ABSTRACT
A television transmitter proof of performance is a series of measurements performed to verify that the broadcast transmission meets the emission/quality requirements set forth by the Federal Communications Commission as well as industry accepted standards of operation. While the eight-level vestigial sideband digital transmission signal is more complex than an analog signal, the number of basic measurements necessary to prove its quality is reduced. The format of the proof of performance document will vary depending on the engineer making the measurements; however, the pertinent data included should be common to all. Most spectrum analyzers available at transmitter sites do not have the dynamic range necessary to measure the out-of-band performance directly. The power of the total signal is measured using a radio frequency power meter that is able to measure the true root mean square power of the digital television signal within the allocated channel with a high peak-to-average ratio.
