The ISDB-T System

Masafumi Saito

NHK Science & Technical Research Laboratories

(Japan Broadcasting Corporation)
 Contents

1. Concept of ISDB
2. Requirements for ISDB-T
3. Transmission and Services
4. Experimental Results
5. Present Situation in Japan
6. Conclusions
 Concept of ISDB
(Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting)

MPEG-2 Satellite
Error correction Modulation
RS(204,188) TC-8PSK
Video Coding
Cable
Error correction Modulation
RS(204,188) 64QAM
Audio Coding Multiplexing
Terrestrial
Error correction
Modulation
RS(204,188)
Data Coding Segmented OFDM
+Conv. code

Package Media, Communication Systems

or Other Media (DVB and ATSC)

MPEG-2 TS
 Requirements for ISDB-T
(ISDB-Terrestrial)

ISDB-T should
- have the capability to provide various services, including
HDTV, multi-channel SDTV, data services, etc.
- have sufficient transmission quality for the portable
and mobile reception.
- ensure flexible use of transmission capacity.
- be able to achieve effective use of frequency using
SFN (Single Frequency Networks) technology.
 Modulation Scheme of ISDB-T
(Band Segmented OFDM)
5.6 MHz

frequency
OFDM Segment 429 kHz

o Bandwidth of an OFDM segment is 6/14 MHz ( 429 kHz).

o All segments have a common structure.
o Number of OFDM segments is 13 for wide-band ISDB-T
and 1 or 3 for narrow-band ISDB-T.
 Multiplexing and Spectrum of ISDB-T
Narrow band ISDB-T
Wideband ISDB-T (ISDB-TSB)

Audio HDTV Audio SDTV for SDTV for Audio Audio

Program Program Program Mobile Stationary Program Program Data
Reception Reception

Multiplexing

Spectrum

5.6 MHz 5.6 MHz 429 kHz 1.3 MHz

OFDM Segments

Wideband Receiver Narrow band Receiver

(Integrated Receiver) (Pocket-size)
 Service Examples
Example 1 Example 2 Example 3

Stationary Reception Mobile Stationary Mobile Mobile

Reception Reception Reception Reception
HDTV

SDTV SDTV Still Picture

Audio
+ Data + and + Data + + Data + Data
or Data
3 SDTV Programs

Car Receiver Mobile Receiver Pocket-size Receiver

Integrated Receiver
(Audio and Data) (SDTV, Audio and Data) (Audio and Data)
(all services)
 Parameters of ISDB-T (6MHz Bandwidth)

Parameters Mode 1 Mode 2 Mode 3

Number of OFDM segments 13
Useful bandwidth 5.575 MHz 5.573 MHz 5.572 MHz
Carrier spacing 3.968 kHz 1.984 kHz 0.992 kHz
Number of active carriers 1405 2809 4992
Modulation QPSK , 16QAM , 64QAM , DQPSK
Number of symbols per frame 204
Active symbol duration 252s 504s 1.008 ms
Guard interval duration 1/4 , 1/8 , 1/16 , 1/32 of active symbol duration
Inner code Convolutional code (1/2 , 2/3 , 3/4 , 5/6 , 7/8)
Outer code RS (204,188)
Time interleaving 0 ~ 0.44 s
Useful bit rate 3.651 Mbps ~ 23.234 Mbps
 Channel Coding
- Single TS
- Constant clock rate
inserting null-TSP Energy Delay Byte-wise Convulutional
Dispersal Adjustment Interleaving coder

TS Re- Outer coder Energy Delay Byte-wise Convulutional

Multiplexer RS (204,188) Splitter Dispersal Adjustment Interleaving coder

Energy Delay Byte-wise Convulutional

Coded stream is divided Dispersal Adjustment Interleaving coder
into up to three layers

Code rate: 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8

Compensating for the delay difference
among three layers caused by
Byte-wise interleaving
 Modulation
Length of time interleaving: - TMCC (Transmission and Multiplexing
0 ms, 110 ms, 220 ms, 440 ms, 880 ms Configuration Control)
Pilot and - SP (Scattered Pilot)
Control - CP (Continual Pilot)
Bit Mapping signals - AC (Auxiliary Channel)
Interleaving

OFDM
Bit Time Frequency Frame Guard Interval
Mapping IFFT
Interleaving Interleaving Interleaving Insertion

Bit Mapping
Interleaving Guard Interval Ratio:
Frequency Interleaver consists of 1/32, 1/16, 1/8, and 1/4
Intra-Segment Interleaver and
Inter-Segment Interleaver
Features of the Transmission Scheme
of ISDB-T
o Different parameters can be set for each layer
Wide variety of services
o Robust against fading in mobile environment
Suitable for mobile reception
o Segment structure
Partial reception is possible
o OFDM modulation Effective use of frequency by
SFN (Single Frequency Networks)
 Practical Experiments (Field Trials)

Tokyo Pilot Experiments

Phase 1 (November 1998 to March 1999)
HDTV, Multi-channel SDTV, Mobile reception, etc.

Phase 2 (April 1999 to March 2000)

Data broadcasting, Multimedia services, EPG, etc.

Phase 3 (April 2000 to March 2002)

Gap-fillers, Multimedia services, etc.
TOKYO TOWER Transmitting Station of
Tokyo Pilot Experiments

Tx Antenna (261 m)

UHF 15 ch (485.15 MHz)

Tx power: 100 W
ERP: 395W
Field Trials (Fixed Reception)

BER (measured)
BER?2e-4
BER> 2e-4

Field Strength (calculated)

>70dBV/m
>60dBV/m
>50dBV/m

0 50 km
 Correct Reception Rate
(Fixed Reception)

100
Correct Reception Location Rates (%)
95

90

85

80

75 Mode 3, 64QAM, 5/6, 13 Seg.

Mode 2, DQPSK, 1/2, 1 Seg.
70
Mode 2, 64QAM, 7/8 12 Seg.
65

60
35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85
Measured Field Strength (dB V/m)
Field Trials (Mobile Reception)

Total measured distance

- about 3000 km

BER (measured)
BER?2e-4
BER> 2e-4

Field Strength (calculated)

>70dBV/m
>60dBV/m
>50dBV/m

0 50 km
 Effect of Time Interleaving
(Mobile Reception)

Correct Reception Time Rates (%) 100

99%
95

90

85 Mode 2, DQPSK, 1/2 , 13 seg.

Depth of time interleaving: 500ms

80
With Time Interleaving
75
Without Time Interleaving
70
35 40 45 50 55 60 65
Measured Field Strength (dB V/m)
 Pilot Experiments in 11 Areas
in Japan
Started in April 1999
Sapporo
Purposes:
Development of new services
suitable for each region
Confirmation of receiving
area Kanazawa Sendai
Training engineers, etc.
Nagano
Hiroshima
Tokyo
Nagoya
Fukuoka
Osaka

Naha Takamatsu
 Study on Single Frequency Networks
(Development of coupling cancelers)

q Distribution methods of ISDB-T signals from main

transmitters to relay transmitters
n Micro Wave

l Frequency for this purpose is necessary

n Optical Fiber

l Construction and running cost is high

n Relay Networks

l Low cost

l Interference by coupling waves is the problem

 Coupling Waves at Relay Stations

Transmitting Antenna

Coupling
Mountains, Waves f 1
f1 f1
Buildings, etc.
Receiving
Antenna
f1
Wave from the NHK
main transmitter

SFN Relay Station

 Principle of Coupling Cancelers

Receiving Antenna Coupling: C (? ) Transmitting

Antenna

Amplifier:
Wave G (? ) Output
from Main + _ Signal
Station
_ W (? )
Transversal
Filter
Coupling Canceler

Condition for canceling: W (? ) = G (? ) C (? )

 Result of Field Trials
(Effect of Coupling Cancelers)
10-1

-2 -3 Mode 3
10 BER=7 10
Guard Interval 1/8
BER

D/U=-6dB
10-3 D/U=8

-4 D/U=0dB
10
64QAM-OFDM,
Without FEC
10-5
20 25 30 35
C/N [dB]
 Frequency Allocation in Japan
Adjustment of
Number of Transmission Stations for Analogue TV

700 ISDB-T channels (An example) analogue channels

600

500
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

400 UHF lower channels

(Initial Allocation)
300 Adjustment of analogue
channels except for
major stations
200

100

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62

VHF UHF
Channels
Schedule of Channel Planning in Japan

January 1999:
Start of a consortium on channel plan
April 2000:
Draft channel assignment for main stations
all over Japan
By the end of 2001
Draft channel assignment for major relay
stations
 Schedule of Implementation
of ISDB-T in Japan

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Service Start in Tokyo, Service Start in
Final Standard Osaka and Nagoya (2003) other areas (2006)
? ? ?
Service
May

Pilot Experiments
on a practical scale
Field
Experiments

Channel Plan for Channel Plan for

Main Stations Major Relay Stations
Frequency ? ?
Planning Apr.
 Conclusions

n ISDB-T system based on Band Segmented OFDM

was developed in Japan.
n The ISDB-T system was standardized as the
digital terrestrial television broadcasting system
in Japan in May 1999.
n Pilot experiments of ISDB-T are carried out in 11
major cities in Japan.
n ISDB-T services are planned to start before the
year 2003.