Video Quality Monitors Datasheet

Features & Benefits

• High-density solution: 2 RF inputs with 8 parallel QAM tuners or 1 RF input with 4 tuners
• Analyzer-quality QAM RF Measuring Capability. RF Measurements include:
• RF Lock Indication (including LED on rear panel)
• Input Signal Level (Channel Power)
• EVM
• MER
• CNR
• Pre-RS BER
• Post-FEC Uncorrectable TS Packet Count
• Carrier Offset
• Constellation diagram provided for diagnostics
• Monitors RF signals up to 1 GHz
• QAM A/B/C support
• Remote management of RF measurement collection
• Proactively detect RF issues before they impact subscribers
• Full range of Transport Stream monitoring capabilities
• 1RU footprint minimizes rack space and power costs
• Highly scalable solution where multiple units can be managed by the Medius Application Manager
• Additional service monitoring capabilities available for QAM channels in the clear: audio/video QoE, Ad Verification, EBIF, tru2way™, MHP, and DSM-CC carousel analysis

Applications

• RF measurements post-QAM at the hub and at headends where QAM is used
• Two RF inputs enable simultaneous monitoring from different sources on 8-tuner unit
• High quality MER measurements for quick detection when signal quality is inadequate to be tuned by set-top box
• Comprehensive RF reporting for targeted, rapid problem isolation
• Cost-effective, high-density solution enables more effective monitoring of the network edge
• Remote management of RF measurement collection saves time and money for providers now collecting data in the field

 

Sentry Edge II™ is the high-performance, high-density RF monitoring solution from Tektronix. The product detects transport stream and RF modulation errors generated by equipment errors or failures, and provides reporting and alerting capabilities for services in the RF and TS domains. Sentry Edge II delivers high quality RF measurements at scale for 24/7 video monitoring environments economically.

Sentry Edge II takes RF monitoring to the next level with monitoring density of 4 or 8 tuners per unit. More tuners per unit reduce the time to round robin, so RF issues can be identified sooner. Customers can round robin or park on any of the tuners, or chose any combination of these options.

Excellent MER performance across the entire frequency range lets service providers detect a drop in signal quality before there is impact to subscribers.

Constellation diagram.

Sentry Edge II is designed to deliver precision measurements at scale in fast-paced video network environments. The product provides comprehensive, highly accurate RF measurements to speed problem isolation.

The Sentry family of video quality monitoring products comprise a S2E (Source-to-Edge) monitoring solution. This solution is a comprehensive 24/7 real-time monitoring system with a 60-day historical database, executive reports, and trending analysis. Multiple Sentry Edge II units can be managed using the Medius Application Manager.

Sentry Edge II monitors the edge of the video network just before content is sent to subscriber homes. It can also be used at headends for QAM HFC distribution monitoring.

RF measurements and specifications

QAM demodulator

Characteristic	Specification
Modulation format
QAM A	16QAM, 64QAM, 256QAM Compliant with ITU J-83 Annex A and DVB-C ETS 300 429
QAM B	64QAM, 256QAM compliant with ITU J-83 Annex B, SCTE07 Compliant
QAM C	16QAM, 64QAM, 256QAM Compliant with ITU J-83 Annex C
Modulation rate
QAM A	5 Mbaud/s min to 6.952 Mbaud/s max
QAM B	5.057 Mbaud/s, 5.360 Mbaud/s
QAM C	5 Mbaud/s min to 5.5 Mbaud/s max
Input signal level	–50 dBm to –15 dBm

RF measurements

Characteristic	Specification
RF lock	LED on back of unit and indication on UI
Input signal strength (Channel Power)	Range: –55 dBm to –15 dBm Resolution: 0.1 dBm Accuracy: ±3 dBm
Error Vector Magnitude (EVM)	Range: 64QAM – 0.6% to 5% RMS Range: 256QAM – 0.6% to 2.5% RMS Resolution: 0.1% Accuracy: Within 20% of reading
Modulation Error Ratio (MER)	Range: 22 dB to 41 dB Resolution: 0.1 dB Accuracy: ±3 dB
Carrier to Noise Ratio (CNR)	Range: 22 dB to 41 dB Resolution: 1 dB Accuracy: ±3 dB
Pre-RS BER	Pre-RS BER displayed
Post-FEC Uncorrectable TS packet rate	Post-FEC Uncorrectable TS packet rate displayed
Carrier offset	Resolution: 1 Hz Carrier offset displayed
I/Q Constellation	I/Q Constellation displayed