DRM at NAB

The Digital Radio MondialeTM consortium will highlight the DRMTM on-air system’s advantages at NAB in Las Vegas this month.

At NAB’s Broadcast Engineering Conference, DRM will be featured in the International Radio Update session on Sunday, April 17, 1:00-1:30 p.m., at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N110. DRM’s Technical Committee Chairman Dr. Donald Messer (Director, Spectrum Management Division, DRM member IBB/VOA) will present

The DRM Digital Modulation System: Performance in the AM band, including Comparisons with Amplitude Modulation.
DRM’s members will also showcase live DRM demonstrations and a range of DRM-capable equipment at NAB:

Continental Electronics Corporation (Booth N2302):
• Continental Electronics Corporation will demonstrate the process for converting Continental’s Type 418 100 KW short-wave transmitters to be DRM compatible. The same
process applies to any type, model, or make of short-wave transmitter equipped with Continental’s solid state modulator. The demonstration details the interface between the transmitter and the TELEFUNKEN DRM-DMOD2 Exciter, and includes measured DRM performance data from an actual transmitter. Continental will also showcase live DRM
broadcasts, using a TELEFUNKEN DRM-DMOD2 exciter in operation with Coding Technologies’ Digital World Traveller USB port receiver.

RIZ-Transmitters Co. (Booth N304):
• RIZ-Transmitters Co. will feature live demonstrations of the RIZ Compact Audio Solution, which produces a DRM signal from max 4 stereo audio sources. RIZ will display the RIZ MDI Modulator, which produces DRM signal from DRM/DI stream. RIZ will also announce the next generation of DRM exciters, which incorporate SFN support, two independent
RF output signal channels, and linearization feedback.

Kintronic Laboratories, Inc. (Booth N1707)
• Kintronic Laboratories, Inc. will display Medium Wave directional antenna system hardware, which is digital-ready for systems including DRM.

Nautel Ltd. (Booth N2811)
• Nautel will showcase three DRM-compatible transmitters: The J1000, a 1 kW AM broadcast transmitter; the XR12, a 12 kW AM broadcast transmitter; and the XR50, a 50 kW AM broadcast transmitter.

TELEFUNKEN SenderSysteme Berlin AG (Booth N1936)
• TELEFUNKEN SenderSysteme Berlin AG will exhibit its fully-equipped DRM exciter, the DRM DMOD2 with advanced pre-corrections facilities. It includes a multiplexer and
synthesizer for use in the frequency range between 9 kHz and 27 MHz, and will accommodate DRM’s upcoming system extension with hard- and software upgrades. The DRM Contentserver by DRM member Fraunhofer IIS will also be displayed.

Thales Broadcast & Multimedia (Booth C4508)
• Thales Broadcast & Multimedia will feature DRM audio demonstrations and an animated slide show (including monitor with headset).

DRM is a non-proprietary system that has been endorsed by the ITU, IEC and ETSI. While DRM currently covers the broadcasting bands below 30 MHz (short-wave, AM/medium-wave and long-wave), the consortium recently voted to begin the process of extending the system into the broadcasting bands up to 120 MHz. This will enhance the range of non-proprietary, digital radio solutions offered worldwide by the DRM consortium and the World DAB Forum, which work together on projects of mutual interest.

Several DRM broadcasts are already available in the U.S., including those of DRM members BBC World Service, Deutsche Welle, NASB, Radio Canada International, Radio Netherlands, Swedish Radio International, TDP Radio and Vatican Radio. Radio Kuwait broadcasts are also available.

The DRM consortium has 89 members from 29 countries, including 12 members from the U.S. DRM revitalizes radio with clear, FM-like audio quality and excellent reception, free from static, fading and interference. More than 70 broadcasters -- including international, national, local, commercial and public broadcasters -- have already started their DRM transmissions in markets worldwide.

DRM’s European commercial launch will take place later this year. In January, DRM members Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) and RadioScape made the landmark announcement that they are developing software and hardware to support the design of cost-effective DRM consumer receivers. This accelerates the timeline for development of a range of DRM consumer receivers.

TI will supply the necessary digital signal processor (DSP) -
based digital radio silicon along with RadioScape's software-defined digital radio technology, enabling consumer receivers to have DRM, DAB, FM, short-wave, medium-wave/AM and longwave capabilities.

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