Bridge Technologies has extended its satellite-to-set-top box VideoBRIDGE monitoring system with the launch of the VB12-RF, a compact, highly portable broadcast-IP monitoring and measurement appliance for terrestrial and cable applications. Packing every required interface for RF, ASI and IP into a ruggedized chassis smaller than a laptop computer, the VB12-RF features full TR101290 alarming and analysis and support for all major media transportation codecs.
Designed for the rigors of real-world use on the road, the VB12-RF provides the engineer with all the interfaces needed for broadcast or IP analysis at any location in the transmission chain of both cable and terrestrial broadcast-IP digital media operations. It requires no external equipment or power supplies, is easy to handle and is robust enough to withstand severe physical shocks and harsh operating conditions.
The VB12-RF incorporates many of the most advanced technologies from the VideoBRIDGE end-to-end digital media monitoring system, building them into an ergonomic 114mm x 41mm x 335mm appliance that replaces a carload of equipment the an engineer would otherwise have to bring to the site. The VB12-RF also completely integrates the tool set engineers need with a consistent interface that makes understanding of complex data much easier and minimizes training requirements. The VB12-RF is designed to be used by an engineer for on-site analysis or to be left for continuous monitoring of that point in the network and remote analysis of the data.
For on-site analysis, the engineer can use the VB12-RF's management port to interrogate or download data or use the VB12-RF's internal memory to store data that can then be analyzed when the engineer returns to the device. For monitoring over a longer period, the VB12-RF can be left at the remote location from where it will provide continuous data over the Internet to a third-party network management system or to the VideoBRIDGE controller.
The VB12-RF can monitor 10 IP SPTS/MPTS services in parallel with optional expansion of streams in steps of 10 to a maximum of 50 services. The IP input, RF QAM/VSB input and the ASI input have full parallel TR101290 alarming and analysis capability, and the system incorporates an external integration interface that allows the unit to be integrated easily into any third-party OSS/NMS system. Each VB12-RF runs an integral HTTP server with the client as a Web browser and does not require the installation of custom software on computers needing access to the measurement data. Basic setup is achieved through the built-in USB-to-RS-232 converter, eliminating the need for an external interface and allowing the setting of IP addresses for access to the VB12-RF. The VB12-RF can also be controlled remotely via TELNET or XML configuration commands.
