IRG descriptor

December 5, 2017.

RANGER Neo field strength meters are compatible with IRG recommendations and they can extract the Carrier ID information and display it conveniently showing all the details.

What does IRG or SATIRG stands for?

SATIRG stands for SATellite Interference Reduction Group and it is a global industry organisation whose mission is to fight interference in satellite communications or in other types of communication that use satellite bands such as sky to ground or ground to ground video links in L band which are extensively used among others in broadcast for wireless camera applications.

Sports events for example concentrate in the same place lots of such wireless cameras so that the TV viewer can have one-of-a-kind experience watching the match or the race not losing any detail.

Multiple cameras covering a sports event
Multiple cameras covering a sports event

One of the recommendations of the group is to extend the use of Carrier ID or carrier identification. Following is an excerpt of the procedure description as shown in the organisation’s website.

IRG descriptor information in a RANGER Neo field strength meter
IRG descriptor information in a RANGER Neo field strength meter

The Carrier ID information on IRG recommendations

One of the major issues in the fight against satellite interference is the lack of carrier identification. If carriers are not identified when interference occurs, it is almost impossible to determine where the problem has come from.

Therefore, by introducing Carrier Identification, in the form of an embedded code containing contact information, across all transmissions, interference can be mitigated almost as quickly as it was started, and it will significantly reduce the time taken to track and correct those day-to-day interference issues that do crop up.

Carrier ID relies on the support of the entire satellite industry, from equipment manufacturer’s right through to the satellite operators themselves. The satellite community is looking at developing a universally agreed-upon approach for Carrier ID insertion, for all carrier types, to address the interference problem.

In order for Carrier ID transmissions to be a successful tool in the battle against RFI, equipment vendors and manufacturers need to deliver:

  • Customer name
  • Contact telephone number
  • Geo coordinates (latitude, longitude)
  • Modem manufacturer name
  • Modem serial number

This will quickly identify the interference source. The goal is that, at any given monitoring location, a single system can extract the Carrier ID for any and all carrier types where Carrier ID insertion has been provided. This will allow satellite operators to communicate directly with the RFI source to resolve the incident.

More information: www.satirg.org

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