Promax Electronica, S.L

from PRO50 2017

INC System Integrations

PRECISION TESTING INSTRUMENTS FOR COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS

Promax Electronica S.L. has provided cutting-edge test and measurement equipment for broadcast, cable, satellite, fibre optics and telecommunications for over 50 years, with sustained investment in R&D&I (research and development and innovation).

Founded in Barcelona in 1963, the company’s first developments included instruments to generate television and radio signals to test early TV and radio receivers and electronic laboratory instruments. All products were market-ready a year after the company’s formation. This dynamic and innovative spirit of the first few years has been maintained to the present day allowing Promax to have consistent growth.

Challenged by constant advances in electronics and telecommunications, the company has strived hard to keep its products

ahead of the competition. Over the years, Promax have been proud innovators of a wide range of products that are applied for a large variety of applications. Today, Promax leads the way in test and measurement solutions worldwide to support the IT revolution. The company holds a large number of patents and continue to invest heavily in new product development. All products are distributed and supported worldwide through a mix of direct and indirect sales channels.

Promax’s current product portfolio includes a wide range of telecommunications test instruments to provide testing solutions for cable, satellite and digital terrestrial television, fibre optics, IPTV, OTT, wifi as well as terrestrial TV modulators, transmodulators, IP streamers, etc. There is a continuous trend towards integration in electronic products of very small components such as BGAs, fine-pitch and 0201 outline, among others. Production in these cases must be carried out in a ‘clean room’ under controlled environmental conditions.

TEST AND MEASUREMENT FOR BROADCAST AND SATELLITE

After several successful generations of TV and satellite analysers, Promax is now introducing the RangerNeo Lite in the Middle East, which is a multi-function TV and sat spectrum analyser that covers a comprehensive mix of broadcast standards such as DVB-T2/C2/S2 with MPEG-2, MPEG-4 as well as HEVC video decoding. The RangerNeo Lite is a new breed of multifunction analysers, intended to help installers not only to make their classic installation work easier but also to deal with the many challenges brought about by the wireless world (wifi networks, LTE interference) and the new video delivery platforms, besides the standard residential and MDU coaxial cabling networks.

HEVC H.265 decoding and exceptional spectrum analyser capabilities are at the heart of the RANGERNeo Lite field strength metre surrounded by many functions such as wifi analysis (including real spectrum display), wide band LNB compatibility, constellation diagram and dynamic echoes analysis, all in a very compact and light weight product (1.6 Kg) ideal for work outside in the field.

WIFI ANALYSER

In reference to wifi for instance, wifi signals can be disturbed by interference from other wifi stations, for example other access points, but also from non-wifi signals such as wireless CCTV cameras, bluetooth, wirelessUSB,

Zigbee (used in Domotics), cordless phones, etc. The RangerNeo Lite provides all relevant information from wifi access points such as SSID, RSSI and SNR and RF measurement from non-wifi signals in the 2.4 Ghz band so that it is possible to assess what is the best wifi channel to use. It also indicates the number of access points per channel.

SATELLITE wbLNB

Wideband LNBs deliver the entire vertical and horizontal satellite polarities (low and high bands together) using two separate RF cables and an extended IF frequency range from 290 to 2,340 MHz. RangerNeo Lite is built to work with satellite IF bands, allowing spectrum analysis and demodulation of satellite broadcast signals present within that band.

TOP LEVEL SPECTRUM ANALYSER

HD Ranger 3 was designed for those who look for a top level field strength metre that can cover any broadcast and satellite application. This enhanced analyser adds a large array of features ranging from transport stream and T2-MI analysis to IPTV streaming metrics, including shoulder attenuation measurement, TS recording, fibre optic power metre and RF converter option, signal monitoring, drive test and transmitter coverage mapping and much more.

The HD Ranger 3 TV & SAT spectrum analyser allows users to take measurements with the signal coverage tool and export them to a Google Earth 3D map. The KML Generator is a free online tool that converts files generated by the HD Ranger 3 into KML files that can be opened in Google Earth.

The shoulder attenuation measurement must be performed following the procedure well described in the norms governing the corresponding standards, DVB-T, ATSC, etc, which are far from being straightforward and require a high performance spectrum analyser and proper operator skills. Maximum peak values within the channel depending on signal type and resolution filter used, channel limits,

several values at different frequency offsets and different calculations, all these need to be determined to do this measurement. The HD Ranger 2 and HD Ranger 3 are now able to perform this measurement automatically and display it along with other relevant data such as pilot carrier amplitude, MER, VBER, etc. These are priceless professional equipment in the satellite business as well, covering testing needs in a wide range of applications such as DTH, Terrestrial Interference (TI), TVRO, earth stations, OB vans, SNGs, flyaways, etc, given their full compatibility with DVB-S/S2 and even DVB-S2 multistream standards, 8/16/32-APSK constellations including graphical display in real time, CCM/ VCM/ACM modulation schemes, advanced spectrum analysis tools for satellite beacon identification, capability to work with optical LNBs and wideband LNBs, etc.

The HD Ranger 3 FSM is definitely a future-proof tool ready for the fast-paced adoption of IP communication technology in broadcast environments. Multicast IPTV can be analysed indepth, de-encapsulated and TV picture of the corresponding services will be decoded and displayed on screen. No matter what the signal source, IPTV or RF broadcast (terrestrial, satellite or CATV), the transport stream can be recorded and analysed for real-time monitoring of the PSI/SI tables, bitrate analysis and displaying prioritised DVB errors.

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