GatesAir to demonstrate second generation of Maxiva MultiD DAB transmitters at NAB 2023

The subsidiary of Thomson Broadcast, GatesAir, will present at NAB 2023 the second generation of Maxiva MultiD multi-channel DAB/DAB+ radio transmitters with new advantages such as better power and bandwidth management, connectivity and monitoring and control functions.

The MultiD series is the fruit of the ingenious engineering work of the GatesAir Europe team, which developed the series for reduce costs and infrastructure of multi-channel DAB broadcasting per location.

The original MultiD system integrates three independent transmitters within a single chassis 1RU, rather than requiring a separate transmitter for each channel plus an external combiner and auxiliary hardware.

In addition to exceptional space savings, MultiD introduced new efficiencies for DAB broadcasters by Independent service inputs and signal processing engines, and a single modulator for three DAB radio services within the same channel band (10A, 10B and 10C, for example).

These and other advantages, such as Adjustable RF power for each transmitter, are carried over to second generation MultiD systems with notable improvements. The new MultiD system design adds capacity for a fourth DAB service and removes the limitations of broadcasting all services within a single DAB channel band. This means that MultiD customers can now broadcast four independent DAB radio services via separate channels (such as 10A, 10B, 11A and 11B). This is useful, for example, for broadcasters who have not been assigned all licenses within a given channel.

The output power per channel can now also be tailored to each customer's specifications. The original MultiD system was capped at 150W, limiting users to three DAB services at 50W each. With the new modular design, DAB broadcasters can now order a 1.5kW MultiD system to support three 500W services, or a 1.2kW system to support four 300W services.

It is also possible to set different power levels for different DAB services. With such exceptional power output flexibility, MultiD systems can now be configured to service virtually any combination of power levels for up to four DAB services. The ability to split system capacity is also useful for MultiD systems that share different tenants, common in road tunnels, where broadcasters can effectively consolidate resources to ensure consistent coverage of their most important broadcasts.

The multicarrier architecture MultiD provides the same high efficiency benefits even when supporting more than one tenant or broadcasting over more than one DAB channel. This includes considerable footprint reduction by eliminating the need for external RF combining.

MultiD internally combines low-level RF signals and then generates and retransmits all independent DAB services through a single amplifier. The streamlined architecture requires only one band-pass filter and one RF antenna connector for transmission to listeners.

The architecture can be further simplified by advanced IP network features and single wire connections. The new MultiD system designs incorporate four independent EDI inputs for IP contribution and distribution. Users can select between IP-based (EDI) and legacy (ETI) connections, providing flexibility to transport signals using both IP and microwave connections. GatesAir has also added a secure HTML5 user interface to remotely monitor and analyze signal health and performance from any browser.