1. TEST REPORT Unicable LNB
MTI AK541-XT2BL
Unicable LNB
Movement in the Right
Direction…Albeit Slowly…
Just about six months ago TELE-satellite first discussed the subject Unicable and since ent receivers on one cable. Therefore, in
then there have been a few developments. More and more manufacturers are integrating this each Unicable-compatible LNB you will find
protocol into their receivers. Even a leading LNB manufacturer, MTI in Taiwan, has begun to the SaTCR-1 chip developed by ST Microelec-
produce and sell Unicable LNB’s. tronics. Simply put, this chip does nothing
more than take the requested frequency
and shift it to a fixed preassigned carrier
frequency for each of the maximum of eight
From the outside, this LNB, that found its thing of the past, since from now on, only the connected receivers. Each receiver would
way into our test labs shortly before press first receiver needs to be connected directly be assigned one of these carrier frequencies
time, doesn’t look all that much different to the LNB. Any additional receivers would be and would then simply tell the LNB what fre-
than its similar brothers; it is slightly heavier linked through each receivers looped-through quency should be shifted over to its carrier
than a standard universal LNB. MTI’s work- IF capability or through an inexpensive signal frequency. This sounds much more compli-
manship is, as expected, very good. The splitter. If you’re somewhat familiar with cated in theory than it really is in practice
“F” connector is protected from moisture by standard satellite technology, you might be since for the end user nothing really changes
a plastic cap and the feed itself is also per- thinking there’s no way this can work consid- at all with Unicable. You just have to make
fectly protected by a stable plastic cap. Its ering that receivers only provide 14/18 volts sure that each receiver operates with its own
standard 40mm size makes it easy to install and a 22 KHz signal to switch the polarization carrier frequency. This takes place very
on almost any offset antenna. As is normal and band of the LNB. Normally, this state- simply, in that each receiver is assigned a
with a Ku-band LNB, the reception frequency ment would be correct but this is where the number from one to four or one to eight in
range lies between 10.7 and 11.7 GHz in the first big difference is between a Unicable LNB the LNB settings.
low band and from 11.7 to 12.75 GHz in the and a standard LNB. In the Unicable system,
high band. The AK541-XT2BL LNB that we the receiver provides the power for the LNB If two receivers were given the same car-
tested can be simultaneously connected to however polarization and band switching no rier frequency, they would interfere with
four different receivers requiring the use of longer takes place because each other and reliable reception would not
carrier frequencies in the range of 1180 to of the control voltage and be possible. Since the number of available
2060 MHz. According to the manufacturer, the 22 KHz carrier frequencies is limited, so too is the
maximum gain is at about 60dB. number of connected receivers limited to
eight. Before some of you get all red-faced
Everyday
with anger because you just recently spent
megabucks on a brand new PVR receiver that
Use
does not support the Unicable technology, we
want to point out that every receiver has the
If you’re asking yourself right signal. Instead, the capability to support this new standard. Just
now what Unicable is all about and controlling signal is a small software update is necessary as well
what kind of technology this is, then now in digital form as good intentions from the manufacturer.
we would like to take a moment and using a modified
briefly explain it. Up until now, if you DiSEqC 1.0 proto- We tested the MTI AK541-XT2BL with
wanted to connect multiple receiv- col. four Lemon 030-CI receivers. After running
ers to a single LNB, you had to run a a cable from the LNB to the first receiver
dedicated cable from the LNB to each As new as this and then a cable from there to the second
receiver. On top of that, it was often approach is, it’s receiver, and then to the third, etc., and then
necessary to install expensive mul- still not enough assigning each receiver with its own carrier
tiswitches to distribute the signal. With to operate four frequency (from 1 to 4), there was no longer
Unicable technology, all of this is now a or eight differ- anything in the way of TV and radio recep-
TELE-satellite International — www.TELE-satellite.com

2. TEST REPORT Unicable LNB
tion. While the first two receivers were each weak satellites such as the horizontal trans- equipment supported the good reception
programmed with a transponder in vertical ponders on Nilesat or Arabsat 2D turned out characteristics of this LNB. The manufac-
and horizontal polarization in the low band, to be quite positive. Even the preliminary turer claims a noise figure of 0.2dB; our test
we were able to easily surf through all the values we obtained from our measurement showed this value to be realistic.
channels in the high band using the other two
Expert conclusion
receivers. Also, while switching channels on
one receiver, there were no signal interrup-
tions or picture distortions to be seen on the
other three boxes. Even turning off individ- +
ual receivers could not disturb the rhythm of Unicable technology offers fascinating new possibilities and
greatly reduces the overall installation cost. This new system seems
the Unicable system.
perfectly suited for PVR receivers with more than one tuner.
In order to test this new system as realis-
tically as possible, we connected the receiv-
ers first with standard coax cable that you
- Thomas Haring
TELE-satellite
Test Center
The only negative point of this new Unicable technology is that at Austria
might find anywhere and that is most likely the moment there are very few manufacturers that actually support this new system.
installed in most homes. We connected the The ball is clearly in the court of the major receiver manufacturers. MTI and all the
receivers a second time with double-shielded, other LNB producers have done their work.
high quality coax cable that you might find in
a specialty store. We want to say up front
that Unicable is no more sensitive than the
TECHNICAL
DATA
previously used technology. If you are used Manufacturer MTI, Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C.
to various frequency conversions, where the
Fax +886-3-577-7127
signals from two LNB’s are briefly carried on
E-Mail http://www.mti.com.tw/contact_us.htm
one cable and then separated again at the
receiver end, in which high quality cable Modell AK541-XT2BL
needs to be used, Unicable does not have any Function Unicable LNB
special demands. If problem-free reception Input Frequency Range 10,7~11,7 GHz/ 11,7~12,75 GHz
was possible before the installation of Uni- Output Frequency Range 1180-2060 MHz for 4 different receivers
cable, then the same problem-free reception
Noise Figure 0.2db
should be the case with a Unicable LNB.
Conversion Gain 60db
We were also interested in the reception Output Connector Type 75 Ohm F Type (female.)
properties of the MTI LNB. Multiple tests on Operating Temperature Range -30°C to +60°C
TELE-satellite International — www.TELE-satellite.com