DRM Multichannel is now part of RFmondial’s modulator series LV

For many years, RFmondial has advanced the ITU digital radio standard Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) and provided high quality transmission equipment including modulators. With the latest developments, a cost effective and spectrum efficient method has been integrated in RFmondial’s modulator line LV, namely DRM multichannel.

The great advantage of the digital radio standard DRM is its flexibility, which leads to cost efficient implementations for all broadcasters. For DRM in the FM bands, a method called DRM multichannel proofs such an advantage as its only bandwidth of a little less than 100kHz offers the possibility to transmit several DRM multiplexes via only one transmitter. The modulator receives several multiplex streams via IP, modulates each of them and then freely configurable combines the baseband signals such that it fits in up to 800 kHz of spectrum bandwidth of a single transmitter. Furthermore, an FM signal could be added to ease the switch over period.

Using this method each broadcaster has full control over its content of up to 3 audio services with associated data services. In addition, RFmondial’s modulator can control the power level of each DRM signal which results in an easy adaptation to the target coverage area including SFN capability. However, the combined transmission is implemented with simple infrastructure as no expensive combiners are needed. This enables a dense frequency planning and more programs from one tower while avoiding any near-far problems.

As this method is fully implemented within the DRM standard specification, every DRM receiver is capable of capturing the signals. This has been shown at the DRM trial in India in 2021 using a prototype implementation, which has now matured to an option within the LV series as presented at IBC 2023 in Amsterdam.

Hanover, 16.10.2023