MPEG Transport Stream Processor

TV headends are used to feed both analog and digital television into cable networks. Their primary function is to convert television signals from any source (satellite, terrestrial broadcasts, or radio) into cable-specific formats.

Typical applications include cable distribution systems for:

  • Network operators such as Kabel-BW, United Media, Kabel Deutschland, etc.
  • Hotels
  • Military barracks
  • Cities and municipalities that need to provide cable TV to communities where satellite dishes are prohibited.

For such headends, we have developed FPGA designs and implemented their control via microcontrollers.

Our services

Development of microcontroller and FPGA designs for various modules of a TV headend to implement digital cable television:

  • DVB-T → DVB-C
  • DVB-S → DVB-C
  • DVB-S2 → DVB-C

Design and implementation of software for the microcontroller as well as realization of the FPGA design.

Technologies

Hardware

  • Xilinx Spartan 3
  • ARM7
  • DVB-S/S2/T Network Interface Modules (NIM)
  • QAM Modulator BCM3033/34

Programming Languages

  • VHDL
  • C

Interfaces

  • I2C
  • UART
  • Parallel MPEG-2

Encodings

  • DVB-S/S2/T/C
  • MPEG-2

Tools

FPGA Design

  • Xilinx ISE – FPGA synthesis
  • Modelsim – FPGA simulation

Software Development

  • Arm RealView – C/C++ development environment and compiler