DVB RCS Standards & Future Evolutions Giovanni Garofalo European Space Agency

DVB-RCS Background DVB-RCS defines a return channel over satellite for broadband systems based on DVB-S(2) forward link Specification initially defined by satellite operators working under the auspices of ESA Work taken over by DVB Project, which is responsible for standard maintenance ETSI approves its publication as EN 301 790, according to their defined procedures Definition started in Sept 1997 Editions 1st (v1.2.2)12/00 2nd (v1.3.1) 03/03: RSAT 3rd (v1.4.1) 09/05: DVB-S2

Open Standards Principles Openness All stakeholders participate in the standards development process Consensus All interests are discussed and agreement found Due Process Balloting and appeal process may be used to find resolution Open IPR Holders of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) must identify themselves during the standards development process Open World Same standard for the same function world-wide Open Access Open access committee: documents, drafts and completed standards Open Meeting All may participate in standard development meetings On-going Support Standards supported until user interest ceases rather than when provider interest declines Open Interfaces Allow additional functions, public or proprietary Open Use Low or no charge for IPR necessary to implement an accredited standard

Enables interoperability between products The case of DVB-RCS: Open standard Scrutinised, optimised, built by consensus Based on commercial requirements Broad range of services and applications supported Future-proof (e.g. DVB-S2) Based on successful DVB-S Availability of mass market low cost satellite TV receivers Enables interoperability between products

Enables interoperability between products The case of DVB-RCS: Multiple implementations Several system integrators Several terminal-only suppliers Different choices of options and parameters Several generations of system implementations Cost & feature optimised Enables interoperability between products

SatLabs Group basics Association set up to bring the DVB-RCS standard to large-scale adoption Foster availability of interoperable products Ensure availability of solutions for interoperability testing and certification Membership open to all organizations worldwide interested in the DVB-RCS standard Main emphasis on interoperability but addressing other aspects related to DVB-RCS implementation Creation: October 2001

SatLabs Membership Service Satellite Satellite System Equipment Techno + Access Provider Satellite Operator Satellite Supplier System Supplier Equipment Supplier Techno Supplier Avanti Aramiska FranceTelecom MonacoTelecom Satlynx Eutelsat HellasSat Hispasat JSAT NewSkies SESAstra Telesat Alcatel Astrium EMS Gilat HNS Nera Newtec Pentamedia Shiron ViaSat Alcatel Bell NDSatcom Thomson AASKI Invacom Skyware Spacebridge STMicro Verisat Visiosat

DVB-RCS Standards Overview

DVB-RCS Reference Diagram Network Control Centre: a NCC provides Control and Monitoring Functions (CMF). It generates control and timing signals for the operation of the Satellite Interactive Network to be transmitted by one or several Feeder Stations. Traffic Gateway: a TG receives the RCST return signals, provides accounting functions, interactive services and/or connections to external public, proprietary and private service providers (data bases, pay-per-view TV or video sources, software download, tele-shopping, tele-banking, financial services, stock market access, interactive games etc.) and networks (Internet, ISDN, PSTN, etc.). Feeder: a Feeder transmits the forward link signal, which is a standard satellite digital video broadcast (DVB-S or DVB-S2) uplink, onto which are multiplexed the user data and/or the control and timing signals needed for the operation of the Satellite Interactive Network.

MAC Characteristics Continuous Rate Assignment Volume Based Dynamic Capacity Rate Based Dynamic Capacity

Burst characteristics

Overhead Bursts

MF-TDMA (Multi Frequency TDMA) terminal 1 terminal 2 frame terminal 3

Terminal architecture Interfacility Link: RX cable: FL signal on L-Band (950 – 2150 MHz)+ polarization control +DC power (~10-20 volts) + to LNB (Low Noise Block) + 22 KHz tone (LNB frequency band adjustment) TX cable: RT link L-Band TX (950-1450 MHz)+10 MHz reference signal to ODU (BUC) + DC power to the BUC (20-30 volts) + 22 KHz PWK (Pulse Width Keying) DiSEqC tone DiSEqC (Digital Satellite Equipment Control): SSPA ON/OFF, TX frequency band selection, …, ODU monitoring (SSPA status, PLL status, …)

FLSS (Forward Link Subsystem) Hub Architecture (1) FLSS (Forward Link Subsystem) IP/DVB encapsulator Injects IP packets into MPEG2/DVB compliant Transport Stream •MPEG2-DVB Multiplexer: Combines the MPEG Transport Streams from the IP/Encapsulator and the RLSS Controller/Scheduler PCR Inserter Generates a 27 MHz reference clock and inserts relative time stamps in the FW link for network synchronization. DVB Modulator Modulates the signal to IF frequency (L-band) according to the DVB-S or DVB-S2 standard

RLSS (Return Link Subsystem) Hub Architecture (2) RLSS (Return Link Subsystem) MCD (Multiple Carrier Demodulator): Demodulation of return path carriers, De-Multiplexing of traffic and Signaling Timing/frequency corrections •Receiver Traffic: ATM recovery from Satellite cells. Interface with ISP through ATM Switch •Receiver Signaling: Forward received signaling to Controller/scheduler. •Control/Scheduler Controls SITs entry and generates all Satellite signaling on the forward path •OAM (Operation, Administration and Maintenance) Responsible for initializing, configuring and monitoring all RLSS functions to ensure proper operation

Hub Architecture (3): IPSS

DVB-S versus DVB-S2 DVB-S Multiple streams: No Input bit rate: fixed Coding: Reed Solomon plus convolutional encoding Coding rates: ½, 2/3, ¾, 7/8 Input I/F: MPEG TS Symbols mapping: Gray Modulation format: QPSK Pilot symbols: None Symbols shaping: Square-Root Raised Cosine filter  =0.35 Transmission mode: constant Coding and Modulation DVB-S2 Multiple streams: Yes Input bit rate: variable frame-by-frame Coding: BCH + Low-Density Parity Check Codes (LDPC) Coding rates: ¼, 1/3, 2/5, ½, 3/5, 2/3, ¾, 4/5, 5/6, 8/9, 9/10 Symbols mapping: BICM (Gray) Modulation format: QPSK, 8PSK, 16APSK, 32APSK Pilot symbols: Optional Symbols shaping: Square-Root Raised Cosine filter  =0.2, 0.25, 0.35 Input I/F: MPEG-TS, IP Transmission modes: Constant Coding and Modulation, Variable Coding and Modulation, Adaptive Coding and Modulation

DVB-S2/DVB-S Summary bit-rate gain (same C/N and symbol-rate): 25-35% depending on modes and applications Large flexibility to potentially match any transponder characteristics: Spectrum efficiencies from 0.5 to 4.5 bit/s/Hz C/N range from –2.4 to +16 dB with 1 dB granularity (AWGN) 0.7 – 1 dB from the Shannon limit probably means that: “In the course of our lifetime we will never have to design another system for satellite broadcasting”

Alternative VSAT Access Systems

IPoS: IP over satellite Originally published as TIA-1008, now also co-published by ETSI Promoted by HNS Always-on IP service: once registered the terminal does not need to ever log-on again Protocol architecture separate satellite-dependent functions and satellite independent functions via the SI-SAP interface positioned between the MAC and Network Layer. Elements above the SI-SAP can be designed without knowledge of the supporting satellite link layer Return link access similar to DVB-RCS but with O-QPSK and variable length bursts Support of contention-based access

DOCSIS-S Originally developed as terrestrial cable modem standard Promoted by ViaSat Consists of terminals (CM; Cable Modems) and Hub’s (CMTS: Cable Modem Termination System) DOCSIS-S implements DOCSIS 1.1 above the PHY Layer and a satellite specific PHY Layer Potential to save some costs on reuse of higher layer components Benefits from the availability of a very mature sets of infrastructure products for network control, system management, subscriber management and billing systems FW link PHY based on turbo code with ACM (QPSK and 8PSK) MAC layer contains a 6 byte MAC header and a ETHERNET packet as a payload. Encapsulation of IP packets requires an additional 17 Bytes header and a CRC32

VIASAT SurfBeam System Telesat is using SurfBeam for consumer services in Canada on new Anik F2 Ka-band, spot beam satellite

SurfBeam: ACM

Satcom Systems: comparison

DOCSIS vs. DVB-RCS

Future DVB-RCS Standards Improvement Axis

Based on WEB (West Early Bird) system design Future Systems Based on WEB (West Early Bird) system design

Improved Coding Scheme QPSK 8PSK Performance is improved by as much as 1.2 dB! Optimum bits-> symbol mapping strategy Several rates available Preliminary Results

Fading Mitigation Techniques Efficient FMT’s require the implementation of high order modulations (8PSK and 16APSK) Adaptive Coding and Modulation already successfully implemented in the DVB-S2 FW link FMT: ACM (Adaptive Coding and Modulation Received power Transmitted power Nominal power target ACM in the RT link 60% capacity increase! FMT: DRA (Dynamic Rate Adaptation) FMT: UPC (Upstream Power Control) UPC case

Improvement Axis (2) 20% Efficiency gain Efficient Framing/Encapsulation: utilization of few burst lengths, which are multiples of a basic slot size 20% Efficiency gain Continuous Phase Modulations for Return Channel: Reduced complexity for receiver! Random Access together with DAMA: Adapts very well to bursty type of traffic and to consumer user profile

ESA Strategy for DVB-RCS

ESA and DVB-RCS: Background ESA has played a key role in the definition of the DVB-RCS standard since its initial stages. ESA actively supports the development of DVB-RCS in the following areas: DVB-RCS standardization Technology R&D System R&D Application development Pilot projects

SatLabs Group ESA fostered the creation of the SatLabs Group and is leading its tasks Ensure interoperability between DVB-RCS terminals and systems Achieve low-cost implementations of DVB-RCS products ESA is chairing the SatLabs Group ESA leads most working groups and actively participates in the technical tasks directly or through funded studies Key developments for the implementation of interoperability verification are carried out by ESA Common Test Bed for interoperability testing ESA funds through ARTES lines key technological developments needed to reduce DVB-RCS cost Low cost Components Low cost installation mechanisms

Applications Applications are the bridge between the End User and the DVB-RCS technology ESA has developed and integrated DVB-RCS HW/SW elements and contents under ARTES program in order to generate new applications with commercial potential, and addressing the capability to provide the applications in an Operational Context Supporting provision of Broadband Access Services through PILOT projects: All activities involve a user community through a pre-operational phase of actual utilisation of the system (e.g. Broadband in the Sky, Pacific Skies, Inspire, SpaceforScience) Developing “Applications” suitable for DVB-RCS broadband access services Telemedicine Teleducation Secure access E-government Infomobility B2B

Budget evolution DVB-RCS R&D