Showing posts with label OFDM-30. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OFDM-30. Show all posts

1 May 2019

OFDM-30 (+1 pilot, +2) DPSK 50Bd

updated

The signal was recorded at 8403.5 KHz (CF) thanks to the use of some KiwiSDRs [1], it occupies a bandwidth of 2500 Hz  and seemigly consists of 35 tones (Fig. 1a). The lower tone (in case of USB) most likely is the "pilot" one, used for Doppler correction, and its level is 7 dB higher than the normal level of any one of the the remaining 34 tones (Fig. 1b). The pilot seems followed by four tones: actually two PSK2 channels modulated at 25 and 50 Bd.
The remainig 30 tones are used for data transfer, they are ~71 Hz spaced and are formed using the OFDM technology. Curiously, the transition from idle/data phases does not happen simultaneously for all the channels, the delay is approximately 3500ms starting from the lowest channel (Fig. 1c). The same signal was already meet here (thanks pir3 for his comment in twitter).

Fig. 1a
Fig. 1b
Fig. 1c

The two lower 25Bd and 50Bd PSK2 channels after the pilot tone send a continuous sequence of zeros and ones which is most likely used for sync purposes.

Fig. 2a
Fig. 2b

The analysis of the 30 data tones shows a 4-ary constellation in absolute mode and a 2-ary constellation in relative mode (Fig. 3), in my opinion these tones are keyed using DPSK ,or MSK, modulation with symbol-rate of 50 Baud and 25Hz shift (note that MSK is a particolar form of QPSK); the analysis of a single tone confirms my guess (Fig. 4). No particular patterns were detected during the data phase.

Fig.3
Fig.4

A raw demodulation (!) results in a 100-bit period stream (Fig. 5). As you see, 100-bit period makes a 2000ms interval that matches the intervals in Fig. 1c.


Fig.5
Signal localization is rather difficult, indeed several TDoA runs result in the middle of nowhere in Pacific Ocean (Fig. 6).

Fig.5

4 April update (replying to my friend Daniel's comment)
I simply used DPSK but I should have specified if it is a CDPSK or a SDPSK.
Indeed, "the difference between PSK and DPSK (Differential PSK) is in their encoding of the input data sequence. PSK encodes the input data sequences in-pahes (states), while DPSK encodes it in the phase difference (transitions) between successive bits or symbols.
This means that there would be a phase change in the modulation signal if the two successive bits in the input data sequence are different (0 to 1 or 1 to 0), and no phase changes if the successive bits are the same. DPSK is called conventional DPSK (or CDPSK) if the phase differences is in the set of [0,π] and symmetrical DPSK (SDPSK, also called π/2-DPSK) if the phase difference is in the set of [π/2,-π/2]". As you see in Figs. 3 and 4 the transitions are in the set
of [π/2,-π/2] so most likely it's a SDPSK (π/2-DPSK). 
As a further proof, I synthesized a OFDM-30 SDPSK 50Bd using the OCG tool: the results are shown in Figs 6 and 7 below.

Fig. 6
Fig. 7
The "delay" in the transitions from idle to data and from data to idle (Fig. 1c) are clearly visible in the demodulated bitstream in Fig. 8 that my friend Daniel linked in his comments.
 
Fig. 8


https://yadi.sk/d/2Qs8X9e1sr1Pgg  (OCG synthesized OFDM-30 SDPSK 50Bd)
https://yadi.sk/d/cn6iqtWQhn-Sig 
https://yadi.sk/d/CUxayO9wyIeeAw

[1] the recordings were possible mainly thanks to the owner of KiwiSDRs at:
AI6VN/KH6 - Kahakuloa, Maui, Hawaii 

other useful KiwiSDRs used in monitoring: 
Marahau, Tasman District, New Zealand 
Northeast Asian Broadcasting Institute - Seoul, Republic of Korea
ZMH292 - Bay of Islands, New Zealand
Yokohama, Japan

16 February 2018

OFDM 30-tones PSK-2 40Bd


Yet another unid (to me) OFDM transmission spotted by ANgazu on 4 MHz band by using a remote Kiwi SDR in Sweden (SM2BYC).
The waveform uses OFDM technology for 30 channels, 50 Hz spaced, modulation is PSK-2 in each channel with a symbol rate of 40Bd. The occupied bandwidth is about 1500 Hz. Speed and modulation are confirmed by analyzing the whole signal and also a single channel (Figs 1,2). A short preamble consisting of FSK-2 40Bd/320 bursts precedes the OFDM (Fig. 3).
The same signal was spotted by KarapuZ on may 2015, here his post in radioscanner:

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
 

22 March 2016

Japanese Military, OFDM-30 +2 (mutichannel hybrid modem)


For several days, at a frequency of 12384.0 and 16553.0 kHz on USB (16553.0 is a constant for the Japanese MIL 8 freq signal), we heard unmodulated carriers only, and then finally they went to the data! 
At a first glance the signal looks like an OFDM 32 tones, ~70Hz spaced and BPSK modulation at 50 Baud (pic.1). A separated unmodulated tone, the lower in the spectrum, acts as a pilot-tone for Doppler correction and is transmitted at a higher level that the other tones.
 
pic.1 - OFDM analysis
studying more carefully the individual tones and especially the first two tones in the lower part of the spectrum, the signal is not properly constructed with OFDM technology but rather is a multichannel waveform with a DPSK or MSK modulation with 25 Hz shift and 50 Baud speed for what concerns the 30 upper channels.
Indeed, once isolated the higher tone, there is no evicence of carrier harmonics in the 2^ power and the phase detector shows a characteristic FSK-2 shape with 25Hz shift (pic.2).
pic.2 - absence of the carrier in the 2^ power harmonics
The 4-ary phase plane related to such channel reveals no diagonal transitions and two-state  transitions in Diff.1: signs of a DPSK or MSK modulation (pic.3)
pic. 3
The upper 30 tones are then MSK 50Bd 25Hz shift, spaced by 70 Hz.
The two lower tones just after the pilot tone (the lowest one) exhibit a BPSK modulation and a speed of 25 Baud for the first (pic. 4) and 50 Baud for the second (pic. 5). It is worth noting that:
- the sequence "0101010101" which is transmitted with these two channels is maybe used for sync purposes,
- these two tones are tranmitted at a lower level that the upper 30 tones. 
pic. 4 - the lower BPSK channel
pic. 5 - BPSK 50Bd in the second channel
Sumarizing the characteristics (pic. 6):
30 data-channels DPSK/MSK 50Bd/25Hz, 25Hz spaced (OFDM)
2 service-channels BPSK 25 and 50 Baud, transmitted at lower level than the 30 upper tones
1 pilot-tone, transmitted at higher level that the 30 upper tones
pic.6
Both 16553.5 kHz USB and 12384.5 kHz USB was previously channels for the old Japanese 8-tone mode, probably a litlle mis-tuning.

14 November 2015

Chinese 30-tone LSB/USB waveform


These signals has been heard on 13 November on 16497.0 KHz USB (16500.0 KHz LSB) at 1420z, transmission was noised and of poor quality but this does not prevent a good study.
The preamble is composed of four QPSK modulated tones, 600 Hz shifted, starting from 650 Hz (USB tuned, Pic. 1). The pilot (doppler) tone is located in the higher part of the spectrum at 2550 Hz. The waveform uses 30 orthogonal subcarrier tones, 75 Hz spaced, with BPSK modulation and symbol rate 60 symbols/sec (Pic. 2) and it is transmitted in burst mode. The recording has been resampled at 7200 Hz, getting a better value for the "magic k" factor (=1/4). The whole waveform, 30 carriers + pilot tone, spreads ~2450 Hz.
As shown in Pic. 3, the waveform has exactly the same characteristics and the same OFDM values of the Chinese 30-tone, except for:
- the preamble and the position of the pilot tone (due to LSB/USB switch);
- the lenght of the bursts.

More likely this is the Chinese OFDM 30-tone "burst" with an amended lenght of the bursts, as Alipio pointed in his comments. Just as a final note, looking at the table in http://www.radioscanner.ru/info/article538/, this waveform is very similar to the one called as "MARCONI" (Pic. 4). 
Recording is availabe by a simple request.

Pic. 1
Pic. 2
Pic. 3
Pic. 4

20 October 2015

Chinese OFDM 30-tone


heard on 20 October around 0615z on 14429.5 KHz on USB: the waveform has a pilot tone at ~445Hz (the lower frequency in the spectrum), 30 carriers 75 Hz spaced with BPSK modulation at 60Bd speed. Preamble consists of four QPSK 60Bd modulated tones, 600 Hz spaced.