EUMETCast served three ways
David Taylor
SatSignal Software
Basics of EUMETCast
• It’s a network link between EUMETSAT in
Darmstadt and your home.
• Packets of data are sent out from
EUMETSAT (actually from Usingen).
• They look like digital TV signals but have
more robust protection.
• Your job is to capture them.
Usingen ground station
Usingen older antennas
Packets to files
• Need to convert DVB (digital video
broadcast) packets into data packets, like
those sent over your Wi-Fi or LAN.
• Packets are broadcast to your network, so
you need a “network card” to receive them.
• The TelliCast software converts the packets
to files, and needs to know your “network
card” address.
1 - Served with a SkyStar card
• PCI card inside your PC
• Software installation adds device driver
named SkyNET.sys
• Appears as a new network card
• IP address: 192.168.238.238
• You set this yourself in Control Panel
• DHCP is not used
2 - Served with a DVB World box
• USB box outside your PC
• Software installation adds device driver
named DVBNet.sys
• Appears as a new network card
• IP address: 192.168.238.238
• You set this yourself in Control Panel
• DHCP is not used
3 - Served with an IP receiver
• New network card inside your PC
• Or motherboard port if you use Wi-Fi for
your “house network”
• Software installation adds device driver –
Windows usually does this automatically.
• IP address: 192.168.10.103
• You set this yourself in Control Panel
• DHCP is not used
PC changes for IP receiver
•
•
•
•
TelliCast software – unchanged
SatSignal processing software –unchanged
Recv-channels.ini – unchanged
Update recv.ini:
– [parameters]
– # interface_address=192.168.238.238
– interface_address=192.168.10.103
Later DVB S2 changes
• Re-point your dish when the new service is
available.
• Adjust for new service parameters.
• Maybe you will need a bigger dish?
Which receiver?
• Ayecka SR 1
– dual receivers
– two LAN ports for Management & Traffic
– USB serial port for initial setup.
• Novra S300E
– single 100 Mb/s LAN port
– single receiver.
See: http://www.satsignal.eu/wxsat/dvb-s2/
Ayecka SR 1
(edited from EUMETSAT guide)
Novra S300E
(from EUMETSAT guide)
IP Receiver settings
• For the Ayecka SR 1 receiver, EUMETSAT
provide a file which can be used to
configure automatically.
– Requires the USB serial connection enabled
• Manual configuration possible.
– over a USB serial connection
– over a telnet session to the management port
What can possibly go wrong!
• Dish issues
• Network issues
LNBs too far apart
LNB fallen off
LNB pointing in the wrong
direction
Wrong IP address
• Tempting to use the address of the IP
receiver when editing recv.ini.
• Not right! You need the address of the
network card in the PC.
• Not the address of the sender
• But the address of the receiving card
Not using a separate network
• The full EUMETCast stream which comes
out of the IP Receiver will saturate a Wi-Fi
or 100 Mb/s network.
• So use a separate LAN
• Not complicated – simply connect a
network lead between the IP Receiver and
a port on your PC.
Using poor cables
or 100 Mb/s network
• Using 100 Mb/s switch and random cables,
found some odd missed packet events in
early tests, but most packets recovered.
• Not seen since using 1 Gb/s switch and 1
Gb/s LAN cards.
• Should check cables are “gigabit” certified.
Need to wake network card?
• On one PC, found the need to PING the remote
receiver before starting TelliCast.
• Perhaps the LAN port sleeps even though UDP
packets are present?
• Solved with a simple .CMD file
–
–
–
–
–
PING <LAN adapter>
Wait a little
PING <SR 1 receiver>
Wait a little
Start tc-recv.exe
What can go right?
• Add a £20 5-port Gigabit switch and you can
feed up to four PCs with EUMETCast data – e.g.
to spread the processing load.
– Each PC needs TelliCast software & and eToken
• Generally, receiver performance is better than we
have been used to.
– More modern design
– Professional, not consumer-level design.
• Ayecka receiver provides limited SNMP,
allowing performance monitoring and logging.
Conclusions
• Update receiver hardware
• Change one line in recv.ini
• Dish re-pointed when S2 starts
.. and you are up and running!
.. all being well!
Acknowledgements
• To Ayecka, Novra and GEO for procuring
test receivers.
• To EUMETSAT for providing User Guides
• To David Simmons, Alan Banks and others
for their testing and for discovering some
of the issues and asking helpful questions!
Questions?