A software based DVB-T2 Time Frequency Slicing evaluation framework

DVB-T2 is the second generation terrestrial broadcast system developed within the DVB consortium. Based on multi-carrier transmission OFDM, DVB-T2 introduces many innovative tools offering high flexibility to broadcasters. Among many other new techniques DVB-T2 defines an optional Time-Frequency-Slicing (TFS) profile. In TFS slices of a PLP are sent over multiple and non necessarily adjacent RF frequency channels. This technique provides a gain associated to propagation diversity, as well as an intrinsic multiplexation gain. Following a software defined radio approach this paper presents a flexible DVB-T2 Time Frequency Slicing evaluation framework built to study the practical performance of DVB-T2 Time Frequency Slicing configurations under realistic channel scenarios. The paper focuses on the diversity gain associated to propagation diversity.