Munich, 17 September 2007 — With the R&S SFE broadcast tester, Rohde & Schwarz is presenting a signal generator for analog and digital TV standards as well as numerous sound broadcasting standards. Up to three standards can be installed simultaneously. The SFE combines an RF modulator, a universal realtime coder, and baseband signal sources in one instrument, allowing it to generate broadcast signals in the frequency range from 100 kHz to 2.5 GHz in realtime. Owing to its modular design, the R&S SFE can be ideally adapted to various user requirements in lab, service, or production applications. The R&S SFE generates all signals for analog or digital terrestrial TV, for cable, satellite, and mobile TV, and for digital sound broadcasting. Switching over between different standards is quick and easy – at the press of a key. The software can be updated with additional and future standards at any time; up to three standards can be installed. The versatile baseband signal sources make it possible to generate test signals from Rohde & Schwarz libraries for digital TV standards and to replay proprietary transport streams. For analog TV, the R&S SFE offers an additional video/audio test signal generator. Moreover, the user can feed transport streams or analog A/V signals from external baseband generators. An ARB waveform generator generates user-defined modulation signals. Waveform files from Rohde & Schwarz as well as user-created files allow the instrument to be used in many areas. For simulating interference in real transmission channels, the broadcast tester can also be equipped with a digital AWGN generator. A BER measurement checks the transmission quality in the channel and the reception quality in the DUT. For this purpose, the R&S SFE generates a baseband signal with a PRBS as useful data. The R&S SFE detemines the bit error ratio either by the bit stream received from the DUT or from the decoded transport stream. The multistandard platform is suitable for a wide variety of lab applications as well as for service and quality assurance purposes. Due to its excellent price/performance ratio and compact design, the R&S SFE with its optional ARB generator is also the perfect solution for use in production. Furthermore, the broadcast tester is an ideal supplement to the successful R&S SFU broadcast test system. The tried-and-tested operating concept as well as the straightforward graphical user interface of the high-end instrument were completely adopted by the R&S SFE and make it easier to train users. Both instruments are remote-control-compatible with each other. The remote-control programs for the R&S SFU and the R&S SFE can thus be exchanged quickly and easily between development, service, quality assurance, and production. The R&S SFE multistandard broadcast tester will be available from Rohde & Schwarz as of October 2007.