TEST REPORT Unicable LNB

MTI AK541-XT2BL
Unicable LNB
Movement in the Right
Direction…Albeit Slowly…
Just about six months ago TELE-satellite first discussed the subject Unicable and since
then there have been a few developments. More and more manufacturers are integrating this
protocol into their receivers. Even a leading LNB manufacturer, MTI in Taiwan, has begun to
produce and sell Unicable LNB’s.
From the outside, this LNB, that found its
way into our test labs shortly before press
time, doesn’t look all that much different
than its similar brothers; it is slightly heavier
than a standard universal LNB. MTI’s work-
manship is, as expected, very good. The
“F” connector is protected from moisture by
a plastic cap and the feed itself is also per-
fectly protected by a stable plastic cap. Its
standard 40mm size makes it easy to install
on almost any offset antenna. As is normal
with a Ku-band LNB, the reception frequency
range lies between 10.7 and 11.7 GHz in the
low band and from 11.7 to 12.75 GHz in the
high band. The AK541-XT2BL LNB that we
tested can be simultaneously connected to
four different receivers requiring the use of
carrier frequencies in the range of 1180 to
2060 MHz. According to the manufacturer,
maximum gain is at about 60dB.
thing of the past, since from now on, only the
first receiver needs to be connected directly
to the LNB. Any additional receivers would be
linked through each receivers looped-through
IF capability or through an inexpensive signal
splitter. If you’re somewhat familiar with
standard satellite technology, you might be
thinking there’s no way this can work consid-
ering that receivers only provide 14/18 volts
and a 22 KHz signal to switch the polarization
and band of the LNB. Normally, this state-
ment would be correct but this is where the
first big difference is between a Unicable LNB
and a standard LNB. In the Unicable system,
the receiver provides the power for the LNB
however polarization and band switching no
longer takes place because
of the control voltage and
the 22 KHz
ent receivers on one cable. Therefore, in
each Unicable-compatible LNB you will find
the SaTCR-1 chip developed by ST Microelec-
tronics. Simply put, this chip does nothing
more than take the requested frequency
and shift it to a fixed preassigned carrier
frequency for each of the maximum of eight
connected receivers. Each receiver would
be assigned one of these carrier frequencies
and would then simply tell the LNB what fre-
quency should be shifted over to its carrier
frequency. This sounds much more compli-
cated in theory than it really is in practice
since for the end user nothing really changes
at all with Unicable. You just have to make
sure that each receiver operates with its own
carrier frequency. This takes place very
simply, in that each receiver is assigned a
number from one to four or one to eight in
the LNB settings.
If two receivers were given the same car-
rier frequency, they would interfere with
each other and reliable reception would not
be possible. Since the number of available
carrier frequencies is limited, so too is the
number of connected receivers limited to
eight. Before some of you get all red-faced

Everyday
with anger because you just recently spent
megabucks on a brand new PVR receiver that

Use
does not support the Unicable technology, we
want to point out that every receiver has the
If you’re asking yourself right signal. Instead, the capability to support this new standard. Just
now what Unicable is all about and controlling signal is a small software update is necessary as well
what kind of technology this is, then now in digital form as good intentions from the manufacturer.
we would like to take a moment and using a modified
briefly explain it. Up until now, if you DiSEqC 1.0 proto- We tested the MTI AK541-XT2BL with
wanted to connect multiple receiv- col. four Lemon 030-CI receivers. After running
ers to a single LNB, you had to run a a cable from the LNB to the first receiver
dedicated cable from the LNB to each As new as this and then a cable from there to the second
receiver. On top of that, it was often approach is, it’s receiver, and then to the third, etc., and then
necessary to install expensive mul- still not enough assigning each receiver with its own carrier
tiswitches to distribute the signal. With to operate four frequency (from 1 to 4), there was no longer
Unicable technology, all of this is now a or eight differ- anything in the way of TV and radio recep-

TELE-satellite International — www.TELE-satellite.com

TEST REPORT Unicable LNB

tion. While the first two receivers were each
programmed with a transponder in vertical
and horizontal polarization in the low band,
we were able to easily surf through all the
channels in the high band using the other two
weak satellites such as the horizontal trans- equipment supported the good reception
ponders on Nilesat or Arabsat 2D turned out characteristics of this LNB. The manufac-
to be quite positive. Even the preliminary turer claims a noise figure of 0.2dB; our test
values we obtained from our measurement showed this value to be realistic.

Expert conclusion
receivers. Also, while switching channels on
one receiver, there were no signal interrup-
tions or picture distortions to be seen on the
other three boxes. Even turning off individ- +
ual receivers could not disturb the rhythm of Unicable technology offers fascinating new possibilities and
greatly reduces the overall installation cost. This new system seems
the Unicable system.
perfectly suited for PVR receivers with more than one tuner.

In order to test this new system as realis-

tically as possible, we connected the receiv-
ers first with standard coax cable that you
- Thomas Haring
TELE-satellite
Test Center
The only negative point of this new Unicable technology is that at Austria
might find anywhere and that is most likely the moment there are very few manufacturers that actually support this new system.
installed in most homes. We connected the The ball is clearly in the court of the major receiver manufacturers. MTI and all the
receivers a second time with double-shielded, other LNB producers have done their work.
high quality coax cable that you might find in
a specialty store. We want to say up front
that Unicable is no more sensitive than the
TECHNICAL
DATA
previously used technology. If you are used Manufacturer MTI, Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C.
to various frequency conversions, where the
Fax +886-3-577-7127
signals from two LNB’s are briefly carried on
E-Mail http://www.mti.com.tw/contact_us.htm
one cable and then separated again at the
receiver end, in which high quality cable Modell AK541-XT2BL

needs to be used, Unicable does not have any Function Unicable LNB
special demands. If problem-free reception Input Frequency Range 10,7~11,7 GHz/ 11,7~12,75 GHz
was possible before the installation of Uni- Output Frequency Range 1180-2060 MHz for 4 different receivers
cable, then the same problem-free reception
Noise Figure 0.2db
should be the case with a Unicable LNB.
Conversion Gain 60db

We were also interested in the reception Output Connector Type 75 Ohm F Type (female.)
properties of the MTI LNB. Multiple tests on Operating Temperature Range -30°C to +60°C

TELE-satellite International — www.TELE-satellite.com