dB Broadcast MERlin Manual
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dB Broadcast MERlin Manual

Dvb-t/t2 terrestrial receiver
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MERlin
DVB-T/T2 Terrestrial Receiver
Handbook
Version 1.2

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Summary of Contents for dB Broadcast MERlin

  • Page 1 MERlin DVB-T/T2 Terrestrial Receiver Handbook Version 1.2...
  • Page 2 DVB-T/T2 terrestrial receiver MERlin dB Broadcast Ltd has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of information contained within this document which is nevertheless supplied for information purposes only and does not constitute any form of warranty or guarantee. All trademarks acknowledged.

  • Page 3: Document History

    DVB-T/T2 terrestrial receiver MERlin Document history Date of first publication March 2011 Current issue and date Version 1.2, Wednesday, 15 May 2013  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...

  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    Using the Command Line Interface OPERATION RONT PANEL CONTROLS AND USING THE WEB PAGE EVICE ONFIGURATION DVB-T M ONITORING DVB-T C ONFIGURATION Tuning Configuration Alarm Configuration DVB-T2 M ONITORING DVB-T2 T EMPLATES Pre-Programmed Templates  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...
  • Page 5 CONNECTING TO THE WEB PAGE Ethernet port connection PC Set Up Internet Browser THE COMMAND-LINE INTERFACE EMOTE COMMANDS SYSTEM DEFAULTS DVB-T2 Defaults DVB-T Configuration TS Configuration Device Configuration TROUBLE SHOOTING GLOSSARY SPECIFICATION ORDERING INFORMATION  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...

  • Page 6: Introduction

    Web interface or SNMP. Remote control options Using a LAN Control and monitoring of MERlin over a network can be achieved via SNMP or the Web interface. Using the rear panel serial interface A built-in Command Line Interface protocol is also implemented to allow control and monitoring from an RS232 terminal or terminal emulator via the rear serial interface.

  • Page 7: Features

    • Compatible with previous B104 control applications that interfaced with a B065 (not compatible with S067) • Low power consumption • Reset/Status port on rear connector MERlin supports up to 256 Physical Layer Pipes (PLPs), though only a single PLP is supported in the UK. Applications • Transmitter Relay site monitoring •...

  • Page 8: General Safety Summary

    On receipt of the product. Verify there is no damage and that all accessories are present. Suspected damage or failure. Do not operate the product. Have it inspected by qualified service personnel or contact dB Broadcast or an authorised distributor. Operating environment. The unit is for indoor fixed rack mounting use only (without sliders).
  • Page 9 Do not operate with suspected failures. If you suspect there is damage to this product, have it inspected by qualified service personnel. There are no user serviceable parts. Return to dB Broadcast or an authorized distributor for repair/service. Product inspection. On receipt of the unit, open the box and verify that the unit and all accessory items included.

  • Page 10: Installation

    RTS – Ready to send (to PC) Not used Shell Chassis ground A one-to-one serial cable is suitable for use on the rear panel serial port. USB-to-serial converter cables may also be used.  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...

  • Page 11: Reset/Status Port

    Reset Control (pin 5) and Reset Input (pin 9) provide the facility to reset the receiver from an external source e.g. relay contact or switch. To reset the receiver connect Reset Control to Reset Input for a period in excess of 10ms.  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...

  • Page 12: Tuning And Checking The Receiver

    7MHz bandwidth. Using the built in Web Page 1. Connect an Ethernet cable to the RJ45 Ethernet port on the MERlin rear panel and to the PC, preferably by an Ethernet switch if using 1:1 cables 2.

  • Page 13: Using The Command Line Interface

    RS232 set up and serial command format for commands used in the following steps. 1. Power up MERlin and ensure the green power indicator (POWER) on the front panel is illuminated. 2. Connect an RS232 serial cable to the 9 way D-type connector on the rear of the unit from a PC running a serial communications package.
  • Page 14 *RFS dvb2 : ms=1, tl=1, ifAgct=2530, rf=908, mer=23622, carOf=-12, ldpcIter=3 Mer=23622 (23.6dB); Ldpciter = 3, instantaneous number of LDPC iterations. The tuning process is identical between DVB-T2 and DVD-T, except that DVBMODE would be set to 1 for DVB-T.  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...

  • Page 15: Operation

    DVB-T/T2 terrestrial receiver MERlin Operation MERlin can be controlled locally using the RS232 port using low-level commands from a terminal, remotely using Ethernet with the built in Web Page or via SNMP. Front panel controls and LEDs The front panel offers local monitoring by means of its LEDs.

  • Page 16: Using The Web Page

    MERlin Using the Web Page Using the Web Page MERlin has a built in Web Page which obviates the need for a PC based Graphical User Interface. MERlin has the following tabs that currently include DVB-T Monitoring, DVB-T Configuration, DVB-T2 Monitoring, DVB-T2 Configuration, DVB-T2 Template, TS Monitoring, TS Configuration, Device Configuration and View Log.

  • Page 17: Device Configuration

    Select the DVB-T or DVB-T2 drop down button. If this is the only change needed in this tab, click Save All Changes, otherwise continue to configure settings. Changing the DVB mode while using the MERlin output may cause loss of signal. ASI Packet Size Select packet size from drop-down menu.
  • Page 18 SNMP Community Write “Private” Station Identity A user entered fifteen character alphanumeric. When the MERlin is interrogated remotely, the station ident is reported over the SNMP MIB. This enables operators to check that they are looking at the required receiver.

  • Page 19: Dvb-T Monitoring

    TS Sync* Red – alarm set TS Monitoring Red – alarm set If TS Sync* loss occurs, status is Red even if TS Sync not enabled. The relay is not asserted in this condition.  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...
  • Page 20 -167kHz, 0kHz, +167kHz Frequency Offset (7 MHz) Lower, None, Upper -125kHz, 0kHz, +125kHz Frequency Error The difference between the frequency MERlin was set to and that required to achieve lock BER Pre Viterbi Pre Viterbi decoder error rate BER Post Viterbi...

  • Page 21: Dvb-T Configuration

    Sets minimum and maximum RF input level, enter value and press Set. Tick box enables alarm. Sets minimum MER value, enter value and press Set. Tick box enables alarm. Frequency Error Sets lower and upper Frequency error, enter value and press Set. Tick box enables alarm.  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...
  • Page 22 It is recommended that TS Sync is always enabled. Check this box to alarm on loss of incoming transport stream. Reset UCE To reset the Uncorrected Reed - Solomon Errors click on the Reset UCE button.  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...

  • Page 23: Dvb-T2 Monitoring

    LDPC Mean Error Red – alarm set LDPC Mean Warning Red – alarm set LDPC Iteration Red – alarm set Pre LDPC BER Red – alarm set Pre BCH BER Red – alarm set  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...
  • Page 24 Displays the constellation of the L2 BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM post signalling Number of T2 frames per Displays the number of frames per Integer. In the UK this is set to 2 Superframe Superframe  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...
  • Page 25 Integer, in the UK this is set to 3 Time Interleaving Interleaving blocks per frame Blocks/Frame Measurements The following parameters monitored by the MERlin provide a measure of performance. Parameter Description Values/Units RF Input Level Indicates the input RF level in dBm.

  • Page 26: Dvb-T2 Templates

    64QAM 64QAM 64QAM 64QAM 64QAM Signalling T2 Frames / Super Frame Template Name Used to create new templates – see Programmable Templates below. Parameter selection menus are greyed out for pre-programmed (fixed) templates.  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...

  • Page 27: Pre-Programmed Templates

    There are 7 user templates. Each element of the template can be programmed using the drop down menus and enabled individually using tick boxes. To create a user template, proceed as follows: 1. Select the nearest template from the preset Ofcom templates  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...
  • Page 28 1. Select the user template from the drop down list Look for the user name created in the previous ‘create a user template’ procedure. 2. Remember to enable the template alarm on the DVB-T2 Configuration page.  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...

  • Page 29: Dvb-T2 Configuration

    DVB-T/T2 terrestrial receiver MERlin Using the Web Page DVB-T2 Configuration Tuning Configuration For MERlin setup see Tuning and checking the receiver in the Installation chapter. MER Configuration MER IQ polling can be set to standard MER or MER L1-Post. L1-Post provides superior MER measurement in the presence of echoes or within an SFN.

  • Page 30: Alarm Configuration

    RF Input Level Alarm RF Input level sets a minimum and maximum input level before the RF input level alarm is set. The alarm must also be enabled. MERlin is not a substitute for a calibrated power meter. MER (dB) Alarm It is recommended that LDPC mean is used in conjunction with MER.
  • Page 31 The following are true where the PLP alarm is enabled: If MERlin is tuned to the RF but is not locked to the PLP the PLP alarm will be asserted. If MERlin successfully tunes to an RF channel with a PLP selected that is not actually present, Receiver Lock will display as Green but with Measurement Mode as Red for alarm.
  • Page 32 A Set Top Box usually attempts to tune to a selected PLP; if it’s not found then the STB will attempt to tune to the next available PLP. If MERlin cannot find the selected PLP; it will continuously attempt to retune to the required PLP.

  • Page 33: Transport Stream Monitoring

    Log. TSM is configured and monitored using either the Web based interface or using the MIB. Transport Sync alarm (see DVB-T/T2 Configuration) must be enabled for TS monitoring to operate.  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...

  • Page 34: Ts Configuration

    Enter the PID value of the PID to be monitored. The PID value can be entered in either Hexadecimal (Hex) or Decimal (Dec). PID’s numbers (video and audio) may change dynamically within a TS stream.  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...
  • Page 35 TEI is normally used in conjunction with MER and LDPC alarms. At a main transmitter site, TEI should never be asserted. TS Monitoring alarm TS monitoring alarm is an overall TS alarm combining all enabled TS alarms. Save All Changes Click this button when done.  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...

  • Page 36: Transport Stream Monitoring (Ts Monitoring)

    A TS alarm (see DVB-T/T2 configuration page) must be enabled for TS monitoring. The TS monitoring alarm is red if PAT or any individual PID is in alarm.  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...

  • Page 37: Using Logs

    The Log tab presents events in date order to allow alarm history to be investigated to observe any patterns that may emerge over time. The log entries can be cleared using a terminal and typing, clearlog.  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...

  • Page 38: Connecting To The Web Page

    The PC IP address must be in the same sub-net range as MERlin to establish connection. If MERlin’s IP address is not known or forgotten, then reset it to its default of 192.168.0.161 by holding the IP reset switch down for greater than 5 seconds.

  • Page 39: The Command-Line Interface

    The Command-Line Interface (CLI) may be used for configuration, monitoring and control. It is provided to facilitate scripting and as an entry point for integration into existing software systems. It offers full access to all MERlin features using a standard terminal emulator. The PE terminal emulator available from http://www.hilgraeve.com/htpe/order.html...
  • Page 40 Sets the frequency in kHz, i.e. 200000 = 200MHz. osf ? Requests the current frequency and offset. osf frequency l|n|u, where l=lower, n=none, u=upper Sets the frequency and offset in kHz Example: osf 474 u = 474167kHz (UK default).  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...
  • Page 41 Teletext 5300 See TS Configuration on page 34 for further details. REBOOT reboot Forces the MERlin to reboot CLEARLOG clearlog Clears the log. This was introduced to allow easier characterisation of the daughter board and reports a summary of the RF status, duplicating several of the other commands.
  • Page 42 Requests usage help command name provided. Ver ? Requests firmware version number. RESETNVRAM Resetnvram Resets the NV memory which will return the configuration to factory defaults. Network settings will be unaffected as these are stored in Flash memory.  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...

  • Page 43: System Defaults

    Lower Upper RF Input (dB) MER (dB) 12.0 Frequency Error -255 BER Pre Viterbi (/s) 7.5e-2 BER Post Viterbi (/s) 7.5e-2 Tuner Temperature -127 TS Bit Rate (Mb/s) 51.1875 TS Sync Always enabled  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...

  • Page 44: Ts Configuration

    Disabled MAC Address Factory Set Set IP Address 192.168.0.161 Confirm IP Address 192.168.0.161 Subnet mask 255.255.255.0 Default Gateway 192.168.0.1 SNMP Trap Destination 1 0.0.0.0 SNMP Trap Destination 2 0.0.0.0 SNMP Community Write Private  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...

  • Page 45: Trouble Shooting

    • Freq Error (kHz) > 30kHz; has the tuner has been tuned to the wrong frequency or is an upper or lower offset (±166kHz) in use? Re-tune the MERlin to the correct frequency. • LDPC Iterations > 7, the RF input signal is it low amplitude or subject to interference? •...

  • Page 46: Glossary

    Bit errors are caused by interference or loss of signal, which can result in disruption to the stream of bits composing the DTV picture. A radio frequency connector with an impedance of 75Ω, designed to operate in the 0 to 4 GHz frequency range.  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...
  • Page 47 Forward Error Correction. A receiver technique for correcting errors in the received data. Frequency Offset Intentional shift of a radio carrier frequency to avoid interference with other transmitters. See Adjacent Channel Interference.  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...
  • Page 48 A variable-sized unit of information that can be sent across a packet-switched network. Phase Alternating Line. 50 Hz video format used in much of the world outside of the USA. Program clock reference. Packet identifier.  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...
  • Page 49 Any device or apparatus used for selecting and controlling the operating frequency of a circuit or equipment, such as the channel selector in a television receiver. Unshielded Twisted Pair. Viterbi Algorithm for Forward Error Correction.  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...

  • Page 50: Specification

    100-240 VAC 60/50Hz 50W Max Fuse T2AH 250V Physical Dimensions Height: 1RU (1.75 inches) Width: 483 mm (19 inches) Depth: 320 mm (12.6 inches) (not including rear panel) Net Weight: 2.40 kg (5.25 pounds)  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...
  • Page 51 Conducted susceptibility BS EN61000-4-11: Voltage Dips and Interruptions BS EN55103-2: Immunity for Product Family Standard, Audio, Video Audio Visual and Entertainment lighting control apparatus for professional use Compliance demonstrated using high-quality, shielded cables.  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...

  • Page 52: Ordering Information

    DVB-T/T2 terrestrial receiver MERlin Ordering information MERin-s Standard unit with single PSU MERlin -odc Digital monitoring Option  2013 dB Broadcast Ltd Version 1.2...

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