With a troubled economy putting pressure on every operation to do more with less, the newest members of the Rohde & Schwarz NA8200 DAB/T-DMB transmitter family are doing their part to trim costs. The new transmitters require less space and deliver higher output power than their predecessors — holding down infrastructure and operating costs.
Because the R&S NA8200 audio and TV broadcasting transmitters share the same architecture and use largely identical components, network operators can reduce costs for spare parts inventory, equipment training and integration into network management systems. Furthermore, remote interfaces and a color display make operation and control simpler and more intuitive.
Using the R&S SX801 exciter, the transmitters are designed for medium- to high-power applications in VHF Band III and can be easily configured for DVB-H and MediaFLO.
New functionality enables the R&S NA8200 transmitter to achieve optimum PAE even when output power is reduced. Output power for each rack is between 800W and 2400W before the filter. This high RF power in a compact space reduces infrastructure costs, even with a standby exciter in the same rack.
The R&S SX801 exciter shrinks processing time to less than 100ms in DAB Mode I. The additional speed is a major benefit in networks using heterogeneous transmitters and when the signal path is longer — in large-area networks as well as with satellite ETI signal feeds.
The amplifiers work in broadband applications in the VHF Band III frequency range of 174MHz-250MHz without adjustment. The transmitter can be switched at any point to the required DAB channel of 5A to 13F.
Stored precorrection curves for all frequencies and power levels are automatically loaded, eliminating precorrection when the transmitter is placed into service or its frequency range is changed.
The R&S NA8200 operating voltage is flexible so all power classes can be delivered for either three- or single-phase AC supply networks, simplifying integration into existing infrastructure. The transmitter also accommodates up to six preamplifiers in one rack for high redundancy.
For processing multiple DAB/T-DMB frequencies at a site, R&S can supply the transmitters with an n+1 standby system. Software upgradeable, the transmitters are ready to accommodate new DAB standards.
The R&S NA8200 DAB/T-DMB transmitters will be available from Rohde & Schwarz in March 2009.
For more information, visit www.rohde-schwarz.com.