ATSC 3.0 Calculator

ENENSYS TeamCast has designed the « ATSC 3.0 Calculator » to adjust step-by-step the various sets of parameters provided by the ultra-flexible & evolutive ATSC 3.0 PHYsical layer.
The ATSC 3.0 American system was designed to provide an end-to-end broadcast system using exclusively IP friendly tools. Among the set of specifications, two are related to the broadcast physical layer:

• ATSC A/321: System Discovery and Signaling (i.e. Bootstrap)
• ATSC A/322: Physical Layer Protocol (i.e. Modulation)

The RF signal being conceived as a time division multiplex of frames, the bootstrap (A/321) allows both to delineate every frame and to reference the physical layer protocol it carries, specified in A/322 for instance.

The ATSC 3.0 PHY layer operates « close-to-Shannon» broadcast transmissions, with an unequalled flexibility, providing an optimum response to the broadcasters wishing to « BroadCast in the Internet World».

A tremendous flexibility has been incorporated in the Physical Layer Protocol providing in every ATSC 3.0 frames multiple waveform settings to address multiple receiving situations (i.e. Stationary, Portable, Mobile) and multiple robustness thresholds to address multiple receiving conditions (i.e. Indoor or Outdoor, Internal or External antenna) to a variety of Physical Layer Pipes carrying the IP flows embedding the MultiMedia objects constituting the broadcast service.

In order to help ATSC 3.0 implementers, TeamCast has design the « ATSC 3.0 Calculator » which provides an easy way to select Waveform & Channel encoder parameters and to weight the obtained results in terms of delivered bitrate & coverage.

The « ATSC 3.0 Calculator » includes four folders: Waveform Shaper, Capacity evaluator, Frame Shaper and Coverage estimator.

The ATSC 3.0’s Waveform Shaper

This folder allows to define the parameters of the constituents: Bootstrap, Preamble and up to four subframes of an ATSC 3.0 frame.

Each ATSC 3.0 subframe is characterized by a given set of waveform parameters (subframe duration, FFT size, GI size, Pilot Pattern), which govern its transmission capacity.

Resulting from the waveform settings, detailled information are provided (in terms of DURATIONS, available CAPACITIES, overall EFFICIENCY), and the reachable ATSC3.0’s transmission performance is pictured, in front of the Shannon Limit – for two simulated channels:

• AWGN (close to Line-Of-Sight fixed reception),
• Rayleigh (close to Non-Line-Of-Sight portable reception).

The ATSC 3.0’s Capacity Evaluator

This folder provides a listing of all possible transmission capacity per subframe.

Selecting a given Physical Layer Pipes (PLP) processing method, which consist in FEC scheme and Time Interleave method choices, the achievable trade-off (i.e. troughput vs robustness) is provided for every possible MODCOD (i.e. combination of a Modulated constellation & a Code Rate).

The ATSC 3.0’s Frame Shaper

This folder aims at representing the generated ATSC 3.0 frame.

All previous settings are used to illustrate the overheads and the data capacity offered for each subframe. Also, various parameters constituting the Bootstrap & the L1-Signalling are computed, with the hypothesis that each subframe carries a unique PLP.

The ATSC 3.0’s Coverage Estimator

This folder aims at estimating the expected coverage of each subframe carrying a single PLP in relation with the transmitter characteristics, the propagation environment and the receiver characteristics.

The path loss between transmitting & receiving antennas is computed according to the HATA model, this model being relatively accurate for distance below 30 kms.

The « path loss» curve and the C/N threshold of each Subframe/PLP are displayed giving an indication of the maximum reception distance.

This path loss estimator shall not be considered as a planning tool: it is intended to provide a rough estimation, not an accurate coverage prediction.

For getting a free copy of the ATSC3.0 Calculator, as an MS Excel file, please fill in the request form below.

You will promptly receive by email, the indications for downloading your own copy of the ATSC3.0 Calculator, for free.

TeamCast declines all responsibilities for the usage of this evaluation tool. The accuracy of all data supplied by the evaluator tool is in accordance with the ATSC publications.