Digital Satellite Downlink Reception - American Forces Radio and ...

Defense Media Center Satellite Handbook V.3.26
Table 4-3 Bit Error Rate (BER) to Threshold Margin Table
Bit Error Rate Reading SatNet FEC ¾ DTS FEC 2/3
2.00E-02 -- 0.22
1.00E-02 0.36 1.44
5.00-03 1.36 2.36
2.00-03 2.38 3.36
1.00E-03 3.12 4.10
5.00E-04 3.78 4.76
2.00E-04 4.56 5.54
1.00E-04 5.08 6.10
5.00E-05 5.58 6.60
2.00E-05 6.14 7.12
1.00E-05 6.50 7.48
5.00E-06 6.78 7.78
2.00E-06 7.18 8.18
1.00E-06 7.42 8.46
Note: The information shown is the amount of margin, in dB, over the DVB specification threshold
for a given BER display. For example, a BER reading of 5.00E – 04 on a SATNET decoder
provides 3.78 dB of margin over the Eb/No threshold of 5.5 dB or a total Eb/No of 9.28 dB. At the
same BER, DTS provides 4.76 dB of margin over the Eb/No threshold of 5.0 dB for a total Eb/No
of 9.76 dB.
Scientific Atlanta developed the table from actual testing of decoders over a range of symbol
rates. The standard deviation is 0.2 dB.
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