The DVB-H-LAB targets the implementation and come into service of the extension of the existing DTT transmission and reception equipment analysis and measurement system.

The resulting automated test system will permit verifying:

that the network providers and the broadcasting infrastructure perform transmissions not only with RF parameters according to the DVB standard, but also that the service descriptors are valid and therefore responsible of the correct operation of the receivers under evaluation.
that the equipments in the DVB-H transmission/reception chain (transmitters, gap-fillers, receivers) are interoperable, independently of the manufacturer

Objectives

The main objective of the DVB-H-LAB project is the implementation of the extension of the existing automatic DTT equipment test system, formed by:

A hardware configuration consisting on an extension of the equipments already in the test system, since the DVB-H technology is designed as an extension of the DVB-T technology. In this way, by means of the extension options offered by the manufacturers, DVB-H frame generators, MPEG-4 flow generation and insertion into MPE-FEC and time-slicing, RF transmission including new modulation capabilities and DVB-H reception and analysis equipment will be available. This will permit a complete measurement environment, with increased flexibility to overcome possible changes or extensions of the standard, and adapted to the different recommendations from ETSI regarding this technology (among them ETSI EN 302 304, EN 300 744, EN 300 192, DVB-H Implementation guide TR 102 377)
A set of software tools (drivers for measurement instruments, testing routines, test databases, automatic report generation), that automate each of the process involved

Project Structure

The following picture shows the relationship between the different pieces that form the DVB-H generation chain, since it is essential to maintain integrity not only of the sent data but also of the associated service information (SI).

The transport flow generated in the MPEG-2 signal output, includes multimedia content with a complex protocol that must be controlled in a test environment. Transmitting and interpreting the SI at the receiver is as important as loading and executing the data services properly. Therefore, it is essential to flexibly monitor and automate all the elements forming the transmission chain, with the purpose of taking the appropriate measurements in controlled environments by the operator responsible of the technical tests:

IP video and audio test contents sent
DVB-H applications and services test contents.
Operational bitrate range
Generation of the MPE-FEC transport flow
Generation of the PSI/SI service information tables. The equipment will be able to filter and reinsert any type of MPEG-2/DVB flow and PSI/SI information tables, as well as to generate the MPEB-2/DVB tables in case they are requested, including new identifiers and new DVB-H specific descriptors in the PMT, NIT, SDT and INT tables.
Correct delivery of the electronic service guide (ESG, following the specification contained in DVB A099: "IP Datacast over DVB-H: Electronic Service Guide (ESG)”
Structure of DVB-H content
Analysis of MPE-FEC sections
De-encapsulation + inverse FEC
Detailed analysis of the time slice.
FEC evaluation and error detection (Frame Error Rate,MPE Frame Error Rate, ...).

Project Results

The DVB-H-LAB consisted on the test system specification, design and development of the different modules and integration and final validation to reach a pre-competitive state.

The work plan introduced in the project proposal included the Specification phase and Analysis and Design on year 2006 and the remaining tasks on year 2007. The milestones reached in 2006, following the plan, were the complete hardware specification and the definition of the tests. All the activities planned for 2007 were successfully completed, which permitted developing and validating the test system and tests defined in 2006. The following sections review the activities and results obtained in the project.

Specification

During the specification phase, the required equipments were identified and selected among those commercially available, taking into account the particularities of the project and ensuring compatibility with those already present in the test system.

In this first phase, in order to guarantee an appropriate selection of the equipments to use in the project, a detailed analyisis of the european ETSI and DVB standards that describe the DVB-H technology was performed.

Analyisis and Design

The general structure of the DVB-H analysis and measurement test system is the following:

Development and tests

The automation of the DVB-H tests within the IBERLAB system was based on the development of a specialised scheduller which cooperated with the general IBERLAB scheduller. The DVB-H scheduller adds a second level of control in test execution, which permits grouping the tests that the test system can perform in a unique session. The IBERLAB design and the complexity of the DVB-H standard make it feasible to plan test sessions running thousands of individual tests, with sessions that can last for several days.

For system design, the IBERLAB format was defined for different DVB-H test types (receivers, transmitters, service, etc). To validate the system development and design, a subset of significative tests was selected for implementation, combining transmitter and receiver tests which involve controlling the new test system devices: the DVB-H baseband generator, the DVB-H encoder and the DVB-H receiver. The test results have permitted obtaining the C/N vs Dopler curve points for different emission qualities.

The following picture shows the MFER measurement in the Enensys terminal during the test execution.

Funded by the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce under the AVANZ@ Programme for the Promotion of Technical Research (PROFIT) - Ingenio2010