Manual

The Acterna Digital Broadcast Test Platform (DTS-300) is
the industry’s fastest, most flexible, and comprehensive
solution for MPEG-2, DVB, and ATSC testing. This revolu-
tionary, single-platform test set provides developers, broad-
casters, system integrators, and field operators with multiple
application modules that are easily configured to fit any test
scenario. Due to the DTS-300’s modular architecture and
extensive set of application modules, users need only purchase
the capabilities currently required, adding supplementary
capabilities as new testing demands arise. Both desktop and
portable versions of the DTS-300 are available.
Applications
Indispensable during equipment validation and acceptance
testing, the DTS-300 verifies system performance by pin-
pointing and resolving equipment and system failures and
interoperability issues while complying with the extremes of
the MPEG-2, DVB, and ATSC standards. Its powerful
stream creation, generation, and analysis tools combine to
provide the complete solution for any test and measurement
environment, including:
• R&D—provides rigorous, aggressive design validation
that enables multiplexer, set-top box, and digital TV
manufacturers to reach the market faster and guarantee
system quality
• Deployment trials—assists in testing leading-edge tech-
nologies such as digital terrestrial TV and statistical
multiplexing
• System installation—allows integrators to solve configu-
ration, interworking, and performance issues prior to
system acceptance and turn-up of the service
• Network operation—generates baselining reports and
monitors quality of service in both contribution and
distribution networks
The DTS-300 is easily configured with one or more of the
following application modules:
• The Analyzer—for continuous, detailed, real-time analysis
of all transport stream content and statics
• The Multiplexer—Continuous real-time transport stream
creation
• The Generator—for real-time transport stream recording
and play-out Recording and play out of transport streams
Continuous, Detailed, Real-Time Analysis of All
Transport Stream Contents and Statistics
Because a single bit error can easily trickle through a densely
packed transport stream, causing service degration or inter-
ruption, users rely on the DTS-300 Analyzer, which provides
detailed, real-time analysis, to immediately pinpoint, isolate,
and resolve these errors. The Analyzer dissects and displays
each component of the transport stream in real time,
enabling users to effectively “see inside” the complex
MPEG-2 transport stream and rapidly detect and resolve
errors.
Before the analysis process begins, the Analyzer verifies the
presence of incoming data and tracks the transport packet
synchronization. As it processes the data, the Analyzer
measures transport stream content and statistics against
ETR 290’s three levels of priority measurements and alerts
the operator when the stream falls outside these suggested
parameters. It also displays PSI/SI/PSIP and private table
and descriptor decodes in a hierarchical tree structure for
rapid navigation, offers detailed reporting, captures on
trigger, and performs continuous event logging in real time.
The Analyzer continuously collects statistics for every packet
identifier (PID) detected in the stream. It analyzes an
unlimited number of PIDs in real time and collects the
following information for each PID:
• Packet content type (video, audio, table data, null packet)
• Percentage of bandwidth consumed
• Transmission rate (minimum, maximum, current)
• Total packets received
• Continuity counter errors detected
• Duration of time since detection of first packet
• Correctness of the scrambling indicator
• Rate of payload unit start indicators
• Status of the transport error indicator
In addition, the Analyzer documents missing PIDs and
measures unexpected PIDs.
Timing/Synchronization
The Analyzer measures PCR rate, jitter, offset, drift, and the
spacing between two PCR-bearing packets; compares
PCR/PTS; and monitors all packets bearing PCR or PTS
data to verify synchronization and detect timing problems.
Because timing problems often cause service degradation or
interruption, the Analyzer is used to detect these problems
before they adversely affect system performance.
Standard and Private Tables and Descriptors
The Analyzer validates the syntax of all incoming tables and
descriptors, extracts information about the incoming trans-
port stream, and displays the content in easy-to-interpret
formatted views.
For private tables and descriptors, the Analyzer uses
operator-defined private definition files to parse private
data. For each MPEG-2/PSI, ATSC/PSIP, DVB/SI, or
user-private table, the Analyzer displays the following
information:
• Complete decode of all table and descriptor content
• Total table instances received
• Total packets received for the table or descriptor
• Table rate (tables/sec)
• Total syntax errors found
• Transmission rate (Mbps)
• Table validity
• Total sections received
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