ANSI/SCTE 40 Conformance Testing Using the R&S®SFU, R&S®SFE and R&S®SFE100

The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) defined the ANSI/SCTE 40 specification: Digital Cable Network Interface Standard. ANSI/SCTE 40 tests are designed to test conformance of set-top boxes and other cable receiving equipment to ensure that they will operate correctly when installed in a cable system. The tests are a combination of noise (AWGN and phase noise), AM hum, micro-reflections, digital and analog adjacent channels, and other discrete interferences. These impairments are found on most cable systems to some degree. Rohde & Schwarz provides set-top box manufacturers with an easy solution to perform conformance testing in line with ANSI/SCTE 40 by using the R&S^®SFU broadcast test system and the R&S^®SFE100 broadcast tester. The R&S^®SFU is able to perform most of the test procedures in one unit. Furthermore, additional test transmitters allow the simulation of full channel loading. This Application Note explains the specific test requirements, a possible setup, and the configuration using the R&S^®SFU/SFE100.