DIPOL Weekly Review - TV and SAT TV, CCTV, WLAN

News about DVB-T2.

Broadcom Corporation, a global leader and innovator in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, has developed a chipset integrating several functions so far implemented in separate ICs. The BCM7563 chip incorporates DVB-T2 receiver and demodulator, processor and audio/video decoder. The IC made ​​by the specialists from Broadcom is based on SoC technology (system-on-a-chip). The new product was recently presented at the CSTB exhibition in Moscow.

So far, DVB-T2 has been most widely used in southern Africa and south-east Asia. Recently, also many European countries have focused on the further development of the digitization of terrestrial television, especially those that made the transition into digital TV several years ago and, for technical and economic reasons, had chosen MPEG2 codec as the optimal compression method at that time.

Digital terrestrial TV systems in the world (implemented or in the process of implementation)

The first country in Europe which officially started DVB-T2 broadcasting was the United Kingdom. This was exactly four years ago. Since then, the European countries that can boast of the most modern terrestrial television system include Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Russia, Serbia and Sweden. More or less advanced tests are conducted in the following 8 countries: Belarus, Estonia, France, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland.

A litmus test of attitudes and trends in Europe will be the German market. On the one hand, public broadcasters like ARD insist on the need to migrate to DVB-T2, claiming that the change must take place till 2016, on the other - RTL and MABB organization (Berlin Brandenburg Media Authority) say that the future of television is the Internet, and spending money on a transition to DVB-T2 is unreasonable. So, the final decision - to continue or give up the implementation of the new standard - may depend on other players, especially the ProSiebenSat.1 group.
In the case of failure of the implementation of DVB-T2 and focusing on distribution of TV on the Internet, Germany could be a trigger for this trend in other European countries. So, from an economic point of view, the best choice for the other countries may be ... to wait.

What is the difference between APC and UPC connector?

The most popular connectors in fiber-optic systems are SC (Standard Connector), FC (Ferrule Connector), and LC (Little Connector).

Duplex connectors: SC/APC (green) and SC/UPC (blue)

SC connectors are used in many active devices, such as media and video converters, providing quick and easy connectivity. FC connectors with threaded body ensure secure connections to various optical devices or adapters. LC connectors are usually used in SFP modules, due to the small size.

The phenomenon of reflection in a UPC (blue) and an APC (green) connector

Each of the connectors has two versions, UPC and APC. UPC means Ultra Physical Contact, APC is the short for Angled Physical Contact. The difference consists in the polishing of the fiber end face. The end face in a UPC connector is flat, in an APC it is polished at an angle of 8 degrees. The fiber end faces polished at the angle prevent reflection of light from the interface between them, ensuring very low back reflection. Angle-polished connectors should only be mated to other angle-polished connectors.

Twin tuner PVR receiver, one cable.

The increasing attractiveness of satellite platforms, promotions that include additional receivers and the growing popularity of twin-tuner PVR receivers equipped with hard disk drives result in the need for sending two independent satellite signals. So, the older individual installations with SINGLE LNBs have to be extended.

The easiest solution is to change a single LNB to a TWIN one and install another cable.

The application of the Twinsender R85260 set for sending two SAT signals over one coax

When the installation of the second cable is impossible or very difficult, the Twinsender R85260 set can send two signals over the existing cable. The set transmits two independent satellite signals (optionally also terrestrial FM/TV broadcasts) over one coaxial cable. It is an ideal solution for everyone who wants to exchange their simple SAT receiver with a PVR (with two IF inputs), or use another, independent DVB-S/S2 receiver, without a need of installing another coaxial cable.

CCTV system with wireless access to video.

The investor needed a video monitoring system in the office building located side-by-side with another building with the surveillance room. There was no structured cabling between the buildings.

The solution has been based on the Trend M72608 DVR and TCO5807h M1559 wireless A/V transmission system. The wireless link transmits the video signal from the spot/main out output of the DVR. The output is programmable, e.g. it is possible to switch between the channels with a preset dwell time.

The components of the CCTV system with wireless access to video

The project had to include cameras for monitoring vehicles entering and leaving the area, capable of working at night without additional lighting. The best choice has been n-cam 700 ANPR M11290 cameras designed specifically for this type of applications and ensuring resistance to overexposure typically caused by direct light from car headlights.
The n-cam 270 M11287 outdoor cameras have been intended for observation of the surroundings of the building. They have been selected due to excellent image quality (Sony ExView HAD CCD II image sensor and Sony Effio-E DSP, mechanical IR-cut filter) and high resistance to harsh weather conditions. Inside the building there have been deployed high-resolution (600 TVL) vandal-proof v-cam 430 M10754 cameras. The video surveillance system has been additionally supported by high-speed PTZ camera PH-33 M1196 with 33x optical zoom.

Using PoE for cameras without that feature.

Normally, Power over Ethernet can be used for cameras compatible with 802.3af standard. The standard allows for transmission both of data and power supply via the same UTP cable. The power is provided by a suitable power supply with short-circuit and overload protection, e.g. M1890.

The above diagram shows a solution for remote power supply via twisted pair cable for a camera without PoE function. The original power supply included with the camera can be plugged into a 230 VAC outlet in a different location using Power over Ethernet (PoE) adapter N9205. The set of two PoE adapters allows for powering LAN devices (with DC voltage up to 12V) through typical transmission cable (FTP/UTP etc.). Please note the voltage drop (about 0.1 to 0.2 V per meter). More on powering cameras in CCTV systems can be read here.

How to improve LTE connectivity?

In order to enhance the signal from the mobile operator, the user of an LTE modem should connect the device to an external antenna pointed toward the base station of the cellular operator.

TRANS-DATA antennas for LTE are characterized by reliable and stable parameters, they feature high gain and low VSWR, significantly improving signal strength.

The antenna should be connected to the modem with the use of a suitable RF adapter, using a 50 ohm coaxial cable. A very popular choice of our customers is the N-male to FME-female cable (10 meters of RF-5), plus an appropriate RF adapter for a specific LTE modem, e.g. E83205 for Huawei E398.

Application of the A741021 antenna for an LTE modem

SMATV system based on cascadable multiswitches. The scope of the project for a multifamily building was SMATV system providing DVB-T and SAT signals (from two satellite positions, Hot Bird and Astra) to each of the 64 antenna outlets ( R694100 )... more

Diagram of the SMATV system designed with the use of free TERRA SatNet software

Wireless remote management of analog CCTV system. When an analog CCTV system should be remotely accessible and controlled, even without an Internet connection, a good idea is to create a wireless link between the monitored site and the remote control room. The link can be formed by the pair of TP-LINK TL-WA5210G N2350 access points... more

A simple CCTV system with wireless remote management

Correct sitting posture at work. White-collar work is often associated with long hours spent by computers. People engaged in sedentary work are exposed, over time, to a number of diseases and conditions... more

Correct and incorrect sitting position