MDSA Racked Components

MDS America Designed Components

MDS America markets a broad array of communication equipment. These products are designed for use within the MDS systems such as the MDSA Technology MPEG-2 DVB TV and Internet system.

MDSA Technology MPEG-2 DVB TV and Internet System

Introduction

The MDSA Technology terrestrial broadcasting system provides a number of valuable solutions in high-speed internet connectivity, digital TV broadcast and Satellite rebroadcast. The system's versatility, quick implementation time and cost effectiveness make it a very attractive alternative to cable and satellite service.

The MDSA Technology system allows TV service operators to provide subscribers programming from a number of sources. The system can transmit programming directly from a production studio, in addition to local channels, premium channels, pay per view and re-broadcasted satellite channels. The MDSA Technology can be configured to transmit programming from all these sources simultaneously, while providing high-speed internet access.

Design Capabilities

MDSA Technology offers the consumer more than 130 analog or High Definition channels on a wireless link, including multi language and Hi-Fi stereo sound, and up to 2000 digital MPEG-2 DVB channels and 5 Gbps Internet Access.

How it Works

At the Head-end: The satellite or terrestrial television programs and the local video productions are transmitted from the digital Head End or analog Head End with a discrete omni-directional or directional antenna to the consumers. The signal may be received up to 200 kilometers from the transmitter with a very small antenna.

At the Subscriber-end: The TV signal delivered by MDSA Technology can be processed with the our Analog and Digital Decoder, thus allowing the operator to manage subscription or pay-per-view at his liking.

Cellular MDSA Technology

MDSA Technology may also cover a wider area, such as a city or a country, by using a cellular structure, without any interference between the channels of the multiple cells or to existing DBS service. Only one low price Booster is needed to relay hundreds of analog or digital channels over many kilometers. Even a mirror or a piece of metal can reflect the signal of thousands of channels over kilometers.

Advantages of MDSA Technology

MDSA Technology is available at a very low cost, owing to the use of QPSK modulation, which needs far less powerful transmitters than A.M. (4 Watt Power can cover 200 km radius range.)

Since it is a wireless system, MDSA Technology only needs a few months to be fully operational, without the cost of complex engineering and public works.

MDSA Technology is ready for the wireless cable superhighway and can transmit NTSC-PAL-SECAM-MPEG-2, any existing and future TV standard. More than just another transmission system, MDSA Technology is a step towards global wireless communication.

MDSA Technology has a very large channel capacity, as well as extremely high picture and sound quality.

Configurations

In keeping with the systems design, the applications of this system are numerous. The MPEG-2 DVB MDSA Technology system can be configured in a number of ways to achieve a number of purposes:

Digital TV Broadcast
Satellite Re-broadcast
Internet Broadcast
TV & Internet Broadcast

Potential Use & Real World Application

The system provides solutions to telecommunications companies, ISPs and TV programming providers using the MDSA Technology MPEG-2 DVB system to provide a number of services including local TV channels, Satellite re-broadcasted channels and Internet access.

MDSA Technology Wireless High-Speed Internet

Introduction

MDSA Technology is an asymmetrical network system delivering data services at a high data rate to a large number of user stations via terrestrial MDSA Technology Transmitters using DVB standards. By using standard technology (which is also used for commercial set-top boxes) and taking advantage of the high data rates available in the DVB - MPEG-2 system, a very favorable cost/performance ratio can be achieved. The current implementation can deliver data at a rate up to 60 Mbps.

Technology Overview

The architecture of the MDSA Technology Internet System is based on an asymmetric network, where the downstream channel has a much higher bandwidth allocation (faster data rate) than the upstream. The reasons for the asymmetric network are derived primarily from the asymmetric nature of Internet applications. Activities such as World Wide Web (http) surfing send much more data down to the computer than from the computer to the network. Mouse clicks (URL requests) and e-mail messages are not bandwidth intensive in the upstream direction. Image files and streaming media (audio and video) are very bandwidth intensive in the downstream direction.

System Concept

A central server station sends the data packets over the MDSA Technology Transmitter directly to the end- user station. The end-user station can access the base station in a number of ways, the telephone line/modem connection being the most popular one. This connection, called "the return link", is used for transmitting requests and control information only.

The System can operate in one of three modes:

1. Passive-receive only: For passive receive-only operation (like push Email). No return link is required at all.

2. Fully interactive: For fully interactive service, the return link must be available during the whole session.

3. Partly interactive transaction mode: For request-reply transaction services the link is only required for the transmission of the requests and can be released during the reply phase (for example the transmission of a large multimedia file). The return link can also be established with a 2 Mbps MDSA radio system.

How it Works

At the MDSA Technology Hub

The basic Internet solution supplied by MDS America combines several of our components that are integrated with standard equipment:

The heart of the network, controlled by the MDSA Technology service provider, is the MDSA Technology equipment. This equipment consists of the Internet Radio Server, combining network access and conversion to the DVB transport stream format. MDS equipment integrates with the conventional equipment while utilizing available standard DVB modules.

The Internet Radio Server consists of:

MDSA Technology Internet Gateway
MDSA Technology Access Server
MDSA Technology Proxy Server

MDSA Technology Internet Gateway provides the connectivity between the network and the MDSA Technology Transmitter. On the input side the MDSA Technology Internet Gateway connects to the network via a LAN implementing 100BASE-TX Ethernet protocol. Its output is a standard DVB on either parallel LVDS or serial ASI interface. The MDSA Technology Internet Gateway is linked directly to a DVB modulator (in case of SCPC transmission) or alternatively to an optional DVB MUX which in turn connects to a DVB modulator (for MCPC transmissions).

Subscriber Level

At the subscriber end, an MDSA Technology modem and software will be deployed. It will typically have two connections: one to the antenna and the other to the computer.

The MDSA Technology Modem (HC60) is a device that allows high-speed data access (such as to the Internet /Intranet) via the MDSA Technology terrestrial broadcasting system. MDS's HC60P allows consumers to access the Internet at a fraction of the time it takes traditional telephone modems network. More than 7 Mbs (875 Kbytes per second) can be transferred for each FTP session.

The MDSA Technology Modem speed varies widely. In the downstream direction (from the network to the computer), speeds can be anywhere up to 52 Mbps. The return link (from computer to network) is provided via a normal PSTN, ISDN, GSM modem or possibly PCSP2, (wireless 2 Mbps radio modem), if available, depending on the application supported.

The MDSA Technology Modem sends and receives data in two slightly different fashions while benefiting from the nature and architecture of the broadcasting equipment and services.

In the downstream direction, the digital data is modulated and then placed on bandwidth available/allocated for this service by the MDSA Technology service provider (up to 52 Mbps).
The return channel is trickier and utilizes the currently available telephony modem found on any PC or Macintosh (even a 1200 bps telephone connection is enough to receive the 52 Mbps Internet downstream).

To give a better idea of this kind of speed, consider the following example:

The time a 25 MB file takes to download will be:

30 Kbps modem connection = 140 minutes
ISDN = 70 minutes
T1 = 3 minutes
MDSA Technology System = 3 minutes 30 seconds

Configurations

High Speed Internet Access (Radio and Modem ISP Configuration)

The MDSA Technology operator provides modem Internet services or collaborates with specific ISPs to together provide fast Internet services. The existing equipment at the ISP is configured to re-route the IP packets to the MDSA Technology Internet Gateway at the MDSA Technology Hub (Of course subscribers can still connect to the Local ISP in order to receive the high-speed network).

High Speed Internet Access (Radio only ISP Configuration)

The MDSA Technology operator does not provide any modem connection, only wireless high-speed access (up to 5 Gbps). The user keeps his usual modem ISP for the Requests packets. The subscriber can use any dynamic or static IP address. The subscriber can dial up to any local ISP, and receive the high-speed Internet via MDSA Technology.

Applications

MDSA Technology enables the typical array of Internet services to be delivered at speeds far faster than those offered through dial-up telephone modems. Other services may include access to streaming audio and video servers, broadcasting and multicasting of local (community information and services) as well as nation wide content sites, access to CD-ROM servers, and a wide variety of other offerings. New ideas like multi-participant net game services are being born daily.

Additional Applications:

High-Speed Internet Access for Organizations
MDSA Technology networks offer an attractive medium for providing low cost high-speed Internet/Intranet access for LAN users.
High Speed Intranet Distribution
Data Bank Services - Companies implementing their own private networks could establish new services or provide "on-line" services to their current customer base.

Potential Users and Real World Applications

The MDSA Technology's versatility, cost-effectiveness and quick implementation time make it very attractive to a number of potential users:

ISPs (for high-speed backbone connection)
Small to large organizations
Schools equipped with computer classrooms
Business centers and hotels providing Internet access as part of their services
Planes, Boats, etc.

Internet MDSA Technology Equipment

Transmission Equipment

The basic Internet solution supplied by MDS America combines several MDS elements that are integrated with standard equipment:

MDSA Technology Transmitter

The MDSA Technology Transmitter provides the signal from the Transmission Center to the subscribers.

Total traffic capacity of 5 Gbps
Coverage is 200 kilometer radius range with 4 watts power
A single MDSA Technology Transponder can provide 60 Mbps Internet bandwidth (combined with 15 digital TV channels or telephone network)

The Internet Radio Server consists of:

MDSA Technology Internet Gateway

The MDSA Technology Internet Gateway is the MPEG-2 DVB Encoder, which encodes the Internet information into MPEG-2 DVB signal
The Output Capacity of the MDSA Technology is 52 Mbps
The MDSA Technology Internet Gateway also runs the Encryption and Quality of Service functions

MDSA Technology Proxy Server

The MDSA Technology Proxy Server server can manage all the components of the high-speed network, and increases the TCP/IP performance (more than 8 Mbps per FTP session).

MDSA Technology Access Server Unit

The MDSA Technology Access Server Unit includes the billingn system. Specialized billing can be realized for each subscriber depending on the amount of data transferred, time connected and Quality Of Service (guaranteed bandwidth).
The MDSA Technology Access Server Unit also dialogs automatically with the subscriber's Receiver PC Boards, and therefore checks the PC Board serial number, User ID and User Password.
It also gives the approval for high-speed routing to authorized subscribers.

Multiplexer

The Multiplexer can combine up to 15 different MPEG-2 DVB sources (TV, Internet or Telephone) into a single output for broadcasting.

PCSP2 Wireless Modem

The PCSP2 is a full duplex point-to-multipoint wireless microwave link.
It can be used to provide a high-speed wireless return path (2 Mbps to 11 Mbps) for MDSA Technology Subscribers. Therefore, subscribers will be able to download 60 Mbps and upload 11 Mbps wirelessly.
Of course, each system can work alone (PCSP2 or MDSA Technology).

Reception Equipment

At the client site an MDSA Technology Decoder and software driver are deployed.

The Decoder is an internal plug-and-play PCI bus card compliant with standard PC platforms. The decoder input connects directly to the antenna.

The software driver integrates the MDSA Technology modem, runs under both Windows 95/98, Windows NT and Macintosh platforms, and utilizes the user's preferred Internet browser.