Digital Audio Broadcasting: Principles and Applications

The new Digital Radio system DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) is a highly innovative and universal multimedia broadcast system that will replace the existing AM and FM audio broadcast services in many parts of the world in the immediate future. It is designed for excellent mobile reception, is highly robust against multipath reception and allows the use of single frequency networks (SFN) for high frequency efficiency. In addition to several high-quality digital audio services, DAB is able to transmit programme associated data and a host of other data services including travel and traffic information and still and moving pictures. Dynamic multiplex management on the network side opens up new possibilities for flexible programming. Written in an accessible style, "Digital Audio Broadcasting" provides an excellent guide for developers in industry, planning engineers together with broadcasters, network providers and service and content providers. For students and those wishing to get to grips with the new concepts of digital broadcasting it will serve as a comprehensive introduction to the field. It explains the basic concepts of DAB including audio processing, data transmission and modulation schemes and how the system can be implemented and operated, and features new broadcasting components such as perceptual audio coding (MPEG-1 and MPEG-2), OFDM channel coding and modulation, multiplex management (STI) and data transmission protocols (MOT). It focuses on the practical implications for service provision and coverage planning and the new infrastructure required in studios and broadcasting houses for multiplex and network management, and provides an insight into current receiver development strategies.