SAT-Lexicon

Some information about technical terms

Azimuth

Direction angle - Aerial adjustment angle measured from the south in the direction of the satellite position.
E.g. for Hamburg: 10° east (ASTRA)

C Band

Satellite transmission range (3.6 - 4.2 GHz), very rarely used in Europe and requires special receiver equipment.

CI, Common Interface

Different encryption systems, which comply with the interface standard, can be used with this receiver.

Conditional Access

Programmes are only accessible by means of a special module and an enabled card.

DiSEqC®

Digital Satellite Equipment Control – Digital control commands in order to achieve further switching states apart from H/V and 22 kHz.

DVB-S, DVB-C and DVB-T

 

The abbreviation DVB stands for Digital Video Broadcasting. This European standard has been introduced for all three known transmission methods – cable, satellite and terrestrial (aerial).

DVB-S stands for Digital Video Broadcasting via Satellite and DVB-C for that via cable. The terrestrial version is called DVB-T. This enable the wireless reception of digital television by means of a simple rod aerial or house aerial.

Elevation

Aerial adjustment angle measured between the horizontal and the satellite position. For ASTRA e.g.

 

Hamburg:

28,3°

Berlin:

29,7°

Munich:

34,2°

Brussels:

30,1°

Copenhagen:

26,3°

Helsinki:

21,6°

Paris:

31,6°

Athens:

45,7°

London:

28,3°

Rome:

41,2°

Amsterdam:

28,7°

Vienna:

34,6°

Lisabon:

36,4°

Prague:

32,4°

Budapest:

35,4°

FEC

FORWARD ERROR CORRECTION. An error correction system for the transmission path.

Footprint

A limited area in which a satellite can be received with a particular aerial size.

 

H/V Polarisation

The frequencies radiated from satellites are transmitted in the vertical and horizontal plane. There are two aerials in the LNB for the respective reception planes. The changeover is initiated from the receiver via the aerial cable. This takes place with the help of a voltage of ca. 13 Volt for vertical and ca. 17 Volt for horizontal.

High-Band

Frequency range from 11.7-12.75 GHz. Used by Astra satellite systems for broadcasting digital programmes. (see 22 kHz)

Ku-Band

Satellite transmission range 10.7-12.75 GHz.

LNB

Low Noise Blockconverter.

The signals in the frequency range 10.7-12.75 GHz are converted to the range 950-2150 MHz in the LNB. The aerials for horizontal and vertical polarisation and an amplifier are also located in the LNB.

Low-Band

Frequency range from 10.7-11.7 GHz. Used by Astra satellite systems for broadcasting analogue programmes. (See 22 kHz)

Multifeed

An aerial on which two or more LNBs are mounted enabling different satellites to be received (ASTRA, HOTBIRD etc.).

Multi-switch

Various things have to be switched within the satellite distribution equipment. Distributors can only be used in rare cases. Multi-switches allow the selected reception ranges to be routed to the receiver. Switching criteria are 13/18 Volt for the vertical/ horizontal switching and 22 kHz for high/low band switching or DiSEqC.

NIT

Network Information Table

Information concerning reception data sometimes broadcast by programme presenters. Service for automatically finding all programmes broadcast by the presenter.

Quattro-LNB

For digital distribution systems. LNB with four outputs for horizontal and vertical with high and low band in each case. Can only be used with 5/4 multi-switch.

Noise figure

Figure in dB, which specifies the quality of the amplifier used in an LNB. The smaller the value, the better the LNB.

Receiver

The satellite receiver contains the electronics, which produces a TV picture from the satellite signal. It provides the LNB with its operating voltage and the switching information for the vertical and horizontal aerial. The programme memory, which contains the reception frequencies and audio carriers, is also located in the receiver.

Satellit

E.g. ASTRA or Eutelsat system – Satellites are situated in a geostationary orbit some 36,000km vertically above the equator.

Smartcard

Card for enabling one or more programmes. Visually similar to a telephone card.

Symbol rate

Signal data rate.

Transponder

Transmitter device on the satellite. In digital technology, the parameters are defined by specifying frequencies and symbol rates.

Universal LNB

An LNB for the additional frequency range 11.7-12.75 GHz. Most digital programmes are to be found in this range.

22 kHz puls

Changeover switches can be controlled or universal LNBs can be switched to the digital range by means of this pulse generated by the receiver.