System Aspects of Digital Video Telemetry

Abstract

This paper describes a completely integrated digital video telemetry system and analyzes several critical aspects of that system. The typical video network may consist of video source signals on the ground as well as airborne while the receive site is usually ground based. Examples of system issues which will be described and analyzed are listed below. * Multi-mode operation: It is likely that a single receive site must be able to rapidly switch between video sources having different bit rates and modes of operation. One technique to achieve this capability will be presented and discussed. * Error sensitivity: It is important that the coding compression technique be resilient to transmission errors. Techniques to achieve this robustness for both synchronization and data signals will be discussed. * Data Multiplexing: From a system point of view, it is extremely efficient to multiplex other digital signals (e.g. audio, IRIG time code) with the video signal to form a single stream for encryption and transmission. A particularly efficient multiplex technique will be presented. * Diagnostics: Video telemetry systems are more effective when they contain carefully designed built-in diagnostics. Advanced concepts for both board-level and system-level diagnostics will be presented.