pDVBASIMonitoringwiththeWFM601iEM.docVIP

 PAGE 6 p Nov. ‘97  PAGE 1 p Nov. ‘97 p DVB ASI Monitoring with the WFM601i/E/M November ‘97 Monitoring of DVB ASI signals with the WFM601i/E/M MPEG–2 Transport Streams within DVB systems are increasingly being delivered over the Asynchronous Serial Interface (ASI). In brief, this takes the MPEG-2 Transport Stream, converts the 8 bit words into 10 bit words, and enters these onto a 270Mbit/sec. carrier. Synchronising bytes are inserted as stuffing to fill the 270Mbit/sec. stream. Within the Broadcast industry, 270Mbit/sec. streams are increasingly evident on the Serial Digital Interface (SDI) for full bit rate video, however the ASI and SDI signals have very little in common. ASI signals and SDI signals share the same launch amplitude of 800mV, and the same bit rate of 270Mbit/sec, but here the similarity ends. ASI signals are polarity dependent (SDI signals are not), and ASI receivers do not contain automatic equalisers. Clearly, the data content is also totally different, as is the energy dispersal system, such that the power spectrum is more data dependent than with SDI signals. Equipment such as the Tektronix MTS200 series enables protocol testing of the data contained within the MPEG-2 Transport Stream, but doesn’t enable testing of the ASI physical layer The following describes the way in which the WFM601i, WFM601E and WFM601M may be used to do basic testing of the ASI physical layer. While the tests are not complete, they enable measurement of launch amplitude, rise and fall time, and jitter, and are therefore felt to be of value. Setting the WFM601E/M for DVB ASI measurements (Please note that the WFM601i does not require any adjustments) DVB ASI tests require two very simple adjustments to the WFM601E/M. These are detailed below: 1. Jumper J13 should be moved from pins 2-3 (normal operation) to pins 1