Ennes Workshop 30 May 2019 Microwave Stls – Upgrading to ATSC 3.0

Ennes Workshop 30 May 2019 Microwave STLs – Upgrading To ATSC 3.0

Kevin Dennis Regional Sales Director SAF North America Agenda . About SAF Tehnika . STL and TSL Microwave Links • What are they? • ATSC 1.0 versus ATSC 3.0 • ASI & IP • Considerations for ATSC 3.0 Microwave • Modulations and Data Rates • System Configurations • Antennas and Waveguide • FCC Frequencies and Licenses • Path Calculations • Unique Microwave Features to Support ATSC 3.0 • Single Frequency Networks (SFN) About SAF Tehnika & SAF North America LLC

. SAF Tehnika is a global industry leading microwave data transmission equipment manufacturer with product deployments in 130 countries . Founded in 1999 . Publicly traded on the Baltic NASDAQ . Full Cycle Manufacturer . HQ, R&D, Manufacturing in Riga, Latvia . SAF North America HQ, Sales, Logistics, Support in Aurora, CO . ISO 9001 Certification . 200 employees SAF Global Footprint Map

4 Broadcast Microwave Links

. Refresher - What are they? • Point to Point radio links designed to transmit program signals using FCC licensed microwave channels • STL – microwave link from television studio to broadcast transmitter site • TSL – microwave link from broadcast transmitter site to television studio • ICR – microwave inter-city relay link connecting two or more remote locations • Thousands of broadcast links deployed in the USA which are either FSK Analog, Dual Carrier Analog/Digital, ASI Digital only or Bi-Directional ASI and/or IP

5 Microwave STL/TSL Links

6 Microwave STL/TSL Links

7 ATSC 1.0 vs ATSC 3.0

. ATSC 1.0 • Todays digital broadcast format • 19.392658 Mbps using single carrier 8VSB modulation • SMPTE-310M or ASI signal formats with new exciter options to accept IP • Older digital microwave links . ATSC 3.0 • New IP digital broadcast format • Data rates between 15-57 Mbps depending on broadcast requirements • Robust multi-carrier OFDM modulation

. New hybrid digital microwave links can simultaneously support ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 signals

8 ASI and IP

. ASI • Asynchronous Serial Interface • Primary source format for ATSC 1.0 signals (19.39 Mbps) • Ideal interface for direct handoff from Studio Encoder or Electronic Newsgathering (ENG) signals • Data rates configurable from 2-90 Mbps . IP(Ethernet) • TCP/IP • Primary source format for ATSC 3.0 • Typically requires full duplex signal configuration • Configurable bandwidth/capacity available for ATSC 3.0 program traffic • Signal compatibility with more devices

9 Existing STL Microwave Radio Systems . Are they upgradeable?

• Will existing broadcast microwave systems accommodate ATSC 3.0? • Most existing radio systems are simplex by design • Hundreds of older digital microwave links in operation today supporting SMPTE-310M or ASI signal formats for ATSC 1.0 will probably need replacement due to lack of performance and features • Will require replacement with duplex systems that can support high capacity TCP/IP transmissions

10 Considerations for Future ATSC 3.0 Microwave Systems

• ATSC 3.0 STL requirements – what we know to date • Duplex connectivity (TCP/IP) • STL requirements are flexible and still being defined – likely 15 to 57Mbps per ATSC 3.0 channel but rumours as high as 150Mbps+ may be required - TBD. • Single Frequency Network requirements • will need identical ATSC 3.0 IP signal over microwave or fiber connection to companion SFN transmitter sites

• Systems will require increased spectrum efficiency via higher order modulations, better RF linearity, and higher output power to support reuse of existing microwave paths

• Even higher capacity achieved via modern modem technologies which can include Cross Polarization Interference Cancellation (XPIC) effectively doubling capacity on same channels using both H/V polarity 11 Planning for ATSC 3.0 Microwave Systems

• Confirm future plans for ATSC 3.0 broadcast transmitter

• If ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 will be co-located for a period of time, you will require ASI and IP signal delivery to your broadcast tower site

• Replace older, ASI centric microwave systems with new “hybrid” high performance ASI and IP systems

• Multiple ASI channels can be simultaneously transmitted supporting several independent ATSC 1.0 channels

• Determine if return TSL channel exists which can be used with new duplex microwave to support TCP/IP applications

• New full duplex path performance study should be performed to determine highest capacity/modulation rate with “five nine” performance

12 STL/TSL Migration to IP

. Benefits of new “Hybrid” ASI+IP Microwave Systems

• High capacity, multi-purpose duplex microwave link • Supports TCP/IP connectivity to accommodate a quick and easy transition to ATSC 3.0 • Supports multiple ASI signal transmission for duopoly stations and beyond • QoS signal protection prioritizing critical broadcast video • ACM performance enhancement • Opportunistic TCP/IP data available over and above ATSC 3.0 signals • Studio to Transmitter Site network extension • Broadcast transmitter remote monitor and control • ENG receive system remote control • IP security camera connectivity • Weather Radar monitor and control • Security system monitoring • Remote control and monitoring or Network Management System (NMS) 13 SAF PhoeniX-G2 “Hybrid” System Platform Duplex STL/TSL

. Hybrid ASI + IP – Ideal for simultaneously transporting ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 . Modular with 3 main components

• IDU / Modem – core module with connection to RFU and ASI module • RFU – flexibility - can be indoor or outdoor with two available RF output power levels. • ASI module - 4 x native ASI transport, scalable to 8/12/16 x ASI

14 SAF PhoeniX-G2 System Capacities Radio form factors

. ODU – outdoor radio unit • Mounting: • directly to adapted antenna • Remote mount bracket and Waveguide or coax cable to antenna • Diplexer: • Built-in OR • BMA connection for Outdoor Branching Unit . IRFU - Indoor Fadio Frequency Unit • 19’’ rack-mountable, 2RU height • Diplexer • built-in OR • 2x SMA connectors for Tx and Rx • External RF Channel Filters

16 Split-Mount vs All-Indoor

split-mount Full Indoor configuration flex configuration

ODU Waveguide OBU ODU: Outdoor Unit (BMA Tx and Rx IF Coax separate) OBU: Outdoor Branching Unit IRFU #1 IRFU: Indoor RF Unit (SMA Tx and Rx IBU #1 separate) IRFU #2 IBU: Indoor Branching Unit IRFU #3 IDU IDU: Indoor Unit IBU #2 IRFU #4

4x17 IDUs 1+1 Hot Standby All-Indoor

18 1+1 Hot Standby Split-Mount and All-Indoor

19 Dual Band Hot-Standby 7GHz STL/13GHz TSL All-Indoor

20 Hot Standby All-Indoor with Space Diversity

21 2+2 Hot Standby All-Indoor / XPIC

22 2+2 Hot Standby Split-Mount / XPIC

23 Antennas and Waveguide

. Existing antennas and waveguide are passive units and can remain in place as long as the Path performance study supports the existing antenna sizes and waveguide lengths for “five nine” performance . Sweep the lines using Time Domain Reflectometer(TDR) to ensure proper RF specifications are met with no RF degradation/anomalies

24 FCC Licenses

. Existing STL and TSL FCC licenses will require Major Modification update primarily if FCC Emission Designators change . Existing STL/TSL frequencies can be reused along with existing antennas . New TSL frequency can be researched and licensed to complete duplex connectivity for ATSC 3.0 . Out of band return frequency may be able to be licensed to complete the duplex link* . FCC Part 101 frequencies may also be used for any of these links

*check with your manufacturer

25 Frequency bands for broadcast STL/TSL

. FCC Part 74 with defined 25MHz channel bandwidth • 6.875 – 7.125 GHz BAS TV band • 12.75 – 13.25 GHz BAS TV band • Complies to Part 74, 25MHz spectrum mask requirements • Advantage of Transmit/Receive spacing in as little as 50MHz

. FCC Part 101 • Duplex T/R channels in various frequency bands from 6GHz – 24GHz • Wider channel bandwidths are available supporting much higher capacity and throughputs • Typically FDD IP only systems but ASI can be accommodated with certain systems • Outdoor only or Split-Mount indoor/outdoor systems • Unique suppliers can offer all-indoor solutions if preferred

26 Sample Microwave Fixed Path Calculation

27 Microwave Features to Support ATSC 3.0

Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM) Radial MSE (Mean Square Error) . Hitless ACM improves link utilization, . Radial MSE is a method for estimating maintaining the highest link spectral the signal to noise ratio efficiency possible at any given time in . Is used by ACM engine to choose any link condition. modulation . Radial MSE value thresholds for each modulation are given in table

4QAM 16QAM 32QAM 64QAM 128QAM

MSE for BER -9dB -15 dB -18dB -21 dB -24dB ≤ 10-6 (dB) Sample Microwave ACM Path Calculation

29 Microwave Features to Support ATSC 3.0

QoS (Quality of Service) . Up to 4 priority queues . DiffServ (DSCP) and QoS 802.1p mapping . Port based priority, VLAN Tag priority, IPv4/v6 priority . Weighted and strict queueing Microwave Features to Support ATSC 3.0

VLAN (Virtual LAN) tagging . Up to 4096 VLAN IDs . Separation of management and user traffic . 4 VLAN configuration modes (Trunk, Access, Basic, Hybrid) . Port grouping Single Frequency Networks (SFN)

. IP only signal connection to enable synchronized ATSC 3.0 transmissions . Ideal for mobile reception . Ideal for extended coverage areas / terrain blocked areas

SFN requires connection of ATSC 3.0 IP only signal to all remote SFN transmitters for synchronization

32 Single Frequency Network (SFN) ATSC 3.0 PTP Solutions

. All-Outdoor IP Only • Support for IP only signals to connect ATSC 3.0 signal to SFN transmitters • IP connectivity in multiple bands – 6/7/13/18/23/24 GHz • High capacity in duplex pair with up to 2048QAM Modulation • All outdoor – no waveguide needed • Cat5 with POE • Lower cost vs all indoor solutions • Ideal for SFN, and opportunistic data for network extension, remote security and beauty cameras, ENG backhaul, etc.

33 Split-Mount IP or Hybrid

. All IP as pictured or add ASI module for hybrid transport . Eliminate the need for waveguide . Prime power to ODU via coax . Longer paths - deliver higher power levels to the antenna, +33 at 16QAM . Great solution for SFN, ASI or IP ENG backhaul, remote cameras, security or to extend studio IP/ network connectivity Summary Upgrading STLs to support ATSC 3.0 • Full duplex STL/TSL required • Existing older digital STL systems probably need to be replaced • Implement “Hybrid” ASI and IP duplex microwave to support both ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 • Major benefits from hybrid microwave approach • New digital microwave offers much higher throughput capacities • Unique modern features support ATSC 3.0 • ACM • QoS • Multiple VLANs • FCC License updates • SFN 6 Thank you!