Today's highly successful GSM wireless technology has become the world's leading and fastest growing mobile standard, spanning over 190 countries. GSM technology is used by 1 in 7 of the world's population and it is estimated that by the end of 2004 it will top one billion*. Tieline technology has released the new GSM module for G3 codecs which takes advantage of the GSM mobile telephone circuit switched protocol enabling 7kHz audio to be transferred over standard GSM networks in the US and up to 15kHz audio over High Speed Circuit Switched networks in Europe, Asia and Canada. Tieline is the first GSM enabled codec to provide an auxiliary data stream that enables studio engineers to control the audio input levels of their remote talent. Remote channel on/off button control can also be activated enabling the studio to have complete control over the remote talent’s microphone. Tieline also provides several remote power
options including an in-car cigarette lighter 12 volt power supply, a
desktop 8amp hour UPS Lithium battery or a 2.3amp hour lithium battery
module which slots into the side of the codec and enable broadcasters
to set up anywhere in the field and deliver the equivalent of a POTS or
ISDN broadcast without any wires at all. GSMGSM uses a process called Circuit-Switching which establishes a near real time data transfer between two modems through one or more switching nodes. The digital data is sent as a continuous stream of bits, allowing the data to be heard from the receiving end whilst the data is still being sent. This makes circuit switching an ideal method of sending real time audio. This is different from the widely used GPRS protocol which sends packets of information that require reassembly before they can be converted back into the analogue domain and is therefore not suitable for real time audio broadcast applications. Standard GSM networks provide data streams of 9600bps. The new Tieline Voice G3 is an extremely efficient voice coder that delivers up to 7.5kHz audio over this low bit rate stream with surprisingly good results. HSCSD(High speed circuit switched data) networks allows users to send
and receive data at speeds of 28.8kbit/sec and 43.2kbit/sec by bonding
up to 4 traffic channels of a GSM network. Tieline’s well known
Music algorithm delivers 15kHz audio over HSCSD networks with full remote
control ability.
What do I need for GSM?To create a wireless remote broadcast you need two Tieline G3 codecs. We recommend either a TLM600 iMix G3 codec or a TLF300 Commander G3 desktop codec. The codec at the remote site should be fitted with a TLGSMNOK Nokia GSM codec card (supplied by Tieline). The GSM codec card The codec at the studio should be fitted with a TLPOTS POTS/PSTN codec card (also supplied by Tieline). You also need a SIM card which is data enabled. GSM networks provide a “voice” channel and a “data” channel. Tieline’s GSM data facility connects over the data channel and is therefore relying on your telco’s commitment to wireless data integrity, bit rate allocation and link reliability. Many telcos have the voice and data facility bundled into a single package however some require you to call them and activate the data service. The SIM card fits into the TLGSMNOK GSM codec card in the same way you would insert it into your cellphone. Many Tieline dealers provide a free demonstration of GSM and the opportunity to test the quality of your local provider. We recommend you contact your local Tieline dealer to arrange a free trial. Tieline Technology has two different GSM Modules available. Please refer to the below table to see which one you require.
How do I set up and dial a GSM link?For step by step instructions on how to set up a Tieline GSM link expand this paragraph.
|
||||||||
Important note for Nokia GSM cell phone users:If you are using the serial port on the rear of the codec to connect using either a Nokia 6310 or 6310i cell phone, you will need to set this within the codec. To set for serial port use: press Softkey 4 to access the [Menu] screen and choose [Configuration] then [GSM Setup] then [External Cellphone] then [Enable]. A list of modem bit rates will appear. If you are using standard GSM select 9600. If you have access to an HSCSD network, choose 28800. (Note 14400 should only be used if you cannot successfully connect at 28800 to an HSCSD network). Now re-power the codec and you should see the [GSM1^ Enter#] appear on the screen. (If you also have a GSM module installed in the codec the connection may appear as GSM2^ Enter#). |
USA: From Jim Parman, Operations Director for WRNZ in Danville,
KY:
During football season, the Tieline GSM system is used almost every Friday
night
We've got 4 stations and 4 high schools to cover so someone needs the
Tieline GSM system almost all the time. Most schools are near an interstate
so we know we're going to get a cell phone signal most of the time.
It sounds much better than a plain cell phone and was certainly a major
step up from a cell phone for us. It’s very convenient and it serves
our purpose almost all the time.
Europe: RTL Brussels Live from the heart of the city:
For any City Radio it would be a dream come true if you could have a live 15 kHz connection to the studio from any point in the city. Hot news would be really hot and the listener would be kept up to date during the entire day. In any metropolitan city so much happens on a daily basis that is of interest to the listener and important enough to send a reporter to report live from the hot spot. So a good quality connection to the studio is not a luxury, but simply a must.
But a city also has its hurdles. How do you manage to get through all the traffic quickly enough? Or when you are on location how do you find a high quality live connection to the studio? Traffic jams hamper an remote broadcast van with HF (radio connection). A smaller satellite car can maybe travel faster, but then the high surrounding buildings possibly hinder the line of sight to a satellite. A reporter with a reporter transmitter is often very soon beyond the reach of the receiver. And a fixed ISDN or PSTN connection cannot be found on the street either. So what to do? A wireless connection would be the answer.
At BXL City Radio in Brussels, we have studied various alternatives to solve this problem and have chosen a very elegant solution. A reporter with a back pack hops onto a scooter and zigzags his way through the traffic to the required location and upon arrival makes a wireless connection to the studio with his mobile phone.
The technology is really quite simple. It consists of a portable Commander G3 codec (see photo) complete with batteries which is contained in the back pack of the reporter. We use the unit with a GSM module. A wireless connection is made over the GSM network, using HSCSD technology. The Belgian GSM network operator BASE supports HSCSD. In Europe there are more than 13 GSM network operators that support HSCSD (high speed circuit switched data). Truly astounding audio quality over the GSM network!
Since September 2004 BXL City Radio in Brussels has been using this technology daily for its live reports from the city. Our listeners have told us that they appreciate this service and our ratings have gone through the roof.
Benoit Goffin is Head of the Technical Department at Bel RTL in Brussels.
He can be contacted under bgoffin@rtl.be
For information from You/Com Audiocommunicatie B.V. contact Marianne van
der Meulen at mmeulen@youcom.nl
or visit www.youcom.nl.
BBC World Service
Very successful demo to the European SM Team & BBC Monitoring.
Radio Forth, Edinburgh, Scotland
GSM comnected up to 26,400 with all parties very impressed after 4 1/2
hours testing, particularly at voice quality on the voice G3 mode. It
was commented how impressive the low frequencies were on music. Chief
Engineer Douglas Paterson was very keen to test further on his own and
the fact that the Orange network went down mid way through the demo didn't
dampen spirits, especially when another engineer pulled out their Vodafone
SIM and we demonstrated standard 9600 baud connection was possible in
situations where HSCSD wasn't available. Before the demo the engineers
were sceptical about GSM interference on the audio path but were unable
to find a problem even with extreme testing.
GSM | GPRS| EDGE | 3GSM| HSCSD
(Information courtesy of GSMworld.com)
The below platforms are all part of the GSM wireless evolution
Today's second-generation GSM networks deliver high quality and secure mobile voice and data services (such as SMS/Text Messaging) with full roaming capabilities across the world.
General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) enabled networks offer 'always-on', higher capacity, Internet-based content and packet-based data services. This enables services such as color Internet browsing, e-mail on the move, powerful visual communications, multimedia messages and location-based services.
Further enhancements in data capability over the core GSM network will be provided with the introduction of Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution - known as EDGE*. This will achieve the delivery of advanced mobile services such as the downloading of video and music clips, full multimedia messaging, high-speed color Internet access and e-mail on the move.
3GSM* is the latest addition to the GSM family. 3GSM* is about having
third generation mobile multimedia services available globally. 3GSM*
focuses on visionary communications, in more ways than one. It's about
the new visual ways in which people will communicate and the unique vision
of the GSM community, which has always focused on the future needs of
our customers.
The technology on which 3GSM* services will be delivered is built around
a core GSM network with a Wideband-CDMA (W-CDMA) air interface, which
has been developed as an open standard by operators in conjunction with
the 3GPP
standards development organization. Already over 85% of the world's network
operators have chosen 3GSM's* underlying technology platform to deliver
their third generation services. 3GSM* is a key element of GSM-The Wireless
Evolution
HSCSD, being mainly a software upgrade does not entail new network elements
and so the GSM operator not only avoids having to redesign the network,
but can also have fast implementation. However, the user does require
a new handset. HSCSD does not require the user to learn an entirely new
data service or technology: it is very similar to existing services, just
substantially faster
