Digital transmitters for DVB and DTV

Specifications for digital broadcasting in Europe and the USA have become mature. Field trials of both DTV used in the USA and DVB used in Europe have proven the worth of both systems. Each system, being digital, suffers from the brick wall effect, resulting in a very sharp change from a perfectly received signal to one that is totally unusable when signal levels drop. Managing this effect has brought about changes in traditional transmitter systems from those previously used for analogue transmission. Achieving the amplifier linearity required for digital transmission has also necessitated changes in transmitter design. This paper reviews these changes and discusses their effect on the design of a new solid state transmitter for digital applications.