MCX8000

Multi-Carrier Satellite Gateway

The MCX8000 multi-carrier satellite gateway is a high density, high Media & Broadcast
availability, fully redundant slotted-based modular system designed for
Direct-To-Home (DTH) broadcasting, primary distribution to head ends Direct-To-Home (DTH)
and OTT delivery of video and audio content. Thanks to its slotted based Distribution to Towers (DTT)
architecture, the MCX8000 system provides a 3 in 1 solution designed to Distribution to Head-Ends
reduce down-time and simplify operational support costs with two OTT Delivery
hot-swappable modem modules that can be added or removed
without any special tools or affecting the operation of the other slot,
Main Advantages:
hot-swappable power supply units and an integrated 1+1 redundancy
• Upgrade or downgrade to any of the
switch.
configurations by adding or removing
modules and loading the appropriate
Built upon the M(DM)6100 and MCX7000 software suites capabilities,
software licenses
the MCX8000 can provide up to four 80 Msps carriers to be modulated
• Highest system reliability and service
with full support of the DVB satellite standards up to DVB-S2X. Transport
uptime through robust design and
streams embedded in one of the received carriers can be output (or
industry leading redundancy solutions
transmodulated) on one of the eight (optional) ASI or four Ethernet
• Low TCO using very high bandwidth
ports. The same data interfaces can be used as input ports for the
efficiency technology options, and ease
modulator. The MCX8000 also features a web-base GUI dashboard
of monitoring and control
designed to guide you through the configuration of the system and
• Clean Channel Technology provides up
align with any use case.
to 15% bandwidth efficiency gains on
top of the DVB-S2 standard
• Future-proof design combining video
and IP multiservice capabilities, supports
transport of today's and tomorrow's
services
• Multi-stream reception and transmission
(16 streams in modulator)
Use Cases
Direct-to-Home

Direct-to-Home or DTH enables a broadcasting company to directly deliver the satellite signal to consumer households. The consumer has an
individual reception system existing of an antenna/dish and satellite Integrated Receiver-Decoder (IRD)/receiver). Bringing quality content to the
largest possible subscriber base is one of the key factors of DTH. However, the bandwidth pipe over satellite is limited and could impose a hard
limit on quality, subscriber coverage and growth.

The MCX8000 Multi-Carrier Satellite Gateway has the right features for squeezing the maximum throughput out of the available bandwidth,
whether using the DVB-S, DVB-S2, or DVB-S2X standard. It supports SMPTE 2022-7 Seamless Protection Switching providing reliable transport
stream delivery.

Thanks to its slotted based architecture, the MCX8000 system provides a 3 in 1 solution designed to reduced down-time and simplify
operational support costs with two hot-swappable modem modules that can be added or removed without any special tools or affecting the
operation of the other slot, hot-swappable power supply units and an integrated 1+1 redundancy switch.

ST Engineering iDirect | www.idirect.net

Distribution-To-Towers

Distribution to Towers or DTT utilizes conventional antennas (or aerials) instead of satellite dishes or cable connections to deliver video and audio
services to cstomers. While the transmission of radio frequencies through airwaves is like analogue television, the biggest difference is that the
multiplex transmitters enable the reception of multiple channels on a single frequency range.

The MCX8000 Multi-Carrier Satellite Gateway ideally fits as a satellite front-end feeding multiple IRDs (Integrated Receiver Decoders). The
MCX8000 receives multiple MPEG-2 transport streams from a single or multiple saturated transponder(s) using DVB-S2X. It then extracts those
transport streams and feeds them over ASI or IP into the existing installed base of IRDs. One MCX8000 can be used for tens of TV channels. In case
older IRDs have no ASI nor IP input, the MCX8000 can even transmodulate the DVB-S2X multistream carrier into a traditional DVB-S/DVB-S2 single
stream carrier.

What are the benefits to use the MCX8000 for DTT?

AES or Asynchronous Encryption Standard allows to encrypt the content delivered to the towers. In the ST Engineering iDirect's modulators and
demodulators, two different AES keys can be defined (odd and even key). New keys are pushed to the demodulator via in-band uni-directional
remote control. Change keys on the fly? The IP data from the AES key generator is MPE encapsulated with the build in MPE encapsulator. The MPE
encapsulated data is injected in the transport stream by replacing some null packets present in the transport stream.

ST Engineering iDirect | www.idirect.net

Over-The-Top Distribution

Over-the-top or OTT refers to the productized practice of streaming content to customers directly over the web. It represents the future of
entertainment. It is essential that service providers offer content that is ready to be viewed on consumer devices. However, at the same time,
it is imperative to keep costs under control.

Growing traffic is a fundamental challenge when broadcasting popular content – especially live – to a wide audience. Bandwidth needs to be
used efficiently and traffic needs to be minimized.

A Content Distribution Network (CDN) significantly reduces traffic on the distribution backbone by storing multiple copies of the same
content as close as possible to the consumer. At the same time, start latency is minimized as well as buffering of the content.
Converting as much unicast transmission as possible to multicast transmission avoids sending multiple copies of the same content across the
network, thus saving a huge amount of bandwidth. The received content will typically be converted to unicast for delivery over Wi-Fi towards
mobile devices.

Whether the receiving device is a professional receiver, for reception at cellular towers (3G/4G/5G) or ATSC 3.0 towers, or Customer Premises
Equipment (CPE) used in the home or at a business, they can both be equipped to receive multicast traffic and host a CDN.
Broadcast transmission is integral to successful content distribution. And at the heart of that is a traditionally overlooked solution: satellite.

ST Engineering iDirect | www.idirect.net

Specifications
Key Features

• Configurations: - Programmable amplitude slope equalizer

- 2x DVB-S2X carrier modulators with optional ASI interfaces- - 8 x PRBS generators and 3 x PRBS detectors for link
- 4x DVB-S2X carrier modulators with optional ASI interfaces ( performance tests (per modem board)
2 modulators per modem module) - Optional high stability internal clock reference
- 2x DVB-S2X carrier modulators with integrated 1+1 - Optional dual AC power supply
redundancy switch • Low TCO using very high bandwidth efficiency technology
• Minimum symbol rate: 256 kbaud options, and ease of monitoring and control:
• Maximum symbol rate: 80 Mbaud - DVB-S2X, DVB-S2, DVB-DSNG and DVB-S compliant
• Data rates up to 425 Mbps - QPSK, 8PSK, 16APSK, 32APSK, 64APSK, 128APSK and 256 APSK
• IF (50/180) and L-Band (950 - 2150) high power outputs - Clean Channel Technology provides up to 15% bandwidth
• Highest system reliability and service uptime through robust efficiency gains on top of the DVB-S2 standard
design and industry leading redundancy solutions: - Optional 2% roll-off on modulator side for highest efficiency
- Hot-swappable components (Modem modules, PSU's) - Multi-stream CCM or VCM mode with ISSY
- Integrated 1+1 redundancy switch - Selection of DSNG profiles acc. WBU-ISOG including DVB-S2X
- Exceptional jitter recovery on TS over IP inputs with SMPTE standard
2022 FEC - Secure front panel, SNMP, HTTP and CLI interface
- Redundant optional ASI or GbE interfaces in single stream • Future-proof design combining video and IP multiservice
mode capabilities, supports transport of today´s and tomorrow´s
- Redundancy with main TS over ASI and back-up TS over IP services:
input - Multi-stream reception and transmission (16 streams in
- Redundant optional ASI interfaces for up to 8 TS input streams modulator)
(4 per modem board) - Up to 8 Transport Streams mux/demux on GbE (TS over IP)
- Stream and Source redundancy on TS over IP inputs and 4 on optional ASI interfaces (per board)
- Optional Seamless Protection Switching acc. SMPTE 2022-7 on - Transport Stream over IP outputs optimized for minimal Packet
TS over IP inputs Inter-Arrival-Time
- User configurable alarm table for device & carrier redundancy - VLAN support
switching • 4 x built-in encapsulators for opportunistic data insertion of at
- Carrier-based redundancy switching in a multiple modulator least 100 Mbps (per modem board), interoperable with IRDs that
1+1 configuration support Multi-Protocol Encapsulation (MPE)
- Input redundancy with Payload Stuffing as Switching Criterion • Supports SFN Networks using transparent TS pass-through
- Input redundancy with TR 101 290 Priority 1 parameters as • Optional AES encryption/decryption per ISI stream and per
Switching Criterion carrier
- Built-in TS Analyzer with PCR jitter measurements • Optional BISS scrambler and descrambler
- Accurate link margin monitoring using Noise & Distortion • External reference input
Estimator (NoDE) tool • Optional 10 MHz reference output
- RFI reduction using DVB RF Carrier ID (DVB-CID) and NIT table • Easy integration with industry leading management systems
CID (EMS/NMS/OSS)
- Automatic TS rate adaptation • Feature-based pricing and software upgrades
- ASI and TS over IP monitoring outputs of input TS streams • Pay-as-you-grow flexible licensing scheme
- L-band monitoring output • Remote in-band management
- Market leading RF purity and performance • Remote over-the-air software upgrade

ST Engineering iDirect | www.idirect.net

Data Interfaces Content Encryption and Protection

ASI Interface (Optional) BISS SCRAMBLER (OPTIONAL)

Single stream mode Support for BISS-0, BISS-1 and BISS-E
4 selectable ASI inputs on BNC (F) – On 4 TS (SPTS or MPTS) in modulator configurations
75 Ohm (coax)
Up to 200 Mbps per TS
188 or 204 byte mode
Up to 2 scramblers per modem board
Rate adapter
MPTS or SPTS according to ISO/IEC AES ENCRYPTION (OPTIONAL)
13818 AES encryption of Baseband frames
Multistream mode
64-bit, 128-bit or 256 mode
4 BNC(F) - 75 Ohm (coax) connectors
individually configurable as input or One AES encryption per carrier
output or as 3 redundant TS inputs Single key or one key per ISI stream
with auto switching Up to 1 x 140 Mbps or 4 x 32 Mbps or
188 or 204 byte mode 6 x 23 Mbps/ carrier
Rate adapter
MPTS or SPTS according to ISO/IEC IP/Ethernet frames Encapsulation/
13818
Decapsulation
ETH Interface
Auto switching 10/100/1000 Base-T 4 MPE encapsulators per board
Ethernet interface
4 MPE decapsulators per board
VLAN support
Layer 3 static router over satellite
Transport stream over IP interface
(UDP/RTP), unicast or multicast Layer 2 bridge over satellite (VLAN compatible)

Seamless Protection Switching Max aggregate: 100 Mbps (per board)

SMPTE 2022-7 on
TSoIP inputs (optional) in the
300 kbps - 90 Mbps bit rate range
Forward Error Correction SMPTE
2022-1 and -2
Rate adapter
MPTS or SPTS according to ISO/IEC
13818

ST Engineering iDirect | www.idirect.net

Modulation

SUPPORTED MODULATION SCHEMES AND FEC CLEAN CHANNEL TECHNOLOGY

DVB-S Roll-off option (on modulator): 2%
• Outer/Inner FEC: Reed Solomon / Viterbi
• MODCODs: QPSK: 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8 Roll-off: 5% -10% -15% -20% - 25% - 35%
DVB-DSNG Optimum carrier spacing
• Outer/Inner FEC: Reed Solomon / Viterbi Advanced filter technology
• MODCODs: 8PSK: 2/3, 5/6, 8/9 - 16QAM 3/4, 7/8
CARRIER INTERFERENCE REDUCTION
DVB-S2 (acc. ETSI EN 302 307 v1.2.1 for DVB-S2)
• Outer/Inner FEC: BCH/LDPC DVB RF Carrier ID (DVB-CID)
• 52 MODCODs (short & normal frames) • Spread Spectrum Modulator (BPSK)
- QPSK: from 1/4 to 9/10 • Supports User Data
- 8PSK: from 3/5 to 9/10 • Compliant to ETSI 103 129 v1.1.1 (2013-05)
- 16APSK: from 2/3 to 9/10
- 32APSK: from 3/4 to 9/10 Modulation Interfaces
DVB-S2X standard
L-BAND (CONFIGURATION OPTION) (QTY: 0-4)
• Outer/Inner FEC: BCH/LDPC
• 53 MODCODs (normal frames): Connector SMA(F), 50 Ohm
- QPSK: from 1/4 to 9/10 Frequency 950 - 2150 MHz (10 Hz steps)
- 8PSK: from 3/5 to 9/10
- 16APSK: from 26/45 to 9/10 Level -35/+7 dBm (+/- 2dB)
- 32APSK: from 32/45 to 9/10
Return loss > 14 dB
- 64APSK: from 11/15 to 5/6
- 128APSK: 3/4; 7/9 Switchable 10 MHz Reference
- 256APSK: 32/45; 3/4
• 13 Linear MODCODs (normal frames): Spurious performance
- 8APSK-L: 5/9; 26/45 • Better than - 65 dBc/4 kHz @ +5 dBm output level and
- 16APSK-L: from 1/2 to 2/3 > 256 kbaud
- 32APSK-L: 2/3
IF-BAND (CONFIGURATION OPTION) (QTY: 0-4)
- 64APSK-L: 32/45
- 256APSK-L: 29/45 to 11/15 Connector BNC (F) - 75 Ohm (intermateable with 50 Ohm)
• 41 MODCODs (short frames): Frequency 50 - 180 MHz (10 Hz steps)
- QPSK: from 11/45 to 8/9
- 8PSK: from 7/15 to 8/9 Level -35/+10 dBm (± 2 dB)
- 16APSK: from 7/15 to 8/9 Return loss 50 Ohm: > 14 dB / 75 Ohm: > 20 dB
- 32APSK: from 2/3 to 8/9
Spurious performance
Support of DVB-S2 VCM mode • Better than - 65 dBc/4 kHz @ +5 dBm output level and > 256
SYMBOL RATE RANGE kbaud

Modulator Non-signal related:< - 80 dBc @ +5 dBm output

L-BAND MONITORING (QTY: 0-4)
DVB-S2, DVB-S2X 256 kbaud -
80 Mbaud Connector SMA (F), 50 Ohm

DVB-S & DSNG 1 - 45 Mbaud Frequency same as L-Band output

Frequency or 1050 MHz in case of IF output option only
FRAME LENGTH
Level -45 dBm
DVB-S & DVB-DSNG 188 bytes
Return loss > 10 dB
DVB-S2 & DVB-S2X
Short Frames 16200 bits
10 MHz REFERENCE INPUT
Connector BNC (F), 50 Ohm
DVB-S2, DVB-S2X
Normal Frames 64800 bits Output level +3 dBm (+/- 2 dB)

ST Engineering iDirect | www.idirect.net

Internal 10 MHz Reference Frequency Physical

STANDARD STABILITY Height: 1RU, width: 19”, depth 51 cm,

Stability: +/- 2000 ppb over 0 to 70° Weight: 9.3 kg
Ageing: +/- 1000 ppb/year Box:
VERY HIGH STABILITY (OPTIONAL) • Size: 720x600x190 mm
• Weight (max): ~11.5 kg
Stability: +/- 2 ppb over 0 to 65°C Power supply:
Ageing: +/- 500 ppb/10 year • 90-130 & 180-260 Vac
• 260 VA, 47-63Hz
Monitoring Interfaces Temperature:
• Operational: 0°C to +50°C
MONITOR AND CONTROL INTERFACES • Storage: -40° to +70° C / -40°F to +158°F

Web server GUI (HTTP) via web browser Humidity: 5% to 85% non-condensing

M&C connectivity via seperate Ethernet links CE label and UL

PSU Module
Diagnostics report, alarm log (HTTP) • Module size: 41x165x199mm
• Module weight: 1020 gr
SNMP v2c
Front panel module
RESTful API
• Module size: 43x63x421mm
• Module weight: 340gr
Modem module
• Module size: 43x150x315 mm
• Module weight: 340gr
Platform module
• Module size: 43x60x315 mm
• Module wieght: 360gr max

For more information please contact your Sales Representative at

[email protected].

ST Engineering iDirect | www.idirect.net