ALEXANDRIA, VA.—Now that broadcasters soon plan to deploy ATSC 3.0, there needs to be test equipment and procedures to ensure accurate transmission. Manufacturers are working to develop gear that will measure the new parameters that are important to maintaining a clear ATSC 3.0 signal.
One feature of ATSC 3.0 that pushes the limits to measure reliably is its layer-division multiplexing (LDM), one of a few techniques to pack as much data into the standard as possible. However, being a state-of-the-art standard makes ATSC 3.0 a state-of-the-art measurement challenge.
“ATSC 3.0 is a very practical standard that gathers the most recent coding techniques and experiences of its predecessors,” said Vladimir Anishchenko, president and chief technology officer for Ontario, Canada-based Avateq Corp., manufacturer of the AVQ1022 RF signal analyzer. “That is why the challenge is not in a particular measurement but rather in a number of measurements creating a whole picture of the signal quality.”
Anishchenko noted the difficulty that ATSC 3.0’s LDM technology adds to the mix.
