Compatibility of FM hybrid in-band on-channel (IBOC) system for digital audio broadcasting

A robust in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital audio broadcast (DAB) system for improved performance over existing FM broadcasting is under development by Westinghouse for USA Digital Radio. Both the analog FM and the DAB signals are transmitted simultaneously in the FM hybrid IBOC system. Broadcasters can simultaneously transmit both analog and digital signals within the allocated channel mask, allowing full compatibility with existing analog receivers. It is shown here that the solution is tolerant of interference from adjacent channels, or interference from the co-channel analog transmission, even in a multiple station, strong-signal urban market. Although the primary focus of this paper is to discuss the compatibility issues between the existing FM and the DAB signals, the paper also briefly describes spectral occupancy, power ratios, modulation formats, and coding, as well as the introduction of frequency and time diversity.