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RFXpert Manual V1 1.2

1. eeeeieeeeieeee seen enne nnne n nnn nnn nnn nnns 40 System Monitor iiec dee idee Mee UE 40 NMOGUIATION DOTA e XM 43 Spectrum Pella 45 ADOUL ING REA DOM RETE E 47 RFXpert User Manual Page 3 of 60 www sencore com 5 4 Measurement and Log Settings eere eese esses 48 Alarm SEMINO cca auo eaEe soy aaa 48 interval Logging Setings si alii 49 5 5 SMAPS OE voter cca liber M PR 50 5 6 Transpori Stream Recording i iua siasi 51 Sept De c babates 51 Setting ihe Prolilei calli 52 Performing an Automatic Inspection eese 54 6 1 Using the DekTec StreamXpert DTC 320 56 Appendix A RFXpert Default Values for DTU 234 57 Appendix B RFXpert Default Values for DTU 235 58 Appendix C Digital Channel Power Measurement and Spectral Displays 59 Appendix D QAM Constellation Impairment Examples 60 HFXpert User Manual Page 4 of 60 www sencore com 1 1 Introduction The RFXpert software was designed to provide real time analysis and monitoring of radio frequencies directly on a PC or laptop computer When used along with the DTU 234 or DTU 235 RF Probes RFXpert is part of a comprehensive solution for doing fieldwork on a laptop computer 2 1 Driver amp
2. System Monitor Modulation Scheme Modulation Detail Spectrum Detail About Recv FEC Channel IF Freq 70 00 MHz Bandwidth 8 MHz 70MHz IF Channel 8 17 2006 4 45 PM Figure 5 3j System Spectrum Display HFXpert User Manual Page 46 of 60 www sencore com About the RFXpert The final tab in the measurement display window is an About tab This tab displays the current version of RFXpert software RF Probe driver serial number of the connected RF Probe and dll version numbers The About tab provides information only and no values may be changed X Sencore RFXpert localhost Kn ay ni sd DTU 235 E Disconnect Autolnsp Settings Snapshot Record RFXpert Software Application 1 2 0 0 DI 1 0 0 0 No Channel Plan set 7 5 2005 10 31 AM Figure 5 3k RFXpert About Tab HFXpert User Manual Page 47 of 60 www sencore com 5 4 Measurement and Log Settings The Settings icon in the Tool Bar of the RFXpert contains several advanced settings pertaining to the alarming and interval logging parameters of the channel under test amp sm j 9 P DTU 235 EH Disconnect Autolnsp fj Settings f Snapshot Record Figure 5 4a Measurement and Log Settings Alarm Settings To configure the alarm limits and alarm logging select the Alarms tab within the Settings window Select the modulation mode in the upper left corner This allows the setup of unique alarm limits f
3. Figure 5 3d Modulation Detail Tab 1 Digital Modulation Bar Graphs These three graphs display the exact same information that was previously described in the System Monitor tab MER Margin and EVM values are displayed for convenient reference 2 Constellation Diagram The constellation diagram gives a visual indication of how closely the demodulated digital symbols are received compared to the theoretical ideal The QAM signal constellation display will contain 64 squares and the individual dots representing symbols should ideally be in the center of the squares QAM 64 Constellation Figure 5 3e COFDM QAM64 Constellation Display HFXpert User Manual Page 43 of 60 www sencore com 3 Eye Diagram The eye diagram gives another visual means to verify the modulation quality of the incoming digital channel This diagram displays the trace as the incoming symbols move from one value to another Open eyes indicate a good incoming signal Eye Diagram Figure 5 3f Eye Diagram Display RFXpert User Manual Page 44 of 60 www sencore com Spectrum Detail The RFXpert software includes a Spectrum Detail tab Upon selecting the Spectrum Detail tab all logging alarming and channel specific measurements will be disabled This is due to the fact that the tuner will be in a sweep mode to provide the spectrum measurements x You are about to enter Spectrum Detail Mode doing so will disable any logging alarms and othe
4. Building the Channel Plan Start by clicking on the Settings button in the toolbar as shown in Figure 5 2a P Snapshot Record S A Disconnect Auto Inap Settings Figure 5 2a Getting into the RFXpert Settings Page In the General tab there are two buttons for creating plans Any previously created plans will be listed in the Channel Plans section above the buttons X Settings General Alarms Auto Inspect Logaing Channel Plans Channel Channel Description pae Center Frequency MHz 225 500 Save Current Plan Create New Channel Plan 122 Broadcast Type COFDM T Remove Channel Plan Change Plan Name Remove Channel Bandwidth MHz v Auto Channel Search BER Options n PreFEC PostFEC SER ErrorSecs Level Measurement Units dBm C dBm Restore Defaults Cancel Apply Figure 5 2b Buttons for Creating Plans HFXpert User Manual Page 37 of 60 www sencore com Button 1 Create New Channel Plan Manually creates a new channel plan Enter a plan name and select the base channel plan that will be used to begin the process as shown in Figure 5 2a Create New Channel Plan EI Available pre defined base channel plans Plan Name Australia Japan Country Western Europe I China E New Zeala nd Eastern Europe South Africa Indonesia United States Ireland Western Europe Cancel _ Italy Figure 5 2c Manual Channel Plan Creation
5. Click on the Run Auto Inspection button to initiate the inspection An Auto Inspect report will be generated for each time an inspection is performed Auto Inspect Auto Inspect Profiles Sioux Falls SD Inspection Mode Single Multiple Inspection Count pai Interval min fio 24 Run Auto Inspection Open and View Auto Inspect Results Figure 4 8f Performing an Auto Inspection Auto Inspect Interval E Multiple Auto Inspections In Progress Inspection Results Southwest 05 03 05 11 38 40 AM Passed ILS sue Lee Last Auto Inspect 11 38 42 AM Next Auto Inspect 11 39 42 AM Time Until 00 00 14 Figure 4 8g Multiple Auto Inspections in Progress Enter a site name that will be associated with the inspection The Auto Inspect report will open automatically at the end of a single inspection If multiple auto inspections were performed manually select the desired report from the list RFXpert User Manual Page 34 of 60 www sencore com 2iolx RFXpert Auto Inspect Results Master Test Result Failed Site test Device DTU 234 Date 5 3 2005 Serial 4234000001 Time 11 41 AM Cal Date 4 6 2005 Profile Name Sioux Falls SD Thresholds 8VSB QAM 64B QAM 256B NTSC Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max Level dBmV Pilot Level dBc C N Ratio M E R dB Margin dB E V M ms Channel Modulation Frequency Level PilotLev
6. Profile Name SF_NE_Site1 Thresholds COFDM Hin Max Level dBmV 15 45 H E R dB 0 Margin dB E V H X ms Channel Broadcast Bandwidth Frequency Level 3 E V HM dBmV X ms COFDM 30 8 29 Passed COFDM 10 5 23 92 6 Failed COFDM 29 1 Failed Figure 5 7i RFXpert Auto Inspect Report The Auto Inspect report will not be saved until you click on the Save or Export buttons at lower right corner of the inspection report Save will create a file rst that may be viewed with the RFXpert application at a later time Export creates a comma separated text csv file that may be viewed using a standard text editor or spreadsheet application You may also select print to receive a hard copy from an attached printer Select the Open and View Inspection Results button in the Auto Inspect window to view saved reports RFXpert User Manual Page 55 of 60 www sencore com 6 1 Using the DekTec StreamXpert DTC 320 Transport stream analysis capabilities can be added to the DTU 234 or DTU 235 RF Probe by purchasing the DekTec StreamXpert DTC 320 software The software and manual can be found on the USB Flash drive included with the RF Probe A lieense must be purchased and installed to use the StreamXpert software All information regarding software installation and operation is contained in the StreamXpert manual laix Analyser Record View Help i DVBMode ID X short term G is 7 100ms H gt Mie Norma lid E 2 a
7. QAM channels display average channel power level only and NTSC will display the video carrier level and the carrier to noise ratio Figure 4 3c RF Level Bar Graphs 3 Digital Modulation Bar Graphs These bar graphs display the MER Margin and EVM for 8 VSB and QAM channels Pass green Fail red Warn yellow color coded thresholds provide for quick diagnosis The level thresholds are user definable in the settings page This section will be grayed out when measuring an NTSC channel MER modulation error ratio is the digital equivalent of an analog signal to noise ratio displayed in dB MER is a ratio of signal power to the power of the impairments within the signal The larger the MER value the better the signal quality Margin represents how far the MER value is from the Threshold of Visibility TOV digital cliff Margin equals MER 15 2 dB for 8 VSB and MER 18 5dB for QAM 64 See Appendix A for more details EVM error vector magnitude is a RMS value that represents the amplitude ratio of the RMS error vector amplitude to the largest symbol amplitude This is a measurement of how closely the modulated digital symbols are received compared HFXpert User Manual Page 17 of 60 www sencore com to the theoretical ideal EVM is calculated from the MER value The lower the value the better the signal quality Figure 4 3d Digital Modulation Bar Graphs 4 Digital Bit Error Display The Digital Bit Erro
8. The new channel plan will automatically be filled with the channels from the base plan that was selected including the appropriate center frequency and channel bandwidth for each channel Individual channels may be added edited or removed later Button 2 Auto Channel Search The RFXpert software can automatically generate a channel plan by scanning all channel frequencies in a pre defined base plan Figure 5 2b illustrates setting a Plan Name and selecting the Country Unwanted channels can be avoided by setting a minimum RF level for the channel search At least one Broadcast Type must be selected for the search Auto Channel Search Plan Name Country Westem Europe v Minimum Level dBm 10 0 Broadcast Type iw COFDM PAL Cancel Figure 5 2d Automatic Channel Plan Creation Editing Channel Information After the channel plans have been defined individual channel settings may be adjusted The areas boxed in red Figure 5 26 allow the channel information to be edited From the main screen click the Settings button On the General tab select an available Channel Plan and Channel from the list to see the current settings HFXpert User Manual Page 38 of 60 www sencore com Channel Description X Settings Allows a more convenient label to be applied to a channel i e ET WABC HD Channel Description Cen ter Fre uenc Center Frequency MHz 226 500 d y Create New Channel Plan B
9. Connect Disconnect Auto Insp Figure 4 5a Taking a Snapshot mt tJ ex EH SE Ascii on orion Orion O SE Shared on Zeus S w Common on Zeus X Figure 4 5b Saving the Snapshot JPEG File Select a location for saving the image The default name is the date and time of day HFXpert User Manual Page 29 of 60 www sencore com 4 6 Transport Stream Recording The RFXpert software allows the incoming digital transport stream on 8 VSB and QAM channels to be recorded to a transport stream file The file will be recorded a directory on the server PC Click on the Record button to initiate transport stream recording Figure 4 6a Recording a Transport Stream Step 1 A new window will open to enter some basic information Record x Record Location Path On the Server cc program files sencore vfxpert File Name test tro settings Time o o 10 HH mmss C Size M4 MB Figure 4 6b Record Setup The destination path of the record file is displayed at the top of the Record window and may be changed by selecting the browse button Provide a file name using a trp extension Define the duration of the recording in either length of time or by file size Click the Record button to initiate recording 4 7 Equalizer Disable The DTU 234 RFProbe has a built in 8 VSB equalizer Equalizers are widely used in 8 VSB receivers set top boxes to facilitate reception of marginal signals conta
10. Software Installation Installing the DTU 234 or DTU 235 Driver and Software 1 Leaving the RF Probe disconnected from the PC insert the USB flash drive into any available USB port Browse to the Software RFXpert folder on the USB flash drive 2 Double click on the RFXpert Installer exe application to begin the installation If the Microsoft Net framework is not installed on the PC the RFXpert installer will begin by installing it Default settings should be used i Sencore RFXpert InstallShield Wizard Welcome to the InstallShield Wizard for Sencore RFXpert The InstallShield R Wizard will install Sencore RFXpert on your computer To continue click Next WARNING This program is protected by copyright law and international treaties Next gt Figure 2 1a RFXpert Installation RFXpert User Manual Page 5 of 60 www sencore com 3 Select the type of install to perform Most users should select Complete e Complete i amp Sencore RFXpert InstallShield Wizard Installs both the RFXpert Setup Type server and the client Choose the setup type that best suits your needs software Please select a setup type All program Features will be installed Requires the most disk e Client F sore Installs only the RFXpert Client Components Only client software e Se rver Server Components Only Installs only the RFXpert server software Figure 2 1b RFXpert Installation 4 Connect the RF Probe to the
11. move from one value to another The display will look very similar for both 8 VSB and QAM 64 channels 7 eyes 15 eyes for QAM 256 You should have open eyes in a good incoming signal Eye Diagram Figure 4 3i Eye Diagram Display HFXpert User Manual Page 21 of 60 www sencore com Multipath Detail The Multipath Detail tab displays information gathered from the RF Probe s adaptive channel equalizer The adaptive equalizer uses knowledge of the ideal 8 VSB and QAM signals to cancel out the effects of multipath echoes and ghosts and non ideal frequency response in the transmission channel The DTU 234 RF Probe has been characterized to remove contributions from the unit s own RF front end pre amp tuner etc from the information displayed in this mode The taps of the equalizer refer to the values of a sampled impulse response of the converged equalizer The tap values can reveal information about the types of impairment that the equalizer is trying to compensate for These measurements are valid for 8 VSB and QAM channels and will be inactive on NTSC channels Loading Channel Response System Monitor Modulation Detail i Multipath Detail Spectrum Detail TE channet 32 Freq 581 00 Mhz Type 8VSB 11 28 2005 2 39 PM Figure 4 3j Multipath Detail Tab 1 Equalizer Loading Bar Graph The equalizer loading number shows how hard the equalizer is working The load is computed by taking the RMS value of the
12. ratio is the digital equivalent of an analog signal to noise ratio displayed in dB MER is a ratio of signal power to the power of the impairments within the signal The larger the MER value the better the signal quality Margin represents how far the MER value is from a QEF Quasi Error Free signal Quasi error free reception in Digital Video Broadcast 8DVB is defined as one non correctable error per hour at the input of an MPEG 2 decoder The bit error rate BER is 10exp 11 Reference the COFDM table near the end of the manual for more information EVM error vector magnitude is a RMS value that represents the amplitude ratio of the RMS error vector amplitude to the largest symbol amplitude This is basically how closely the modulated digital symbols are received compared to the theoretical ideal EVM is calculated from the MER value The lower the value the better the signal quality 4 Digital Bit Error Display The Digital Bit Error Display within the system monitor tab provides bit error statistics that are averaged or counted over a specified time window Defining the window size was described in the previous section This section is valid for 8 VSB and QAM measurements but will be grayed out when RFXpert User Manual Page 41 of 60 www sencore com measuring an NTSC channel Pass green fail red warn yellow color coded threshold indicators provide for quick diagnosis The thresholds are user definable PreFEC BER v
13. taps not including the center tap This provides a measure of how much energy is going into correcting for undesired reflections A lower number indicates that the equalizer is not working as hard and that the signal is of good quality HFXpert User Manual Page 22 of 60 www sencore com 2 Multipath Echo Profile This is a plot of the tap energy versus time delay from the channel The channel is shown as a spike at time t 0 and is represented as 100 If reflections echos of the original signal are present it will show as another spike at some positive or negative time delay and reduced percentage from the selected channel This graph can assist in determining whether signal problems are being caused by multipath problems or not The center tap 0 us corresponds to the main signal and any other echo is interference and noise Multipath Echo Profile 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 2 Delay uS Figure 4 3k Multipath Echo Profile Graph 3 Channel Response The Channel Response graph is an FFT transform of the delay line tap values time domain converted to spectral frequency domain display Ideally the channel response will be a flat line However due to multipath in the incoming signal the response will contain peaks and valleys The 0 dB level is the peak and the valleys will be at some dB value below 0 The larger the peak to valley difference the worse the incoming signal quality Channel Response r 1 Frequency Fi
14. 13 Editing Channel Information ccccssecssseeeseeeeseeeeseeeeseeeeseeeeneeessesenseeoens 14 Additional SCUINGS REN 15 Selecting the Channel Plan and Channel 15 4 3 RF Measuremerit GDS iei ea 16 SvsiemiMoniio ci i 16 Mod laton Detaili 20 MUMID AUN DOTA e S 22 Speeclrum Deldil error ere reecrre terre rrr e ea ns rr eterna 09 0 609 00 000 8 85 24 ADOULINe RFAperiaa alc 26 4 4 Measurement and Log Settings eere eere see 27 Alarni SOHO S 6 sidecar M ILE 27 Interval LOGGING SEWING S iei ari 28 BD DMAP SOL REM DE 29 4 6 Transport Stream Recording 30 4 7 EQqualizer Disable ass cca ai 30 4 0 AUIO INSPECl init 31 Setting the Profile arii aa 31 Performing an Automatic Inspection eese 34 5 1 DTU 235 ODeratlions s a aa 36 RFXpert Application General Layout 36 BZ GDanner Paris 5 22 24 ani SA 0 00 42 32 0 0 020 2 02 5 8 37 Building the Channel P Ganh oio cea nre 37 Editing Channel Information eere eee eee eee 38 Additional SUING S 2205500022205 02066551 06020212 039 020180 02609 0904 7 36060600862 262 6 9022 56 39 Selecting the Channel Plan and Channel 39 5 3 RF Measurement Tabs
15. 9 Level REM NN EAR QEF QEF Lal w e pepe o poster Dua Tee 308 ser qoe Pee m m reser osa pi es ae pepe EE E Quasi Error Free QEF Reference Constellation Code Rate QEF dB QPSK 1 2 3 1 QPSK 2 3 4 9 QPSK 3 4 5 9 QPSK 5 6 6 9 QPSK 7 8 1 1 16 QAM 1 2 8 8 16 QAM 2 3 11 1 16 QAM 3 4 12 5 16 QAM 5 6 13 5 16 QAM 7 8 13 9 64 QAM 1 2 14 4 64 QAM 2 3 16 5 64 QAM 3 4 18 0 64 QAM 5 6 19 3 64 QAM 7 8 20 1 RFXpert User Manual Page 58 of 60 www sencore com Appendix C Digital Channel Power Measurement and Spectral Displays This appendix provides information on power measurement and spectrum displays These concepts are then applied to the DTU 234 or DTU 235 RF Probe and RFXpert software The power of digital communications channels such as 8 VSB or COFDM modulated TV channels is usually expressed in dBm or dBmV dBm is a measure of power as dBmV is a measure of voltage 0 dbmV 1milliVolt X dBmV 20 LOG Y volts 001 0 dBm 1milliWatt X dBm 10 LOG X watts 001 In order to convert between dBm and dBmV the system impedance must be known Because a signal with a given fixed power will generate different voltages across different impedances In a 75 Ohm system 0 dBm 48 75 dBmV 0 dBmV 48 75 dBm In a 50 Ohm system 0 dBm 47 dBmV 0 dBmV 47 dBm The channel power is the average power measured within the 3dB bandwidth of the channel approximately 5 38MHz for 8 VSB 5 06MH
16. Application General Layout X Sencore RFXpert localhost nix a a E ew Eg uo Insp Settings Snapshot Record Value N Time PreFEC BER lt 1 0E 09 00 03 00 00 00 21 PostFEC BER lt 1 0E 09 00 03 00 00 00 21 SER 00 03 00 00 00 21 ErrorSec 00 03 00 00 00 21 BurstES 00 03 00 00 00 21 lt 1 0E 09 00 03 00 00 00 21 RF Level ZISPMO ZISPM ZUPM 244PM 2 12PM 2 43 PN 2 44PM 2 15PM 15 Time mins System Monitor ifi pectrum DetafT bo ORev Z Channel 32 Freq 581 00 Mhz Type 8VSB CS Figure 4 1a RFXpert Overview 1 Tool Bar Buttons for Connections Auto Inspection Settings Snapshot screen capture Record and an Equalizer toggle button 2 Master Alarm Allows a quick check of the signal integrity Green indicates all measurements are within user defined limits Red indicates an out of tolerance condition exists on one or more measurements 3 Signal Metering Two part visual displays for signal level MER and Margin Located above each meter is the tolerance range setting 4 Error Information Detailed information on PreFEC BER PostFEC BER SER and Error Seconds An LED at the right of each measurement validates when the reading falls outside of user defined limits 5 Histograms Graphs the value over time for all measurement made in the oignal Metering section 6 Navigation Tabs Provides more detailed information on the measured signal The tabs vary depen
17. Auto Inspection Settings Snapshot screen capture and Record 2 Master Alarm Allows a quick check of the signal integrity Green indicates all measurements are within user defined limits Red indicates an out of tolerance condition exists on one or more measurements 3 Signal Metering Two part visual displays for signal level MER and Margin Located above each meter is the tolerance range setting 4 Error Information Detailed information on Pre FEC BER Post FEC BER SER and Error Seconds An LED at the right of each measurement validates when the reading falls outside of user defined limits 5 Histograms Graphs the value over time for all measurement made in the oignal Metering section 6 Navigation Tabs Provides more detailed information on the measured signal The tabs vary depending on the connected probe The DTU 235 tabs include Modulation Scheme Modulation Detail Spectrum Detail and About T Selected Channel Information Lists the tuned channel number channel HFXpert User Manual Page 36 of 60 www sencore com center frequency channel type and channel bandwidth Right click this area to directly access the channel by name or use the and buttons to advance to next and previous channels 5 2 Channel Plans To begin using the RFXpert software a channel plan must be defined RFXpert supports an unlimited number of plans so separate plans may be defined for each location or modulation type
18. M channels The file will be recorded a directory on the server PC Click on the Record button to initiate transport stream recording ge DTU 235 mE Disconnect Autalnsp Settings Snapshot Record Figure 5 6a Recording a Transport Stream Step 1 A new window will open to enter some basic information Record Location Path On the Server c pragram files amp sencore srfsperrecordings File Mame pero Settings Time o o 10 HHMM ss Size 754 ME e Hecord E Status Ready Figure 5 6b Record Setup The destination path of the record file is displayed at the top of the Record window and may be changed by selecting the browse button Provide a file name a trp extension will be added to all record files Define the duration of the recording in either length of time or by file size Click the Record button to initiate recording 5 7 Auto Inspect The Auto Inspect feature of the RFXpert software allows the automatic measurement and logging of every channel within a defined channel plan This feature makes it simple to verify the status of the RF distribution system by providing a report detailing overall status and measurement reports for individual channels within a plan RFXpert User Manual Page 51 of 60 www sencore com Setting the Profile Click on the Settings button in the tool bar and select the Auto Inspect tab in the Settings Window to create profiles and define Auto Inspect paramet
19. MER ErrorSec nnno cei Margin BurstES 00 03 00 PN 23 lt 1 0E 09 00 03 00 RF Level 2 28PM 2 29PM 2 30PM 2 2 25 PM Time mins System Monitor ModuzZerrDetai Multipath Detail Spectrum Detail About _ channel 32 Freq 581 00 Mhz Type 8VSB 11 28 2005 2 31 PM Figure 4 3a System Monitor Tab 1 Histogram Displays The system monitor tab includes two histogram displays These displays include a time axis and a vertical auto ranging signal level axis Zoom in or out on the histograms by holding down the left mouse button and moving the mouse cursor over the selected histogram Change what the histograms display by right mouse clicking over the selected histogram and selecting a new measurement parameter from the pop up box RFXpert User Manual Page 16 of 60 www sencore com Available choices include RF Level Pilot Level EVM MER Margin PreFEC BER PostFEC BER SER ErrorSec BurstES and PN 23 See Figure 4 3b E w RF Level Pilot Level EVM MER Margin PreFEC E EB Frrorsec DI BurstES E PN 23 Figure 4 3b Changing the Histogram Display 2 RF Level Bar Graphs The RF level bar graphs display a continuously updated level measurements with Pass green Fail red Warn yellow color coded thresholds for quick diagnosis The level thresholds are user definable 8 VSB channels will display average channel power level and pilot level dBc below the average channel power level
20. N0 00 16 PostFEC BER SER 00 03 00 ErrorSec 00 03 00 00 00 16 RF Level ERE 0 11 56 AM 11 57 AM11 LAM 12 00 PM 12 01 PM 11 56 AM 11 57 AM 11 56 AM 11 59 AM 12 00 PM 12 01 PM Time mins i System Monitor dion Detail Spectrum Detail About Channel 46 Freq 674 00 MHz Bandwidth 8 MHz 7 7 2006 12 01 PM Figure 5 3a System Monitor Tab HFXpert User Manual Page 40 of 60 www sencore com 1 Histogram Displays The system monitor tab includes two histogram displays These displays have a time axis of 5 minutes and the level axis is auto ranging Zoom in or out on the histograms by holding down the left mouse button and moving the mouse cursor over the selected histogram Change what the histograms display by right mouse clicking over the selected histogram and selecting a new measurement parameter from the pop up box Available histogram choices include RF Level EVM MER PreFEC BER Post FEC BER SER ErrorSec 2 RF Level Bar Graph The RF level bar graph continuously displays color coded measurements for quick diagnosis of Pass green Warn yellow Fail red Alarm thresholds are user definable in the settings Figure 5 3b RF Level Bar Graphs 3 Digital Modulation Bar Graphs These bar graphs display the MER Margin and EVM for COFDM channels Color coded thresholds of Pass green Warn yellow Rail red provide for quick diagnosis The thresholds are user definable MER modulation error
21. PC with the supplied USB cable The New Hardware Wizard will prompt for the location of the driver The driver is located in the C Program Files Sencore RFXpert Drivers folder On some PCs this process may be repeated a second time Found New Hardware Wizard This wizard helps you install software for DTU 235 Fant S USB 2 DVB T Input Adapter If your hardware came with an installation CD 22 or floppy disk insert it now What do you want the wizard to do O Install the software automatically Recommended Click Next to continue Figure 2 1c Driver Installation RFXpert User Manual Page 6 of 60 www sencore com Found New Hardware Wizard Please choose your search and installation options a tans S Use the check boxes below to limit or expand the default search which includes local paths and removable media The best driver found will be installed C Search removable media floppy CD ROM Include this location in the search C Program Files Sencore AFXpert drivers v O Don t search will choose the driver to install Choose this option to select the device driver from a list windows does not quarantee that the driver you choose will be the best match for your hardware Figure 2 1d Driver Installation 5 Click the Next button until finished with the driver installation Licensing the RF Probe for RFXpert The DTU 234 or DTU 235 hardware may be purchased with or without licen
22. SENCORE RFXPERT SOFTWARE RF Monitoring and Analysis Software x Sencore RFXpert Do g M m amp DTU 235 nd Disconnect Auto Insp Settings Snapshot Record EY Value Window Time PreFEC BER 5 2E 05 00 03 00 00 00 16 PostFEC BER lt 1 0E 09 00 03 00 00 00 16 SER 0 00 03 00 00 00 16 ErrorSec 0 00 03 00 00 00 16 RF Level 0 11 56 AM 11 57 AM 11 58 AM 11 59 AM 12 00 PM 12 01 PM 11 56 AM 11 57 AM 11 58 AM 11 59 AM 12 00 PM 12 01 PM Time mins Time mins 7 7 2006 12 01 PM USER MANUAL REV 1 2 FORM 7604 2006 Sencore Electronics Inc All rights reserved No parts of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any means graphic electronic or mechanical including photocopying recording taping or information storage and retrieval systems without the written permission of the publisher Products that are referred to in this document may be trademarks and or registered trademarks of their respective owners The publisher and author make no claim to these trademarks While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this document the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions or from damages resulting from the use of information contained in this document or from the use of programs and source code that may accompany it In no event shall the publisher and the author be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage caused or alleged to have been
23. VW Mode Pass Fail Limits OK o o 9 lt f e 9 lt p lt 9 lt f lt RF Level dBmV lt j0 Pilot Level dBc v M E R dB Iv Margin dB Iv Iv E V M rms Figure 4 8d Defining Parameters for the Auto Inspect Profile 3 Defining the Auto Inspect Measurement Parameters The bottom portion of the window is used to define which measurements should be part of the inspection and the Pass Fail limits Use the Mode dropdown box to select the modulation scheme and define the appropriate measurements and limits 8 VSB and QAM will have the same measurements but different limits with the exception of Pilot Level 8 VSB only NTSC measurements are completely different The preset measurement limits are derived from the current settings in the Alarm tab HFXpert User Manual Page 33 of 60 WWW Sencore com Performing an Automatic Inspection Once an Auto Inspect profile has been defined Now that you have defined an Auto Inspect profile s you may proceed with performing automatic inspections Start by clicking on the Auto Inspect button in the tool bar Zanrmest Figure 4 8e Starting an Auto Inspection The Auto Inspect window will now open Select the profile to apply and the number of times to perform the inspection A single inspection will run once and then create the report Multiple inspection mode defines the number of inspections and the time interval between each inspection
24. a Channel Plan Individual channel information can be edited and channels can be added or removed after the plan is created RFXpert User Manual Page 13 of 60 www sencore com 2 Auto Channel Search This button automatically creates a channel plan Enter a channel name band and z an RF level threshold which the RFXpert software will then use to populate the channel plan Modulation Plan Name jlest schemes may be manually defined and the RF Probe will came attempt to lock onto each channel in the band using the Minimum Level dBmV f 10 0 selected scheme Any RF channel that has a level greater than the specified threshold will be added to the plan If ni ana defining an NTSC channel a C N Noise Floor frequency Fic POMAS Will need to be entered too You may go back and manually modify this automatically created plan at a later time E Figure 4 2c Editing Channel Information six General Auto Inspect Alarms Logging Channel Description Carrier Frequency MHz 83 250 Modulation Type NTSC CIN Noise Floor Frequency MHz 400 000 Minimum 53 000 Maximum 865 000 NTSC Only SER Window BurstErrorSecs Window PN 23 Window Restore Defaults OK Cancel Apply Figure 4 2d Modifying and Saving Channel Plans The C N Noise Floor Frequency must be defined to provide a reference for calculating carrier to noise ratio measurements on NTSC channels Pick a frequen
25. all of the values to the factory HFXpert User Manual Page 48 of 60 www sencore com settings The default values are derived from existing standards industry practices and Sencore s extensive experience Interval Logging Settings The Logging tab in the Settings window allows you to define the parameters for Interval Logging Interval Logging is basically a snapshot of selected measurements of the tuned channel at a defined time period that is stored in a log file X Settings General Alarms Auto Inspect iv Enable Interval Logging iw R F Level Log Interval 1 min MV MER Store Logs for 30 Days Iv Margin iv EM M Iv S E R IW Error Sec Count V PreFEC BER iw PostFEC BER Logs C Documents and SettingsNjohnb My Documents RFXpert Change Path View Logs Restore Defaults Cancel Apply Figure 5 4c Interval Logging To perform Interval Logging check the Enable Interval Logging box in the upper left corner Then check which measurements should be included in the Interval Logging Next define the interval frequency of occurrence for the measurement snapshots and how many days worth of logs to keep before purging The bottom portion of the Logging tab contains the path to the log files both Alarm and Interval The default path is Program Files Sencore RFXpert logs Alarm or Interval However this may be changed by clicking on the Change Path button and defining another directory path The View Log
26. alue is the Bit Error Rate expressed before any changes have been made to the demodulated digital transport stream by the embedded Forward Error Correction codes This can be thought of as the raw bit errors in the digital payload Values lower than 1x10 6 are generally considered acceptable Ranges from 1x10 9 near perfect signal to 1x10 3 QEF are typical PostFEC BER value is the Bit Error Rate expressed after changes have been made to the demodulated digital transport stream by the embedded Forward Error Correction codes This can be thought of as the remaining bit errors in the digital payload after all corrections improvements have been made This value should be numerically lower than the PreFEC BER Values lower than 1x10 8 are generally considered acceptable SER represents segment errors that are measured in the digital transport stream The MPEG stream is divided into packets or segments Each segment contains 187 data bytes plus one sync byte A commonly used measure of quality of the final output stream is Segment Error Rate SER SER is computed as the number of segment errors per second As with BER the value is averaged over the duration of the time window and reset to O every time the window rolls over An SER value of about 3 typically averaged over a 20 second window occurs at QEF Once segment errors start to occur SER rapidly increases as the signal worsens cliff effect omaller numbers are better ErrorSec represe
27. caused either directly or indirectly from this document Printed October 2006 in Sioux Falls SD Form 7604 Support and Service Information SENCORE Inc 3200 Sencore Drive Sioux Falls S D 57107 USA Phone 605 339 0100 Fax 605 339 0432 Internet http www sencore com Email mail sencore com RFXpert User Manual Page 2 of 60 www sencore com TABLE OF CONTENTS TILT INFO GUGHON sprite 5 2 1 Driver amp Software Installation eese esee 5 Installing the DTU 234 or DTU 235 Driver and Software 5 Licensing the RF Probe for RFXpert eese esse 7 2 2 Additional Software Applications eee sseees 9 StreaMX pert DIC 320 cpssun ca cop au cH aos coop anice irene 9 3 1 SolWware Operations n 10 Client Server Architecture 1 eere Lees iere reinen nennen nhan 10 Launching the RFXpert Software cccee eese esee enne 10 Connecting to the DTU 234 or DTU 235 eee eeeeee eren 10 4 1 DTU 234 Operations ec lese eeee e leee reinen nennen enean nana nnn 12 RFXpert Application General Layout 12 4 2 Creating a Ghannel Pliah GGI 13 Bundirg nea ii iabaiai ein liana
28. cy HFXpert User Manual Page 14 of 60 www sencore com that has no active channel modulation to serve as the measurement noise floor Each channel plan may have a different C N Noise Floor frequency Additional Settings There are three additional settings that must be defined before proceeding with RF measurements 1 BER Options Define the 25 window size used for averaging General Ato inspect Aems Logging resetting several measurements socius that pertain to digital modulation Broadcast SF 3 sz e Three minutes is the factory Sencore 1 1 OOOO default window size BER SER dale E 2 OOOO D and PN 23 values are average Save Current Plan__ a r ew Chan an oise Floor values and the window size uei Frequency Mia 400000 determines the time frame over STI ere te which the averaging is calculated Auto Chena Search TEN The averaging is reset at an ica interval equal to the window size Number Eres Fer fuse F7 Error Seconds and BurstES are cumulative values and their aa are counters are reset at an interval 2 a dBmV C dBm equal to the window size 2 Burst Error Count Burst Error count defines how many errors must be present in one second before a BurstES count is triggered 3 Level Measurement Units Select between dBmV or dBm Selecting the Channel Plan and Channel To use a channel plan simply select the cha
29. d the number of times you wish to perform the inspection A single inspection will run once and then create the report Multiple inspections are defined by the number of inspections and the interval between each inspection Click on the Run Auto Inspection button to initiate the inspection An Auto Inspect report will be generated for each time an inspection is performed Auto Inspect Auto Inspect Profiles Inspection Mode Single Multiple View Auto Inspect Results Hun Auto Inspection Figure 5 7f Performing an Auto Inspection You will now be prompted to enter a site name that will be associated with the inspection Please enter your site name WM EE a a Southwest __ Cancel Figure 5 7g Entering a Site Name RFXpert User Manual Page 54 of 60 www sencore com Multiple Auto Inspections In Progress Inspection Results Southwest 05 03 05 11 38 40 AM Passed ILS esas Last Auto Inspect 11 38 42 AM Next Auto Inspect 11 39 42 AM Time Until 00 00 14 ce Figure 5 7h Multiple Auto Inspections in Progress The Auto Inspect report will open automatically at the end of a single inspection You must manually select the desired report from the list if a multiple auto inspection was performed see figure above X View Auto Inspect Results RFXpert Auto Inspect Results Master Test Result Failed Site DTU 235 Demo Device DTU 235 Date 8 17 2006 Serial 4235000001 Time 447 PM Cal Date 4 11 2006
30. ding on the connected probe The DTU 235 tabs include Modulation Detail Multipath Detail Spectrum Detail and About HFXpert User Manual Page 12 of 60 www sencore com 7 Selected Channel Information Lists the tuned channel number and name 4 2 Creating a Channel Plan Begin utilizing the RFXpert software by building a channel plan Multiple channel plans for separate locations or modulation types may be created Building the Plan Start by clicking on the Settings button in the toolbar Now select the General tab within the Settings window Channel Description Carrier Frequency MHz Modulation Type T C N Noise Floor Frequency MHz l NTSC Only BER Options PreFEC Window o pa 3 NE o MEI PostFEC Window o EB 3 ME o SER Window o BB 3 EN o Number of Errors Per Burst 10 ErrorSecs Window o BB 3 NN o BurstErrorSecs Window 9 3 Ifo PN 23 Window o ol Figure 4 2a Settings Page 1 Create New Channel Plan Channel plans can be created manually or automatically To create a channel plan manually click the Create New Channel Plan button and provide a name for the plan Select the band FCC Cable IRC HRC or Broadcast All channels in the band will then be added to the plan as follows Broadcast 8 VSB FCC Cable QAM 64B IRC HRC Cable QAM 256B Figure 4 2b Creating
31. dulation Detail tab provides you with measurements and diagrams particular to a modulated digital 8 VSB and QAM channel The measurements will be grayed out and the diagrams inactive when measuring an NTSC channel xi 2 0 m dB I Sencore RFXpert localhost dB Constellation Eye Diagram 4 28 2005 g43am Figure 4 3g Modulation Detail Tab 1 Digital Modulation Bar Graphs These three graphs display the exact same information that was previously described in the System Monitor tab However there are no Pass Fail Warn color indications The bars are always green 2 Constellation Diagram The constellation diagram gives a visual indication of how closely the demodulated digital symbols are received compared to the theoretical ideal The 8 VSB signal constellation display has 8 lines and the individual dots representing symbols should ideally be in straight lines at the middle of the vertical dotted lines The QAM signal constellation display will contain 64 squares and the individual dots representing symbols should ideally be in the center of the squares QAM 64 or in the corners QAM 256 HFXpert User Manual Page 20 of 60 www sencore com Constellation Consiellaton Figure 4 3h 8 VSB and QAM Constellation Displays 3 Eye Diagram The eye diagram gives another visual means to verify the quality of the incoming digital channel This diagram displays the trace as the incoming symbols
32. e RF Measurement tabs Channel Tuning To tune to a channel within the selected channel plan go to the status bar and click on the buttons to move up or down one channel at a time Right click on the channel information area to open a list of available channels to quickly select any channel within the channel plan RFXpert User Manual Page 39 of 60 www sencore com Note Channel Plans are saved as cha xml files The plans will be retained even if the software is upgraded Channel Plan files can be found in the RFXpert program directory under XML Plans 11 56 AM 11 57 AM 11 58 AM 11 5 hi 12 01 PM 11 56 AM 11 57 AM 11 58 AM 11 59 AM 12 00 PM 12 01 PM Time min Time mins ppectrum Detail About DO MHz Bandwidth 8 MHz 7 7 2006 12 01 PM Figure 5 2f Changing Channels 5 3 RF Measurement Tabs Navigation to the different analysis sections of the RFXpert software is accomplished by using the series of tabs just below the main detail area Different views are available on the System Monitor Modulation Scheme Modulation Detail and Spectrum Detail pages System Monitor Overall RF signal monitoring and status is displayed on the System Monitor tab This view includes the signal RF level simple error monitoring with Pass Warn Fail indictors and selectable histograms X Sencore RFXpert g Aa mwl s Je Disconnect Autolnsp Settings Snapshot Record Value Window Time PreFEC BER 6 2E 05 00 03 00
33. ed to an RF Probe on an RFXpert server Because of the client server architecture of the RFXpert the DTU 234 or DTU 235 can be connected to a local PC or a remote PC that is able to be reached over a network The connection to either the DTU 234 or DTU 235 is made by clicking the Connect button on the toolbar of the RFXpert client software HFXpert User Manual Page 10 of 60 www sencore com X Sencore RFXpert ug qe Connect Snapshot Connect to Server Address Devices localhost Lo DTU 235 Cancel Figure 3 1c Connecting to the DTU 235 A Connect to dialog box will open and prompt for the server address and device for the connection When using the DTU 234 or DTU 235 as a local device the server address will be entered as localhost as shown in Figure 3 1c If the RF Probe is physically connected to an RFXpert server that is available on the network the server address will be an IP address i e 10 0 0 200 The gt gt button is used to poll for devices that are physically connected to the server at the specified address Up to six DTU 234 or DTU 235 devices can be connected to a PC at the same time If an RF Probe is not shown in the Devices dropdown menu clicking the gt gt button will refresh the list of devices Select the desired RF Probe in the Devices list and click the Connect button RFXpert User Manual Page 11 of 60 www sencore com 4 1 DTU 234 Operations RFXpert
34. el C N Ratio M E R Margin E V M P F dBmV dBc dB dB ms 6 NTSC 85 00 31 8 10 6 Failed 11 NTSC 201 00 12 0 30 5 Failed 13 NTSC 213 00 1 4 41 1 Failed 17 NTSC 491 00 1 9 41 6 Failed 29 8VSB 563 00 10 7 21 9 228 7 6 6 7 Failed 32 8VSB 581 00 44 14 8 31 2 16 0 2 6 Failed 36 NTSC 605 00 2 8 40 6 Failed gt Figure4 8h RFXpert Auto Inspect Report The Auto Inspect report will not be saved until you click on the Save or Export buttons at lower right corner of the inspection report Save will create a file rst that may be viewed with the RFXpert application at a later time Export creates a comma separated text csv file that may be viewed using a standard text editor or spreadsheet application Use the print button to send the Auto Inspect Report to a printer Saved reports may be viewed by clicking the View Selected button as shown in Figure 4 8g RFXpert User Manual Page 35 of 60 www sencore com 5 1 DTU 235 Operations RFXpert Application General Layout Do ge DTU 235 Settings Snapshot Record Value Window Time PreFEC BER 6 2E 05 00 03 00 00 00 16 PostFEC BER 10E 09 00 03 00 00 00 16 SER 00 03 00 00 00 16 ErrorSec NQ 00 00 16 RF Level m 11 56 AM 11 57 AM 11 58 AM 11 59 AM 12 00 PM 12 01 PM Time mins amet 46 Freq 674 00 MHz Bandwidth 8 MHz 7 7 2006 12 01 PM Figure 5 1a RFXpert Overview 1 Tool Bar Buttons for Connections
35. ers E re pru 235 M Disconnect Autolnsp Settings 5napshot Record Figure 5 7a Entering Auto Inspect Settings X Settings m ta E General Logging Channel Plan E Descriptions ERN Save Profile Create New Profile Broadcast Type co FDM TUM NS Dess ciele Fell Heasurement Enable Pass Fail Limits Change Profile Name Fail DK Fail FF Level dBm e lt s5 9 M E R dB lt lt Margin dB e lt 2 E V M 2 rms 7 lt 6 MER threshold is the user specified value plus the QEF see reference Restore Defaults Cancel Apply Figure 5 7b Auto Inspect Settings Tab Auto Inspect Controls Auto Inspect Profiles 1 Auto Inspect Profiles The first step to setting up an Auto Inspection is to define a Profile The Profile ties a channel plan and a set of measurement parameters together for performance of an automatic analysis of the system Multiple profiles for use at many different locations may be created Profiles may be added modified deleted at any time x Profile Name Sioux Falls SDI Figure 5 7c Creating an Auto Inspect Profile HFXpert User Manual Page 52 of 60 www sencore com After clicking on the Create New Profile button a new window will prompt the user to enter a Profile name Click on the Create button to proceed 2 Select the Channel Plan Associate the Channel Plan with the Profile You may also enter notes in the Description field x S
36. ettings General Alarms 1 Logging Channel Plan NEN Description DIM AN Auto Inspect Controls Auto Inspect Profiles Save Profile Broadcast Type COFDM QEF Create New Profile yp AR ai ___Delete Selected Profile elete Selected Profile Heasurement Enable Pass Fail Limits Change Profile Name Fail OK Fail RF Level dBm 9 e c 9 M E R dB 9 lt Margin dB e 9 E V M rms Giu lt 9 MER threshold is the user specified value plus the QEF see reference Restore Defaults Cancel Apply Figure 5 7d Defining Parameters for the Auto Inspect Profile 3 Defining the Auto Inspect Measurement Parameters Define which measurements should be part of the inspection and the Pass Fail limits Use the Mode dropdown box to select the modulation scheme and define the appropriate measurements and limits The preset measurement limits are derived from the current settings in the Alarm tab HFXpert User Manual Page 53 of 60 www sencore com Performing an Automatic Inspection Once an Auto Inspect profile has been defined Now that you have defined an Auto Inspect profile s you may proceed with performing automatic inspections Start by clicking on the Auto Inspect button in the tool bar da e Disconnect Autalnsp Settings Snapshot Record Figure 5 7e Starting an Auto Inspection The Auto Inspect window will now open Select the profile that you wish to apply an
37. gure 4 31 Channel Response Graph RFXpert User Manual Page 23 of 60 www sencore com Spectrum Detail The RFXpert software includes a Spectrum Detail tab Upon selecting the Spectrum Detail tab all logging alarming and channel specific measurements will be disabled This is due to the fact that the tuner will be in a sweep mode to provide the spectrum measurements x You are about to enter Spectrum Detail Mode doing so will disable any logging alarms and other channel specific monitoring do you wish to proceed Figure 4 3m Entering Spectrum Detail Mode All of the Spectrum Analysis windows are auto ranging There are three display options available in the spectrum detail tab Channel Spectrum The Channel Spectrum is a 6 MHz span with a 280 KHz resolution bandwidth and 100 KHz measurement intervals The center frequency will be defined by the channel that you have selected X Sencore RFXpert localhost E rz x Recv FEC Channel 32 Freq 581 00 Mhz Type 8VSB 5 10 2005 8 16 AM Figure 4 3n Channel Spectrum Display HFXpert User Manual Page 24 of 60 www sencore com Adjacent Spectrum The Adjacent Spectrum is an 18 MHz span with a 280 KHz resolution bandwidth and 200 KHz measurement intervals The center frequency will be defined by the channel that you have selected X Sencore RFXpert localhost i rz x co RM System Monitor Modulation Detail Multipath Detail S
38. gure 4 4c Interval Logging To perform Interval Logging check the Enable Interval Logging checkbox in the upper left corner Then check the measurements that should be included in the Interval Logging Next define the interval frequency of occurrence for the measurement snapshots and how many days logs should be kept before purging The bottom portion of the Logging tab contains the path to the log files both Alarm and Interval The default path is C Program Files Sencore RFXpert logs Alarm or Interval However this may be changed by clicking on the Change Path button and defining another directory path The View Logs button opens the directory where the logs are stored The logs are created as a comma separated text file csv that may be opened with any text editing or spreadsheet software One file is created per day and the file name is based on the date it was created HFXpert User Manual Page 28 of 60 www sencore com Modulation RF Pilot Time Channel Frequency Level 8 56 18 AM 12 40 8 57 19 AM 12 37 8 58 19 AM 12 53 8 59 19 AM 12 66 9 00 19 AM Figure 4 4d Example Interval Log Note The example above only shows a portion of the entire logged values 4 5 Snapshot The RFXpert contains a unique feature that allows you to quickly capture a JPEG image of any measurement screen for viewing at a later time To take a Snapshot click on the Snapshot button while the desired measurement screen is displayed 9
39. inal output stream is Segment Error Rate SER SER is computed as the number of segment errors per second As with BER the value is averaged over the duration of the time window and reset to 0 every time the window rolls over An SER value of about 3 typically averaged over a 20 second window occurs at TOV Once segment errors start to occur SER rapidly increases as the signal worsens cliff effect omaller numbers are better ErrorSec represents errored seconds An errored second is any second that contains at least one error in the digital transport stream This measure keeps a count of the number of errored seconds that occur within the reset window The value is reset to O when the window rolls over BurstES represents burst errored seconds exactly the same as the errored seconds measurement except that only seconds that contained greater than burst number of errors are counted A Burst Errored Second is defined by the number of errors that must occur to be a burst This value is set in the Settings General tab see Figure HFXpert User Manual Page 18 of 60 www sencore com 18 This test is useful in distinguishing inconsistent bursty type interference impairments from constant error rate problems such as poor MER PN 23 This is an industry standard Bit Error Rate test pattern available on most modulators For this test to be used on the RFXpert the modulator must be switched to test mode to inject the pseudo random PN 23 bi
40. ining large amounts multipath or other channel impairments The equalizer attempts to flatten the channel response by canceling signals caused primarily by multipath echoes Disabling the equalizer allows more true measurements that show signal quality without the benefit of the channel being equalized EQ disable is only valid on 8 VSB channels Mulitpath measurements will be disabled when the EQ is disabled HFXpert User Manual Page 30 of 60 www sencore com Figure 41 7a Disabling the 8 VSB Equalizer MER value and Constellation Eye diagram degradation is the most obvious indication that the EQ has been disabled MER MER Margin Margin EVM EVM With EQ On With EQ Off Figure 4 7b Signal Differences by Turning EQ On and Off 4 8 Auto Inspect The Auto Inspect feature of the RFXpert software allows the automatic measurement and logging of every channel within a defined channel plan This feature makes it simple to verify the status of the RF distribution system by providing a report detailing overall status and measurement reports for individual channels within a plan Setting the Profile Click on the Settings button in the tool bar and select the Auto Inspect tab in the Settings Window to create profiles and define Auto Inspect parameters Figure 4 8a Entering Auto Inspect Settings HFXpert User Manual Page 31 of 60 www sencore com o General Auto Inspect Alarms Logging Auto Inspect Cont
41. le from Sencore and its partner Dektec Please visit www sencore com for complete details on current software StreamXpert DTC 320 MPEG 2 transport stream analysis and monitoring software solution for checking detailed statistics on PIDs services and tables including TR101 290 compliance StreamXpert is a licensed trademark of Dektec Digital Video B V Sencore is the North American distributor for Dektec products Used with permission RFXpert User Manual Page 9 of 60 www sencore com 3 1 Software Operations Client Server Architecture The RFXpert software is comprised of two parts the RFXpert server and a client application The server part of the software will start automatically when the PC is booted and is mostly transparent to the user except for the tray icon in Figure 3 1a Figure 3 1a Server Icon When the tray icon is green the RFXpert server is running properly While the server is starting or stopping the tray icon may turn amber before becoming green The icon will be red when there is a server error or when the server is disabled Launching the RFXpert Software The RFXpert client software can be started in two ways 1 Double click the desktop shortcut Figure 3 1b 2 Navigate to Start gt All Programs gt Sencore gt RFXpert RF Ed RFXpert Figure 3 1b RFXpert Client Shortcut on Desktop Connecting to the DTU 234 or DTU 235 Before taking measurements the RFXpert client must be connect
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43. nnel plan from the list in the General Settings page and click the OK button The screen will return to the main display containing the RF Measurement tabs Channel Tuning To tune to a channel within the selected channel plan go to the status bar and click on the buttons to move up or down one channel at a time Right click on the channel information area to open a list of available channels to quickly select any channel within the channel plan Note Channel Plans are saved as cha xml files The plans will be retained even if the software is upgraded Channel Plan files can be found in the RFXpert program directory under XML Plans HFXpert User Manual Page 15 of 60 www sencore com 2 20 PM 50 Time mins 55 Type NTSC 11 28 2005 2 27 PM Figure 4 2f Changing Channels 4 3 RF Measurement Tabs The main analysis capabilities of the RFXpert software are displayed in a series of tabs located in the lower center of the application Navigate the tabs for information on the overall system modulation details multipath and spectrum analysis System Monitor The System Monitor tab displays information concerning the overall status of the incoming RF channel It also includes two histogram displays and Pass Fail Warn indications X Sencore RF pert localh st E nix Value 5 PreFEC BER lt 1 0E 09 00 03 00 00 00 16 PostFEC BER lt 1 0E 09 00 03 00 00 00 16 SER 00 03 00 00 00 16
44. nts errored seconds An errored second is any second that contains at least one error in the digital transport stream This measure keeps a count of the number of errored seconds that occur within the reset window The value is reset to O when the window rolls over Value Window Time PreFEC BER 6 2E 05 00 03 00 00 00 16 PostFEC BER 1 0E 09 00 03 00 00 00 16 SER 0 00 03 00 00 00 16 ErorSec 0 00 03 00 00 00 16 Figure 5 3c Digital Bit Error Display 5 Master Alarm This box gives a real time indication of the overall status of the incoming RF channel If all measurements pass the status box will be green If any measurement fails the status box will be red 6 Receiver and FEC Lock These are simple Pass green and Fail red status indicators for the incoming signal Receiver lock is valid for COFDM channels and is defined as the equalizer being able to synchronize to the incoming signal FEC lock indicates that the digital channel has a valid incoming transport stream HFXpert User Manual Page 42 of 60 www sencore com Modulation Detail The Modulation Detail tab provides you with measurements and diagrams particular to a modulated COFDM channel X Sencore RFXpert localhost g MP W g DTU 235 ei Disconnect Autolnsp Settings Snapshot Record Constellation Eye Diagram Spectrum Detail About ENS Chane IF Freg 70 00 MHz Bandwidth 8 MHz 70MHz IF Channel 8 17 2006 4 46 PM
45. or each of the different supported modulation schemes X Settings General i i Auto Inspect Logging Broadcast COFDM e V Enable Alarm History Log Store Logs for 30 v Days QEF Measurement Log onFail Pass 7 Fail Limits Reference Fail Warn OK Warn Fail RF Level dBmiV e lt 15 e 0 lt lt f 45 9 M E R dB e 9 Margin dB jg o EVM X ms lt ss n7 lt 9 S E R errs sec e 10 fis lt ErrorSec e o e 15 lt OK Warn Fail Pre FEC BER E 6 e E 4 o Post FEC BER lt i E 6 e E 5 lt MER thresholds are the user specified values plus the GEF see reference Restore Defaults Cancel Apply Figure 5 4b Alarm Settings Checking the Enable Alarm History Log will generate a log entry each time there is a measurement alarm An alarm is also triggered once a measurement returns to a good state from a fail state The location and type of log will be discussed in the next section on Interval Logging Users are able to select the number of days the logs will be kept before purging Each of the measurements contained under the System Monitor tab may be set to generate a log entry by checking the Log on Fail box next to the measurement type Each of the measurements contain a series of values that define the Pass Warn Fail limits Custom values for each measurement can be defined The Restore Defaults button in the lower left corner will return
46. pectrum Detail About Recv FEC Channel 32 Freq 581 00 Mhz Type 8VSB 5 10 2005 8 20 AM Figure 4 30 Adjacent Spectrum Display System Spectrum The System Spectrum is a full sweep 50 860 MHz of the RF input A 280 KHz resolution bandwidth measurement is taken of each channel in the band of the currently selected channel plan H Sencore RFXpert localhost n m i x Come mcn System Monitor Modulation Detail Multipath Detail Spectrum Detail About Recv FEC Channel 32 Freg 581 00 Mhz Type 8VSB 4 29 2005 11 45 AM Figure 4 3p System Spectrum Display RFXpert User Manual Page 25 of 60 www sencore com About the RFXpert The final tab in the measurement display window is an About tab This tab displays the current version of RFXpert software RF Probe driver serial number of the connected RF Probe and dll version numbers The About tab provides information only and no values may be changed X Sencore RFXpert localhost Software Application 1 1 0 0 RC7 DII 1 0 1 0 Driver 2 3 0 70 NET Assembly 1 1 0 0 Recv FEC Channel 32 Freq 581 00 Mhz Type 8VSB Figure 4 3q RFXpert About Tab HFXpert User Manual Page 26 of 60 nix Master Alarm RFXpert 1 1 0 RC7 Hardware Device DTU 234 Hardware 4234000170 Cal Date 11 1 2005 Firmware 1 0 0 0 11 28 2005 2 41 PM WWW Sencore com 4 4 Measuremen
47. r Display within the system monitor tab provides bit error statistics that are averaged or counted over a specified time window Defining the window size is done in the settings page This section is valid for 8 VSB and QAM measurements but will be grayed out when measuring an NTSC channel Pass green fail red warn yellow color coded threshold indicators provide for quick diagnosis The thresholds are user definable The PreFEC BER value is the Bit Error Rate expressed before any changes have been made to the demodulated digital transport stream by the embedded Forward Error Correction codes This can be thought of as the raw bit errors in the digital payload Values lower than 1x10 6 are generally considered acceptable Ranges from 1x10 9 near perfect signal to 1x10 3 TOV are typical The PostFEC BER value is the Bit Error Rate expressed after changes have been made to the demodulated digital transport stream by the embedded Forward Error Correction codes This can be thought of as the remaining bit errors in the digital payload after all corrections improvements have been made This value should be numerically lower than the PreFEC BER Values lower than 1x10 8 are generally considered acceptable SEHR represents segment errors that are measured in the digital transport stream The MPEG stream is divided into packets or segments Each segment contains 187 data bytes plus one sync byte A commonly used measure of quality of the f
48. r channel specific monitoring do you wish to proceed Figure 5 3g Entering Spectrum Detail Mode All of the Spectrum Analysis windows are auto ranging There are three display options in the Spectrum Detail tab Channel Spectrum The Channel Spectrum is a 6 7 or 8 MHz span with a 280 KHz resolution bandwidth and 100 KHz measurement intervals The center frequency will be defined by the channel that you have selected X Sencore RFXpert localhost DT u z35 e Recv FEC Channel IF Freq 70 00 MHz Bandwidth 8 MHz 70MHz IF Channel 8 17 2006 4 44 PM Figure 5 3h Channel Spectrum Display RFXpert User Manual Page 45 of 60 www sencore com Adjacent Spectrum The Adjacent Spectrum is an 18 21 or 24 MHz span with a 280 KHz resolution bandwidth and 200 KHz measurement intervals The center frequency will be defined by the channel that you have selected x Sancora RI Xpart localhost P m Ss MP s DTU 235 1 IL connect Audio Insp Setting Snapshot System Mori Modulation Scheme Modulation Daal Spectrum Delgi About Arey FEL Cheret IF Frey POOO MH Bored B MHz MMH IF Channel RAT 2005 1 44 PH Figure 5 3i Adjacent Spectrum Display System Spectrum The System Spectrum is a full sweep 50 850 MHz of the RF input A 280 KHz resolution bandwidth measurement is taken of each channel in the band of the currently selected channel plan X Sencore RFXpert localhost DTU 235 im
49. roadcast Type COFDM Allows the center frequency of a Remove Channel Plan Channel Bandwidth MHz channel to be edited ENT ILL PEN Auto Channel Search BER ptions Hrs Min 3 Broadcast Type MI Select COFDM or PAL mere o IE o 3 Channel Bandwith Select from 6 7 or 8 MHz Figure 5 2e Modifying and Saving Channel Plans Additional Settings Below the Channel Plans are additional settings for defining the averaging window size for signal measurement 1 BER Options Define the window size used for averaging resetting several measurements that pertain to digital modulation Three minutes is the factory default window size PreFEC BER PostFEC BER and SER are average values and the window size determines the time frame over which the averaging is calculated The averaging is reset at an interval equal to the window size Error Seconds is a cumulative values and their counters are reset at an interval equal to the window size 2 Burst Error Count Burst Error count defines how many errors must be present in one second before a BurstES count is triggered 3 Level Measurement Units Select between dBmV or dBm Selecting the Channel Plan and Channel A channel plan must be selected before useful measurements can be made using the DTU 235 RF Probe Select the channel plan from the list in the General Settings page and click the OK button The screen will return to the main display containing th
50. rols Auto Inspect Profiles Channel Plan Save Profile Create New Profile Delete Selected Profile Measurement Enable Pass Fail Limits Fail r e 0 p r e e p e M ER dB E lt lt F n Change Profile Name RF Level dBmV Pilot Level dBc Margin dB 9 e e EM M rms Figure 4 8b Auto Inspect Settings Tab 1 Auto Inspect Profiles The first step to setting up an Auto Inspection is to define a Profile The Profile ties a channel plan and a set of measurement parameters together for performing an automatic analysis Multiple profiles may be created for use at many different locations Profiles may be added modified deleted at any time Figure 4 8c Creating an Auto Inspect Profile After clicking on the Create New Profile button a new window will prompt the user to enter a Profile name Click on the Create button 2 Select the Channel Plan A channel plan must be associated with the profile once a name has been provided Additional notes for this profile may be stored in the description field RFXpert User Manual Page 32 of 60 www sencore com HJ E Settings General Auto Inspect Auto Inspect Controls Auto Inspect Profiles Sioux Falls SD Save Profile Create New Profile Delete Selected Profile Change Profile Name Channel Plan E Description evse m 8VSB Measurement CAM 648 QAM 256B NTSC
51. s button opens the directory where the logs are stored The logs are created as a comma separated text file csv that may be opened with any text editing or soreadsheet software One file is created per day and the file name is the date it was created RFXpert User Manual Page 49 of 60 www sencore com Time Frequency Test 1 07 55 PM 57 504 RF Level 1 07 57 PM 57 504 PreFEC BER 1 07 59 PM 57 504 PreFEC BER 1 10 44 PM 57 504 Margin 1 10 44 PM 57 504 Figure 5 4d Example Interval Log Note The example above is only shows a portion of the entire logged values 5 5 Snapshot The RFXpert contains a unique feature that allows you to quickly capture a JPEG image of any measurement screen for viewing at a later time To take a Snapshot simply click on the Snapshot button while the desired measurement screen is displayed Record Figure 5 5a Taking a Snapshot Select a location to save the image and name the JPEG image The default name is the date and time of day 21x Save in 9 My Computer amp t gi EE t Local Disk C DVD RW Drive D S cable on zeus Hi SF Ascii on orion Orion O Sf Shared on Zeus 5 5 Common on Zeus X Snapshots jpg Figure 5 56 Saving the Snapshot JPEG File RFXpert User Manual Page 50 of 60 www sencore com 5 6 Transport Stream Recordin The RFXpert software allows you to capture the incoming digital transport stream on 8 VSB and QA
52. scussed in the next section on Interval Logging Users are able to select the number of days the logs will be kept before purging Each of the measurements contained under the System Monitor tab may be set to generate a log entry by checking the Log on Fail box next to the measurement type HFXpert User Manual Page 27 of 60 www sencore com Each of the measurements contain a series of values that define the Pass Warn Fail limits Custom values for each measurement can be defined The values set here will control the thresholds used throughout the RFXpert software The Restore Defaults button in the lower left corner will return all of the values to the factory settings The default values are derived from existing standards industry practices and Sencore s extensive experience Interval Logging Settings The Logging tab in the Settings window allows defining the parameters for Interval Logging Interval Logging is a snapshot of selected measurements of the tuned channel at a defined time period that is stored in a log file zs General Auto Inspect Alarms Logging v Enable Interval Logging v RF Level Log Interval 1 min IV Pilot Level Store Old Logs For 30 S s v MER M EVM v Margin M Burst Error Sec Count Iv SER V Error Sec Count v PN 23 v PreFEC BER v PostFEC BER l Logs C Program Files Sencore RFXpert logs Change Path View Logs Restore Defaults Cancel Apply Fi
53. sed software If the RFXpert application is run with an unlicensed RF Probe the only features available will be creating channel plans and tuning channels useful when using the StreamXpert software without a need for RF measurements To use the full features of the RFXpert software a license file must be installed The license resides in the RF Probe hardware allowing it to be shared among several PCs or laptops A DTU 234 or DTU 235 RF Probe may only be physically connected to one computer at a time When the RFXpert software is unlicensed the application header will indicate the software is running in Limited Functionality Mode and an activate button will be present on the toolbar as shown in Figure 2 16 X Sencore RFXpert Limited Functionality Mode localhost me Fu e Maste 49 DTU 235 im Snapshot Record Activate Figure 2 1e Limited Functionality Mode Click the activate button to begin the licensing process A message box will appear with the device type and serial number Figure 2 1f The license file must specifically be for a unit with this serial number HFXpert User Manual Page 7 of 60 www sencore com RFXpert Activation 1 You are connected to a DTU 235 device with the serial number 4235000001 Please select the RFXpert Activation File for this device to enable Full RFXpert functionality Figure 2 1f Device Type and Serial Number Click the OK button to continue A new window as shown in Fig
54. st input 070 225 i Program 1 gt Video 17 MPEG 2 Video Audio 20 User private o ET 17 MPEG 2 Video 12 3 Mbps becca Bitrate 12 314 978 bps i Be PCR Yes frenano Scrambled No i i mccum CC errors 0 Do 0 Type MPEG 2 Video i Stream ID 224 JJ 20 User private 422 kbps H 8191 Null packets 5 6 Mbps 11 23 2004 11 07 53 Found 2 DEKTEC input devices 11 23 2004 11 07 53 Failed to select adapter 11 23 2004 11 07 56 Selected DTU 225 SN 4225332010 Bitrate TR 101 290 N 188 Byte Mode DVB B AST DTU 225atox200 K iy REC EST ED Inbox Microsoft Outlook fi Streamxpert Manual doc decoder bar bmp Paint _ 52 streamxpert No rec e REA om Figure 6 1a DekTec StreamXpert DTC 320 Software Application HFXpert User Manual Page 56 of 60 www sencore com Appendix A RFXpert Default Values for DTU 234 Alarm Settings Histogram BEEN B4 3 r Fail Warn Warn RF Level Digital Em m LE Pilot Level a 0 Ratio we wea m ie 09 wm wes m Hes sr EL NN e EE D 1 1 mw e een im orm Cs NER O O O presen Dai opo ee Ga i 8 aiia Standard TOV Values used in Margin Calculation 8VSB 15 2 dB QAM64B 18 5 dB QAM256B 23 5 dB RFXpert User Manual Page 57 of 60 www sencore com Appendix B RFXpert Default Values for DTU 235 Alarm Settings Histogram e B4 3 AM Fail Warn Warn RF Level Digital ge m op 9 m m 0 9
55. t and Log Settings The Settings icon in the Tool Bar of the RFXpert contains several advanced settings pertaining to the alarming and interval logging parameters of the channel under test Connect Figure 4 4a Measurement and Log Settings Alarm Settings To configure the alarm limits and alarm logging select the Alarms tab within the Settings window Select the modulation mode in the upper left corner This allows the setup of unique alarm limits for each of the different supported modulation schemes A General Auto Inspect Alams Logging Mode 8VSB z v Enable Alarm History Log Store Logs for 30 x Days Measurement Log on Fail Pass Fail Limits Fail Fail Warn OK Warn e fo e p e ec e 5 p lt 0 ei ef lt 0 e p lt 0 xl RF Level dBmV xl Pilot Level dBc xl M E R dB xI Margin dB E V M rms v lt f6 v e SER errs sec Vv lt fo fs lt ErrorSec lt fo fs e BurstErrorSec v lt 5 of lt 8 Fail OK Warn lt j E s e b E e Post FEC BER v e lt f E 6 e p E s lt PN 23 v e lt j E c e p E 5 lt xl Pre FEC BER Restore Defaults Figure 4 4b Alarm Settings Checking the Enable Alarm History Log checkbox will generate a log entry each time there is a measurement alarm An alarm is also triggered once a measurement returns to a good state from a fail state The location and type of log will be di
56. t pattern into the payload data area of the stream i e the program is taken off line and the data bytes are replaced with a known test pattern A true BER counter is contained in the receiver of the RF Probe It generates the identical pattern synchronizes itself with the incoming pattern and counts actual bit errors via a bit by bit comparison Note The PN 23 values will not be valid unless a PN 23 signal is received Also the PN 23 alarm will not indicate a Warn or Fail unless a valid PN 23 signal is received Value Window Time PreFEC BER lt 1 0E 09 00 03 00 00 00 37 PostFEC BER 1 0E 09 00 03 00 00 00 37 SER O 00 03 00 00 00 37 ErrorSec 0 00 03 00 00 00 37 BurstES 0 00 03 00 00 00 37 PN 23 lt 1 0E 09 00 03 00 00 00 37 Figure 4 3e Digital Bit Error Display 5 Master Alarm This box gives you a real time indication of the overall status of the incoming RF channel If all measurements Pass the status box will be green If any measurement Fails the status box will be red Figure 4 3f Master Alarm 6 Receiver and FEC Lock These are simple Pass green and Fail red status indicators for the incoming signal Receiver lock is valid for 8 VSB and QAM channels and is defined as the equalizer being able to synchronize to the incoming signal FEC lock indicates that the digital channel has a valid incoming transport stream RFXpert User Manual Page 19 of 60 www sencore com Modulation Detail The Mo
57. ure 2 1g will prompt for the location of the license file All license files have an xml extension If the license was purchased with the RF Probe the license file will be located on the USB flash drive that was included with the unit If the license was purchased later this file will be sent separately Select the appropriate license file and click the Open button Select RFXpert Activation File Recent Desktop John s Documents My Computer q My oer File name Ps aces Files of type RFXpert Activation File ml Y Cancel Figure 2 1g Locate the License File If the license file is correct a confirmation window similar to Figure 2 1h will complete the license update process Once the OK button is clicked the RFXpert application will close When RFXpert is restarted the licensed features will be available RFXpert Activation Complete This application will now close Please restart it in order to use the Fully activated software Figure 2 1h License Activation Complete Note Procedures for Installing and licensing the Dektec StreamXpert DTC 320 software are contained in the StreamXpert manual included on the USB flash drive This software is available for purchase from Sencore Please call for details HFXpert User Manual Page 8 of 60 www sencore com 2 2 Additional Software Applications The DTU 234 and DTU 235 RF Probes are designed for use with software applications availab
58. z for QAM 64 and 5 38MHz for QAM 256 The average digital channel power is often measured with a signal level meter spectrum analyzer or power meter The Sencore DT U 234 or DTU 235 RF Probe has built in averaging circuits to accurately measure the average channel power of a digital channel 8 VSB COFDM Viewing the digital channel on the RFXpert spectral display can be confusing because the signal trace indicates a level that is much lower than the actual average channel power level measurement This difference is due to the narrow bandpass filter in the spectral display s signal detector also known as the resolution bandwidth RBW filter The spectral display is created by sweeping the RBW filter across the bandwidth of the channel The noise like qualities of a digital channel cause it to be attenuated by the narrow RBW filter This attenuation is what causes the difference between the trace level and the level displayed on the System Monitor tab RFXpert User Manual Page 59 of 60 www sencore com Appendix D QAM Constellation Impairment Examples The following constellation diagrams are examples of impairments on a QAM 64 channel This will also apply to QAM 256 These apply to the DTU 234 only foe m9 yKoo Xs v ff s fr A i ow So LA E PTT Phase Noise pu a F aoe OL an de dps QU I Q Phase Error HFXpert User Manual Page 60 of 60 s Bod ppg 5 da a

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