Options for creating a DAB receiver using Global
Silicon X-Core DSP and custom acceleration logic
By Morgan Colmer, July 2000, Global Silicon R&D Labs, Cambridge, UK
1. Introduction
1.1 Basic DAB requirements
For a number of years, the radio broadcasting
community has been researching a digital
broadcast method to overcome the problems
that analogue systems suffer from, in particular,
multipath interference, fading, Doppler effects,
and poor spectrum utilisation. In addition to
overcoming the technical failings of
conventional radio, the designers attempted to
afford a method of real-time, medium
bandwidth data delivery to listeners.
The solution they came up with, imaginatively
call "Digital Audio Broadcasting" or DAB is
necessarily complex due to the conflicting
requirements it addresses. The standard that
was developed was named "Eureka-147" and is
the European DAB standard.
Eureka-147 is unique in that it is a single
frequency system, meaning that the entire
country would be on one single [centre]
frequency. Because DAB can operate in the
presence of fairly extreme multipath
interference, other transmitters on the same
frequency will just be seen as an artificial source
of multipath distortions.
Because DAB is transmitted on only a few/one
[centre] frequencies, overall around the country,
the utilisation of available spectrum is less, even
though the DAB channel is far wider than any
single (say) FM station.
DAB is transmitted with convolution coding to
spread the spread the transmitted energy evenly
across the spectrum and makes use of modern
digital techniques such as ECC (error correction
codes). This means that the decoded signal is
less prone to fading or other interference based
errors.
1.2 WorldSpace - The Fly in the
Ointment
The Eureka-147 specification has been drawn
up and approved by ETSI, the European
standards agency. The ETSI specification has
also been adopted by Canada, Australia, Japan,
China and the majority of the Far Eastern
countries as the definitive standard for digital
audio broadcasting. Such unanimity obviously
means that the US has developed a rival system
rather than adopt anything 'foreign' as standard.
The obvious choice of name for such a, US-
only, standard is "WorldSpace". Eureka-147
and WorldSpace are technically as different as
can be imagined, removing any [commercially
viable] possibility of dual system receivers.
WorldSpace does have its advantages. The data
encoding is not quite so complex and so can be
decoded by a less sophisticated (and cheaper)
receiver. The power consumption of receivers
is also lower than it's Eureka-147 counterpart.
Being a newer specification, it was also able to
take advantage of the later MPEG-2.5 audio
encoding which has a number of advantages
over the MPEG-2 system adopted by Eureka-
147.
WorldSpace probably wouldn't be such a threat
to Eureka-147 if it hadn't already launched 3
satellites covering Africa, Asia, the Caribbean,
Latin America, the Mediterranean basin and the
middle east, potentially reaching 4.6 billion
listeners. WorldSpace has also bought a
substantial stake in BayGen the company
licences the clockwork radio (Trevor Baylis)
and are expected to start producing large
quantities with consumers from the developing
nations in mind. The WorldSpace system is
also gaining support from silicon vendors, with
several decoder chip sets already available from
supplies such as STMicroelectronics and
Micronas Intermetall.
The WorldSpace specification is lower quality
than the Eureka-147 system and only partially
overcomes the problems it set out to solve. But
history is littered with examples of technically
superior systems being commercially overtaken
by their lower quality rivals (VHS-Vs-Beta).
2. Brief Technical Overview of
DAB
NOTE: For the purposes of this document, the
term DAB refers to the European Eureka-147
standard, any reference to US standard will be
referred to as "WorldSpace".
The Eureka-147 DAB system is a very
sophisticated digital communication system that
has only in recent years become a viable
technology. The ready availability of powerful
DSP's has allowed the modulation method,
COFDM (coded orthogonal frequency division
multiplexing), to be economically realised.
COFDM consists of a number of orthogonal
carriers being differentially phase modulated
with a quadrature constellation. Because the
carriers are QPSK modulated (have four states)
they can code up to 2 bits/Hz/second.
In DAB there are 1536 of these channels, each 1
kHz wide, giving a total bandwidth of 1536 x 1
kHz x 2 bits = 3.072 Mbps, or 384
Kbytes/second. Within this digital data must be
all national DAB stations, programmes and data.
This is the equivalent of a single 96 kHz stereo
16 bit audio channel, how does it all fit?
The simple answer is audio compression. Audio
data is compressed using the MPEG2 (as is
DVD) perceptual encoding algorithm, but with a
variable compression ratio. For data that cannot
be compressed with any loss, the compression
engine is relaxed, then as the audio data blocks
start, the perceptual encoding is brought into
operation.
The RF front end of a DAB receiver must be
capable of dual band operation, VHF-3 (174 -
240 MHz) for terrestrial reception and L-band
(1452 - 1492 MHz) for satellite reception. This
makes for a complex RF front end with three
local oscillators and many filtering stages. First
the L-band signal is demodulated down to be
within the VHF band, at which point both signal
options follow a common path. The first stage
is to generate the 1st IF frequency of 38.912
MHz, then again down to 2.048 MHz. This 2nd
IF signal is then synchronously sampled with an
ADC at 8.192 MHz, then digitally I/Q
demodulated then a complex FFT algorithm is
used to decode the phase of each of the
individual carriers.
Because of the requirement for such a low over-
sampling ratio (to reduce the computational
bandwidth), the ADC must sample the spectrum
synchronously, and this requires a PLL based
digital clock source. The clock can be adjusted
under software control to achieve a
synchronously sampled data source. The data
spectrum is only over-sampled by 4:1 but has to
decode QPSK data within it, which has 4 states,
synchronous sampling is the only way this will
work with the bandwidth available from a
typical DSP.
Once the phase of each of the 1536 carriers is
known, the signal must be de-interleaved,
requiring a minimum of 256 Kbytes of memory.
DAB Feasibility Study
© Global Silicon Ltd, 2000
The de-interleaved data is then fed to a Viterbi
decoder and error correction is performed.
From this corrected data, the audio channels
must be demultiplexed and then decompressed
from MPEG2 format.
Much of this information is taken from the only
currently available commercial DAB chip. The
Hitachi SH7490 is a combination of a 60 MIPS
DSP and some digital logic designed by Roke
Manor Research Ltd. Funded by the BBC.
Roke Manor have produced a commercial
design for a DAB receiver using the Hitachi
chip, called the "GoldCard" design which is an
OEM module that supports dual band DAB.
3. Technical Difficulties
One thing that DAB does have a wealth of is
technical difficulties. A few of the more
obvious ones have been listed here.
3.1 Complex RF circuitry
I just can't wait to see the look on David's face
when he sees what's involved! The radio
receiver will be using mobile phone type
technologies and frequencies. Even the VHF
band is far above the FM that we have been
"used to". This is not a trivial exercise in RF
design.
3.2 Local Oscillator Phase Noise
The 1st local oscillator from L-band is used to
directly convert down to VHF. The DAB
carriers are only 1KHz apart, any phase noise in
excess of this will destroy information. The
shear ratios of these two frequencies (1251.456
MHz Vs 1 kHz) requires stability levels that will
get the average analogue chip designer a little
worried. Add to this the mixed-signal approach
that GS and others are adopting and the problem
of generating this pure signal becomes even
more extreme.
3.3 High Processing Bandwidth
The complex nature of the COFDM
demodulation process (2048 point complex
FFT) means that to produce dedicated hardware
to perform this would be very expensive in
silicon. The alternative is to perform this
computation in software. It is estimated that the
FFT computation would take approximately 60
MIPS of processing bandwidth even with the
inclusion of several dedicated hardware
'accelerators'.
Page 2 of 7
3.4 Synchronous Sampling of the IF
In order that the processing bandwidth be inside
of the operational envelope for an economic
DSP architecture, the IF signal must be sampled
synchronously. One approach to generating this
clock is to use an analogue PLL under software
control. This technique is used when the system
clock is below about 100 MHz, if the system
clock is above this figure, it might be possible to
use a digital PLL to generate the sample clock.
3.5 MPEG-2
The decoding of perceptually encoded and
compressed audio signals is also an area where
the processing requirements are not at all
simple. An estimate of 40 - 50 MIPS is
reasonable even with hardware acceleration
logic.
3.6 Viterbi Decoder
Again another technically challenging area. The
processing requirements of a Viterbi decoder
are well beyond the abilities of even an
advanced DSP today. The Viterbi error
correction scheme would have to be
implemented in dedicated digital logic
3.7 Convolution decoder
The signal is convolution encoded to spread the
data energy evenly across the RF band. This
encoding needs to be removed (or decoded)
with a subtle mix of hardware and software in
the receiver. Again this is a fairly advanced
topic in signal processing theory.
4. Possible Global Silicon
Implementation
A practical implementation of a Global Silicon
DAB receiver could possibly take a number of
pointers from the Roke Manor Research
implementation of the "GoldCard" receiver.
This device uses a Hitachi SH-DSP core to
perform COFDM demodulation in software.
This is similar to the strategy employed by GS
to gain cost reductions from conventional HiFi.
Using the "GoldCard" receiver as a model, GS
could attack the main sections as follows: -
4.1 RF Front End
Use the National Semiconductor chipset for
generating the three synthesised sources
(LMX2331 and LMX1551) required for
demodulation. This is a fairly safe route as the
"GoldCard" receiver uses the same chipset and
successfully performs the RF down-conversion.
This is not meant to trivialise the problems
associated with this type of design exercise but
DAB Feasibility Study
© Global Silicon Ltd, 2000
an implementation that already exists shows us
that it is possible. This part of the circuitry
wound not be suitable for inclusion with Arrow,
the requirements for low phase noise in the
oscillators, and GHz operation make this
something of a remote possibility.
4.2 COFDM Demodulator
This is perhaps the most 'fearsome' aspect of the
design phase. This could be performed on a
revised Dart chip. Dart would not only require
more memory, more speed, and more
instructions (specialised for FFT processing).
There will need to be digital logic to I/Q
demodulate, decimate and bandpass filter the IF
signal, which is a fairly large chunk of silicon.
The software would then (with the aid of
hardware acceleration logic) perform the 2048
point FFT on the data samples. The FFT would
probably occupy the total available bandwidth
of the current Dart chip (DART-1) alone, so a
2x Dart is a basic requirement and not a luxury.
4.3 De-interleave Logic
This would again require some dedicated
hardware, but the largest demands this places
upon the system is in terms of memory. The de-
interleave buffer would need to be at least 256
Kbytes and would probably be located in
DRAM as the most economical form of memory
that can be attached to Dart.
4.4 Viterbi and Convolution decoding
Again this requires so many MIPS that a
hardware solution is the only real possibility.
Viterbi decoding is a specialist area of signal
processing and would occupy at least 20 K
ASIC gates in silicon. The convolution decoder
would be included in the Viterbi logic.
4.5 MPEG-2 Decoding
This function would be performed mostly in
hardware with some software support to take
care of the higher-level functions. MPEG-2
decoding is something of a specialised area,
Global Silicon should consider using external
support for this. The alternative is to use about
40 MIPS of CPU bandwidth to do the decoding.
This would only leave about 35 MIPS after
COFDM & MPEG-2 decoding, 30 of which is
required for the graphic equaliser. Global
Silicon is also considering the inclusion of DVD
to the system an this would require an external
MPEG decoder - DAB could 'hi-jack' this.
5. Summary
Designing a DAB receiver is not an easy task,
and one that Global Silicon should be very wary
Page 3 of 7
of undertaking at this stage. The "Cambridge-
rumour-mill" has it that Symbionics (now a
division of Cadence) recently attempted to
design a DAB chipset. Symbionics are without
doubt consummate experts in the field of mixed-
signal RF chip design, however, they appear to
have dropped the project for reasons of
technical difficulty (again rumour based).
The software and hardware requirements are
such that to implement a DAB receiver is going
to take a serious design effort in the order of
several man-years. Global Silicon should be
prepared to allocate at least one man-year of
effort for each of the areas of software, digital
hardware and RF system design, i.e. a minimum
of 3 man-years.
Obviously the emergence of a rival standard in
to the digital radio arena also complicates the
situation, with semiconductor companies like
Texas Instruments and OKI adopting a holding
pattern. The "WorldSpace" Vs Eureka-147
issue looks unlikely to be resolved in the next
12 months and this may apply a brake to the
emergence of consumer acceptance of either
one.
Put simply, for Global Silicon to implement a
DAB receiver based upon the Dart/Arrow
chipset would require the following: -
• Designing a specialised RF dual band radio
receiver as a separate item to Arrow
altogether.
• Designing dedicated digital logic for Dart,
which would effectively double the silicon
area of the chip.
• Doubling the software overhead of the
system.
• Including a DRAM memory chip.
• To have already designed the DVD version
of Dart (Dart-II).
6. Further Reading
• "An introduction to digital modulation and
OFDM techniques" M C D Maddocks BBC
research department report. BBC RD
1993/10
http://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/reports/1993
_10.html
• "The how and why of COFDM" J H Stott
BBC research department report.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/papers/pdffil
es/ptrev_278-stott.pdf
• "The COFDM modulation system" P
Shelswell BBC research department report.
BBC RD 1996/8
DAB Feasibility Study
© Global Silicon Ltd, 2000
http://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/reports/1996
_08.html
• "why do we need digital radio"
RadioScape web site
http://www.radioscape.com/digital-
broadcasting/why-do-we-need.htm
• "Brief Litreature Review on OFDM"
http://www.drb.crc.ca/ottawa/cofdm.htm
• "What is COFDM ?"
http://www.cclinf.polito.it/~s83797/cofdm.
htm
• "DAB Explained by CCETT"
http://www.cclinf.polito.it/~s83797/ccett.ht
m
• Philips SAA3500 web page http://www-
us.sv.philips.com/dab/Products/Chip_sets/S
AA3500/saa3500.html
• Philips "Fadic & Silvic" Web Page
http://www-
us.sv.philips.com/dab/Products/Chip_sets/F
adic___Sivic/fadic___sivic.html
• EDN report "Will DAB finally take off?"
http://www.ednmag.com/ednmag/reg/1998/
090198/pdfs/18ecs2.pdf
• Article "Digital Radio - The Eureka 147
DAB Standard" A J Bower (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/papers/paper
_21/paper_21.html
• "A Technical Overview of Digital Radio"
Stephen Baily (BBC)
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/papers/pdffil
es/ps0199.pdf
• Press release from Roke Manor research
http://www.roke.co.uk/news/archive/new6.h
tml
• The world DAB forum - Web page
http://www.worlddab.org/
• DAB Developments - German company
specialising in DAB software products
http://www.esslinger.de/dab/
• "The Effects of Phase Noise in COFDM" J
Stott (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/papers/pdffil
es/jsebu276.pdf
• COFDM Vs 8-VSB http://web-
star.com/hdtv/cofdmvs8vsbfcc2.html
• Ensigma - DAB software specialists - web
site
http://www.ensigma.com/News/InTheNews
/IP99TunesIn.htm
• Data sheet for the Hitachi SH7490 DAB
receiver
http://semiconductor.hitachi.com/products/
pdf/h1htd001d1.pdf
• Evaluation board based upon Hitachi
SH7490 http://www.super-
h.com/eng/virtual/panel/p34.html
Page 4 of 7
• EE Times Article 24S0030
http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG199903
7. Appendices
7.1 Appendix1 - The OFDM Spectrum

The OFDM spectrum - 1536 x 1 KHz spaced channels

The OFDM spectrum - bad sketch of some of the

channels in close up

DAB Feasibility Study

© Global Silicon Ltd, 2000 Page 5 of 7
 7.2 Appendix 2 - Simplified block diagram of a typical DAB Receiver RF Front-end

L-Band Input
(1452-1492 MHz)

2nd L-Band
Roofing Filter

Fo Fo

Broadband Filter AGC

LO
To digital
1251.456 MHz demodulator

VHF-Band 3 Input
(174-240 MHz) Software
ADC controlled AGC
8 MSPS

Fo Fo Fo Fo

Broadband Filter AGC VHF band select 1st IF Amp SAW IF Filter IF Amp 2nd IF Filter
38.912 MHz

LO LO

213-279 MHz 40.96 MHz

7.3 Appenxix 3 - Simplified block diagram of a typical DAB digital decoder

2 Mbits SRAM
OFDM Demodulator

IF Spectrum I/Q Down 2048 point De-interleaver Viterbi Convolutional MPEG-2

ADC converter FFT Decoder Decoder Decoder Audio

AGC RF Control
DAC Sync &
Tracking

Synthesiser
control

DAB Feasibility Study

© Global Silicon Ltd, 2000 Page 7 of 7