Is DRM+ the new frontier for digital radio?

Agenda
Open Channel | Independent Danish DTT Gatekeeper.........3
Introduction ...........................................................................4
DRM+
• Standard ........................................................................13
• Content Server...............................................................17
• Transmitter.....................................................................21
• Trial in Copenhagen.......................................................24
• Reception mode.............................................................32
• Protection ratios.............................................................39
• Chip & Receiver.............................................................42

Open Channel | Independent Danish DTT Gatekeeper

Introduction | Development of Digital Radio Standard

Introduction | Importance of frequency

Introduction | Digital Radio Standard

Introduction | Polarization for portable receivers
• If the special aim is portable receivers served in major cities, then
vertical polarization polarization should be chosen; area coverage
losses are to be accepted.
• Vertically polarized waves undergo a greater attenuation on long
transmission paths than horizontally polarized waves.
• Vertical polarization favor’s so-called multipath propagation through
numerous reflective vertical elements in nature, such as lampposts....
• Vertically polarized waves generate higher field strengths near the
ground.
• Antennas for portable receivers are often oriented vertically out of
habit, and therefore favour the reception of vertically polarized waves.
• Circularly polarized radiation on mobile receivers generates less
amplitude variation, i.e. it increases the likelihood of usable field
strength, and at the same time serves all forms of linearly polarized
receiving antennas.

Introduction | Audio quality HE-AACv2
• DRM+, DAB+ & DVB-T2 | T2 Lite uses same audio codec.
With original encoded program material:
• Good "FM-like" sound at 64 kbps or higher (64 kbps sets the
lower limit of audio quality on the speech by HE-AACv2).
• Transparent high quality stereo sound at 128 kbps.
• The maximum bit rate of the encoded audio shall not
exceed 192 kbps for a stereo pair.
• DRM+ has also adopt the new xHE-AAC audio codec.

Introduction | Perceived Audio Quality
• Extended HE-AAC – Bridging the gap between speech and audio coding

Introduction | Speech Perceived Quality
• Extended HE-AAC – Bridging the gap between speech and audio coding

Introduction | Digital Radio deployment with DRM+
• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has February 1, 2018
recommended that the country introduce digital radio on the FM band.
The broadcasters should be allowed to make use of any available
digital technology, recognized by ITU, within the allocated / liberalized
spectrum for providing digital radio broadcasting services subject to
adaptation, if any, recommended by MIB / TRAI from time to time.
https://trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/Recommendation_Digital_Radio_01022018.pdf
• Russia has decided September 11, 2018, to implement the digital
radio standard DRM+ on the FM & OIRT band
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6453547554444578816
• The Department of Communications in South Africa has in
October 2018 conducting a hearing on the introduction of digital
audio broadcasting with DRM+ on FM band, DRM30 on AM band
and DAB+ on VHF band III.
https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/41928_gon995.pdf

Introduction | EU requires digital car radio
• The European Parliament has November 7, 2018 approved
the renewed "European electronic communication code".
• This obliges, among other things, that all new car radios
must be able to receive all forms of digital radio over the air.
• Subsequent steps for the Directive — expected to be
completed in early 2019 - are formal approval by the
Council, followed by publication in the Official Journal
of the European Union, at which point the Directive
enters into force.
• The rules will then be transposed (within two years) into national legislation,
obliging all new car radios for sale or rent within the EU to comply with the
Directive.
• In addition, the Directive formalizes EU consent for Member States introducing
rules that require consumer receivers to be able to receive digital
transmissions.

DRM+ | Fits in existing FM raster
• DRM+ fits in existing FM raster
• DRM+ RF signal needs less spectrum bandwidth compared to FM
• More RF channel possible in VHF Band II as for FM (spectrum efficient!)

DRM+ | Useful Data Rate
• Code rates, useful data bit rates and
protection level (PL) numbering of DRM+
for 4PSK and 16QAM data carriers
modulation of MSC channel.

DRM+ | Single frequency operation capability
• A DRM+ transmitter can be operating in single-frequency networks (SFN).
• The maximum transmitter distance that that must not be exceeded in order to
prevent self-interference depends on the length of the OFDM guard interval.
Since the length Tg of the DRM guard interval is 0,25 ms, the maximum echo
delay, and therefore the maximum transmitter distance, is 75 km.

DRM+ | Spectrum Masks
• Spectrum emission and transmitter masks for DRM+

DRM+ | Spectrum mask for double DRM+
• Two DRM+ signals side by side, offset by –50 kHz and +50
kHz from the classical FM carrier frequency, so as to fill the
nominal 200 kHz ETSI FM mask bandwidth.

DRM+ | Simulcast Mode
• The DRM signal can be placed closely to
the left or right of the existing FM signal.
• To guarantee the respective protection
levels and audio quality of the FM signal,
the carrier frequency distance (Δf) and
the power level difference (ΔP) of the
FM and the DRM signals can be planned
accordingly.
• Δf can be chosen according to a 50 kHz channel raster.
• Δf>=150 kHz is recommended.
• ΔP can be varied flexibly; however, a ΔP>20 dB is recommended for the
minimum Δf=150 kHz.

• Combined mode power setup and protection levels
• The black curve shows the maximum DRM+ power ratio that will not affect the
analogue signal beyond the recommended protection criteria.
• The blue curve shows the minimum power ratio for 16 QAM DRM+ in the
presence of an analogue FM interferer.
• The red curve shows the minimum power ratio for 4 QAM DRM+ in the
presence of an analogue FM interferer.

• Gates Air Flexiva™ FAX G4 supports simulcast FM Analog and DRM+ operation

DRM+ | Content Server - Block Diagram
• A content server can encode up to 4 audio programs

DRM+ | Multimedia Data Server Data Application Types
A DRM content server supports DRM data applications like:
• DRM text messages
• Jounaline®
• MOT slideshow/broadcast website
• TPEG traffic information
• PRBS internally generated synchronous
or asynchronous test patterns
• EPG electronic program guide
• TMC traffic message channel
• Diveemo® small-scale video application
• EWF emergency warning features

DRM+ | Transmitter - Block Diagram

DRM+ | Transmitter
• E.g. Gates Air VHF Band II Analog FM or Digital Radio
• Broadband frequency agile design. 87.5 to 108MHz
• 10 Watts to 1500W
• Automatic digital linear and non-linear pre-correction
• Compact, space-saving design: 2, 3 & 4 RU
• Easy conversion from analog to digital with Flexiva™ FAX G4 Exgine

DRM+ | Modulator
• Digital Modulator Card Flexiva™ FAX G4 by RFmodial for Gates Air Flexiva
FM Transmitters supports HD Radio, China Digital Radio CDR and
DRM30/DRM+

DRM+ | Modulator
• Hybrid Crest Factor Reduction reduce
the high peak-to-average power ratio
(PAPR) improving RF power amplifier
utilization
• Real-Time Adaptive Correction (RTAC)
for digital pre-correction of non-linear
distortions providing continuously
superior RF mask performance
• High quality Spectrum Analyzer for
verifying FCC, NRSC & ITU spectral
mask compliance
• Modulation Error Ratio (MER) measures the digital signal-to-noise ratio for
data-bearing and reference carriers within the OFDM sidebands giving
diagnostic signal-to-noise reference
• Graphical User Interface GUI) provides full control of all of the digital radio
generation processes integrated with the Flexiva GUI

DRM+ | Trial on the FM band Copenhagen, Denmark.
• Antenna Position: BOA (TDC / YouSee Tower)
• Address: Borups Allé 43, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
• Coordinates: Longitude (WGS 84) 012E32 23
Latitude (WGS 84) 55N41 30
• Antenna Height: 88 meters
• Elevation: 8 meters
• Polarization: Vertical polarization
• Frequency: FM band (VHF band II)
• Transmission power: 500 W ERP omni-directional or
500 W ERP directional Hillerød (≈ 3150
)

DRM+ | PROGIRA® plan frequency scan report
• PROGIRA® plan version: 6.3.0.6
• Date: 11/16/2018
• Propagation model: ITU-R P.1546-5
• Percentage time wanted: 50
• Percentage time protected: 99
• Coastline: GiraMap
• Use refractivity gradient: False
• Margin, dB: -80
• Allowed usable FS increase, dB: 0.3
• Azimuth step, deg: 10
• Azimuth step for effective heights: True
• Fixed reception:
▪ Directivity discrimination: True
▪ Polarization discrimination: True
• Use FCC rule 73.625b2: False
• Number of wanted emitters: 1
• Channels (frequencies) to be scanned: 87.5 – 107.0 MHz

DRM+ | 92.3 MHz - Possible frequency in Copenhagen
Is an intermediate frequency of 92.25 MHz also an option?

DRM+ | 92.3 MHz
• Nearby frequencies

DRM+ | 92.3 MHz - Dipol vs. Yagi antenna
• Dipole Ant (310o
) | 0 dB = 500W - 3 dB Yagi Ant (315o
) | 0 dB = 500Watt

DRM+ | 92.3 MHz - Dipol vs. Yagi antenna
• Red colour is Yagi Ant best and blue colour than is Dipol Ant best
• 0 dB = 500 Watt

DRM+ | Diff Antenna’s gain vs required transmitter power:
• Different antenna pattern:

DRM+ | Reception Mode - Urban FM band

DRM+ | Reception - Antenna Type & Gain
• Antenna gain in dBd for the different reception modes (in blue DVB-T2 standard)
VHF Band II
FM
Band III Reception Mode
Rooftop antenna
Feeder loss 10m
0
-1,4
0
-2,0 Fixed reception (FX)
Matched antenna
Adapted antenna
Feeder loss 2m
-2.2
-0,28
-2,2
-0,4
Mobile (MO)
Portable Class A and B
Mobile Handheld mobile vehicular Class H-C
Matched antenna
Adapted antenna -2.2 -2,2
Portable receiver outdoor PO
Portable receiver indoor PI
Portable Class A and B Mobile
External antenna
(eg telescopic or
wired headsets)
-19,02 -13
Handheld portable outdoor PO-H (H-A)
Handheld portable indoor PO-I (H-B)
Handheld mobile reception PIcar
-H (H-D)

DRM+ | Reception Handheld Portable
Outdoor PO-H (Class H-A) & indoor PI-H (Class H-B)
• Handheld portable reception is defined as the
reception at rest (stationary reception) or at
very low speed (walking speed).
• Handheld portable reception will, in practice,
take place under a great variety of conditions
(outdoor, indoor, ground floor and upper floors).
In addition, the handheld receiver will probably
be moved (at walking speed) while being
viewed.
• With integrated or external antenna (for example telescopic or wired headsets)
and at no less than 1.5m above ground level.
Inside a moving vehicle e.g. car & bus PIcar
-H (Class H-D)
• at higher speed without connexion to the external antenna of the vehicle.

DRM+ | Reception Handheld Portable
PO-H (Class H-A) | PI-H (Class H-B) | PIcar
-H (Class H-D)
› Receiver noise figure 7,0 dB
› Standard deviation of DRM field strength, urban 3,8 dB
rural 3,1 dB
› Antenna gain relative to half dipole -19,02 dB
. Headphone
• Outdoor: 0 dB
› Building Penetration loss 0 dB
› Standard deviation of the penetration loss 0 dB
• Indoor: VHF band II 12,0 dB
› Building Penetration loss 9,0 dB
› Standard deviation of the penetration loss 3,0 dB
• Inside a moving vehicle (e.g. car, bus, etc): 10,0 dB
› Vehicle Penetration loss 8,0 dB

DRM+ | Reception in Moving Vehicle
MO (Class H-C)
› Receiver noise figure 7,0 dB
› Standard deviation of DRM field strength, urban 3,8 dB
rural 3,1 dB
› Antenna gain relative to half dipole -2,2 dB
• External antenna of the vehicle:
› Vehicle Penetration loss 0,0 dB

DRM+ | Position of DRM+ frequencies
• The DRM+ system is designed for use at any frequency with variable
channelisation constraints and propagation conditions.
• For VHF Band I, and VHF Band II, the DRM+ centre frequencies are
positioned in 100 kHz distance according to the FM frequency grid in VHF
Band II. The DRM+ system is designed for use with this raster.

DRM+ | Protection ratios in VHF Band II
• ITU-R BS.412 Table 3 & DRM Introduction & Implementation Guide §10.6.8.1

DRM+ | Protection ratios for DRM+ in VHF Band II
• The basic protection ratio PRbasic for DRM+
• Corresponding protection ratios PR(p) to reception modes for DRM
▪ (QPSK, CR 1/3) interfered with by FM stereo
• Corresponding protection ratios PR(p) to reception modes for DRM
▪ (16 QAM, CR 1/2) interfered with by FM stereo

DRM+ | Minimum median field-strength level Emed
• VHF band II | 16QAM, CR ½
Receiving situation FX PI PI-H PO PO-H MO
Minimum receiver input power level Ps, min (dBW) −136.08 −128.58 −128.58 −128.58 −128.58 −131.18
Antenna gain GD (dBd) 0.00 −2.20 −19.02 −2.20 −19.02 −2.20
Effective antenna aperture Aa (dBm2
) 0.70 −1.50 −18.32 −1.50 −18.32 −1.50
Feeder-loss Lc (dB) 1.40 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.28
Minimum power flux-density at receiving place φmin (dBW/m2
) −135.37 −127.07 −110.25 −127.07 −110.25 −129.39
Minimum field-strength level at receiving antenna Emin (dB(μV/m)) 10.39 18.69 35.51 18.69 35.51 16.37
Allowance for man-made noise Pmmn (dB) 10.43 10.43 0.00 10.43 0.00 10.43
Antenna height loss Lh (dB) 0.00 10.00 17.00 10.00 17.00 10.00
Building penetration loss Lb (dB) 0.00 9.00 9.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Location probability % 70 95 95 95 95 99
Distribution factor μ 0.52 1.64 1.64 1.64 1.64 2.33
Standard deviation of DRM field strength σm (dB) 3.80 3.80 3.80 3.80 3.80 3.10
Standard deviation of MMN σMMN (dB) 4.53 4.53 0.00 4.53 0.00 4.53
Standard deviation of building penetration loss σb (dB) 0.00 3.00 3.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Location correction factor Cl (dB) 3.10 10.91 7.96 9.73 6.25 12.77
Minimum median field-strength level Emed (dB(μV/m)) 23.92 59.02 69.47 48.84 58.76 49.57

DRM+ | 99.4 MHz with 500W ERP omni-directional
• An example of Field Strength at 1 ½ meter height with 16QAM & CR ½

DRM+ | Automotive - Worldwide radio/TV chip for car radio
2015

DRM+ | Automotive - Worldwide radio chip for car radio
2016

DRM+ | Automotive – Worldwide radio chip for car radio
• Silicon Labs High-Performance Automotive AM/FM Radio Receiver and HD
RadioTM/DAB/DAB+/DMB/DRM Tuner. Has DRM+ been implemented?
2017

DRM+ | Automotive – radio chip for car radio
• The Siano SMS2160 provides a single-die implementation of Siano’s RF tuner
and demodulator while achieving outstanding deep in door and mobility
performances.
• The SMS2160 enables DAB/DAB+ radio reception in variety of mobile devices
such as Mobile phones, cellular data-cards, notebooks, Navigation devices,
MIDs, PDAs, portable video and media players as well as optimal DAB/DAB+
reception in automotive entertainment devices.
• The SMS2160 provides support for radio and RDS and up to 2-way MRC
diversity for T-DMB, DRM+, DAB/DAB+ reception.
• The input to the SMS2160 is the broadcasted RF signal received by the
antenna. The output is a demodulated, selected channel stream. This data is
fed into an application processor that is capable of video and audio
decompression and rendering.
• The SMS2160 is complimented by Siano’s Host API
software package that includes drivers and libraries
for popular host processors and operating systems.
2012

DRM+ | Automotive – DRM+/DAB+ radio chip for car radio
• NXP Semiconductors SAF360x system-on-chip (SoC) is a next generation HD
Radio / DAB/DAB+/T-DMB / DRM30/DRM+ solution for breakthrough in
system integration and cost reduction. Prepared for DRM+ ?
• DRM signal decoding for AM and FM digital audio
• Prepared for dual DRM support with background scanning or data services
from second station
• Frontend to baseband interface through serial I²S-bus type interface
• Prepared for secondary baseband interface for dual tuner applications
• Supports xHE-AAC codec
2014

DRM+ | Gospell GR-227 low-cost Digital Radio adaptor
• GR-227 is a small, low-cost adaptor that acts as an aftermarket add-on to car
stereos receiving high-quality digital broadcast programs and data application,
and serving it to the Android powered car audio system over a USB cable. It is
still under development Nov. 2018 and the formal release schedule is not yet
decided.
• Based on software defined radio technology, GR-227 is compatible with
DRM30/DRM+ standard, with its latest extended audio codec xHE-AAC. It
also supports DAB and DAB+.
• GR-227 literally works with any
kind of car stereos with a USB
port.
• To make the most of GR-227,
the Gospell Smart Tune App
for Android has been included
to add more features.
2019

About | Kenneth Wenzel
CEO and Founder, U-Media ApS, Denmark, since 1997.
Director of the U-Media subsidiary, Open Channel based in Copenhagen, since 2006 where he
and his team started DTT trials, followed by the DVB-T2 standard in 2010 as one of the first in
Europe.
In 2012, as the first in the world - Kenneth Wenzel and team, launched tests airing the next
generation of mobile TV on UHF and digital radio on a so-called T-DAB frequency, based on the
new standard DVB-T2 Lite profile.
Kenneth Wenzel holds a M. Sc. from The Technical University of Denmark (DTU).
He is a member of The Danish Business Authority Spectrum Forum, as well as editor/manager
of the DVB-T2 group at LinkedIn.
He is an innovator and entrepreneur in the digital TV & radio space, working with new
technologies, testing developing and at the forefront of DVB-T, DVB-T2, T2 Lite developments
and other new media technical platforms.

DRM+ | References
• ETSI ES 201 980 V4.1.2 (2017-04), Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM); System
Specification
• DRM Introduction and Implementation Guide Revision 3, February 2018
• Recommendation ITU-R BS.1660-6, Technical Basis for planning of terrestrial
digital sound broadcasting in the VHF band, 10/2015
• EBU TECH 3357, Case Studies on the implementation of DRM+ in VHF Band
II, January 2013
FM
• Recommendation ITU-R BS.412-9 Planning standards for terrestrial FM sound
broadcasting at VHF, December 1998.

Is DRM+ the new frontier for digital radio?

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