynamic Range and Relative Step Accuracy 

MS-16.1 MS Transmit Power Control Support 

MS-17.1 MS Transmitter Spectral Flatness 

MS-18.1 MS Transmitter Relative Constellation Error 

MS-19.1 MS Transmit Synchronization 

MS-20.1 MS Transmit / Receive Switching Gap 

0 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

Symbol 

index 

RTG 

Reference signals for 

certification 

In document [3], the WiMAX Forum® 

defines reference signals for RF certification 

measurements. FIG 2 shows as an 

example a reference TDD frame, which 

is divided into a downlink subframe 

and an uplink subframe with the corresponding 

two-dimensional data regions 

(bursts) typical of OFDMA in the frequency 

and the time domain. All test signals 

for RF certification are derived from 

this reference frame. It goes without 

saying that the R&S ® TS8970 test system 

provides all the defined reference 

signals. 

RF certification measurements 

Document [3] defines RF certification 

tests for mobile and base stations. Certification 

tests are currently organized 

in two successive groups referred to 

as “Waves”. Wave 1 includes the first, 

basic RF measurements on single-transmitter 

or single-receiver implementations 

(key word: SISO [4]). The test cases 

of Wave 2, which is to be released soon, 

will cover RF measurements on multiantenna 

implementations (key word: 

MIMO [4]). The R&S ® TS8970 test system 

architecture supports both Wave 1 

and Wave 2 test cases. FIG 3 lists, as 

an example, all Wave 1 RF test cases 

for mobile stations. The RF test cases 

for base stations are in part identical as 

far as measurements are concerned, but 

they take base-station-specific aspects 

into account.

Transmitter conformance tests 

Transmitter tests of WiMAX stations 

focus on the transmitter’s OFDMA signal 

characteristics: 

◆◆WiMAX 

signal composition (including 

channel coding, two-dimensional 

OFDMA symbol arrangement, TDD 

frame structure) 

◆◆Modulation 

quality (EVM, RCE) 

◆◆Spectral 

flatness 

◆◆Transmitter 

power control 

All these measurements are performed 

by means of the R&S ® FSQ vector signal 

analyzer and are described in [5] and [6]. 

Receiver conformance tests 

Receiver measurements on digital systems 

are based on the classic bit and 

block error rate measurements. The 

WiMAX certification tests also rely on 

these methods. In addition to bit and 

block error rate measurements – which 

are based on ARQ or HARQ handshaking 

between the lower WiMAX protocol 

layers – document [3] also defines ping 

error measurements (see box at top), 

which do not form part of the WiMAX 

system but are commonly used at the 

ICMP/IP layer (FIG 4). The above methods 

can be used alternatively to test the 

sensitivity, selectivity, and maximum 

input dynamic range of WiMAX receivers. 

The R&S ® TS8970 test system provides 

all the described test methods, 

and thus the right solution for every 

implementation. 

Conformance tests of important 

PHY procedures 

The lowermost protocol layer of the 

WiMAX air interface, i. e. the PHYsical 

layer, not only services the higher layers 

but, most importantly, performs physical 

synchronization with the peer station 

at the other end of the radio link. 

17 


More information at 


(search term: type designation or WiMAX) 

REFERENCES 

[1] R&S ® TS8970: Benchmark for the certification 

of WiMAX end products. News from 


pp 26–28 

[2] WiMAX Forum ® Mobile System Profile 

document 

[3] WiMAX Forum ® Mobile Radio Certification 

Testing document 

[4] From SISO to MIMO – taking advantage of 

everything the air interface offers. News 

from Rohde & Schwarz (2007) No. 192, 

pp 16–19 

[5] R&S ® SMU200A / R&S ® FSQ: Complete test 

solutions for WiMAX applications. News 


pp 33–37 

[6] R&S ® SMx / R&S ® FSQ / FSL: WiMAX goes 

mobile – new T&M solutions are required. 


No. 190, pp 24–27 

Ping error measurements 

The ping test is a standard method used to determine whether a specific host in an IP network 

is accessible. When measuring the ping error rate, the host with known IP address is 

the DUT. For the ping test, an ICMP echo request packet is sent to the target address, i. e. 

the DUT. If the DUT supports the ICMP protocol (this is the prerequisite for the measurement), 

it will return an echo with identical data content. It is thus possible to test the performance 

of the entire receive path of the DUT including the convergence layer (interface 

between the WiMAX protocol stack and the Internet protocol layer) exclusively via the air 

interface. This method thus employs – though with a time delay – a loopback mode provided 

in IP networks. 

Physical synchronization in the case of 

WiMAX means that the mobile station 

unilaterally adapts to the transmit and 

receive timing, the transmit and receive 

frequency, and the transmit and receive 

level of the base station. In addition to 

initial synchronization (initial ranging) 

of a mobile station to a base station – 

e. g. after switch-on – periodic synchronization 

(periodic ranging) is required, 

i. e. the three above physical parameters 

have to be periodically checked and 

adapted in order to maintain a functional 

radio link in a mobile environment. 

The complex algorithm employed 

to this effect is of vital importance for 

the successful operation of a WiMAX 

link and is therefore thoroughly tested 

during RF certification by means of the 

R&S ® TS8970. Tests also cover handover 

ranging, which takes place when 

a WiMAX mobile station is handed over 

from one radio cell to another. 

Heinz Mellein 

Abbreviations 

ACK Acknowledgment 

ARQ Automatic repeat request 

ATM Asynchronous transfer mode 

CQICH Channel quality indicator cHannel 

EVM Error vector magnitude 

FCH Frame control header 

FDD Frequency division duplex 

HARQ Hybrid ARQ 

H-FDD Hybrid frequency division duplex (combined 

TDD and FDD mode) 

ICMP Internet control message protocol (at same 

layer as Internet protocol (IP)) 

MIMO Multiple input multiple output 

OFDMA Orthogonal frequency division multiple access 

PUSC Partially utilized subchannelization 

RCE Relative constellation error 

RTG Receive transition gap 

SISO Single input single output 

TDD Time division duplex 

TTG Transmit transition gap

GENERAL PURPOSE Signal generators 

Good spectral purity, high output 

power, and short settling times 

are features that make the analog 

R&S ® SMB100A signal generator 

exceptional in its class. The signal 

generator offers not only excellent 

specifications but also a compact and 

modular design. 

18 


R&S ® SMB100A Signal Generator 

Whether broadcast, aerospace and 

defense, or EMC: analog signals for 

every application 

The R&S ® SMB100A at a glance 

The new analog R&S ® SMB100A signal 

generator (FIG 1) offers performance 

that is unrivaled in its price class: 

◆◆Wide 

frequency range from 9 kHz to 

6 GHz – covers all frequency bands 

important for RF applications 

◆ ◆Best 

spectral purity in its class – 

ensures high measurement accuracy 

in a wide variety of applications 

◆◆Highest 

output power in its class 

– eliminates the need for external 

amplifiers 

◆◆Very 

fast frequency and power settling 

times – supports high throughput 

in production 

◆ ◆Easy 

on-site servicing – ensures low 

operating costs as well as maximum 

instrument availability 

◆◆Wide 

temperature range, operating 

altitude up to 4600 m, fast 

pulse modulation – meets the special 

requirements in aerospace and 

defense applications 

◆ ◆Compact 

design, low weight – for 

tight space requirements and easy 

transport 

Best spectral purity in its class 

Phase noise, harmonic spurious and 

nonharmonic spurious, as well as wideband 

noise are the most important 

parameters characterizing the spectral 

properties of analog signal generators. 

The R&S ® SMB100A features very 

good performance in all these respects. 

In particular, the instrument displays 

its full strength in receiver blocking 

tests, where noise and nonharmonic 

spurious produced by the interfering 

signal generator in the receiver channel 

bandwidth degrade the measurement 

accuracy. 

A major factor contributing to the signal 

generator’s good spectral properties is 

its RF synthesizer, which is implemented 

as a DDS-based single-loop synthesizer. 

A new patented algorithm for DDS frequency 

generation enables the synthesizer 

to achieve spectral properties that 

were previously not attainable with conventional 

single-loop synthesizers. In the 

frequency range up to 1500 MHz, the 

generator achieves nonharmonics suppression 

of typ. –85 dBc while providing 

excellent phase noise characteristics 

(FIG 2). The R&S ® SMB100A exhibits 

such outstanding spectral properties 

over the entire frequency range. 

FIG 3 shows the simplified architecture 

of an instrument outfitted with the 

R&S ® SMB-B106 6 GHz frequency option. 

In conventional generators, a downconverter 

is used to generate frequencies 

below a specific limit (typ. 100 MHz 

to 250 MHz). This downconverter mixes 

the frequency-synthesized signal with a 

fixed-frequency signal (LO) of typ. 1 GHz. 

However, this method has the substantial 

drawback that the spectral purity of 

the resulting signal is degraded by the 

SSB phase noise of the LO. 

The R&S ® SMB100A takes a different 

approach. Its divider range has been 

expanded down to 23 MHz; below this 

value, the DDS synthesizer generates 

the output signal directly. FIG 4 makes 

the advantages of this concept obvious. 

The phase noise at low signal frequencies 

is significantly reduced compared

44731/1 

FIG 1 Excellent specifications and the capability to perform instrument maintenance yourself make the R&S ® SMB100A a valuable general-purpose instrument. 

Reference 

frequency 

FIG 2 

Typical SSB phase noise at various 

RF frequencies (with optional R&S ® SMB-B1 

reference oscillator). 

FIG 3 Simplified block diagram of the frequency generation architecture of 

the R&S ® SMB100A with the R&S ® SMB-B106 frequency option. 

DDS module 

from 

Rohde&Schwarz 

Upconverter 

SSB phase noise in dBc (1 Hz) 

PLL 

19 


G 

–20 

–40 

–60 

–80 

–100 

–120 

–140 

–160 

1 10 100 1000 10 

Frequency in Hz 

4 105 106 107 3 GHz 

1 GHz 

100 MHz 

10 MHz 

3 GHz to 6 GHz 

9 kHz to 23 MHz 

2 N 

1 

Frequency 

divider 

6 GHz 

Synthesizer 

out 

9 kHz to 6 GHz


to conventional designs based on a 

downconverter. 

This makes the R&S ® SMB100A an ideal 

substitute for reference oscillators or 

for all applications that require a low- 

jitter signal (e. g. A/D and D/A converter 

testing). 

The DDS-based synthesizer generates 

both frequency and phase modulation 

directly in digital form, thus enabling 

the R&S ® SMB100A to achieve excellent 

modulation characteristics. In the 

frequency range below 23 MHz, it also 

generates amplitude modulation directly 

in digital form. It thus provides amplitude 

modulation of higher accuracy than 

available from conventional generators 

in this frequency range, which enables 

highly accurate measurements on radio 

receivers in the shortwave range (FIG 5). 

Highest output power 

in its class 

The R&S ® SMB100A provides maximum 

output power of typ. +25 dBm 

over the frequency range from 1 MHz to 

6 GHz (FIG 6). The generator’s wear-free 

electronic step attenuator extends its 

dynamic range down to –145 dBm, thus 

making it ideal for receiver measurements. 

However, since the insertion loss 

of the attenuator reduces the output 

power, a subsequent wideband output 

amplifier in the R&S ® SMB100A compensates 

for this loss and provides additional 

gain. This results in the very high 

output power available at the RF output 

(FIG 7), which usually eliminates the 

need for an additional external output 

amplifier to compensate for high cable 

losses toward the DUT or for controlling 

a power amplifier. 

20 


The wideband output amplifier is only 

switched into the signal path at high 

output levels. At low output levels, this 

amplifier is not used, since it would 

degrade the wideband noise of the output 

signal due to its noise factor. A 

PIN attenuator connected in series to 

the wideband output amplifier is analog-controlled 

by the output frequency 

and the amplifier temperature. This PIN 

attenuator compensates for the firstorder 

temperature drift of the gain of 

the wideband output amplifier. Thus, a 

highly stable output level is obtained 

even if the wideband output amplifier is 

active. 

Another special feature of the 

R&S ® SMB100A is its reverse power protection 

up to 6 GHz. This mechanism 

includes a pair of limiter diodes for limiting 

any RF power or voltage transient 

unintentionally applied at the generator’s 

RF output. If the control circuit 

detects such an error condition, a relay 

disconnects the RF output from the output 

connector. While the instrument is 

being powered down, this relay also 

remains open, thus protecting the output 

from damage. This overvoltage protection 

comes in handy especially in the 

lab or during servicing, when measurements 

on the receiver section of a transceiver 

may accidentally cause the equipment 

to start transmitting. 

Very short settling times 

for frequency and level 

Automatic test systems for production 

require especially short settling times in 

the test equipment in order to keep test 

time short, thus ensuring high throughput. 

The R&S ® SMB100A excels in this 

area with an average power level settling 

time of 1.2 ms and an average frequency 

settling time of 1.6 ms. FIG 8 

shows the distribution of the settling 

times in remote control operation for 

10000 random changes in power level 

and an equal number of changes in 

frequency. 

The level settling time is defined as 

the time the R&S ® SMB100A requires 

for its output level to settle to a deviation 

of 0.1 dB from its final value. This 

is achieved through the use of a fast 

level control and fast CMOS RF switches. 

These highly reliable RF switches do not 

exhibit the long level settling times that 

are common with GaAs switches. 

In addition, the generator signals completion 

of the settling transient at its Signal 

Valid output. By means of this signal, 

you can immediately trigger the 

measurement of the DUT, thus ensuring 

the fastest possible test sequences. 

To address the needs of highly time-critical 

applications such as measurements 

Condensed data of the R&S ® SMB100A 

Frequency 

Frequency range 9 kHz to 6 GHz 

Settling time

SSB phase noise in dBc (1 Hz) 

Number of measurements 

–110 

–115 

–120 

–125 

–130 

–135 

–140 

–145 

–150 

–155 

R&S®SMB100A 

Generator with conventional 

–160 

synthesizer concept 

10 100 1000 

Carrier frequency in MHz 

10 000 

Level in dBm 

FIG 8 Statistics for the level and frequency settling times (10000 measurements each). 

2500 

7000 

2000 

1500 

1000 

500 

30 

29 

28 

27 

26 

25 

24 

23 

22 

21 

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 

Frequency in GHz 

0 

FIG 6 Measured maximum output level of the 

R&S ® SMB100A. 

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 

Frequency settling time in ms 

Number of measurements 

6000 

5000 

4000 

3000 

2000 

1000 

21 


0 

RF 

controlled 

0 dB, 5 dB, … 125 dB 

Step 

attenuator 

FIG 4 

SSB phase noise at 20 kHz offset from carrier 

frequency: comparison between the R&S ® SMB100A 

and a generator with conventional synthesizer 

concept. 

Ref 8 dBm 

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 

Level settling time in ms 

*RBW 100 Hz 

Att 35 dB AQT 40 ms 

0 

1 SA -10 

A 

AVG 

-20 

-30 

-40 

-50 

-60 

-70 

-80 

-90 

-100 

-110 

EXT 

Center 10 MHz 1.5 kHz/ Span 15 kHz 

FIG 5 Amplitude-modulated spectrum at f = 10 MHz with low total harmonic 

distortion. 

CMOS CMOS 

K (T, f) 

Switchable output 

amplifier 

FIG 7 Output circuit of the R&S ® SMB100A . 

Relay 

Overvoltage 

protection 

RF out


on frequency-hopping systems, the 

R&S ® SMB100A supports the List mode 

as a standard feature enabling an average 

settling time of 650 µs. 

Easy on-site servicing 

During the development of the 

R&S ® SMB100A, particular emphasis 

was placed on high reliability and simple 

design. The generator therefore consists 

of only four modules (FIG 9): 

1. Power supply 

2. Processor module including all digital 

internal and external interfaces 

3. Front panel unit including display, 

keypad, and rotary knob 

4. RF board including the entire RF test 

and measurement equipment 

However, if the instrument should nevertheless 

malfunction, its straightforward 

design will facilitate the localization 

of the defective module. The builtin 

selftest, which automatically checks 

instrument functions, helps with troubleshooting. 

Since the instrument is easy 

to take apart and put back together, onsite 

module replacement is possible. This 

keeps downtime to a minimum and generator 

availability high. 

After module replacement, the instrument 

is immediately ready for use again, 

since replacement modules come from 

the factory fully adjusted and tested. No 

additional external adjustment of parameters 

is necessary – a simple functional 

test is usually sufficient. You can calibrate 

the signal generator on your own; 

a calibration interval of three years is 

recommended. 

Special requirements for 

aerospace and defense 

To achieve optimal power level accuracy 

after servicing, a fully automatic power 

level correction can be performed by 

means of an R&S ® NRP-Z92 power sensor 

connected to the generator output 

(FIG 10).* * Available as of January 2008 via firmware 

update. 

22 


The R&S ® SMB100A is suitable for 

mobile use in aerospace and defense 

applications not only due to its low 

weight and compact design. Additional 

attributes such as its highly robust 

design, generously dimensioned power 

supply, and cooling controlled by the 

instrument temperature enable operation 

up to 4600 m above sea level and 

an operating temperature range from 

0 °C to 55 °C. 

The integrated high-quality pulse modulator 

with rise and fall times of typ. 

44731/9 

More information, brochure, 

and data sheet at 


(search term: SMB100A) 

FIG 11 

Signal amplitude of a 

20 ns pulse at 6 GHz 

with 0 dBm level. 

44731/6 

23 


FIG 9 

The R&S ® SMB100A is 

designed for ease of service 

and consists of only four 

modules. 

FIG 10 The R&S ® SMB100A performs automatic level correction when an R&S ® NRP-Z92 power 

sensor is connected.* 

H 10.0 ns / div 

Ch 1 rise 

3.128 ns 

Ch 2 fall 

2.225 ns

FIG 1 Measurement of a multiplier signal using the R&S ® FSU67. 

FIG 3 The same 59 GHz signal, measured with an external mixer and software 

preselector. FIG 4 The 59 GHz signal, measured with the R&S ® FSU67. 

44734/4 

GENERAL PURPOSE Analyzers 

24 


FIG 2 59 GHz signal, measured with an external mixer without software 

preselector. 

FIG 5 

R&S ® FSU67: the first spectrum analyzer worldwide 

for the frequency range from 20 Hz to 67 GHz.

This is the world´s first spectrum 

analyzer that covers the entire 

frequency range up to 67 GHz. The 

R&S ®FSU67 now even makes the 

range between 50 GHz and 67 GHz 

available for spectrum analysis free 

of image response and thus clearly 

expands the limit at which cumber- 

some setups with external harmonic 

mixers become necessary. 

Good reasons to avoid external mixers: 

25 


R&S ® FSU67 Spectrum Analyzer 

Spectrum analysis – entire 

frequency range now covered from 

20 Hz to 67 GHz 

Expanding the limits of 

conventional T&M technology 

In the past, measurements in the spectral 

range were possible only up to 

50 GHz when using conventional and 

easy-to-operate test setups. To measure 

frequencies beyond this limit, you usually 

had to expand the test configuration 

to a complex test setup by adding external 

harmonic mixers. 

These days are over. With its 

R&S ® FSU67 (FIG 5), Rohde & Schwarz is 

the first manufacturer worldwide to offer 

a spectrum analyzer in coaxial design 

that covers the entire frequency range 

up to 67 GHz and thus clearly goes 

beyond the conventional limits of T&M 

technology. The analyzer simplifies measurements 

in this frequency range as it 

is able to eliminate all the drawbacks of 

harmonic mixers (see box below). The 

frequency concept of the analyzer with 

fundamental mixing and image rejection 

up to 67 GHz ensures unambiguous 

◆◆ 

External harmonic mixers have no image rejection and generate a variety of signal 

responses. The correct mixture product can only be determined by filtering or shifting the 

local oscillator frequency. This procedure is used by software preselectors. With non-stationary, 

e. g. pulsed, signals, however, such signal identification routines quickly hit their 

limits. 

◆◆ 

The connection of external harmonic mixers requires additional cabling for IF and LO signals 

and calls for a separate setup. Harmonics measurements must therefore often be 

performed in two stages (without and with an external mixer). 

◆◆ 

The conversion loss of the external mixers is affected by the accuracy of the mixer calibration, 

the additional cabling, and the correct setting of the LO level. Despite careful measurements, 

the resulting level measurement uncertainty is greater than that produced 

with a spectrum analyzer that has a similar frequency range. 

◆◆ 

When using external mixers, the measurement signal is directly applied to the mixer 

input. If a level decrease is necessary in order to operate the mixer in the linear range, 

additional hollow waveguide step attenuators are required. 

signal representation right from the 

start, thus preventing problems in signal 

identification. 

In addition, the complete frequency 

range is measured via one input connector, 

i. e. no additional cabling of the test 

setup is required. FIG 1 shows this for a 

multiplier: Its output signal is already filtered 

for harmonics but subharmonics 

are still present. The R&S ® FSU67 uses 

one sweep to measure these subharmonics, 

even for signals up to 67 GHz. 

FIGs 2 to 4 show the measurement of a 

signal at 59 GHz with an external mixer 

as well as with or without a software 

preselector in comparison with the measurement 

of the same signal with the 

R&S ® FSU67. The difference is significant: 

Even if the software preselector 

is used, you can still see a considerable 

number of unwanted signals when 

the measurement is performed with an 

external mixer (FIG 3); in contrast, nothing 

but the real signal is displayed when 

the measurement is carried out with the 

R&S ® FSU67. 

The internal step attenuator, which covers 

a range from 0 dB to 75 dB, optimally 

adapts the analyzer to the level 

of the input signal. The level measurement 

range is thus covered from 30 dBm 

to inherent noise without needing additional 

hollow waveguide step attenuators. 

And the R&S ® FSU67, like all members 

of the R&S ® FSU family, has a calibrated 

level measurement accuracy. This 

means that the measurement uncertainties 

that occur when working with external 

mixers are now a thing of the past in 

the frequency range up to 67 GHz.


FIG 6 Heart of the R&S ® FSU67: the microwave 

frontend module with an input frequency 

from 50 GHz to 67 GHz. 

Microwave technology 

at its best 

The conversion of signals above 50 GHz 

to the range below 26.5 GHz is performed 

by an additional frontend provided 

in the R&S ® FSU67. The components 

used in this frontend were developed 

by Rohde & Schwarz in collaboration 

with the Chair for Microwave Engineering 

and High Frequency Technology 

at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. 

Local oscillator design 

A fractional N synthesizer forms the 

basis of the local oscillator. This synthesizer 

consists of a proprietary 

Rohde & Schwarz ASIC, a VCO up 

to 12 GHz as well as various dividers 

and other components from the 

microwave production department at 

Rohde & Schwarz. The frequency synthesis 

of the LO is implemented on ceramic 

substrates in microwave technology. 

This ensures the amplification of the signal 

generated by the synthesizer and the 

multiplication to the required frequency 

range from 39 GHz to 45 GHz. 

Frontend design 

To suppress unwanted spurious 

response, a preselection filter must be 

part of the heterodyne receiver concept. 

26 


In the new frontend, this preselection filter 

is implemented in the form of a special 

fixed-frequency filter with a passband 

from 50 GHz to 67 GHz. Good spurious 

suppression is attained by skillfully 

setting the LO frequency and IF. The production 

of the fixed-frequency filter that 

is used places the highest of demands 

on mechanical precision: Milling tolerances 

of 20 µm have to be met for the 

filter housing. 

The mixer that is used to convert the 

applied signals in the range from 50 GHz 

to 67 GHz is also a Rohde & Schwarz 

product and meets the highest of 

requirements: 

◆◆Fundamental 

mixing at input frequency 

50 GHz to 67 GHz 

◆◆Minimum 

conversion loss 

◆◆Excellent 

spurious suppression 

◆◆Production-friendly 

and reproducible 

circuit design 

The result is a completely integrated 

circuit design that is embedded as a 

ceramic substrate in the frontend module 

(FIG 6). The specifications attained 

for the overall instrument are quite 

impressive: With a displayed average 

noise level (DANL) of

The new R&S ® ZVA-Z110 converters 

from Rohde & Schwarz expand the 

R&S ® ZVA24, R&S ® ZVA40, and 

R&S ® ZVT20 vector network analyzers 

by adding millimeter-wave measure- 

ment capability with maximum 

dynamic range from 75 GHz to 

110 GHz (W band). 

27 


R&S ® ZVA and R&S ® ZVT Vector Network Analyzers 

Millimeter-wave network analysis 

with maximum dynamic range 

Perfectly integrated into the 

analyzer firmware 

The R&S ® ZVA-Z110 converters (FIG 1) 

expand the high-end network analyzers 

from Rohde & Schwarz by adding the frequency 

range from 75 GHz to 110 GHz, 

thus covering important frequency 

bands, e. g. the forthcoming vehicle distance 

radar (77 GHz), or applications in 

the defense sector (94 GHz). The converters, 

which are also intended for use 

in wafer probers and are appropriately 

dimensioned for this application, are 

simply connected to the base unit; no 

additional hardware is required. 

As a unique feature worldwide, the converters 

are fully integrated into the network 

analyzer firmware, i. e. the converters 

can be operated as if they were an 

integral part of the analyzer. By selecting 

the appropriate cabling scheme in 

the analyzer firmware, all the required 

parameters will be set automatically 

(FIG 2). These include the frequency limits 

of the WR10 band, the multiplication 

factors for the RF and the LO signals, 

the power values of these signals, 

and the receiver frequency. The correct 

setting menus, measured-value indications, 

frequency limits, etc. will thus 

always come up, reducing setting errors 

to a minimum. The network analyzer 

includes an output power limiting function, 

which prevents damage to the converters 

caused by unduly high RF or LO 

input powers. 

FIG 1 By combining a high-end network 

analyzer with the R&S ® ZVA-Z110 converters, 

Rohde & Schwarz is the first T&M manufacturer 

to offer an all-in-one, single-source solution for 

network analysis in the millimeter-wave range 

(WR10 band). 

43386/1


FIG 2 Selection of converter type in the instrument firmware and display of required connections. 

Functional description 

The R&S ® ZVA-Z110 converters are 

based on frequency multiplication of 

the RF and LO input signals. RF signals 

are generated in the range 12.5 GHz 

to 18.33 GHz and multiplied by a factor 

of six to the range 75 GHz to 110 GHz; 

LO signals are generated in the range 

9.34 GHz to 13.71 GHz and multiplied 

by a factor of eight. Harmonics mixers 

downconvert the measurement and reference 

signals to be output by the converters 

to a fixed IF in the megahertz 

range and apply them to the network 

analyzer’s MEAS IN and REF IN inputs. 

Bidirectional measurements are possible 

as the converters contain directional 

couplers separating forward and 

reflected power. 

Each converter features an integrated 

attenuator that allows manual reduction 

of the converter output power by up to 

25 dB, which is necessary for characterizing 

low-noise amplifiers, for example. 

Ultra-wide dynamic range 

28 


The converters offer an excellent, unrivaled 

dynamic range of typically 

>110 dB. This speeds up measurements, 

as it enables the use of wider IF bandwidths, 

and allows high-blocking filters 

to be analyzed. 

Easy to handle 

The converters’ waveguide test ports are 

arranged on a bar extending from the 

converter to provide easy access to the 

screw-connected flange joints. The converters 

can be set up on three or four 

feet that can be separately adjusted 

in height. Using three feet in particular 

allows the optimal alignment of 

the waveguide flanges relative to one 

another. Differences in height and the 

cocking of flanges relative to each other 

can be balanced out with high precision, 

thus enabling tight and stable screw 

connections – which is an important 

prerequisite for correct calibration. 

Easy and fast test setup 

When using an R&S ® ZVA24 or 

R&S ® ZVA40 four-port network analyzer 

or an R&S ® ZVT20 with at least four 

ports, no external generator is needed 

for delivering the LO signals required 

by the converters. Four-port analyzers 

have two internal signal generators, one 

generating the RF signals and the other 

the LO signals. No further hardware is 

required, which greatly facilitates and, 

most importantly, speeds up the test 

setup, since the second internal generator 

operates in parallel with the first one 

and need not be remote-controlled via 

the IEC/IEEE bus. 

Alternatively, an R&S ® ZVA24, 

R&S ® ZVA40, or R&S ® ZVT20 two-port 

network analyzer can be used. In this 

case, an external R&S ® SMF100A signal 

generator is additionally required to 

provide the LO signal. The signal generator’s 

output signal is distributed to the 

two LO inputs of the converters via a 

suitable power splitter. 

FIG 3 R&S ® ZV-WR10 calibration kit – version 

with sliding match.

Calibration 

After selecting the converter type, the 

R&S ® ZV-WR10 waveguide calibration kit 

(FIG 3) is set automatically, and the corresponding 

calibration data is loaded. 

Calibration kits from other manufacturers 

can also be used. 

Calibration is performed by means of the 

short, offset short (consisting of a short 

and a shim), and match waveguide calibration 

standards. Alternatively, an 

optionally available sliding match can be 

used, which is useful especially when 

high-precision reflection measurements 

are to be performed. The through calibration 

standard is implemented by 

directly screwing together two waveguide 

test ports. 

Test port adapters, which are supplied 

as standard with the converters, protect 

the converters’ waveguide connectors 

against wear and at the same time allow 

the connection of calibration kits from 

other manufacturers. 

Measurement example 

An 80 GHz notch filter is to be measured 

using two R&S ® ZVA-Z110 converters. 

First, full two-port calibration is 

performed. Then the filter is connected 

to the waveguide test ports of the converters. 

All four S-parameters of the filter 

can be measured and displayed in 

one or more diagrams on the analyzer 

screen (FIG 4). By using multiple measurement 

channels, it is possible, for 

example, to display the filter transmission 

characteristic across the entire 

WR10 band from 75 GHz to 110 GHz 

and at the same time the filter passband 

alone. 

Multiport measurements 

29 


Using an R&S ® ZVT20 six-port network 

analyzer with three internal signal generators, 

you can perform tests on threeport 

DUTs without an external generator. 

This test configuration allows you, 

for example, to measure all S-parameters 

of a waveguide directional coupler 

simultaneously after performing full system 

error correction. Four-port DUTs can 

be tested using four R&S ® ZVA-Z110 converters, 

an R&S ® ZVA24, R&S ® ZVA40, or 

R&S ® ZVT20 four-port network analyzer, 

and an external generator for delivering 

the LO signal. 

Andreas Henkel 

Condensed data of the R&S ® ZVA-Z110 

Frequency range 75 GHz to 110 GHz (WR10 band) 

Output power (with +7 dBm input power from the 

R&S ® ZVA/R&S ® ZVT network analyzer) +2 dBm 

Manual power attenuation 0 dB to 25 dB using adjustable 

power control screw 

Dynamic range >95 dB, typ. >110 dB 

Connector compatible with UG-387 flange 

FIG 4 Measurement of an 80 GHz notch filter. 

Application Note 

1EZ55 



(search term: ZVA-Z110) 

Application Note 

1EZ56

44285/3 


The R&S ® EVS300 level and modula- 

tion analyzer is used for checking and 

servicing ILS and VOR installations. 

Its manifold new functions make it 

now also optimally suited for flight 



(search term: EVS300) 

inspections. 

30 


R&S ® EVS300 ILS/VOR Analyzer 

High-precision level and modulation 

analysis of ILS and VOR signals 

For maximum precision on the 

ground and in the air 

Its new functions enable the 

R&S ® EVS300 level and modulation analyzer 

(FIG 1) to perform both groundbased 

and airborne measurements on 

ILS and VOR installations with maximum 

accuracy. The R&S ® EVS300 allows for 

the first time the direct comparison and 

analysis of the results of both ground 

and flight inspection. The correlation 

of these two measurements complies 

exactly with the requirements of the 

International Civil Aviation Organization 

(ICAO, Doc. 8071). Despite its compact 

design, the R&S ® EVS300 works with a 

measuring accuracy matching that of 

the best laboratory equipment and provides 

a convincing number of outstanding 

features: 

FIG 1 The R&S ® EVS300 is rugged and extremely compact. Nevertheless, it stands out because of its 

excellent measurement features and comprehensive analysis functions. 

ILS signal analysis 

◆◆Highly 

accurate localizer, glidepath, 

and marker beacon measurements 

◆◆Parallel 

localizer and glidepath measurements 

(second independent signal 

processing channel, R&S ® EVS-B1 

option) 

◆◆Simultaneous 

course/clearance measurement 

with one signal processing 

channel (R&S ® EVS-K3 option) 

◆◆Realtime 

distortion measurement of 

ILS signals (K2, K3, THD) 

VOR signal analysis 

◆◆Accurate 

checking of CVOR / DVOR 

antenna systems in the field 

◆◆Selective 

modulation depth and deviation 

measurements, and display of 

useful and interfering signals

FIG 2 The ILS Data Logger display shows graphical representations of the DDM 

sequence, for example. 

Additional special characteristics 

◆◆Steep-edge 

preselector filters for high 

immunity to interference 

◆◆Frequency 

scan (R&S ® EVS-K1 option) 

with a dynamic range of up to 100 dB 

◆◆FFT 

analysis of AM signals 

(R&S ® EVS-K4 option) 

◆◆Realtime 

logging of all measured values 

(max. 100 measurements per 

second) 

◆◆Mains-independent 

operating time 

of 8 h to 10 h during continuous 

measurements 

◆◆Rugged 

and compact design for use 

in the field 

◆◆Embedded 

web server enabling easy 

remote access 

◆◆Feeding 

of GPS time and position 

information based on the NMEA 0183 

protocol (R&S ® EVS-K2 option) 

Multitalent for ground-based 

ILS measurements 

Although ILS installations feature integrated 

monitoring functions, the regular 

measuring and servicing of these systems 

using independent equipment is 

an absolute must in modern air traffic 

control (ATC). In particular the dynamic 

31 


measurement of ILS signals by means 

of runway measurements with vehicles 

is a core task of ATC organizations. The 

R&S ® EVS300 is just made for these challenges 

as it offers numerous functions 

such as integrated logging of all relevant 

measured values including GPS position 

data, remote triggering, and graphical 

display of the DDM sequence (FIG 2). 

In combination with the R&S ® HF108 

antenna that has specifically been 

designed for these applications, it forms 

the core component of the measuring 

system. The R&S ® EVS-K3 option enables 

simultaneous and independent measurements 

of level and phase relations of 

course /clearance signals of an ILS system 

during operation. Due to the high 

measuring speed and fast data logging, 

this option helps to save valuable time 

when the runway has to be closed for 

performing the measurements. 

Ideal for use in 

flight inspection aircraft 

Time is money – this is especially true 

for flight inspections. When equipped 

with a second measuring channel 

(R&S ® EVS-B1 option), the R&S ® EVS300 

FIG 3 FFT analysis with the R&S ® EVS-K4 option. 

is capable of performing two independent 

measuring tasks on any frequencies 

in parallel, e. g. the measurement of 

localizer and glideslope signals during a 

landing approach or the checking of two 

CVOR/DVOR systems. 

When employed in a flight inspection 

aircraft, the R&S ® EVS300’s steep-edge 

preselector filters prevent the development 

of intermodulation products in the 

vicinity of high-power VHF FM transmitters. 

In measurements along the edge of 

the coverage area, the low-noise frontend 

ensures a stable display even with 

signals far below the specified measurement 

range. 

Because each measured value is correlated 

with the corresponding GPS position 

(R&S ® EVS-K2 option), additional 

measuring instruments in the aircraft are 

basically not required. The R&S ® EVS300 

also provides realtime storage of the 

results in its internal data memory. Thus, 

everything has been taken into consideration: 

Its numerous functions drastically 

reduce the complexity of measurement 

systems to be used for checking radio 

navigation systems in line with the ICAO 

Doc. 8071 recommendation.


Options for every application 

Various options allow the R&S ® EVS300 

to be optimally adapted to the measuring 

task at hand: The R&S ® EVS-K1 

option features an additional continuous 

frequency scan in the range from 

70 MHz to 350 MHz. The dynamic range 

extends up to 100 dB, and the start/stop 

frequencies are user-selectable. The 

noise floor is below –130 dBm. 

The R&S ® EVS-K4 option allows the 

FFT analysis of demodulated RF signals 

or signals at the baseband input 

at a dynamic range above 90 dB (FIG 3). 

ILS /VOR /marker beacon modulation signals 

including their harmonics can thus 

be analyzed as easily as nonharmonics. 

Both for frequency scan and FFT, the 

R&S ® EVS300 offers convenient visualization 

of the spectrum via a marker/ 

delta marker function, as well as via 

the clear/write, average, and peak hold 

trace modes. 

Large data memory and clearly 

structured visualization 

The large internal data memory enables 

the R&S ® EVS300 to simultaneously store 

all 50 measured values in a single data 

set at the highest data rate of 100 measurements 

per second. For every mode 

(ILS/VOR/marker beacon) up to 999 individual 

lists with up to 1000000 data sets 

each can be managed. The R&S ® EVS300 

visualizes the stored measured values 

quickly in a clearly structured graphical 

representation. This unique feature 

enables, for example, the immediate verification 

of runway measurement data 

on board the measuring vehicle without 

the need to use an external PC or additional 

software. For archiving or further 

processing the measurement results can 

be transmitted from the data memory via 

standard interface (LAN, RS-232-C, GSM) 

or simply copied to a USB memory stick. 

32 


High-convenience operation 

Despite its multitude of functions, the 

R&S ® EVS300 is convenient to operate. 

Its low weight and the rechargeable batteries’ 

operating time of eight to ten 

hours during continuous measurements 

ensure mains-independent applications. 

It can be completely remote-controlled 

via one of the standard interfaces 

by means of remote-control commands. 

This allows automatic ILS or VOR measurements 

to be performed under constant 

measurement conditions. 

Summary 

The R&S ® EVS300 with its extensive 

scope of functions represents an ideal 

instrument for ground-based and airborne 

ILS / VOR / marker beacon measurements. 

Its extremely fast measurement 

data processing, remote control 

capability, and large internal data 

memory round out its well-thought-out 

design. 

Klaus Theissen; Benjamin Marpe 

General R&S ® EVS300 

characteristics 

◆◆High-contrast 

TFT color display 

(16.4 cm / 6.4") 

◆◆Wide 

operating temperature range 

of –10 °C to +55 °C 

◆◆Low 

weight (approx. 5.7 kg) 

◆◆High 

mechanical resistance 

◆◆Analog 

output enabling subsequent 

analysis of received signals 

in the baseband 

◆◆Analysis 

of external baseband 

signals 

◆◆Selftest 

(BITE) 

◆◆LAN, 

RS-232-C, and GSM interface 

for remote control of all functions 

and for measurement data output 

◆◆USB 

connector for easy data 

export and software updates 

Condensed data of the R&S ® EVS300 

Frequency range 70 MHz to 350 MHz 

Absolute level –120 dBm to +13 dBm 

Deviation at –30 dBm

44328/8 

EMC/FIELD STRENGTH 

The new R&S ® ES-SCAN precom- 

pliance software is a user-friendly 

and cost-efficient tool for computer- 

controlled EMI measurements 

with the R&S ® ESPI3 (FIG 1) and 

R&S ® ESPI7 test receivers. It simpli- 

fies and speeds up both lab-based 

precompliance measurements and the 

preparation for the final certification 

measurement. 

Test receivers 

33 


FIG 1 R&S ® ESPI3 precompliance test receiver. 

R&S ® ESPI Precompliance Test Receiver 

Convenient software simplifies 

EMI measurements 

Avoiding expensive follow-on 

developments … 

The trend of performing fully automatic 

software-controlled measurement 

sequences is widespread in the field of 

EMI measurements. Many certification 

measurements run fast and accurately 

on computer-controlled EMI test systems 

[1]. However, EMI measurements 

do not start only when a product is to be 

certified; EMC aspects must be considered 

early on to ensure electromagnetic 

compatibility. But extensive software 

system solutions for product certification 

do not focus on quick overview measurements 

during the development phase of 

a product. The use in labs calls for easy 

operation, minimum measurement time 

and low costs. 

… by using powerful 

precompliance software 

Rohde & Schwarz has designed its new 

economical R&S ® ES-SCAN EMI precompliance 

software – the successor of the 

R&S ® ESxS-K1 EMI software – specifically 

for lab-based measurements during 

the product development phase. This 

32-bit software runs under Windows® XP 

SP2 and supports the R&S ® ESPI3 and 

R&S ® ESPI7 precompliance test receivers 

[2]. 

The software proves its powerful capabilities 

through the fast and uncomplicated 

acquisition, evaluation and documentation 

of RFI voltages, powers and 

field strengths. Its well arranged and 

clearly structured user interface provides

EMC/FIELD STRENGTH Test receivers 

only those functions that are required 

for diagnostic and preview measurements; 

the software does not include 

the remote control of mast, absorbing 

clamp/slideway and turntable systems 

as its functionality has specifically 

been tailored to development lab 

requirements. 

The development-related examinations 

and precompliance measurements are 

performed either interactively or automatically 

in line with commercial EMC 

standards; the computer-controlled process 

ensures reproducible results. The 

easy-to-program software saves valuable 

development time and costs as 

it performs measurements efficiently 

and economically and offers numerous 

advantages: 

◆◆Short 

learning phase and easy handling 

owing to a well arranged structure 

and clear operating concept 

◆◆Time-saving 

preconfigured default 

settings for the various EMI 

measurements 

34 


◆◆Efficient 

storage and management of 

all measurement data, settings and 

parameters on the controller including 

limit lines and transducer factors 

◆◆Flexible 

and fast generation of informative 

test reports in diverse layouts 

◆◆Complete 

and reliably reproducible 

measurement results 

Measurements and 

documentation 

The precompliance software sets all 

parameters for a measurement at the 

R&S ® ESPI test receiver (e. g. frequency 

range, measurement bandwidth, step 

width, measurement time) and collects 

and analyzes the data obtained. 

The intuitive graphical user interface is 

clearly and logically structured; even 

newcomers or occasional users operate 

it quickly and correctly so that they 

can fully concentrate on their measuring 

tasks. The extensive context-related help 

function offers further support in case 

FIG 2 

An optional assistant (Help Sidebar) guides 

the user conveniently through all phases of a 

measurement. 

of questions. In addition to catchword 

and index search, it also features a measurement 

wizard that guides the user, if 

required, through all phases of the measurements 

(FIG 2). This ensures optimum 

support when EUTs are examined and 

evaluated – without time-consuming 

flicking through the user manual. 

The input masks for the frequency scan 

table and the associated receiver settings 

are clearly visualized (FIG 3). The 

software displays the results in tabular 

and graphical form; marker and zoom 

functions support the precise evaluation 

of the graphically displayed values 

(FIG 4). 

Predefined limit lines, transducer tables 

and default measurement settings for 

a large variety of commercial EMI standards 

are further advantages. 

An R&S ® ES-SCAN measurement 

sequence typically consists of several 

phases: 

FIG 3 Input mask for scan table and receiver parameters. An automatic setting in line with the 

CISPR standard may be preselected (Automatic Res BW selection; Auto step mode).

◆◆Preview 

measurement in line the with 

scan table 


of all significant interfering 

signals with subsequent data 

reduction (frequency list for the final 

measurement) 

◆◆Optional 

optimization measurements 

(fine tuning) 

◆◆Final 

measurement in line with the 

(editable) frequency list 

◆◆Report 

generation 

Two final measurement modes are available 

for selection (FIG 5). In the Automatic 

Measurement mode, the software 

processes the peak value list stepby-step 

and determines the level at 

each frequency by using the detectors 

and measurement times selected in the 

measurement settings. In the interactive 

User Assisted Measurement mode, 

first the Fine Tuning function is activated 

for each final measurement frequency. 

This function allows the user to preselect 

the local maximum by fine-tuning the 

receiver and, in case, manually changing 

the position of the EUT, absorbing 

clamp / slideway and / or antenna (FIG 6). 

Producing an informative documentation 

of settings and measurement and 

analysis results is in most cases quite 

time-consuming. Also in this respect 

R&S ® ES-SCAN simplifies and reduces 

the work of the user. A clearly structured 

report configurator compiles the individual 

components of the documentation 

(general information, receiver settings, 

graphics, final measurement result) as 

required. Before being printed the layout 

can be checked by means of a preview 

function (FIG 7). 

The software controls the R&S ® ESPI 

receiver either via the IEC/IEEE bus interface 

or via the optional Ethernet interface 

(R&S ® FSP-B16 option) as soon as 

the hardlock copy protection supplied 

with the software has been plugged into 

a USB interface of the controller. 

35 


FIG 4 Result of an RFI voltage measurement in the range 150 kHz to 30 MHz: preview measurement (graphics: 

PK+ and AV) and final measurement (graphics and table: QP and AV) with automatic phase switchover of 

the line impedance stabilization network (Comment column) via the R&S ® ESPI test receiver. 

FIG 5 The Final Measurement Wizard provides both an automatic and an interactive (User Assisted) procedure 

for the final measurement.

EMC/FIELD STRENGTH Test receivers 

FIG 6 The Fine Tuning function with its additional Maximum Hold display supports interactive measurements. 

FIG 7 The Preview function enables the user to review the test reports before they are printed. 

36 


In the absence of a test receiver, the 

software simulates all functions in the 

demo mode in which the user may, for 

example, generate measurement settings, 

limit lines, transducer tables and 

reports or evaluate stored measurement 

results. 

Summary 

There is frequently the demand for an 

efficient and economical application 

software whenever the EMI measurement 

task at hand is not the final certification 

of a product but the examination 

of the EMC properties of a product 

under development or the preparation of 

compliance measurements. In this case, 

the new R&S ® ES-SCAN software in conjunction 

with the R&S ® ESPI test receivers 

represents an excellent solution that 

makes final certification measurements 

a pure formality. 

Karl-Heinz Weidner 



(search term: ES-SCAN) 

REFERENCES 

[1] R&S ® EMC 32-E+ EMI Measurement 

Software: All-purpose software for 

complete EMI measurements. News 


pp 42–45 

[2] R&S ® ESPI Precompliance Test Receiver: 

Multitalent in the development lab. News 


pp 33–38

BROADCASTING 

The new liquid-cooled 

R&S ® NH /NV8600 family of high- 

power transmitters (FIG 1) for analog 

and digital TV in band IV/V repre- 

sents a quantum leap in transmitter 

technology. The transmitters offer an 

unprecedented level of cost-optimized, 

long-term operation. Clearly a new 

generation of transmitters, they fulfill 

all major requirements demanded 

by transmitter operators: maximum 

power density in a minimum of space 

– and unsurpassed efficiency. 

TV transmitters 

37 


R&S ® NH/NV8600 UHF Transmitter Family 

High efficiency reduces energy costs 

by up to 25 % 

Amplifiers – opening up a new 

dimension in power 

The liquid-cooled R&S ® VH8600A1 power 

amplifiers (FIG 2) are the core of the 

R&S®Nx8600 transmitter system. Compared 

to their predecessor used in the 

R&S ® Nx7000 transmitter family, their 

power density is significantly greater – 

40 % higher power per volume, – and 

they offer 30 % higher efficiency. This 

space- and power-saving design can be 

attributed to the state-of-the-art LDMOS 

transistors, which allow such high power 

FIG 1 

The new R&S ® Nx8600 transmitter 

family permits the implementation 

of transmitter concepts 

that were not feasible in 

the past (the figure shows the 

R&S ® NV8610 transmitter with 

a power of 6 kW for DVB-T). 44951/3

FIG 2 The liquid-cooled R&S ® VH8600A1 power amplifier. 

density. Various advantages are interwoven 

here: The optimum transfer of dissipated 

heat to the coolant decreases 

Tried-and-tested control 

components 

BROADCASTING TV transmitters 

The new R&S ® Nx8600 transmitter 

family is equipped with R&S ® Sx800 

exciters [1] and the R&S ® NetCCU800 

control unit [2] – components that 

are already successfully used by 

the well-established air-cooled 

R&S ® NH /NV8200 transmitter family 

for the medium-power segment [3]. All 

digital and analog standards are implemented 

in the R&S ® Sx800 TV exciters, 

which occupy only one height unit. 

The R&S ® NetCCU800 control unit is 

the command center of the transmitter. 

It monitors the transmitter components 

that are connected, handles internal 

control and communications and is the 

user interface for the transmitter operator. 

In remote operation, all transmitter 

parameters can be set via the Internet 

(web browser or SNMP agent). 

38 


the junction temperature and increases 

the service life by simultaneously reducing 

flow rate and pump power. The efficiency 

of the amplifier cooling system is 

equally impressive. 

As with all Rohde & Schwarz amplifiers, 

the failure of individual components (e. g. 

transistors) does not affect the transmission 

characteristic: All power amplifiers 

and transistors remain exactly in the 

specified operating point since they are 

optimally decoupled from each other. As 

a result, the intermodulation characteristics 

also remain unchanged, and a precorrection 

– once set – in the exciter 

continues to be applied also in these 

cases and does not have to be corrected. 

All operating parameters of the transmitter 

output stage, e.g. transistor currents 

as well as forward and reflected power 

are transmitted to the control unit. 

These parameters can also be retrieved 

remotely, which means that any servicing 

that may be needed can be planned 

efficiently. 

Since a power amplifier usually attains 

optimum efficiency only at full output 

power, it has always been relatively 

uneconomical to operate a transmitter 

system at reduced output power. This 

drawback has now been overcome by a 

special feature of the R&S ® VH8600A1 

amplifier: Its DC parameters (like those 

of the medium-power R&S ® VH8200A1 

amplifier) can be adapted to powerreduced 

operation. 

For example, if you want an 

R&S ® NV8610 transmitter system rated 

for 6 kW DVB-T operation to output only 

3 kW, you merely need to set a modified 

DC mode for all amplifiers by means of a 

menu in the R&S ® NetCCU800 transmitter 

control unit. Subsequently, the transmitter 

efficiency remains largely the 

same as at full output power. 

If an amplifier is replaced, the modified 

DC parameters are communicated 

to the new amplifier. No further settings 

are required – and this also means that 

no subsequent module-specific adjustments 

of gain and phase are necessary. 

Thus, servicing becomes an even easier 

matter. 

44953/1

Modular transmitter power 

Since the transmitters are modular 

in design, they can be configured as 

required by the transmitter operators. 

Two to ten power amplifiers can be integrated 

into a transmitter rack and – 

owing to the excellent decoupling of the 

power combiners – the operation of the 

intact output stages is not impaired if 

one or more output stages fail. All quality 

parameters remain unchanged. 

Like in the R&S ® Nx7000 transmitter 

family, the amplifier modules can also 

be replaced during operation. No reassembly 

work is required since the coolant 

is routed via quick-release couplers. 

AC and RF connectors as well as control 

lines can be plugged and removed 

automatically. 



(search term: NH8600 / NV8600) 

REFERENCES 

[1] R&S ® Sx800 Exciter: Multistandard 

exciter for ATV and DTV. News from 


pp 41–43 

[2] R&S®NetCCU800 Control Unit: Common 

control unit for FM and TV transmitters. 


No. 188, pp 44–45 

[3] R&S ® NH / NV8200 UHF TV Transmitters: 

Air-cooled transmitters for the 

medium-power segment. News from 


pp 40–42 

39 


A harmonics filter integrated in the 

transmitter, broadband lightning protection 

(in band IV/ V), and directional 

couplers compensated for frequency 

response complement the complete 

package. The frequency-response-compensated 

directional couplers do not 

have to be readjusted when the frequency 

is changed. Changing the frequency 

or upgrading the system from 

analog combined to digital is thus possible 

without virtually any adjustment. 

Of course, transmitter systems with 

multiple racks for higher output power 

as well as redundant systems such 

as active / passive standby and (n+1) 

standby are also available. 

Engineered for intelligent 

cooling 

When it comes to an efficiency-optimized 

transmitter system, the overall 

concept is what really matters – and the 

cooling system plays a major role here. 

Rohde & Schwarz has optimized the cooling 

system, which utilizes the particularly 

economical electronic commutated 

(EC) motor system design. Compared 

to a three-phase motor system, the EC 

motor system is slightly more expensive 

but quickly breaks even: It saves power, 

simplifies the overall concept of the cooling 

system, and offers additional potential 

for saving energy. Other advantages 

include long service life and the use of 

preselectable operating modes (cooling 

power, noise generation). 

Summary 

With the new R&S ® Nx8600 transmitter 

family, you can implement transmitter 

concepts that were not feasible in 

the past: high power density in a minimum 

of space, easy maintenance, and 

exceptionally high savings in energy 

costs due to optimum efficiency. These 

advantages make future-oriented network 

planning reliable and may result in 

significant savings in energy costs (up 

to 25 %). Moreover, the new transmitters 

require minimum space (up to 50 % 

less) and make installation easy. Worldwide 

service, local contacts, adherence 

to delivery deadlines, and high quality 

round out the benefits that come with 

the R&S ® Nx8600 family of transmitters. 

Uwe Dalisda; Friedrich Rottensteiner 

Condensed data of the R&S ® NH/NV8600 

Standards 

Analog B/G, I, M, N, K 

Color transmission PAL, NTSC, SECAM 

Sound modulation dual-sound in accordance with IRT, mono, stereo, 

NICAM 

Digital DVB-T/H, ATSC, MediaFLO, T-DMB, DMB-T, 

ISDB-T, AVSB, ISDTV 

Output power (one transmitter rack) 

Analog combined 1.7 kW to 17 kW 

Analog split 2.5 kW to 20 kW 

DTV 1.2 kW to 7 kW (depending on MER)) 

RF connector EIA 1 5 / 8 " or 3 1 / 8 " 

Dimensions (W × D × H) 600 mm × 1100 mm × 2000 mm

After successfully participating in 

phase 1 and phase 2 when DVB-T 

was introduced in the Netherlands, 

Rohde & Schwarz was selected in fall 

2005 as the exclusive supplier for the 

third expansion phase (FIG 1). During 

this project, more than 105 DVB-T 

high-power transmitters had to be 

installed to provide full coverage of 

the Netherlands. 

FIG 1 Coverage area of the DVB-T network in 

phase 3. 

Network 

phase 1 

Network 

phase 2 

BROADCASTING Reference 

Network 

phase 3 

40 


Full DVB-T coverage of the 

Netherlands 

Go-ahead issued at IBC 2005 

The official contract for expansion 

phase 3 was signed with network operator 

Nozema in Amsterdam during the 

International Broadcasting Convention 

(IBC) in September 2005. The original 

starting date for the project had to 

be delayed, however, and the first shipments 

were then planned for mid-2006. 

Since the political decision-making process 

in the Netherlands had to take the 

shutdown of analog TV transmitters into 

account, the rollout had to be considerably 

accelerated in contrast to the original 

planning since some on-air dates 

had already been firmly set. Within 

about a year, Rohde & Schwarz then 

installed 105 DVB-T high-power transmitters 

including accessories and put 

them into operation. 

Full coverage owing to flexible 

transmitter design 

The 21 stations were equipped each 

with a 4 +1 transmitter system (four 

main transmitters to broadcast the programs 

to four multiplexers and one 

standby transmitter) in the power 

range between 400 W and 3.4 kW 

(FIG 2). Nozema decided to exclusively 

use the high-power transmitters 

of the R&S ® NV7000 family from 

Rohde & Schwarz since their flexible 

design can handle different power levels 

within a 4 +1 system. This is essential in 

the Netherlands as the range can vary 

greatly depending on the channel. The 

fact that individual transmitter models 

can be easily upgraded to handle other 

power levels is a further important feature. 

It proved to be beneficial throughout 

the project as the coverage planning 

frequently had to be changed – espe- 

cially due to the results of the Regional 

Radio Conference (RRC) in Geneva. 

Turnkey shelter solutions 

Fourteen of the 21 stations had to be 

provided in shelters. Rohde & Schwarz 

was in charge of planning and presented 

turnkey solutions to the customer. 

The transmitter systems including 

the cooling equipment and accessories 

were accommodated efficiently 

and in an easy-maintenance manner in 

double-unit shelters. The shelters had 

a floor space measuring 3 m × 7 m and 

were joined together on site to form 

a transmitter room (FIG 3). The size of 

and equipment in the shelters are specially 

adapted to customer requirements. 

All shelters were fully preassembled in 

Germany. The only work that had to be 

done on site was to join the two shelter 

halves and to install the heat exchangers 

outside. 

Comprehensive project 

handling with up to three teams 

The project involved a lot more than 

the mere delivery of transmitters. 

Rohde & Schwarz examined the stations 

in advance and – based on its findings 

– planned the station upgrading, 

which it documented thoroughly for the 

customer. 

The supplying of materials had to be 

coordinated in the next step. In addition 

to the actual transmitters, the various 

subcontractor products also had 

to be handled. The accurate coordination 

helped ensure that all components 

required for the individual stations 

were always supplied together. Owing 

to careful installation planning, it was

possible to set up the transmission systems 

quickly. Following their installation, 

they were put into operation by 

Rohde & Schwarz engineers trained for 

this purpose. Up to three installation 

and system startup teams were on the 

ground in the Netherlands during the 

busiest phases of the project in order to 

move things along rapidly. 

Additional offer for DVB-H 

In the course of the project, the customer 

decided to use a further multiplex 

for DVB-H operation and contracted 

Rohde & Schwarz to add one transmitter 

to each of the stations equipped 

in phase 3. To handle this task as efficiently 

as possible, Rohde & Schwarz 

readied the stations for the additional 

multiplex even before the actual DVB-H 

rollout was started. The combining and 

switching system, for example, was 

equipped at the start for an additional 

channel in order to minimize downtimes 

for further expansions. The first DVB-H 

transmitters were shipped while the 

DVB-T rollout was still in progress. The 

last shelter was supplied in fall 2007. 

Robert Bleicher; Simone Gerstl 

Photo: authors 

Photo: authors 

41 


FIG 2 Front view of one of the 5+1 DVB-T/DVB-H transmitter systems. 

FIG 3 Two shelters were combined on site to create a single transmitter room.

BROADCASTING Reference 

T-DMB is in the process of revolu- 

tionizing transmitter technology in 

South Korea: A state-of-the-art broad- 

cast network derived from the “old” 

DAB technology is now using a new 

encoding method to transmit moving 

pictures to mobile devices. This is 

the world’s first T-DMB network and 

it uses broadcasting equipment from 

ROHDE & SCHWARZ FTK GmbH. 

T-DMB transmitters from Rohde & Schwarz 

42 


The first T-DMB broadcast network 

in South Korea 

Following a successful test deployment 

in 2005, South Korea decided to set up 

a nationwide network. During the initial 

stage of deployment, the region 

around the capital city of Seoul was 

equipped with T-DMB transmitters. The 

network operator Korean Broadcasting 

System (KBS) initially ordered liquid-cooled 

T-DMB high-power transmitter 

systems. This was followed by additional 

orders for transmitters from the 

R&S ® NA / NL6000 series with air cooling 

as well as the R&S ® NA7000 series with 

liquid cooling. The operators are continuing 

to expand the country’s network 

with full nationwide coverage expected 

by 2009. Rohde & Schwarz is supplying 

the broadcasting equipment for all six 

T-DMB networks. 

R&S ® SLA8000 R&S ® NA6000 R&S ® NL6000 R&S ® NA7000 

Frequency VHF band III VHF band III L band VHF band III 

Output power 75 W to 300 W 150 W to 2500 W 115 W to 1600 W 900 W to 7200 W 

Cooling air air air liquid 

Photo: FTK 

Three T-DMB transmitter stations on the mountains around the capital city of Seoul ensure coverage. 

Digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) 

allows transmission of television programs 

to mobile devices such as mobile 

phones, handhelds and pocket PCs. The 

information is transmitted in MPEG-4 

AVC format via digital audio broadcasting 

(DAB). A DAB data stream contains 

a bouquet with up to three TV programs, 

each of which can be encoded using a 

data rate of up to 700 kbit/s. In South 

Korea, DAB frequencies were available 

in band III, and thus ready for use. 

ROHDE & SCHWARZ FTK GmbH with 80 

employees in Berlin is well acquainted 

with the new technology due to its 

many years of experience with audio 

broadcasting, datacasting and R&D services. 

It began business in 1992 with 

transmission systems for FM and later 

added DAB. In 2000, South Korea 

became interested in digital broadcasting. 

Jens Stockmann, product manager 

at Rohde & Schwarz FTK, recalls: “DAB 

in South Korea? That made me curious. 

The DAB standard had been developed

in Europe in the 1980s and by 2000 had 

reached a low point in Germany. And 

now South Korea was interested in it.” 

But it was more than mere interest. The 

South Koreans adapted the idea behind 

DMB and enhanced the technology on 

the basis of new coding methods. The 

result was the South Korean T-DMB 

standard, and Rohde & Schwarz FTK got 

involved again. “What impressed me 

was the South Korean government’s 

broad support for driving this development”, 

says Stockmann. The standard 

was nearly finished when a T-DMB test 

run was to be performed in Seoul. Two 

major manufacturers, Samsung and LG, 

developed the required receivers. 

Elsewhere Rohde & Schwarz was 

involved in the intro- 

duction of DAB right 

from the start. The company 

played an active 

role in the early days in 

Germany and in many 

other European countries 

such as Great 

Britain and Belgium. 

The equipment and the 

know-how for the entire 

DAB transmission path were available. 

Suitable equipment was available in the 

form of T-DMB transmitters with their 

wide range of output power and the liquid-cooled 

transmitters with high output 

powers and compact dimensions. 

KBS was also the first broadcast operator 

interested in implementing this 

technology. A delegation from KBS 

did very extensive research, traveling 

across Europe and contacting a number 

of institutions, companies and network 

operators to obtain detailed information 

about DAB and investigate the 

possible partners. The delegation visited 

Rohde & Schwarz again to discuss the 

specifications in greater detail. At the 

same time, Rohde & Schwarz expanded 

its South Korean office and was able to 

43 


provide the necessary on-site assistance. 

After all, a broadcasting network operator 

that has to be on the air 24 hours a 

day needs direct contact to support and 

service with rapid access to spare parts. 

The city of Seoul has a population of 

over 10 million and lies in a valley. To 

suit this topography, three transmitter 

stations were set up in the neighboring 

mountains, ensuring full coverage of the 

region. The equipment was transported 

by a funicular railway and helicopters. 

The T-DMB transmitters and all the associated 

system components were customized 

to suit local conditions. The existing 

buildings saw optimal usage due 

to the space-saving, flexible design of 

the equipment. The transmitter systems 

were connected to existing antenna 

Rohde & Schwarz customers in South Korea have been very happy with 

the development of the T-DMB project so far. During the launch celebration 

held by operator U1media, Rohde & Schwarz received an award for outstanding 

service during the installation phase. This award also cited the 

excellent cooperation between Rohde & Schwarz FTK, the production facility 

in Teisnach and the on-site team. 

installations, and the GPS antennas 

were positioned for free reception to suit 

local conditions. Other broadcasters can 

be smoothly integrated into the system. 

One challenge, however, was related to 

the very close spacing of transmit frequencies 

in adjacent DAB channels. 

The cooling systems were specially 

adapted to handle the climatic conditions 

so that operations would not be 

impaired by cold weather or high temperatures. 

Due to space constraints, 

some cooling units/aggregates were 

housed separately from the transmitters 

outside of the buildings. For this reason, 

additional pumps were necessary. All of 

the transmitters were implemented with 

passive standby to ensure high failsafety. 

Rohde & Schwarz has also developed a 

special redundant system of combiners 

to further increase reliability. 

Depending on the region, the broadcasters 

provide at least three video programs 

as well as numerous audio programs 

and data services. The TV broadcasters 

are committed to developing new content 

that is different from normal TV programs. 

The main focus is on the needs 

of the different users and their mobility. 

In South Korea, T-DMB programs are 

currently free of charge to everyone and 

many types of receivers are available. 

Besides mobile phones, there exist integrated 

solutions for navigation devices 

and handheld computers. 

The new broadcast system has enjoyed 

a successful startup in South Korea, and 

this trend is expected 

to continue. For example, 

there has been 

regular T-DMB service 

in the L band in 17 

major cities in Germany 

since Football World 

Cup 2006. 

Elke Schulze

BROADCASTING Signal generators 

44 


45066/1

Multistandard realtime coding, inte- 

grated baseband source, excellent RF 

characteristics – all this in a compact 

box with a convenient graphical user 

interface. The new R&S ® SFE broad- 

cast tester offers all important func- 

tions of a state-of-the-art broadcast 

signal generator – at a favorable price. 

FIG 1 

The R&S ® SFE generates all signals for analog or 

digital terrestrial TV, cable TV, satellite TV, and 

mobile TV, or digital sound broadcasting. 

FIG 2 Overview of the most important digital broadcasting standards. 

45 


R&S ® SFE Broadcast Tester 

Compact signal generator for all 

current broadcasting standards 

Signal generators for 

state-of-the-art broadcasting 

The conversion to digital TV has created 

a boom in consumer electronics. More 

and more innovative products are being 

launched: from the HD-ready LCD TV set 

with integrated DVB-T /DVB-C receiver, 

PCMCIA cards, and USB sticks to the 

portable media player and mobile TV 

phone. To keep pace with this development, 

you need specially optimized 

signal generators. With its high-end 

R&S ® SFQ and R&S ® SFU broadcast signal 

generators, Rohde & Schwarz has 

been successful for many years in this 

market segment. As digital TV receivers 

evolve from an exotic high-tech device 

to a mass-market product, the requirements 

that instrument and component 

developers place on signal generators 

also change. In addition to the high-end 

test system for development, an increasing 

number of simpler and cost-efficient 

instruments are required that can 

be used not only in the laboratory, but 

also in quality assurance, service, and 

production. 

Rohde & Schwarz meets this challenge 

by offering its new signal generator for 

broadcasting standards – the R&S ® SFE 

broadcast tester (FIG 1), a compact yet 

powerful multistandard generator at 

an attractive price. Despite its reduced 

scope of functions and smaller size, the 

R&S ® SFE largely maintains the successful 

concept of the high-end R&S ® SFU. 

Many standards – 

one signal source 

Analog television systems offer a variety 

of different transmission methods. 

In addition to the three color transmission 

systems PAL, NTSC, and SECAM, 

a number of standards such as B/G, 

D/K, I, M/N, and L/L’ are used. When 

combined with the different sound 

Transmission Standard Europe North America South America Asia Australia Africa 

DVB-T ● ● ● 

Terrestrial TV 

ATSC / 8VSB 

ISDB-T 

● 

● ● 

DTMB ● 

DVB-C ● 

Cable TV J.83/B ● 

ISDB-C ● 

DVB-S ● ● 

Satellite TV DVB-S2 ● ● 

DirecTV ● ● 

DVB-H ● ● ● ● 

T-DMB ● ● 

Mobile TV ISDB-T 1 seg ● 

DMB-TH ● 

MediaFLO ● 

Sound 

broadcasting 

DAB 

DRM 

ISDB-Tsb 

● 

● 

● ● 

●

transmission systems, you have to cope 

with an almost unmanageable number 

of TV standards. 

Anyone who thought that digital TV 

would simplify matters now knows that 

things turned out to be quite different: 

There are different transmission methods 

for satellite, cable, terrestrial, and 

mobile TV due to technical reasons, and 

the individual countries have totally different 

standards in some cases (FIG 2). 

This presents quite a problem for the 

instrument and component manufacturers 

who want to produce for the world 

market: They have to provide a number of 

different test signals both in development 

and in production. The solution can be 

found in multistandard signal generators 

such as the new R&S ® SFE broadcast tester. 

It has a powerful universal hardware 

platform for baseband signal processing, 

allowing you to switch between the various 

transmission standards by reloading 

FPGA firmware. 

FIG 3 shows three typical TV signal spectra 

generated by the R&S ® SFE. The baseband 

signal is coded in realtime so that 

video sequences of any length can be 

transmitted without interruption. Modulation 

parameters such as constellation, FFT 

mode, and code rate can be set irrespective 

of the transport stream to be transmitted. 

You can thus switch quickly and 

easily between the different transmission 

standards and select any conceivable 

configuration of the standard. 

From the IF to the S band: 

The RF section is the key 


Digital signal processing is definitely 

important, but the key component of 

the signal generator is the RF section. 

The RF section of the R&S ® SFE consists 

of a high-stability synthesizer, a broadband 

I/Q modulator, and an electronic 

attenuator. 

46 


With a frequency range from 100 kHz to 

2.5 GHz, the R&S ® SFE covers all bands 

that are relevant for broadcasting applications: 

IF, VHF, and UHF as well as the 

L band, and the lower part of the S band, 

which are becoming increasingly attractive 

for future broadcasting services. 

The dynamic range of the output level 

(100 dB) allows you to test the complete 

drive range of a receiver – from the sensitivity 

threshold up to saturation. The 

generator uses a totally wear-free electronic 

attenuator that enables a practically 

unlimited number of switching 

cycles. This is a significant advantage for 

applications in production where downtimes 

would involve high costs. 

Modern COFDM modulation methods 

place high demands on the stability and 

spectral purity of the oscillator signal. 

The RF synthesizer of the R&S ® SFE sets 

new standards in its class. Not only the 

low SSB noise but also the low broadband 

noise and excellent harmonic suppression 

of the generator are impressive. 

The R&S ® SFE thus attains the required 

high modulation error ratio (MER) of 

more than 40 dB (FIG 4). 

MPEG-2 player and 

ARB generator incorporated 

To generate a test signal with specific 

contents, e. g. a test pattern, you need a 

baseband signal which is modulated to 

the RF in accordance with the selected 

transmission standard. Digital broadcasting 

standards use transport streams as 

a baseband signal. Most of the methods 

implement the widely used MPEG-2 

format. But there are also other formats 

such as the ETI format for T-DMB and 

DAB or proprietary formats, e. g. those 

used by the American satellite operator 

DirecTV. For analog TV, on the contrary, 

you need an audio/video baseband 

signal in CCVS format. As a baseband 

source, you would thus need at 

least one transport stream generator for 

digital TV and one test pattern generator 

for analog TV. Since the R&S ® SFE allows 

you to integrate both an analog and a 

digital baseband generator, the number 

of instruments required is clearly 

reduced. 

Rohde & Schwarz also offers a large 

number of signal libraries for digital and 

analog TV standards. They include test 

patterns and test sounds as well as live 

audio and video sequences. FIG 5 shows 

a typical HDTV test pattern and the 

FuBK test pattern known from analog TV, 

both of which can be generated by the 

R&S ® SFE. All the functions starting from 

baseband signal generation and coding 

to RF modulation are thus provided by a 

single instrument. The integration of a 

high-quality RF generator and a powerful 

baseband signal source is the main 

benefit of broadcast signal generators 

from Rohde & Schwarz. 

The R&S ® SFE can also use an arbitrary 

waveform generator (ARB) as a baseband 

signal source. In this case, you 

benefit from a variety of additional applications 

since the ARB generator can 

generate signals irrespective of the 

installed realtime coders. Any signal 

form is possible, limited only by the sample 

rate and the memory depth of the 

ARB generator and the bandwidth of the 

I/Q modulator. 

The baseband signal must be available 

in the form of an I/Q waveform 

file, which can be calculated, for example, 

with the R&S ® WinIQSIM simulation 

software or with common commercial 

software tools such as MATLAB ®. 

Yet, things can be done a lot more easily: 

For the ARB generator, Rohde & Schwarz 

offers a variety of signal libraries 

with complete test signals for many 

applications.

FIG 3 Analog and digital TV signal spectra – the R&S ® SFE can generate them all. 

FIG 4 DVB-T constellation diagram of the R&S ® SFE with very high MER. 

FIG 5 

Test patterns 

for analog and 

digital TV originating 

from 

the signal 

libraries from 

Rohde & Schwarz. 

47 

News from Rohde&Schwarz Number 194 (2007/III)

Optional noise source and 

BER measurement 


When developing and testing receivers, 

you must check the impact of additive 

white Gaussian noise on the receiver 

function. To do so, the R&S ® SFE can be 

equipped with a broadband noise source 

so that the S/N ratio of the output signal 

can be set over a wide range (FIG 6). 

Another optional feature, the bit error 

ratio (BER) measurement, allows you to 

upgrade the generator to form a simple 

but powerful receiver test system. To 

measure the BER, the R&S ® SFE makes 

use of a baseband signal with a pseudo 

random bit sequence (PRBS) as payload. 

Either the demodulated bit stream 

or the decoded transport stream can 

be looped back from the receiver under 

test to the R&S ® SFE which automatically 

determines the number of corrupted bits. 

FIG 7 shows the BER measurement principle 

using the R&S ® SFE. The noise generator 

and the BER measurement function 

now enable you to record the familiar 

BER-over-C/N curves for a receiver – 

with only a single measuring instrument. 

The “inconspicuous” feature: 

remote-control compatibility 

The R&S ® SFE can be remote-controlled 

via a LAN in accordance with 

the VXI11 protocol. The same SCPI 

control commands are used as in the 

programs written for the R&S ® SFU 

in the development laboratories. You 

can thus use the test programs written 

for the R&S ® SFU in the new 

R&S ® SFE, which can be easily integrated 

into production test systems. 

Tried-and-tested concept 

in a new form 

48 


Since the R&S ® SFU broadcast test system 

has proven very successful throughout 

the last two years, it has gained a 

certain reputation as a reference instrument 

for broadcast receiver testing. The 

R&S ® SFE has similar characteristics and 

will continue this success. Special care 

was placed on adopting the successful 

R&S ® SFU concept as far as possible. 

The result is obvious: The R&S ® SFE looks 

like the little brother of the R&S ® SFU. 

Despite its compact design in ½× 19" 

housing, the R&S ® SFU operating concept 

including keypad, rotary knob, hardkeys, 

and softkey was fully duplicated. 

The graphical user interface is also identical, 

both on the large, easy-to-read 

color display and for remote control via 

a PC (FIG 8). Users already familiar with 

the R&S ® SFU will be able to operate the 

R&S ® SFE immediately and without any 

additional training. And what is even 

more: The remote-control commands of 

the two instruments are also compatible. 

Software options for quick and 

easy expansions 

The R&S ® SFE broadcast tester is fully 

modular in design. Both the realtime 

coder for the various transmission standards 

and the additional features such 

as baseband generators, noise source, 

or BER measurement are implemented 

as software options. You can enable 

these options any time on site by entering 

a license code. Cumbersome hardware 

modifications, which may have a 

negative impact on the calibration of the 

instrument, are not required. As far as 

application and functions are concerned, 

the R&S ® SFE can be easily adapted to 

meet specific customer requirements – 

now or in the future. 

Peter Lampel 

More information, brochure 

and data sheet at 


(search term: SFE) 

R&S ® SFE brochure 

R&S ® SFE data sheet

FIG 6 Signal spectrum with and without additive white Gaussian noise. 

FIG 8 Remote control of the R&S ® SFE via a PC. 

FIG 7 

BER measurement principle using 

the R&S ® SFE. 

49 


Rear view 

Rear view 

RF output 

RF output 

Data 

Clock 

Enable 

TS-ASI input 

DUT 

DUT 

44726/6

BROADCASTING Monitoring systems 

The Gigabit Ethernet interface option 

for the R&S ® DVM400 digital video 

measurement system monitors and 

analyzes IP connections and makes 

the contained transport streams avail- 

able for additional measurements. 

IPTV – moving pictures via IP networks 

Numerous articles and specifications 

are dealing with the IPTV topic. However, 

an unambiguous definition or a commonly 

recognized standard is still missing 

although a heterogeneous variety 

of offers already exists: It ranges from 

streaming short low-resolution video clips 

to PCs over the Internet up to transmitting 

TV programs to Ethernet-capable set-top 

boxes via wideband DSL connections. In 

addition, network operators are using this 

technology in their backbones to provide 

TV signals to their transmitters or cable 

headends, for example. 

FIG 1 The R&S ® DVM400 digital video measurement 

system is a portable instrument to measure MPEG-2 transport 

streams and their contents. 

44164/1 

50 


R&S ® DVM400 Digital Video Measurement System 

T&M equipment for IPTV 

IP-based networks distribute 

TV programs 

IP-based networks already common 

in the telecommunications area are 

increasingly being used to distribute 

TV programs – not only for direct transmission 

to the consumer or TV transmitter 

/ cable headend but also for 

local connections between transmission 

equipment. Rohde & Schwarz has 

taken this into account by its new Gigabit 

Ethernet interface option for the 

R&S ® DVM400 digital video measurement 

system (see box below). 

Applications of the Gigabit 

Ethernet interface option 

The new Gigabit Ethernet interface 

option as well as the R&S ® DVM400 

monitor and analyze IP connections and 

the contained transport streams. The 

option is, for example, suited to monitor 

IP networks handling signal contribution 

(FIG 2) – i. e. the feeding of TV signals 

to distribution stations – or to analyze 

the signals at the IP interfaces of digital 

TV signal processing equipment (e. g. 

encoders or multiplexers). 

Functionality 

The new interface is a hardware option 

completely embedded in the monitoring 

and analysis application of the 

R&S ® DVM400. The system’s entire signaling 

and alarm functionality has thus 

been made available including report 

entries, error counter, SNMP traps and 

visual representation. Various signal 

properties such as MDI (FIG 3), jitter and 

data rate are analyzed in realtime. The 

system automatically monitors all signals 

of a Gigabit Ethernet up to the full 

bandwidth and indicates the measured 

values in a table (FIG 4). In addition to 

monitoring IP connections, it graphically 

displays the measured values of a 

selected IP data stream (FIG 3). 

R&S ® DVM400 digital video measurement system 

In addition to general transport stream monitoring and analysis, the R&S ® DVM400 

(FIG 1) also supports the detailed analysis of elementary video and audio streams 

(MPEG-2, H.264 / MPEG-4, AAC and AC-3), of diverse data services and of DVB-H-specific 

properties including time slicing. Extensive additional functions such as recording, 

generation and playback of transport streams as well as video decoding and streaming 

are also provided. Various interfaces for the different digital TV standards including the 

new DVB-S2 satellite standard make it a universal measuring instrument for digital TV. 

Despite its great variety of functionalities the R&S ® DVM400 features compact size and 

low weight, which makes it also ideally suited for portable use. Its new Gigabit Ethernet 

interface now also allows you to perform measurements in IPTV systems.

FIG 2 

An example of five typical DTV network test points at which 

the R&S ® DVM400 with its various interfaces and its capability 

of monitoring multiple signals in parallel can very well be 

employed. The IP data stream and the DVB-T signal are monitored 

at test points 3, 4 and 5. The DTV feeds are additionally 

monitored at test point 1. 

Measuring the media delivery index (MDI) 

In the area of TV measurements, the MDI is measured 

in order to assess the transport quality of a network. It 

is represented by two measured values separated by a 

colon: MDI = DF:LR (delay factor : loss rate). The delay 

factor defines the maximum delay of a byte received in 

the receive buffer based on a constant output data rate 

in one measuring interval (compensation of the irregular 

transmission times of individual packets). The loss rate 

indicates the number of packets lost per measuring interval. 

The measuring interval is usually one second for the 

two values. 

Abbreviations 

DF Delay factor 

DSL Digital subscriber line 

IGMP Internet group management protocol 

IPTV Internet protocol television 

LR Loss rate 

MDI Media delivery index 

RTP Realtime transport protocol 

RTSP Realtime streaming protocol 

TCP Transmission control protocol 

TS Transport stream 

UDP User datagram protocol 

VoD Video on demand 

Signal feed 

Local signal 

generation or 

DTV feed 

51 


M1 

Reception and 

adaptation 

of signals 

M2 

IP 

IP network 

Signal contribution 

FIG 3 Detailed visual representation on the R&S ® DVM400 of the measured IP values for a selected connection. The 

MDI (delay factor and loss rate) versus time (upper part) as well as various other details (lower part) are displayed. 

FIG 4 Tabular representation on the R&S ® DVM400 of the values measured on all monitored IP connections. 

M3 

M5 

M4 

A 

DVB-T 

transmitter 

C 

B

BROADCASTING Monitoring systems 

The option can extract the transport 

streams of three IP connections at the 

same time and feed them directly to 

the R&S ® DVM400 via the ASI interfaces 

for monitoring and analysis. A special 

feature of the option is its capability 

to “stream” the transport streams via 

the Gigabit Ethernet interface, i. e. to forward 

them to any location in the network 

for further analysis or for decoding 

the contained TV programs, for example. 

These transport streams may either 

Transport 

IP networks transmit data in separate packets. Usually data 

of different applications is transmitted on the same network 

so that it must occasionally share network sections dynamically. 

Moreover, single packets of a specific application can 

be transported through the network using different routes (via 

different nodes). It may therefore occur that the packets of a 

specific application transmitted through IP networks arrive at 

irregular times at their destination, that the sequence of the 

packets changes and even that some packets are lost in case 

of temporary local network overload. The intensity and frequency 

of these effects may fluctuate depending on network 

load and situation. 

To transport data through IP networks in realtime, e. g. video 

or audio programs, the user datagram protocol (UDP) is 

almost exclusively used. This protocol has a short overhead, 

and because it is a connectionless protocol (unlike e. g. the 

TCP) it does not require control mechanisms such as packet 

retransmissions. On the other hand, it does not guarantee the 

completeness of the data packets arriving at the addressee. 

To counteract at least certain irregularities such as wrong 

Principles of transmission in IP networks 

FIG 5 

The protocol layers in IP 

networks. 

52 


be received via the IP network or input 

locally via the ASI interface. Even transport 

streams that the R&S ® DVM400 has 

received via the RF options (e. g. DVB-T 

or DVB-S2) can be streamed. 

As the R&S ® DVM400 can be equipped 

with a transport stream generator, it 

may also be used as a “TS over IP” generator. 

Both RTP via UDP and pure UDP 

are supported for this application. 

Thomas Tobergte 



(search term: DVM) 

IP packets at the receiver end or highly irregular transmission 

rates, the application layer mostly employs an additional 

control protocol. This is usually the RTP, a protocol governing 

temporary buffering and, if required, sorting of data packets. 

FIG 5 provides an overview of the protocol layers. 

Signaling 

Current network technology allows each terminal to be provided 

with an individual signal; each consumer can therefore 

receive their own TV program. As a consequence, the network 

load increases in proportion to the number of viewers. Possible 

network overload is prevented by the multicast method 

that transmits programs designated for multiple consumers 

only once on common network sections. This, however, is only 

possible on the basis of uniform starting times (thus assuming 

that the viewers watch the programs at the same time). 

To receive such programs, the terminal must join a multicast 

group enabled by the IGMP. 

The RTSP is used to control VoD applications in which every 

viewer receives his / her “own” signal. The respective programs 

are transmitted to the consumer as unicast. 

MPEG-2 TS 

RTP MPEG-2 TS 

RTSP 

UDP 

IGMP 

IP 

TCP 

HTTP

Part 1 of this two-part article – 

published in number 192 – explained 

how to determine monitoring points in 

digital TV networks plus the measure- 

ments that have to be performed. 

Part 2 now explains the requirements 

placed on state-of-the-art monitoring 

instruments and shows that effi- 

cient monitoring requires not only 

the measurement functions but many 

other instrument characteristics as 

well. 

Abbreviations 

MIB Management information base 

MER Modulation error ratio 

PID Packet identifier 

PCR Program clock reference 

BROADCASTING Transmitter network monitoring 

SNMP Simple network management 

protocol 

53 


Efficient and to the point: 

monitoring of digital TV signals (2) 

User-friendly: One instrument 

performs all tasks 

In Part 1 of this article, the section 

“Measurements in practical applications” 

(page 46 in number 192) gave a 

detailed overview of the measurement 

functions required when monitoring digital 

TV signals. Since these different measurements 

may involve the monitoring of 

RF characteristics, the transport stream, 

and perhaps even individual programs 

or data services, etc., it is particularly 

beneficial if you can perform all of them 

simultaneously and with only one instrument. 

This considerably simplifies configuration 

and operation since you have 

to become familiar with only one user 

interface. Moreover, it is much easier to 

integrate only one instrument interface 

into computer networks. 

A clear advantage: high-end 

measuring equipment 

Measurement values should only be 

compared if they were determined 

in compliance with standards. Especially 

data rate and PCR jitter measurements 

frequently reveal that measurement 

methods applied by different manufacturers 

are incompatible. Some manufacturers 

do not even indicate them. 

The various instruments clearly differ if 

you concentrate on the accuracy of RF 

measurements. Any shortcoming in this 

respect can be disadvantageous. If you 

want to determine the MER, for example, 

this important measurement must detect 

the slightest change in a signal (which 

might indicate that a failure is about to 

occur) at the transmitter end as early 

as possible. Doing so will enable you to 

respond in due time and minimize downtimes. 

Only high-end instruments offer 

the dynamic range necessary for performing 

this sophisticated measurement. 

Configuration: maximum 

flexibility and capability 

Monitoring is considered to be efficient 

if all true errors are detected and 

no false alarms are triggered. However, 

monitoring tasks vary greatly and the 

definitions of errors or false alarms are 

not necessarily standardized. A precondition 

for efficient monitoring is that you 

can configure monitoring functions to 

meet individual requirements and adapt 

them to each signal. 

Monitoring instruments should allow 

you to activate each measurement individually 

and to adapt the limit values for 

alarm generation. To make the interpretation 

of measurement results easier, it 

is useful to be able to classify the individual 

measurements, e. g. in “Alarm”, 

“Warning”, or “Info”. This classification 

can then be used by the monitoring 

instrument or the external software 

for all further signaling options, e. g. for 

class-specific icons on the graphical user 

interface, filter criteria in SNMP traps, 

and explanations in reports. 

Indispensable: in-depth configurability 

In-depth configurability is required particularly 

at the transport stream level, 

e. g. when a network operator transmits 

additional data in unreferenced transport 

stream packets with known PIDs. 

These PIDs are of course not supposed 

to provoke the error message “unreferenced 

PID”. But the monitoring instrument 

must indicate other unreferenced 

PIDs in the transport stream as erroneous. 

The situation is similar when 

the transport streams transmitted by a


network operator include known, sporadic 

errors that are to be ignored as 

long as they only last for a specified 

period of time. Otherwise, too many 

alarms would be triggered. 

State-of-the-art monitoring systems such 

as the R&S ® DVM digital video measurement 

system from Rohde & Schwarz 

allow you to define a period of time for 

a measurement during which detected 

errors are to be “hidden”. The PIDs of 

the transport stream packets concerned 

can also be entered. FIG 1 shows the 

configuration of the “Hiding of Events” 

function provided by the R&S ® DVM for 

such cases. 

Template monitoring 

When using the template monitoring 

function described in Part 1 (pages 47/ 

48 in number 192), you have to store 

numerous characteristics of the signals 

to be monitored. Since template creation 

is very time-consuming, things should 

best be kept simple and easy. The most 

convenient way would be to let the monitoring 

instrument do this. The signal 

is fed to the monitoring instrument for 

analysis purposes and the template is 

automatically created based on the data 

obtained. An additional editing function 

is required for manual modifications. 

FIG 2 shows the editor of the R&S ® DVM 

with an open template. The automatic 

template creation function can directly 

be accessed from the editor. It is started 

with the “Create Template from current 

TS “Golden Stream” …” key. 

Since the time-specific structure of 

transport streams may vary, the monitoring 

instrument must be able to automatically 

switch between different templates. 

This should be supported by the remotecontrol 

interface and a Scan mode provided 

by the instrument. 

Scan mode 

If you do not have a budget to buy monitoring 

systems that are able to monitor 

54 


all signals at the same time, you can 

monitor the signals one after the other 

using one measurement and demodulator 

unit. The unit must be equipped 

with a function to allow the time-based 

switch over of modulation parameters 

and of the complete measurement configuration. 

This mode, which is referred 

to as the Scan mode, calls for options 

for setting a time-specific sequence and 

for defining multiple measurement configurations. 

This mode can also be used 

if the transport stream structure of the 

same channel changes on a time basis. 

State-of-the-art interface 

reduces effort 

When you have such a large number 

of functions and related configuration 

options, you need a perfectly intuitive 

operating concept. This includes context-sensitive 

menus and convenient 

Help functions which make operation 

easier. The user interface should be similar 

to conventional standard software so 

that no extra effort is required in order 

to become familiar with the instrument. 

Information must be clearly displayed in 

one window at a defined screen position 

and should not be spread over several 

windows. Another important aspect is 

that the overall status of each measured 

signal is permanently displayed even if 

detailed results are being displayed or 

in-depth analyses are being performed. 

Alarm generation over any 

distance 

If errors occur in signals, you have to 

be informed immediately and in complete 

detail. This allows you to quickly 

respond in case of emergency. An alarm 

can be indicated, for example, by a 

clearly visible graphical display on the 

screen. If alarms are triggered in another 

room, e. g. via acoustic or optical signaling 

devices, the monitoring instrument 

must be equipped with relay contacts. If 

the monitoring instrument is at a remote 

location, it must be equipped with a network 

interface including the corresponding 

protocol to trigger alarms. The SNMP 

protocol is used as standard. 

Wide variety of report functions 

facilitate operation 

All errors detected by the monitoring 

instrument must be recorded and automatically 

archived to help ensure a 

detailed analysis or in order to provide 

proof for contracting partners. In combination 

with advertising contracts, for 

example, you can thus prove the availability 

of a system. Sorting and filtering 

functions for report entries facilitate 

the analysis. Statistics, e. g. in the form 

of counters for the individual error types, 

are also convenient. 

In addition to solely documentating measurement 

results, the recording of a 

transport stream segment at the occurrence 

of the error is also important. It 

may prove helpful during error analysis 

or serve as relevant proof for third 

parties. The essential aspect about this 

recording function is that the error is 

part of the recorded segment and that 

the recording is archived automatically. 

Indispensable: Monitoring 

instruments must be 

communicative 

Monitoring instruments must be operable 

by remote control and they must be 

able to report errors themselves. That‘s 

because users who need access to 

the monitoring results or have to perform 

in-depth signal analyses are not 

always present at the site of the monitoring 

instrument. And in some cases, 

monitoring instruments may be located 

at unattended stations or stations 

that are difficult to access. If multiple,

spatially separated monitoring points 

are involved, the best solution is to route 

all measurement results to a central 

PC. For this reason, monitoring instruments 

must be equipped with a network 

interface that supports a corresponding 

protocol. Ethernet with 10, 100, or 

1000 Mbit/s is regarded as standard. 

Manual remote control and query of 


State-of-the-art monitoring instruments 

are equipped with an integrated web 

server allowing you to conveniently 

access the instrument via a conventional 

browser. If the web server is configured 

in such a way that, on access, a 

Java application is downloaded from the 

monitoring instrument to the client PC 

and then started, operation is particularly 

convenient and the graphical display 

on the client PC is optimized. FIG 3 

shows the Java-based display of measurement 

results of the R&S ® DVM digital 

video measurement system on the 

client PC as an example – with the 

data rate displayed in a graphical form. 

Moreover, the display on the client PC 

should correspond to that of the monitoring 

instrument so that you do not 

have to familiarize yourself with two different 

forms of displays and operating 

concepts. 

Of course, the remote-control interface 

must be protected against unauthorized 

access. This can be implemented via 

passwords and different user rights. For 

example, a user with a low authorization 

level may only have read access to 

measurement results. In the next-higher 

level, you are authorized to change configurations, 

and as a fully authorized 

user, you are authorized to modify the 

entire system. The remote-control interface 

must also support the simultaneous 

access to the monitoring instrument by 

multiple users. 

55 


Integration into 

network management systems 

SNMP is used as standard to integrate 

the monitoring instrument into network 

management systems. This protocol 

FIG 2 Template editor of the R&S ® DVM. 

anables you to read and write individual 

variables in the monitoring instrument, 

and thus query measurement 

results and modify configurations. If 

monitoring instruments are equipped 

FIG 1 Configuration of the “Hiding of Events” function in the R&S ® DVM digital video measurement system 

from Rohde & Schwarz.

this way, errors detected by the instrument 

can be sent as traps, i. e. information 

units describing an error, to previously 

specified client PCs in the network. 

This function is used to notify you at a 

remote location and to trigger an alarm, 

if required. 

The functionality of an SNMP interface 

is described by a file, the management 

information base (MIB). The MIB should 

cover all relevant device functions as 

only these functions are supported by 

the remote control interface. 

FIG 4 shows how all monitoring results 

from multiple instruments are displayed 

on a single monitor. This application is 

fully based on SNMP. You can click one 

of the location symbols to connect to the 

web server of the corresponding monitoring 

instrument. 

Analysis functions are 

convenient 


It is often convenient if the monitoring 

instrument allows you to graphically 

display the measurement results 

and to perform in-depth analyses, like 

the R&S ® DVM (FIG 5) does. In this case, 

the monitoring functions must not be 

interrupted. 

Same program display as on 

TV set 

It is convenient to display the picture 

contents of the program in the same 

way as on the TV set, i. e. as watched by 

the television viewer. At a mere glance, 

you can thus see whether the transmission 

system fulfills its major task. The 

programs can directly be displayed on 

the instrument itself or – via a physical 

interface – on an external monitor. If 

you want to display the programs on an 

external monitor, you need a hardware 

decoder. The picture quality can also be 

56 


evaluated far better than with a software 

decoder. Either you select the program, 

or the monitoring instrument automatically 

switches from one program to 

the next. The “Thumbnail Display” function 

simultaneously displays multiple 

programs in a very small format and 

cyclically refreshes the display. 

When a monitoring instrument is operated 

via the remote-control interface, it 

would be convenient to have a function 

for streaming all program-specific data 

to the client PC on which the program is 

visualized. 

Wide scope of functions at 

minimum space requirements 

The space for monitoring instruments is 

frequently limited, i. e. the instruments 

have to be quite small. If an instrument 

can simultaneously monitor multiple signals 

and standards, operation and integration 

is further optimized since you 

only have to work with one operating 

and one remote-control interface. 

If a network has to be subsequently 

expanded to broadcast further programs, 

it should be easy to upgrade the monitoring 

instrument accordingly. 

Summary 

This article shows that monitoring the 

transmission and distribution of digital 

TV signals is a complex task. When the 

specifications for a monitoring system 

are being defined, the monitoring objectives 

as well as the function and structure 

of the network to be monitored are 

the key aspects. Measurement functions 

and measurement points can be derived 

from them. The higher the number of 

measurement points and the more complex 

and detailed the measurements, the 

better the information about signal characteristics, 

signal errors, and their cause 

– and – likewise, the more specific and 

faster the response to alarms. The installation 

and configuration effort as well 

as the required budget are opposed to 

the number of measurement points, the 

measurement effort, and the measurement 

depth. A monitoring system is considered 

to be good if you can strike the 

best compromise among the above and 

select the correct monitoring instruments. 

The monitoring instrument must 

provide the required monitoring functions 

as well as simple and flexible configuration 

options to meet the specific 

requirements of the signals to be monitored. 

The effort and flexibility required 

for integration and operation depend to 

a great extent on the additional functions 

and characteristics provided by the 

monitoring instruments. 

Thomas Tobergte

FIG 5 Time slicing analysis of a DVB-H service. 

57 


FIG 4 Example showing the measurement results of multiple monitoring 

instruments displayed in a single window. 

More information and data sheets at 


(search term: DVM) 

FIG 3 

Display of R&S ® DVM 


on the client PC. 

REFERENCES 

Application Note 7BM65 (search term: 7BM65) provides an introduction to 

SNMP with examples and information on useful software tools.

Communications and T & M products 

from Rohde & Schwarz help users 

throughout the world to solve increas- 

ingly complex tasks that have to 

be completed in less and less time. 

But what if a malfunction occurs or 

expert advice is required? There’s no 

reason to panic: The Rohde & Schwarz 

regional customer support centers 

deal with such problems 24 hours 

a day – and even offer a number of 

Michael Vohrer, 

Chairman of Executive Board: 

“Aspects common to all our products 

are high quality and technical features 

at the limits of feasibility. A wide 

range of products offers the best possible 

choice for each application, complemented 

by our services to provide a 

comprehensive, customer-specific solution. 

The worldwide support we offer 

our customers with advice and service 

ensures maximum benefit from our 

products over their entire life.” 

FOCUS Customer support 

other services. 

58 


Customer support centers: 

available around the clock worldwide 

Competent partners – 

24 hours a day 

The Rohde & Schwarz customer support 

centers have established themselves 

as competent partners for fast and 

sound solutions. You can contact three 

Rohde & Schwarz support centers with a 

total of 28 staff members in three different 

regions around the world. 

Service-related questions from Asia 

are handled by engineers in Singapore 

and China who work in the local time 

zone. Munich is primarily responsible for 

Europe, Latin America, Africa and the 

Middle East, while the customer support 

center in Maryland, USA, deals with 

service-related questions from North 

America. 

You don’t have to worry about internal 

organizational structures or the 

Customer Support Europe 

Phone: +491805124242 

Fax: +4989412963778 

E-mail: customersupport@rohde-schwarz.com 

Customer Support America 

Phone: 1-888-TESTRSA (1-888-837-8772) option 2 

Outside the USA: +1-410-910-7988 


Customer Support Asia/Pacific 

Phone: +6565130488 

Fax: +6568461090 


availability of specialists: Incoming 

e-mail and voice recorders are continuously 

checked around the clock. If you 

leave a message in English on the voice 

recorder outside local work hours, don’t 

despair: It will be handled by a center 

in a different time zone. Urgent questions 

or emergencies are, of course, 

addressed immediately. 

As a user of Rohde & Schwarz products, 

you can be assured of receiving fast and 

effective technical support in your local 

time zone. The engineers in the technical 

customer support centers are familiar 

with the internal Rohde & Schwarz 

organizational structures and have the 

required expertise and experience to 

solve problems quickly in most cases.

If you need expert advice, you can always reach a Rohde&Schwarz customer support center. 

Close cooperation with Sales 

Since the customer support centers 

closely cooperate with Sales in all countries, 

you in effect have two contacts in 

the Rohde & Schwarz network. Questions 

about quotations, additions, or expansions 

can thus be handled promptly. 

Since the customer support centers work 

closely together with application engineers, 

you can also be assured of yet 

another layer of assistance. 

Comprehensive instrument pool 

Due to the complexity of our instruments 

and systems, it is sometimes difficult 

to immediately determine whether 

you are dealing with a defect, a malfunction, 

or a desired function. The 

59 


customer support centers therefore have 

a large inventory of instrument and system 

pools at their disposal. If a defect is 

apparent, the customer support center 

immediately works in close cooperation 

with the service centers. 

Wide-ranging service portfolio 

Yet the service portfolio of the 

Rohde & Schwarz customer support centers 

offers even more: The centers not 

only deal with technical matters. Questions 

regarding human resources, marketing, 

non-R&S production, logistics, 

training, health, invoices, service, etc., 

are forwarded to the appropriate department 

in next to no time: The center staff 

members know all company contacts 

throughout the large Rohde & Schwarz 

organization, and these contacts can 

then respond as quickly as called for. 

Queries for manuals are usually handled 

quickly by providing the latest version or 

a firmware update. The instrument pools 

in the customer support centers allow 

our experts to immediately simulate 

application-related or program-related 

questions, promptly answer questions 

regarding operation, or offer solutions. 

Moreover, the customer support centers 

regularly notify you about new application 

notes as well as firmware or software 

for your instruments. You can subscribe 

to this information service by 

phone, e-mail, or the Rohde & Schwarz 

website. 

Heinz Semmerow 

45067/1

RADIOMONITORING Monitoring systems 

R&S ®AMLAB – an essential module 

of the extensive R&S ®AMMOS system 

family – is a compact solution for the 

technical analysis of signals. 

60 


R&S ®AMMOS R&S ®AMLAB Laboratory 

Compact system for wideband 

interception and technical analysis 

Complex: R&S ® AMLAB’s fields 

of application 

R&S ®AMLAB is an essential component 

of the R&S ®AMMOS [*] radiomonitoring 

system family and is Rohde & Schwarz’s 

universal and system-open solution 

for the technical analysis of both analog 

and digital signals. The system will 

be used whenever unknown signals or 

complex signal scenarios can no longer 

be processed online. The analysis 

of technical parameters by means of a 

wideband spectrogram and diverse time 

domain representations provides data 

for measuring, categorizing and classifying 

unknown signals. Signal sections 

of any bandwidth can be extracted 

from the wideband overview for analysis. 

The information collected using 

FIG 1 Two screens offer optimum overview (from left): R&S ®AMLAB displays a wideband overview in the form of a spectrogram (here a 20 kHz signal scenario), the timing analysis for

R&S ® AMLAB can be integrated as basic 

data into search and production systems 

to enable more targeted monitoring or 

interception of specific signals. 

Compact: R&S ® AMLAB’s 

components 

R&S ®AMLAB (R&S ® GX410) for signal 

interception and analysis The analysis 

software runs on a multiprocessor 

computer that comes standard with two 

screens for data display and application 

control (FIG 1). R&S ®AMLAB processes 

signal samples (digital IF data) that are 

the accurate measurement of the signal, the control interfaces for devices and algorithms as well as the navigation center with the result database. 

61 


either provided directly by R&S ®AMMOS 

wideband receivers or by the 

R&S ®AMREC (R&S ® GX420) IF recording / 

replay system or imports these samples 

from servers in the network. The system 

can immediately process signal samples 

imported in the R&S ®AMMOS IF data 

format while other formats must first be 

converted. WAV files can be imported 

by default. 

R&S ®AMREC (R&S ® GX420) signal 

recording / replay system In this configuration, 

the system serves as a hard disk 

storage device that ensures digital and 

realtime recording of the signals (20 MHz 

bandwidth) supplied by the R&S ®AMMOS 

wideband receivers with up to 1 Gbit/s 

via optical data link (SFP/FPDP). 

R&S ® GX400 monitoring system 

Sensor subsystem with R&S ®AMMOS 

narrowband and wideband receivers for 

the HF and / or VHF / UHF ranges. 

The three components mentioned above 

have been integrated in a Gigabit Ethernet 

LAN controlled by R&S ®AMLAB 

(FIG 2). For archiving larger amounts of 

data, it is advisable to add a file server 

to the system and to use the archiving 

functions of R&S ®AMREC.


Realtime signal interception 

and recording 

R&S ®AMLAB can directly control the 

wideband receivers in the R&S ® GX400 

monitoring system and record wideband 

signal scenarios. Concurrently with the 

digital IF data stream the receivers also 

provide spectra which R&S ®AMLAB represents 

in the form of waterfalls (adjustable 

from 30 FFT/s to 200 FFT/s). The 

user thus obtains an overview of the 

current signal scenario and can trigger, 

if required, the recording of digital 

IF data (FIG 3). For better visualization of 

short-time signals a Max Hold function 

can be activated in the waterfall representation 

to make even fast hoppers 

or extremely short burst signals clearly 

recognizable. 

The digital IF data provided by the 

wideband receivers are stored in realtime 

in the R&S ®AMREC recording / 

FIG 2 The components of the compact system for the wideband interception and technical analysis of signals. 

R&S ®AMLAB (R&S ® GX410) 

System for wideband signal 

interception and analysis. 

LAN and optical FPDP bus 

62 


replay system. Here data rates of up to 

100 Mbyte/s (with an IF bandwidth of 

20 MHz) may occur that the system processes 

continuously. The capacity of an 

R&S ®AMREC module provides a recording 

time of 2.5 hours at an IF bandwidth 

of 20 MHz or of 50 hours at an IF bandwidth 

of 1 MHz. In addition, the device 

also features a ring buffer mode which 

reserves storage space on the system 

for a defined period of time at a specific 

bandwidth. This ring buffer records the 

data endlessly so that the last few minutes 

or hours of a signal scenario can be 

retrieved at any time. 

In addition to the representation of 

wide signal scenarios, processing in 

R&S ®AMLAB allows the automatic 

detection of continuous signals (search 

parameters: bandwidth, SNR) and of 

short-time signals (search parameters: 

duration, bandwidth, SNR). 

Hard disk module of R&S ®AMREC 

(R&S ® GX420HD). An additional controller 

module provides diverse interfaces, 

e. g. Gigabit Ethernet or an 

optical serial front-panel data port 

(FPDP). 

High-resolution analysis of 

signal samples 

The collected emission data can statistically 

be evaluated, which is especially 

of advantage for the analysis of a large 

number of short-time signals. Moreover, 

individual emissions of any bandwidth 

can be mixed into the baseband to make 

them available for modulation analysis. 

To analyze the modulation, the wideband 

signal sample is displayed as a 

zoomable and scrollable spectrogram 

with a timing resolution

FIG 3 

R&S ®AMLAB spectrum 

/ spectrogram 

representation. The 

data was obtained 

from an HF wideband 

receiver. A segment 

with 225 kHz 

bandwidth is shown 

in which all existing 

signals have already 

been automatically 

detected and segmented 

according to 

their different bandwidths 

(highlighted 

by the framed areas 

in the spectrogram). 

Cursors enable measurements 

of signal 

durations, signal 

bandwidths and 

signal levels. 

FIG 4 

Selected signal segment 

in the spectrumrepresentation 

of R&S ®AMLAB 

(256 k FFT length). A 

signal segment with 

a width of 6.1 kHz 

and a length of 

10.5 s was selected 

for time domain 

analysis. 

63 



(DDC) to make them available in the 

form of digital IF signals for automatic or 

manual modulation analysis (FIG 4). 

The modulation type identifier analyzes 

emissions automatically (FIG 5). It uses 

a spectral representation that it subdivides 

into segments. It identifies, for 

example, the following types of modulation: 

A3E, J3E, ASK2, FSK2, FSK4, multitone 

and multichannel systems, MSK / 

GMSK, OQPSK, PSK2 / 4 / 8 (A and B 

variants respectively), QAM16, burst 

methods. 

The measuring results provided by the 

modulation type identifier include center 

frequency, bandwidth, modulation 

type and, depending on the type, additional 

parameters such as shift, symbol 

rate, number of channels, channel spacing 

and burst length. A quality value is 

allocated to each result. 

If the automatic modulation type identifier 

fails to achieve a satisfactory result 

(e. g. because the intercepted emission 

is too short or the signal is unknown), it 

is possible to analyze the signals manually 

in the time domain. For this purpose, 

they can simultaneously be displayed in 

the following zoomable diagrams (FIG 6), 

each of which provides extensive manual 

measuring tools: 

◆◆Timing 

diagram (oscilloscope) 

◆◆Envelope 

(amplitude versus time) 

◆◆Frequency 

versus time 

◆◆Phase 

versus time 

◆◆Baseband 

and envelope spectrum of 

different moments 

◆◆I/Q 

and eye pattern 

To still increase efficiency, the user can 

support the automatic work flow of the 

modulation type identifier by manually 

checking and, if required, correcting 

individual intermediate results (e. g. 

by defining the segmentation) in case 

of complicated signal scenarios. All 

other working steps will continue to be 

performed automatically – by taking 

64 


the manually determined values into 

account. 

R&S ®AMLAB optionally allows the use 

of a combination of demodulation and 

bit stream analysis. The results gained 

serve, for example, as a basis for the 

development of (HF) decoders using the 

R&S ® GX400ID decoder development 

environment. 

The bit stream analysis is used to identify 

known codes or analyze unknown 

codes. The demodulated symbol/bit 

stream is visualized in different representations 

(e. g. in a pulse duration 

diagram). The bit stream can undergo 

deeper structural analyses, e. g. block 

code analysis, preamble search, analysis 

of synchronization structures as well as 

convolutional code and scrambling analyses. 

Additionally, R&S ®AMLAB offers 

autocorrelation and cross-correlation 

functions, entropy tests and scrambler 

polynomial searches (FIG 7). 

A large number of bit stream manipulation 

tools is available, e. g. duration code 

transformation, bit erasure, bit inversion, 

demultiplexing and multiplexing as well 

as the application of standard alphabets. 

R&S ®AMLAB offers several output interfaces 

for further processing the obtained 

results and extracted signals. Results 

and signals can be output at an analog 

variable intermediate frequency (max. 

1 MHz) and used as input signals for a 

special external demodulator / decoder. 

They can also be exported in digital form 

in order to deepen the analysis with 

other tools (e. g. MATLAB ®). 

Summary and prospects 

R&S ®AMLAB is an essential module 

of the R&S ®AMMOS system family 

for strategic and tactical radio interception. 

In combination with the 

R&S ® GX400 monitoring system, which 

may include different receivers for multichannel 

search and monitoring, and the 

R&S ®AMREC signal recording / replay 

system, it is the tool of choice for the 

technical analysis of both continuous 

and frequency-agile signals. All analysis 

functions have been designed for a wide 

signal bandwidth range. The continuous 

further development of these functions 

(e. g. all measuring functions in line with 

ITU recommendation ITU-R SM.1600 will 

in the future be adapted to also enable 

OFDM signal measurements) ensures 

that the user will be able to perform 

detailed analyses of new methods and 

complex signal scenarios in the future 

as well. 

Jürgen Modlich 



(search term: AMLAB) 

REFERENCES 

[*] R&S ®AMMOS Automatic Modular 

Monitoring System: Seeing clearly 

through the thicket of signals. News 


pp 56–60

FIG 5 The modulation type identifier has identified an FSK2 signal and 

automatically determined all relevant parameters. 

FIG 6 

The time domain analysis provides different views and measuring functions 

for the manual analysis of modulation parameters (here oscilloscope, 

frequency versus time and eye pattern of an FSK2 signal). 

65 


FIG 7 

The bit stream analysis 

allows the manipulation 

and analysis of bit 

streams. The differently 

colored bits indicate the 

quality information allocated 

to every bit during 

demodulation so that the 

user can select qualitatively 

good segments for 

analysis.


The new R&S ®ARGUS IDNT identi- 

fication module is a software-based 

demodulator, decoder, and analyzer. It 

allows you to decode the signals of a 

data transmission and to display the 

contents in plain text so that a trans- 

mitter can unambiguously be identi- 

fied. Technical parameters required 

to successfully decode an unknown 

emission can also be determined, 

partly even fully automatically. 

66 


R&S ®ARGUS Spectrum Monitoring Software 

New identification module with 

more than 120 decoding modes 

FIG 1 In radiomonitoring stations, the tried-and-tested R&S ®ARGUS spectrum monitoring software 

supports you with a variety of convenient functions to identify unknown emissions. 

When conventional parameters 

are no longer sufficient 

Conventional parameters such as frequency, 

level, or bandwidth are often 

insufficient for identifying a transmitter. 

This is especially true if several transmitters 

share a frequency, e. g. in amateur 

radio or in ISM bands. If you want 

to unambiguously recognize signals of 

data transmissions, you have to determine 

additional technical parameters 

and analyze the decoded contents of the 

emission. 

The most important requirements and 

methods for the international regulatory 

authorities are stipulated in the ITU recommendations 

ITU-R SM.1052 “Automatic 

Identification of Radio Stations”, 

ITU-R SM.1600 “Technical Identification 

of Digital Signals“, and in the current 

ITU Spectrum Monitoring Handbook 

2002, section 4.8 “Identification”. But 

authorities and organizations with security 

missions are also more and more 

often faced with the challenge of determining 

and analyzing the contents of 

specific emissions. 

44392/3

A variety of analysis options 

To meet these specific requirements, a 

further high-performance module has 

been integrated into the tried-andtested 

R&S ®ARGUS [*] spectrum monitoring 

software: the IDNT identification 

module (FIGs 1 and 2). It offers a variety 

of analysis options with more than 

120 different decoding modes in the HF 

and VHF / UHF range. Moreover, it provides 

numerous tools to automatically or 

interactively determine the modes. All 

the R&S ®ARGUS advantages and functionalities 

are also offered when performing 

the analysis with IDNT. This 

includes intuitive control of the instruments, 

automated routines, and a variety 

of measurement and evaluation 

options. Yet, the main focus is the user: 

R&S ®ARGUS offers a maximum of support 

and help. During guided measurements, 

for example, the system suggests 

the required instruments and optimum 

settings to handle the task and frequency 

range at hand. 

The input signal is the demodulated 

audio signal of a receiver, direction 

finder, or spectrum analyzer. When 

using the R&S ® EB200, R&S ® ESMB, 

R&S ® EM510, or R&S ® EM550 receivers 

from Rohde & Schwarz, which provide 

a digital audio signal, this audio signal 

is directly transmitted via the LAN 

connection. But you can also use instruments 

that only provide an analog audio 

signal: Their audio output is simply connected 

with the line-in input of the controller 

sound card. To perform the analysis, 

R&S ®ARGUS then directly accesses 

the sound card, which operates as an 

A/D converter. 

Analysis mode / 

production mode 

67 


There are two types of modes: the analysis 

mode and the production mode. 

If the parameters are not known at all or 

not fully known, the analysis mode is 

used. The identification module provides 

a number of options for determining all 

data required for successful decoding. 

You can choose between automated routines 

and interactive procedures. During 

autoclassification (FIG 3), the system 

first determines the center frequency, 

baud rate, shift, and offset based on the 

audio spectrum. With these values, it 

then selects probable modes which are 

systematically analyzed by means of 

internal standard tables and / or bit pattern 

analysis. You will finally be provided 

with the automatically determined mode. 

The corresponding decoder window 

opens after clicking a button. The correct 

parameter values are set and you can 

start decoding. 

The most important and most frequently 

used frequency- and phase-shift systems 

can thus be determined quickly and efficiently. 

Under special receiving conditions, 

e. g. a very low S/N ratio, selective 

fading, or co-channel interference, 

the autoclassification may not be able to 

provide a reliable result or no result at 

all. In this case, further functions allow 

FIG 3 Autoclassification. 

FIG 2 Dialog window of the IDNT identification module in 

R&S ®ARGUS. 

you to manually determine the mode 

and the settings. These visualization 

tools include graphical displays such as 

the phase spectrum, phase constellation, 

eye diagram, various oscilloscopes, 

and the straddle (mark-space diagram). 

They also allow you to distinguish FSK 

signals from PSK signals or to determine 

symbol rates. If you observe the phase 

shifts over time in the phase oscillogram, 

you can clearly distinguish the 2PSK signals 

from the 4PSK or 8PSK signals. If 

the signal was sufficiently analyzed and


recognized by means of these functions, 

more tools are provided for data analysis 

in a next step. Sophisticated modules 

such as bit, speed bit, or correlation bit 

analysis but also character-specific and 

alphabetical analysis are important and 

valuable tools for checking, verifying, 

and fine-tuning the settings. 

Another simple but very efficient tool 

is the character counter, which determines 

how often a letter or a number 

occurs in the decoded text. The relative 

occurrence of letters is an indicator for a 

specific language. The character counter 

thus supports you in determining the 

language in which the decoded text was 

written. 

In the production mode, the signal to 

be examined is known. Characteristic 

parameters such as center frequency, 

shift, offset, or baud rate are therefore 

directly set. This can be done most 

effectively and in a user-friendly manner 

by clicking the mouse in the graphics 

including the audio spectrum or by 

directly entering the appropriate values 

in the decoder window. The signal is 

demodulated and the decoded contents 

are immediately displayed. Depending 

68 


on the emission, the contents may be 

either plain text or a graphics, e. g. a 

weather map (FIGs 4 and 5). If the contents 

are also encrypted, some modes 

allow you to forward the decoded data 

stream to another application where the 

contents are decrypted. If required, both 

the contents and the original signal can 

be stored. 

Advantages of the new module 

The integration of the new module into 

R&S ®ARGUS has many advantages. The 

most important ones are listed below: 

◆◆Uniform, 

integrated solution 

◆◆Simple 

storage of raw data for subsequent 

offline analysis 

◆◆Detailed 

documentation of measurement 

and analysis 

◆◆Automated 

routines 

You can thus benefit from a program 

with a uniform interface for receiver control, 

analysis, and data storage. Plus, you 

do not have to buy, learn, maintain, and 

simultaneously operate several applications. 

This frees you from having to 

worry about the compatibility of data 

formats. 

FIG 5 The synoptic Baudot decoder decoded the data of a weather station with current weather information. 

Raw data from the receiver can be 

stored and replayed. This is particularly 

convenient for unknown transmitters 

or signals of poor quality: Data can be 

“sent” as long as the analysis has been 

successfully completed. 

All relevant technical parameters are 

documented in the result files for raw 

data and for decoded contents. You 

can thus find out at any time how information 

was obtained. If the same 

FIG 4 Example of a decoded fax (isotherms in 

the North Sea).

transmitter is again on air at a later time, 

all settings are close at hand and you 

can immediately decode the live data 

stream. 

One of the most important and practical 

functions is the automatic measurement 

mode (AMM). You can define 

when, where, and how each measurement 

task is to be performed. The instrument 

settings are made at the defined 

time and the measurements are started 

fully automatically. You can also define 

various criteria (i. e. alarm conditions). If 

these criteria are met, other, user-selectable 

actions are performed. A typical 

sequence would be as follows: A specific 

frequency range is systematically 

scanned at defined times. As soon as a 

new transmitter is activated, the system 

measures parameters such as frequency, 

level, bandwidth, or the IF spectrum 

of this signal and stores them together 

with the audio signal for identification 

purposes. If the transmitter is no longer 

active, the system automatically stops 

recording. Thus, data is only recorded if 

a signal is applied. 

Since the system is implemented as a 

pure software solution, purchasing costs 

for additional hardware are not incurred. 

The advantage of a software-based solution 

becomes obvious when integrating 

the system into vehicles: Typical hardware 

problems such as space requirements, 

power supply, and vehicle compatibility 

are no longer a concern. 

Summary 

69 


One of the main reasons why the 

R&S ®ARGUS spectrum monitoring software 

has been successful for the last 20 

years is its continuous and systematic 

expansion with new functionalities. The 

new IDNT identification module is a further 

milestone to strengthen the position 

of Rohde & Schwarz as a world market 

leader. 

Thomas Krenz 



(search term: ARGUS) 

REFERENCES 

[*] R&S ® ARGUS Spectrum Monitoring 

Software: The successful “classic” 

now available as version 5. News 


pp 46–50 

R&S ® ARGUS IDNT includes the following decoding modes: 

Selective call 

ARINC ANNEX 10, CCIR1, CCIR2, CCITT, CODAN 8580/CCIR 493-44, CTCSS, DCSS, DTMF, 

EEA, EIA, EURO, NATEL, TT classification, VDEW, ZVEI1, ZVEI2, ZVEI 1 –13 BIIS, ZVEI ITA 

xtone. 

VHF-UHF mode 

ACARS SITA, ATIS GMDSS, Cityruf, ERMES, FLEX, FMS-BOS, INMARSAT-C TDM, 

INMARSAT-C TDMA, MDT, MPT 1327, POCSAG. 

General mode 

ASCII, AUTOSPEC, BAUDOT, BAUDOT SYNCHR, BF6 BAUDOT, CW, CW-F1b, Fax-AM, 

Fax-FM, Hell, PACKET AX-25, PACTOR I, PACTOR II, PSK-31, SITOR A/B auto, SSTV. 

Special mode 

AUM13, DGPS-SC104, EPIRB, G-TOR, GMDSS HF, GW-Dataplex, HF Datalink, IRA ARQ, 

Merod, NUM-13, Skyfax, Twinplex, VISEL. 

FEC mode 

FEC100, FEC100 dirty, FEC100 interleaved, FEC100 raw, FEC-A, FEC-B SITOR-B, FEC-S, 

HNG-FEC, ROU-FEC. 

MFSK mode 

Coquelet-8, Coquelet-13, Coquelet-8 FEC, Coquelet-8 FEC auto, Coquelet-8 FEC autostart, 

CROWD 36, FIRE, MFSK 16, MFSK 18, MFSK 20, Piccolo 6, Piccolo 12, RF7B. 

CIS mode 

405-395, 81-29, 81-81, Baudot-F7B, BEE 36-50, CIS-11 TORG-10/11, CIS-12 Fire, CIS-14 

TORG-14, R 37. 

ARQ mode 

ARQ-2 TDM-242, ARQ-4 TDM-342, ARQ6-70, ARQ6-90/98, ARQ 625 SITOR A, ARQ-DUPLEX, 

ARQ-E, ARQ-E3, ARQ-Pol, ARQ-S, ARQ-1000, ARQ-Swed, HC-ARQ, RS-ARQ, RS-ARQ Merlin, 

TOR Dirty. 

MIL-STD-188 Series 

MIL-STD-188-110 39-tone, MIL-STD-188-110 serial, MIL-STD-188-110 141 ALE, 

STANAG-4285, STANAG-4529.

RADIOMONITORING Direction finders 

The R&S ®ADD157 / R&S ®ADD197 dual- 

polarized VHF-UHF DF antennas are 

the world’s first antennas of their kind 

that can receive both vertically and 

horizontally polarized signals. 

More information about our extensive 

portfolio of direction finders at 


70 


R&S ® DDF0xA/E and R&S ® DDF195 Digital Direction Finders 

The world’s first VHF-UHF direction 

finding antennas for all polarizations 

FIG 1 The R&S ®ADD157 dual-polarized VHF-UHF DF antenna. 

Why horizontal polarization? 

Direction finders are normally equipped 

with vertically polarized antennas, making 

it impossible for them to perform 

accurate direction finding when they 

encounter signals with strictly horizontal 

polarization. For example, this is what 

happens in direction finding involving 

FM and TV transmitters which are commonly 

equipped with horizontally polarized 

antennas (see box). 

Normally, of course, there is no need for 

direction finding with FM and TV transmitters 

since their locations are well 

known. However, in the case of illegal 

transmitters using horizontally polarized 

transmitting antennas, vertically polarized 

DF antennas and triangulation do 

not work. In these cases, DF antennas 

with vertical and horizontal polarization 

are needed. 

One obvious (but very poor) solution 

would be to simply rotate the vertically 

oriented dipole antenna elements by 

90° so that they are horizontal. However, 

this results in an overly directional 

receiving characteristic. The DF accuracy 

and sensitivity would be inadequate 

in certain directions and it would not be 

possible to aurally monitor signals from 

those directions. 

The solution: dual polarization 

Rohde & Schwarz is now the first manufacturer 

worldwide to develop DF antennas 

that combine both types of polarization 

while maintaining compact dimensions 

(FIG 1). In the free space between 

the nine vertically polarized dipole 

antenna elements, nine additional horizontally 

polarized loop antennas have 

been inserted that are selected using 

42477/1

switches. These loop antennas are significantly 

more complex than simple 

wire loops and have been extensively 

optimized. Using the tried-and-tested 

correlative interferometer DF method, 

their performance exceeds all expectations 

and is nearly identical for both 

types of polarization. 

The new R&S ®ADD157 (for the 

R&S ® DDF0xA / E direction finder family) 

and R&S ®ADD197 (for the R&S ® DDF195 

direction finder) dual-polarized VHF- 

UHF DF antennas have a wide frequency 

range from 20 MHz/40 MHz to 

1300 MHz. The frequency range for horizontal 

polarization begins at 40 MHz. 

With both polarization types, high DF 

accuracy of 1° RMS is achieved above 

200 MHz (2° RMS below 200 MHz). The 

DF sensitivity and the immunity to reflections 

clearly surpass the typical values 

for commercially available equipment 

due to the two nine-element antenna 

arrays. FIG 2 shows the DF sensitivity of 

Around the world, direction finders used for locating transmitters 

are typically equipped with a vertically polarized DF antenna. 

These DF antennas usually consist of multiple vertical 

dipole antennas arranged in a circular array. 

For example, FIG 3 shows the R&S ®ADD050 from 

Rohde & Schwarz, a DF antenna that has nine elements 

for the frequency range from 20 MHz to 

200 MHz and a diameter of 3 m. 

Direction finders with vertically polarized antennas 

are not capable of accurately taking bearings on 

signals with strictly horizontal polarization. This is 

the case, for example, in DF applications involving 

FM and TV transmitters which are usually equipped 

with horizontally polarized transmitting antennas 

and mounted on high masts for better coverage. If 

the DF antenna is also located in an elevated position 

on a mast or on a roof, it will have more or less 

line-of-sight contact with the transmitting antenna. 

71 


the R&S ®ADD157 versus frequency for 

horizontal and vertical polarization. 

The user can conveniently set the type 

of polarization using the direction finder’s 

graphical user interface. The correct 

setting can be determined quickly and 

reliably by comparing the DF quality. If 

the DF value changes significantly after 

the polarization type has been changed, 

then a reflection was measured first, followed 

by the direct wave from the direction 

of the transmitter. 

Since the two new DF antennas can 

precisely locate any horizontally polarized 

transmitter, signals from FM and TV 

transmitters can be used to orient the 

direction finder to north and to check it. 

Transmitters of this type are ideal since 

they continuously broadcast a strong, 

undistorted signal from a known location, 

making it easy to check the DF 

accuracy and north setting. 

Another frequent signal type with horizontal 

polarization comes from radar systems. 

Using the new R&S ®ADD157 / 197 

dual-polarized DF antennas, it is now 

possible to perform direction finding on 

radar systems too. With these capabilities, 

the two new DF antennas represent 

a new standard in this frequency range. 

Philipp Strobel 

FIG 2 Typical DF sensitivity of the R&S ®ADD157 DF 

antenna versus frequency (for 2° RMS, 600 Hz bandwidth, 

1 s averaging). 

Why normal DF antennas are incapable of receiving horizontally polarized signals 

Field strength in mV/m 

24 

21 

18 

15 

12 

9 

6 

horizontal 

3 

0 

0 100 300 500 

vertical 

700 900 1100 1300 

Frequency in MHz 

Under these circumstances, erroneous results can be produced as 

the undistorted, horizontally polarized FM / TV signals reach the vertically 

polarized DF antenna. There are basically two 

effects that cause problems in this scenario: 

◆◆ 

The received signal induces currents in the electrically 

conductive antenna structure. The vertical 

components of the resulting secondary 

fields disrupt the DF process. 

◆◆ 

In addition to the direct wave, the DF antenna 

also receives reflected waves with a combination 

of vertical and horizontal polarization. 

Direction finders are normally better at measuring 

the vertical components of reflections than 

the directly received signal. This can produce 

extremely erroneous results due to the reflections. 

However, the poor DF quality usually provides 

a warning about this problem when it is 

FIG 3 R&S ®ADD153 DF antenna present. 

(top of mast) and R&S ®ADD050. 

42334/1N

A super-resolution DF method is 

now available as an option for the 

R&S ® DDF0xA / E family. It can deter- 

mine the bearings of multiple emis- 

sions on the same frequency and adds 

User interface of the 

R&S ® DDF05A direction 

finder with the 

R&S ® DDF-SR superresolution 

option 

when determining 

the bearings of three 

co-channel signals. 

RADIOMONITORING Direction finders 

to the existing DF methods. 

72 


R&S ® DDF0xA / E Digital HF / VHF / UHF Direction Finders 

Super-resolution DF method 

identifies co-channel signals 

The challenge: 

co-channel interference 

Most radio DF methods are based on 

the assumption that a specific frequency 

is occupied exclusively by the transmitter 

of interest. However, if additional 

transmitters are operating on the same 

frequency, direction finding may be 

impaired – a problem referred to as cochannel 

interference. In this case, the 

DF result depends on the level ratio of 

the transmitters. If one of the transmitters 

is clearly stronger than the others, 

its direction is displayed with slight DF 

errors. If the transmitters have similar 

levels, the DF result is normally incorrect. 

This applies equally to all conventional 

DF principles including correlative interferometer, 

Doppler, and Watson-Watt 

methods. 

Co-channel interference regularly occurs 

in practice. In fact, it is partly even a 

characteristic of a transmission method: 

◆◆In 

the HF range, propagation characteristics 

are continuously changing. 

Emissions may sometimes travel 

much farther than originally planned 

and thus be received in areas where 

a different station transmits on the 

same frequency.

◆◆Defective 

electronic devices may 

produce electromagnetic interference 

that occurs on the frequency of 

transmitters. 

◆◆In 

single-frequency networks such 

as those used in DAB / DVB, multiple 

transmitters transmit the same signal 

on the same frequency from different 

sites. This is done to improve the 

transmission quality. 

◆◆Sometimes, 

specific transmitters are 

intentionally jammed. In this case, an 

interfering signal is sent on the same 

frequency. 

◆◆When 

working with the code division 

multiple access (CDMA) method, 

which is used by the Universal Mobile 

Telecommunications System (UMTS) 

mobile radio standard, many stations 

simultaneously transmit signals 

in the same frequency range. The 

receivers can distinguish the different 

signals by means of the spreading 

code which is superimposed on the 

message. 

Up to seven co-channel signals 

can be identified 

To allow the bearings of co-channel 

signals to be taken, Rohde & Schwarz 

is now making a super-resolution DF 

method available for its R&S ® DDF0xA / E 

family [*]. This method is offered as 

the R&S ® DDF-SR option and supplements 

the DF methods already available. 

As “super-resolution” in its name 

implies, this DF method is able to resolve 

a wave field with multiple signals on the 

same frequency. The number and angle 

of incidence of the waves are first calculated 

precisely and then displayed. 

The new option allows you to take the 

bearings of up to seven different signals 

on the same frequency. The number 

depends on the angle of incidence and 

the S/N ratio. 

73 


An excellent price/performance ratio 

is attained by cleverly using the three 

receive channels of the R&S ® DDF0xA / E 

DF family. To make this possible, DF 

antennas whose antenna elements 

can be combined into various subgroups 

must be utilized. The new 

R&S ®ADDxxxSR DF antennas are ideal 

for this task. 

The figure illustrates the user interface 

of the R&S ® DDF05A direction finder 

with the R&S ® DDF-SR super-resolution 

option. In the example, the direction 

finder receives three transmitters on the 

same frequency. The algorithm automatically 

recognizes the number of transmitters 

and displays the results as follows: 

◆◆All 

DF results are simultaneously 

displayed in the azimuth dial. The 

selected result is highlighted in 

yellow. 

◆◆The 

bearing, receive level, and DF 

quality (as a numeric value) for all signals 

are displayed. 

◆◆The 

receive level and the DF quality of 

the selected signal are displayed as a 

bargraph. 

Technical background 

More information about our extensive 

portfolio of direction finders at 


REFERENCES 

[*] R&S ® DDF0xE: Complex radio scenarios 

at a glance. News from Rohde & Schwarz 

(2003) No. 180, pp 54–57. 

You can activate the new super-resolution 

DF method by means of a mouseclick 

in the R&S ® DDF Control graphical 

user interface if you suspect that multiple 

transmitters are transmitting on the 

same frequency. Low DF quality often in 

conjunction with a strong fluctuation in 

the DF value is a reliable indicator. 

By offering its new R&S ® DDF-SR option, 

Rohde & Schwarz for the first time provides 

an economical method for taking 

bearings in accordance with the superresolution 

DF method. In addition to high 

immunity to reflections and immunity to 

strong transmitters, the R&S ® DDF0xA / E 

direction finders thus lay claim to yet 

another unique aspect by including this 

new method. 

Philipp Strobel 

Conventional DF methods are based on the assumption that the frequency channel of interest 

has only one dominating wave. However, this may not be the case due to factors such as 

the following: 

◆◆ 

Spectral overlapping (e. g. CDMA) occurs among the wanted signals being evaluated. 

◆◆ 

High-amplitude interferers also occur in addition to the wanted signal (e. g. electromagnetic 

interference). 

◆◆ 

Multipath propagation is present (e. g. reflections off buildings). 

The DF errors that arise will make the results unusable. 

Conventional DF technology offers two countermeasures: 

◆◆ 

If the interferer component is lower in power than the wanted signal component, the DF 

error can be minimized by dimensioning the direction finder accordingly – in particular by 

selecting an antenna aperture that is large enough. 

◆◆ 

If the interferer component is equal to or greater than the wanted signal component, you 

can take separate bearings of non-correlated signals using high-resolution wideband 

direction finders. You can benefit from the spectral differences of the signals. 

Super-resolution DF methods offer a systematic solution to this problem: They allow you 

to calculate the number of waves involved and their angle of incidence. This is done either 

model-based by using the maximum likelihood method or by means of principal component 

analysis (PCA) of the antenna data. The new R&S ® DDF-SR super-resolution option makes 

use of PCA.

RADIOMONITORING Receivers 

74 


The R&S ® PR100 receiver in conjunc- 

tion with the R&S ® HE300 portable 

directional antenna (page 79) is an 

ideal choice for close-range and 

far-range radiomonitoring, e. g. for 

frequency monitoring or tracking tell- 

tale signals emitted by active elec- 

tronic equipment. The receiver offers 

an unrivaled scope of functions, and 

revolutionizes the market for portable 

44704/5 

monitoring receivers. 

75 


R&S ® PR100 Portable Receiver 

Mobile radiomonitoring – portable, 

precise, fast 

Compact and versatile 

The R&S ® PR100 (FIG 1) has been tailored 

for tasks that call for low weight, 

rapid deployability, and the efficient 

handling of tasks in a wide variety of 

signal and frequency scenarios. As the 

first monitoring receiver of its kind, the 

R&S ® PR100 covers the extremely wide 

frequency range from 9 kHz to 7.5 GHz, 

FIG 1 The R&S ® PR100 portable receiver. 

44704/1 

and offers high sensitivity despite its 

compact design. 

The receiver’s realtime bandwidth of 

10 MHz – which is unique for mobile 

equipment – and its powerful digital 

signal processing allow the detection 

of short-duration signals (e. g. of classic 

push-to-talk communications) or frequency-hopping 

signals.

FIG 2 Broadband panorama scan mode for identifying and delimiting a frequency range 

of interest. 

The brilliant, extremely large 6" color display 

provides all required information 

at a glance. It offers high contrast and 

good readability even in outdoor measurements 

under daylight conditions. 

The broadband panorama scan allows 

frequency ranges of interest to be 

detected quickly (FIG 2). After marking 

the center frequency of a range of interest, 

you switch to the 10 MHz IF panorama 

mode (FIG 3), where you can optimally 

display and analyze the selected 

signal by choosing the appropriate IF 

bandwidth from a wide range of available 

values (10 kHz to 10 MHz). 

Radiomonitoring 


The receiver’s built-in demodulators 

allow signals with analog modulation as 

well as unencrypted signals to be audiomonitored 

on site. The spectrum display 

provides information on the signal 

76 


modulation. You can then activate the 

corresponding demodulator and set the 

optimal demodulation bandwidth. All 

demodulation parameters can be set 

independently of the selected IF bandwidth. 

The demodulated audio signals 

can be monitored and analyzed via the 

loudspeaker on the receiver or by means 

of headphones. 

In stationary radiomonitoring applications, 

the following data is output via 

the receiver’s integrated LAN interface: 

◆◆Complex 

baseband data (I/Q data) up 

to 500 kHz bandwidth 

◆◆Digital 

video data (demodulated 

signal) up to 500 kHz bandwidth 

◆◆Digital 

audio data up to 12.5 kHz 

bandwidth 

◆◆Spectra 

obtained in panorama scan 

mode 

◆◆Spectra 

obtained in IF panorama 

mode 

◆◆Measured 

signal level 


offset value 

FIG 3 After identifying and delimiting a frequency range of interest, the IF panorama 

mode is used for realtime monitoring of a range of max. 10 MHz. 


field strength (taking into 

account antenna factors of antenna 

used; stored in receiver memory) 

In mobile radiomonitoring and for subsequent 

offline analysis or documentation, 

the information obtained can be stored 

in the receiver. The following storage 

media are available: 

◆◆64 

Mbyte internal RAM 

◆◆4 

Gbyte SD card (can be expanded to 

8 Gbyte) 

The data stored to the SD card in the 

receiver (e. g. I/Q data up to 500 kHz 

bandwidth, audio data up to 12.5 kHz 

bandwidth, spectra, measured values) 

can be transferred to a PC via 

USB or LAN or the SD card itself. The 

R&S ® GX430 analysis software can be 

used for the offline extraction of a variety 

of signal parameters such as modulation 

modes, coding, plain text, etc. For 

stationary or remote applications, the 

receiver can be fully remote-controlled 

by means of SCPI commands via its LAN 

interface.

Detection of extremely weak 

signals 

The R&S ® PR100 features exceptionally 

powerful RF signal processing, which 

allows even extremely weak signals to 

be captured and displayed in the frequency 

domain. Telltale emissions thus 

become visible in the frequency spectrum 

– e. g. the emissions of a bug – and 

countermeasures can be initiated. The 

receiver includes a built-in, powerful 

preselection, which makes it suitable for 

use even in scenarios with high communications 

density (strong adjacent-channel 

interferers). 

Communications planning and 

monitoring 

The receiver’s powerful panorama scan 

provides a detailed picture of the activities 

taking place in the frequency 

range of interest. The waterfall diagram 

77 


displays frequency activities as a function 

of time. The results thus obtained 

can be used in communications or network 

planning. In the field, the receiver 

can then be used to verify that allocated 

frequency bands are complied with. The 

R&S ® PR100 is thus also a valuable tool 

for ensuring the interference-free operation 

of an organization’s own communications 

networks. 

In the memory scan mode, up to 1024 

frequency channels can be selected and 

checked for communications activities. 

This function allows, for example, the 

allocation and checking of all GSM communications 

channels. 

Channel monitoring and 

acoustic source location 

The cyclic monitoring of frequencies is 

indispensable for the quick detection of 

emergency calls, for example. With its 

FIG 4 All important functions can also be set via the receiver’s top control panel – a highly useful feature in the field. 

44704/6 

frequency scan mode, the R&S ® PR100 

is optimally suited for this task. The 

user can promptly respond to incoming 

emergency calls and initiate appropriate 

action. If the R&S ® PR100 is used 

together with the R&S ® HE300 portable 

directional antenna, emergency calls 

can be quickly located on site. Transmitters 

can be tracked not only visually, 

i. e. by displaying the received signal 

level or the spectrum, but also acoustically 

by means of the tone function. This 

function outputs a whistling tone whose 

pitch varies with the level of the signal 

received. 

This is very useful in practical scenarios. 

For example, if a transmitter has been 

identified at a specific frequency, the 

tone function can be used to determine 

the transmitter’s direction of incidence 

by pointing the antenna in various directions. 

During this operation, all important 

receiver functions can be adjusted 

both on the front and the top side of the


receiver due to its dual operating concept 

(FIG 4). The user can fully concentrate 

on the terrain when approaching 

the transmitter, as there is no need 

for continuously monitoring the receiver 

78 


display. This function is also very useful 

for tracking miniature transmitters (e. g. 

bugs), thus ensuring the confidentiality 

of an organization’s own information 

(e. g. in conference rooms). 

FIG 5 

Testing radios for 

proper functioning 

by means of the 

spectrum display – 

the received signal 

should be within the 

limits defined by the 

markers. 

FIG 6 

The R&S ® PR100 

receiver and the 

R&S ® HE300 antenna 

with its various 

modules are accommodated 

in a rugged 

transit case. 

Quick and easy functional tests 

on radio equipment 

With its great ease of operation, large 

and straightforward display, and easy 

retrieval of instrument settings, the 

R&S ® PR100 also provides quick and 

easy functional tests on radio equipment 

installed, for example, in a vehicle. 

Before operation is started, the 

receiver is switched to the desired mode 

by calling predefined settings (recall 

function) from the SD card; then a test 

sequence is emitted by the radios to be 

tested. If the received signal spectrum 

is within the limits defined by markers 

on the receiver display, the radios have 

passed the functional test and are ready 

for deployment (FIG 5). Such tests can 

be performed by the user prior to each 

operation; there is no need for on-site 

service technicians. 

Optimized for mobile use 

The receiver and the R&S ® HE300 

antenna are stored together in a rugged, 

waterproof transit case with rigid, 

snug-fitting plastic-foam compartments 

that provide perfect protection against 

vibration (FIG 6). The individual compartments 

are clearly arranged in the case, 

so that the user can see at a glance 

whether the equipment needed for a 

specific task is complete. 

The R&S ® PR100 operates for a period 

of up to four hours on a single battery 

charge. The battery can be exchanged 

quickly and easily without requiring any 

tools. If several charged batteries are 

available, the receiver operating time 

can be extended accordingly. Current 

settings are automatically written to 

the internal memory when the receiver 

is switched off. Operation can thus be 

resumed immediately after a battery 

change or extended periods of non-use.

The receiver can be suspended from 

the user’s chest by means of a carrying 

strap. The user can thus control the 

receiver with both hands, or operate 

the receiver together with the antenna. 

The R&S ® PR100 receiver and the 

R&S ® HE300 antenna together form a 

compact, easy-to-carry receiving system 

that offers major advantages. For example, 

very weak signals can be detected, 

as the user can approach signal sources 

very closely even in difficult terrain. 

Due to its ultra-wide frequency range, 

the R&S ® PR100 is unrivaled among 

portable receivers when it comes to 

radiomonitoring applications. Its favorable 

price/performance ratio makes it 

an indispensable tool for all monitoring 

tasks where mobility and cost effectiveness 

are essential. From classic RF 

applications to frequencies extending far 

The R&S ® HE300 active directional 

antenna uses four exchangeable 

modules to cover an extremely large 

frequency range from 9 kHz to 7.5 GHz. 

When combined with a portable 

receiver such as the R&S ® PR100, 

the result is a very effective mobile 

receiving system for locating 

transmitters. 

79 


Condensed data of the R&S ® PR100 

Frequency range 9 kHz to 7.5 GHz 

Realtime bandwidth 10 MHz 

Third-order intercept (TOI) 

9 kHz to 30 MHz typ. +20 dBm 

30 MHz to 1.5 GHz typ. +15 dBm (attenuator on) 

1.5 GHz to 3.5 GHz typ. +17 dBm (attenuator on) 

3.5 GHz to 7.5 GHz typ. +18 dBm 

Noise figure 

9 kHz to 30 MHz typ. 16 dB 

30 MHz to 1.5 GHz typ. 14 dB (attenuator off) 

1.5 GHz to 3.5 GHz typ. 14 dB (attenuator off) 

3.5 GHz to 7.5 GHz typ. 18 dB 

Demodulation bandwidth 500 kHz 

Digital demodulation filters 15 filters, 150 Hz to 500 kHz 

Demodulation modes AM, USB, FM, LSB, PULSE, CW, I/Q, ISB 

RF spectrum scan (panorama scan) max. 2.0 GHz/s 

Outputs/data outputs FFT and IF spectra; digital I/Q baseband; 

analog and digital audio; IF uncontrolled 

beyond the range used by current communications 

systems, the receiver meets 

all relevant requirements and offers 

ample capacity for future expansions. 

Peter Kronseder; Dr. Thomas Nicolay 

R&S ® HE300 Active Directional Antenna 

Level measurements, monitoring 

and transmitter location 

Monitoring of wide frequency 

ranges 

Modern communications scenarios 

involve increasingly high frequencies. 

This boosts the need for monitoring 

and checking such emissions in 

order to detect interference or locate 

illegal transmitters in these new frequency 

ranges. Mobile systems in vehicles 

or portable devices are used in 

such applications. Portable solutions 



(search term: PR100) 

are particularly useful for detecting 

and locating signal sources in unnavigable 

places including areas of dense 

construction, inside of rooms, between 

equipment or systems producing spurious 

emissions, in planes and on ships. In 

all of these applications, special attention 

must be paid to the antennas that 

are used. They need to be small and 

easy to use while exhibiting reliable 

electrical characteristics.


Further development of 

tried-and-tested equipment 

Rohde & Schwarz developed the 

R&S ® HE300 portable directional 

antenna based on its years of success 

with the R&S ® HE100 and R&S ® HE200 

antennas. The development objective 

for the new antenna was to obtain an 

extended upper frequency range compared 

to the older model while retaining 

the outstanding electrical specifications. 

The antenna uses four exchangeable 

modules (FIGs 1 to 4) to cover an 

extremely large frequency range from 

9 kHz to 7.5 GHz. The three modules covering 

the range from 20 MHz to 7.5 GHz 

are supplied with the antenna as standard. 

The HF module for the 9 kHz to 

20 MHz range can be ordered separately. 

Portable monitoring and 

measuring system 

Combining the antenna with the new 

R&S ® PR100 portable receiver or another 

portable receiver or spectrum analyzer 

yields a very powerful receiving system 

for determining the position of transmitters. 

A lightweight, portable equipment 

combination of this kind can perform 

measurements inside of buildings or in 

tough terrain that even all-wheel-drive 

vehicles cannot access. This cost-effective 

monitoring concept, which enables 

directional assessment and level measurements, 

is also extremely useful since 

it can be transported and deployed relatively 

inconspicuously. 

In long-term monitoring applications 

at fixed locations, the antenna can be 

mounted on a tripod. The connecting 

thread on the grip piece matches the 

mounting bolts of conventional camera 

tripods. 

A built-in, selectable low-noise amplifier 

further enhances system sensitivity 

at low signal field strengths, thus 

80 


increasing the probability of intercept 

(active mode). In passive mode, 

the amplifier is bypassed so that the 

antenna can even be used close to powerful 

signal sources (FIGs 5 and 6). 

Ergonomic design for 

practical use 

Particular attention during the development 

of the antenna was paid to achieving 

a practical design. The design of 

the grip piece and the operating elements 

underwent extensive ergonomic 

testing by experienced designers. The 

exchangeable antenna modules are simply 

plugged into the grip piece according 

to the desired polarization direction 

(vertical or horizontal) and mechanically 

locked. 

All components of the R&S ® HE300 

including the optional R&S ® HE300HF 

antenna module fit into the supplied 

hardshell case, providing suitable protection 

for this high-grade antenna even 

under challenging transport conditions 

(FIG 6, p. 78). 

Herbert Steghafner; Klaus Fischer 



(search term: HE300) 

Condensed data of the R&S ® HE300 

Frequency range 

Antenna module 1 20 MHz to 200 MHz 



Optional antenna module 9 kHz to 20 MHz 

Polarization linear 

SWR

Antenna factor in dB/m 

44956/10 

50 

45 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

FIG 5 Antenna factor of the R&S ® HE300 in passive mode. 

10 7 

44956/12 

Antenna module 

20 MHz to 200 MHz 

FIG 1 Module for 20 MHz to 200 MHz. 

FIG 4 Optional module for 9 kHz to 20 MHz. 



10 8 


500 MHz to 7.5 GHz 

10 9 


10 10 

81 




Antenna factor in dB/m 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

FIG 6 Antenna factor of the R&S ® HE300 in active mode. 

10 7 





10 8 


500 MHz to 7.5 GHz 

10 9 


10 10 

44956/13 

44956/11

Joseph Soo, Managing Director Malaysia; Y.B. Dato’ Seri Rafidah Aziz, Minister of International Trade and Industry; 

Christian Leicher, President and COO of ROHDE & SCHWARZ GmbH & Co. KG; Dr. Erich Freund, Head of Sales Asia / 

Pacific; Alan Seah, General Manager of Rohde & Schwarz Malaysia at the official opening (from left to right). 

Founding of 

ROHDE & SCHWARZ Pakistan 

Since 2004, Rohde & Schwarz 

has been represented by a liaison 

office in Pakistan. By establishing 

ROHDE & SCHWARZ 

Pakistan on May 17, 2007, in 

Islamabad, Rohde & Schwarz 

now has its own subsidiary 

with a total of 50 employees. 

Ahmad Jawad will assume the 

NEWSGRAMS 

International 

position of Managing Director. 

Patrick Pötschke, Dr. Erich 

Freund, Franz Schäffler and 

Franz Kern (responsible for 

Rohde & Schwarz sales acitivities 

in Asia) are members of the 

Board of Directors. 

ROHDE & SCHWARZ Pakistan is located in this building in Islamabad. 

82 


New subsidiary in Greece 

After many years of cooperation 

with the distributor Mercury S.A., 

Rohde&Schwarz has established 

its own national company 

in Greece. ROHDE&SCHWARZ 

HELLAS (RSGR) is based in 

Athens. Management is in the 

hands of Peter Spanakos (photo 

2nd from left), owner of Mercury 

S.A., and Gregor Rapf. 

Stronger local presence in 

Malaysia 

Already represented in Malaysia 

for 20 years, Rohde & Schwarz 

moved into a new office in Kuala 

Lumpur in September 2007. The 

subsidiary ROHDE & SCHWARZ 

Malaysia Sdn Bhd was established 

in June 2004. The new 

premises in Temasya Industrial 

Park, Glenmarie, Shah Alam, 

mean that service and local support 

in particular can expand. 

ROHDE & SCHWARZ Service 

Center Philippines Inc. founded 

Rohde & Schwarz has founded 

its own service center in the 

free-trade zone Biñan, Laguna. 

This service center will in particular 

benefit the many semiconductor 

manufacturers that have 

been attracted to the Philippine 

location. A large number of 

them are American companies 

with local production facilities. 

Previously, customers had to 

send their equipment to Singapore 

for servicing. With its new 

service center, Rohde & Schwarz 

is reducing turnaround times 

(TAT) for repair. 

ROHDE & SCHWARZ HELLAS: Peter Spanakos (2nd from left) together with 

colleagues.

User Club Meeting in Yunnan 

(China) 

More than 100 representatives 

of the local regulatory 

authority RMC were present 

at the 7th User Club Meeting. 

Rohde & Schwarz China 

and Gerhard Geier, Head of the 

Radiomonitoring and Radiolocation 

Division, presented numerous 

new developments. The latest 

receiver solutions for portable 

and stationary operations 

as well as new direction finding 

antennas and methods sparked 

great interest among the attendees. 

The meeting, where this 

Division presents its products 

and solutions every two years, 

is thus becoming an even more 

firmly established event. 

Successful radiomonitoring 

workshop in Bahrain 

The radiomonitoring workshop, 

which took place in Manama, 

Bahrain, in July 2007,was 

attended by 52 participants 

from the GCC states. 

The workshop was organized 

by the Telecommunications 

Bureau of the Cooperation 

Council for the Arab States 

of the Gulf, which is a multinational 

organization for coordinating 

the tasks in the field 

User Club Meeting in Yunnan. 

of telecommunications. At 

the workshop, speakers from 

Rohde & Schwarz presented 

applications, solutions and logistics 

in accordance with ITU recommendations. 

One focal point 

was the monitoring of digital 

signals. The presentations were 

accompanied by a number of 

live measurements. The attendees 

were able to get a first-hand 

look at the receivers, spectrum 

analyzers, monitoring systems 

and associated software from 

Rohde & Schwarz. 

Mahmood M. Sayyar (left), Director of the Telecommunications Bureau of 

the GCC, presents a Certificate of Gratitude to speaker Hans von Geldern, 

ITU Liaison Officer at Rohde & Schwarz. 

83 


Digital TV for New Zealand 

Rohde & Schwarz has been contracted 

by Kordia Group Limited 

to supply DVB-T transmitters. 

During the initial phase of 

the DVB-T expansion, the New 

Zealand broadcaster intends to 

use the transmitters to provide 

approximately 75 % of the population 

with digital terrestrial 

TV. Since the transmitters from 

Rohde & Schwarz can be remotecontrolled, 

they are ideal for 

such a topographically diverse 

country as New Zealand with its 

many islands and inaccessible 

sites in the mountains. 

Latest generation of ATC radios 

for Swedish Air Force 

The Swedish Air Force 

will be equipped with 

Rohde & Schwarz radios for 

military air traffic control 

(ATC). 

The Swedish Defence Materiel 

Administration (FMV) has 

placed an order for about 90 

transmitters and 90 receivers 

of the R&S ® Series 4200 as 

well as 56 transceivers of the 

R&S ® Series 4400. The radios will 

be installed at six air bases and 

three mobile bases, where they 

will provide secure ground-to-air 

communications with Swedish 

Air Force helicopters and tactical 

/transport aircraft as well as 

with civilian aircraft. 

ILS/VOR analyzers for 

French ATC 

In conjunction with an invitation 

to tender, the French air 

navigation service provider 

DSNA/DTI has decided to buy 

a total of 68 R&S ® EVS300 

ILS/VOR* analyzers. 

The first 30 instruments have 

already been delivered in August 

2007. The DSNA/DTI is responsible 

for checking terrestrial 

radio navigation equipment in 

France as well as in the French 

overseas regions. In future, 

the mobile R&S ® EVS300 analyzers 

will be used to maintain 

the equipment. The high safety 

requirements placed on instrument 

landing can thus be met. 

The R&S ® EVS300 is the only 

instrument worldwide that can 

be used both for ground-based 

measurements and in flight 

inspection aircraft. 

* ILS: instrument landing system; 

VOR: VHF omnidirectional range


Europe: customersupport@rohde-schwarz.com · North America: customer.support@rsa.rohde-schwarz.com · Asia: customersupport.asia@rohde-schwarz.com 

News from Rohde & Schwarz 194 (2007/III) · PD 5210.5550.72

News from Rohde & Schwarz

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