Nautel continues its leadership role in digital transmission, offering support for MP11 enhanced data modes in all GV Series FM transmitters.
Hackett’s Cove, Nova Scotia – Nautel’s commitment to digital broadcasting has brought new capabilities to FM stations running HD Radio™ programming. The company’s flagship GV Series of FM transmitters will soon support operation using the MP11 enhanced data mode, with industry-leading digital power and efficiency. Use of advanced data modes provides higher HD Radio data rates, supporting additional audio and data services such as traffic reporting or emerging IoT applications.
“As HD Radio is gaining momentum with an increasing number of HD Radio receivers in the field, many stations that have converted to digital are continuing to build out more HD multicast side channels,” said Philipp Schmid, Digital Systems Team Lead at Nautel. “Many have already adopted the extended service mode MP3 as a way of increasing IBOC payload capacity by 24 kbps, permitting an additional audio service or datacasting. The new and presently unadopted service mode MP11 offers even more payload capacity by placing additional extended carriers closer to the FM host signal.”
Schmid noted that with MP11, an extra 24 kbps is available for data transmission or to support an additional audio channel. Nautel’s transmitter software update will add MP11 functionality to its HD PowerBoost™ peak power reduction, providing inner carrier protection that can be enabled or disabled on demand.
Some extended hybrid service modes, including MP11, require the use of the total sideband spectrum in the FM signal, which in the past required broadcasters to reduce ERP of the digital sidebands to avoid adjacent-channel interference.
Nautel first addressed this issue with the development of asymmetrical sideband operation, part of the Nautel HD PowerBoost technology which began shipping in 2011. HD PowerBoost is a suite of tools (including Asymmetrical Power) developed by Nautel to improve transmitter efficiency by reducing the peak-to-average power ratio of the hybrid FM+IBOC signal. GV Series transmitters using HD PowerBoost are achieving up to 25% additional digital power and 4 – 8% better efficiency in -10 dB MP11 mode tests.
While no additional license is required to implement MP11 mode transmission, it is a novel mode for broadcasters. Nautel welcomes broadcasters who wish to validate the MP11 mode via on-air testing; existing GV Series customers can implement the MP11 mode via a simple firmware update.
Concepts for MP11 operation were discussed in a BEITC paper at NAB: “Transmitter Considerations for Extended IBOC Service Modes.” The paper was presented by Scott Melvin, Nautel Research Engineer. This session discussed transmitter considerations for extended service modes such as transmitter power output de-rating due to increased peak-to-average power requirements of the extended IBOC waveform as well as increased host interference issues between the FM and the IBOC signals.
About Nautel
Nautel is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of AM and FM radio broadcast transmitters. Focused on making transmission worry-free for users worldwide, Nautel provides valuable new solutions for digital radio broadcasting at stations of all sizes. All Nautel transmitters employ advanced control, monitoring and instrumentation tools which simplify management of transmitter sites, both locally and remotely via Web access. More than 16,000 Nautel transmitters have been deployed in over 177 countries since 1970.
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For more information please contact:
John Whyte
Head of Marketing
902-823-5174
[email protected]
Making Digital Broadcasting Work.
www.nautel.com
