IEC TR 63098-1:2017

Transmitting equipment for radiocommunication - Radio-over-fibre technologies and their performance standard - Part 1: System applications of radio over fibre technology

IEC 63098-1:2017(E) provides information on the current and latest applications of radio-over-fibre technology. Wireless communication, broadcasting, and airport multilateration systems, which are already implemented or will be in the near future, are introduced. This document includes the basic concept, a brief outline and related standards of the applications of RoF technology.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 24-Sep-2017
• ICS: 33.060.20 - Receiving and transmitting equipment
• ICS: 33.180.99 - Other fibre optic equipment
• Technical Committee: TC 103 - Transmitting and receiving equipment for radiocommunication
• Current Stage: PPUB - Publication issued
• Start Date: 25-Sep-2017
• Completion Date: 18-Oct-2017

Overview

IEC TR 63098-1:2017 - Transmitting equipment for radiocommunication: Radio‑over‑fibre (RoF) technologies - Part 1: System applications of radio over fibre technology is a technical report from the IEC that surveys current and emerging applications of radio‑over‑fibre technology. It describes the basic concept of RoF, summarizes advantages and disadvantages, and introduces implemented or near‑term use cases in wireless communications, broadcasting and airport multilateration systems. The report is informational (no normative references) and is intended for system developers, equipment manufacturers, network operators and test laboratories.

Key topics and technical content

The report focuses on practical system aspects rather than prescriptive requirements. Key topics include:

• Basic concepts and technology overview - analogue RF‑over‑optical transmission, E/O and O/E functions, advantages such as low attenuation and RF multiplexing.
• Advantages and disadvantages of RoF - low propagation loss, low complexity and cost benefits, and trade‑offs inherent to analogue transmission.
• Practical applications and system configurations - detailed examples for:
  • Mobile communication systems (including DAS and C‑RAN use cases)
  • Relay stations for digital terrestrial television broadcasting (DTTB)
  • Airport multilateration (MLAT) systems and advanced MLAT solutions
• System specifications and features - example tables and configuration diagrams describing link and system‑level specifications, optical feeder types (e.g., Multi Drop Optical Feeder – MoF), and RF multiplexing approaches (SCM).
• Measurement and compliance guidance - Annex A provides an example RoF link specification aligned with spectral emission masks (example: DTTB spectral mask), measurement items for factory and on‑site inspections, and example EO/OE performance metrics.
• Standardization context - overview of related standards activity and reference model figures that support interoperability and test planning.

Practical applications and users

IEC TR 63098-1 is valuable for:

• System designers and integrators building DAS, distributed antenna systems, C‑RAN front‑haul and broadcast relay solutions.
• Network operators and broadcasters planning RoF-based coverage extensions for cellular networks, cable-TV trunking, studio‑transmitter links (STL/TSL) and field pickup units (FPU).
• Aviation safety and airport systems teams evaluating RoF for multilateration positioning and surveillance.
• Test labs and certification bodies using the report’s measurement examples and spectral mask guidance to develop test plans.

Related standards

• Part of the IEC 63098 series on transmitting equipment for radiocommunication. IEC TR 63098‑1 is informational and complements other IEC documents that address performance standards, testing and conformity for RoF equipment.

Keywords: Radio‑over‑fibre, RoF, radio over fibre technology, distributed antenna system, DTTB, mobile communications, multilateration, C‑RAN, optical feeder, spectral mask.

Standards Content (Sample)

IEC TR 63098-1 ®
Edition 1.0 2017-09
TECHNICAL
REPORT
colour
inside
Transmitting equipment for radiocommunication – Radio-over-fibre technologies
and their performance standard –
Part 1: System applications of radio over fibre technology
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IEC TR 63098-1 ®
Edition 1.0 2017-09
TECHNICAL
REPORT
colour
inside
Transmitting equipment for radiocommunication – Radio-over-fibre technologies

and their performance standard –

Part 1: System applications of radio over fibre technology

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
ICS 33.060.20: 33.180.99 ISBN 978-2-8322-4826-3

– 2 – IEC TR 63098-1:2017 © IEC 2017
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 4
INTRODUCTION . 6
1 Scope . 7
2 Normative references . 7
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms . 7
3.1 Terms and definitions . 7
3.2 Abbreviated terms . 7
4 Advantages and disadvantages of RoF . 8
5 Practical applications . 9
5.1 List of applications . 9
5.2 Mobile communication system. 9
5.2.1 General . 9
5.2.2 Features . 10
5.2.3 System configuration . 10
5.2.4 Specifications . 10
5.3 Relay station for digital terrestrial TV . 11
5.3.1 General . 11
5.3.2 Features . 11
5.3.3 System configuration . 11
5.3.4 Specifications . 12
5.4 Airport multilateration system . 12
5.4.1 General . 12
5.4.2 Features . 13
5.4.3 System configuration . 13
5.4.4 Specifications . 13
6 Examples of standardization activities . 14
Annex A (informative) Radio-over-fibre system in accordance with spectral emission
standards . 15
A.1 General . 15
A.2 Reference model . 15
A.3 Equipment . 16
A.3.1 General . 16
A.3.2 Down link transmission signal . 16
A.3.3 Physical specifications . 18
A.3.4 Example of EO and OE performance . 18
A.4 Measurement methods . 19
A.4.1 Spectrum mask and unwanted emission . 19
A.4.2 Examples of measurement items . 19
Bibliography . 21

Figure 1 – Usage Image of each Multi Drop Optical Feeder (MoF) [1] . 10
Figure 2 – System configuration [2] . 12
Figure 3 – System configuration of the advanced MLAT "OCTPASS" . 13
Figure A.1 – RoF system reference model . 16
Figure A.2 – Spectrum mask . 17

Table 1 – Application examples . 9
Table 2 – Specification of RoF links . 11
Table 3 – Specifications of an RoF system . 12
Table 4 – Specifications of an RoF system for multilateration . 14
Table A.1 – Transmission spectrum break points . 17
Table A.2 – Unwanted emission specifications for DTTB . 18
Table A.3 – Example of EO and OE performance . 19
Table A.4 – Example of measurement items for factory and on-site inspections . 20

– 4 – IEC TR 63098-1:2017 © IEC 2017
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
TRANSMITTING EQUIPMENT FOR RADIOCOMMUNICATION –
RADIO-OVER-FIBRE TECHNOLOGIES AND THEIR
PERFORMANCE STANDARD –
Part 1: System applications of radio over fibre technology

FOREWORD
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The main task of IEC technical committees is to prepare International Standards. However, a
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data of a different kind from that which is normally published as an International Standard, for
example "state of the art".
IEC TR 63098-1, which is a Technical Report, has been prepared by IEC technical committee
103: Transmitting equipment for radiocommunication.

The text of this technical report is based on the following documents:
Enquiry draft Report on voting
103/153/DTR 103/168/RVDTR
Full information on the voting for the approval of this technical report can be found in the
report on voting indicated in the above table.
This document has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
A list of all parts in the IEC 63098 series, published under the general title Transmitting
equipment for radiocommunication, can be found on the IEC website.
The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data related to
the specific document. At this date, the document will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
A bilingual version of this publication may be issued at a later date.

IMPORTANT – The 'colour inside' logo on the cover page of this publication indicates
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– 6 – IEC TR 63098-1:2017 © IEC 2017
INTRODUCTION
Using radio-over-fibre technology, RF modulated optical carriers and signals can be
transmitted in optical fibre with very low loss. Fundamentally, radio-over-fibre (RoF) is an
analogue transmission system that allows radio frequency signals to be transmitted and
processed without being digitized. Remote antenna systems including distributed antenna
system (DAS) which use RoF technology in terrestrial broadcasting and mobile
communications have also become established infrastructures.
In terrestrial broadcasting, the conventional microwave links for studio-transmitter links (STLs),
transmitter-studio links (TSLs), transmitter-transmitter links (TTLs) and field pickup units
(FPUs) have been replaced by RoF systems, particularly in Japan.
RoF technology is a promising technology for broadband access networks combined with the
mobility and the flexibility of wireless access. An advantage of RoF technology is multiplexing
of RF signals. Multiple RF signals can be converged on the physical layer and they are
transmitted to the remote site transparently. RoF technology can also be used for multiplexed
transmission that supports CATV (cable television) trunk line systems, cellular phone systems,
etc. for blind spots, such as inside buildings, underground areas and subways. RoF systems
are also used in digital signage systems and rapid and agile deployment of broadcasting and
communication services.
This document provides information on the current and latest applications of radio-over-fibre
technology, which are already implemented or will be in the near future. This document will
also be beneficial to system developers and system users in the fields of mobile
communications and optical fibre technologies.
An example of the technical specification of a radio over fibre (RoF) link in accordance with
the spectral emission standard for digital terrestrial television broadcasting in Japan is given
in Annex A.
TRANSMITTING EQUIPMENT FOR RADIOCOMMUNICATION –
RADIO-OVER-FIBRE TECHNOLOGIES AND THEIR
PERFORMANCE STANDARD –
Part 1: System applications of radio over fibre technology

1 Scope
The purpose of this document is to provide information on the current and latest applications
of radio-over-fibre technology. Wireless communication, broadcasting, and airport
multilateration systems, which are already implemented or will be in the near future, are
introduced. This document includes the basic concept, a brief outline and related standards of
the applications of RoF technology.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms
3.1 Terms and definitions
No terms and definitions are listed in this document.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
3.2 Abbreviated terms
AGC automatic gain control
CATV cable television
DAS distributed antenna system
FPU field pickup unit, equivalent to microwave
link
STL studio-transmitter link
TSL transmitter-studio link
TTL transmitter-transmitter link
TIA transimpedance amplifier
LNA low noise amplifier
– 8 – IEC TR 63098-1:2017 © IEC 2017
NF noise figure
MZ Mach-Zehnder
BTS base transceiver station
E/O electric to optical
O/E optical to electric
W-CDMA wideband code division multiple access
LTE long term evolution
C-RAN centralized-radio access network
MOF multi drop optical feeder
DSP digital signal processing
SCM sub-carrier multiplexing
RoF radio over fibre
DRoF digital radio over fibre
TX transmitter
RX receiver
DTTB digital terrestrial television broadcasting

4 Advantages and disadvantages of RoF
Advantages of RoF are:
• low attenuation,
• low complexity,
• lower cost.
RoF is an analogue transmission system that allows radio frequency signals to be transmitted
and processed without being digitized. RF modulated optical carriers and signals can be
transmitted in optical fibre with very low propagation loss. By modulating and demodulating
the optical signals at the sending and receiving ends of the optical fibre, the optical fibre
operates as a low-loss, high-frequency analogue RF transmission medium. RoF technology is
more efficient, less complex, and less costly than conventional electronic systems, especially
at high microwave and millimetre wave frequencies.
Disadvantages of RoF are:
• dynamic range,
• intermodulation distortion,
• chromatic dispersion.
Basically, the RoF technology is an analogue transmission system and analogue modulation
is required. Therefore, the transmission issues that are serious in analogue communication
systems are present in RoF systems as well.
The dynamic range of a system is one of the practical issues of the system tolerance when
the received power varies. Generally, the dynamic range of RoF systems is limited by optical
device parameters such as relative intensity noise and shot noise.
The RoF link system inherently suffers from intermodulation distortions arising from the
nonlinearity of both microwave (driver amplifier, transimpedance amplifier [TIA], low-noise
amplifier [LNA]) and optical (E/O converter: optical modulator, O/E converter: photodetector)
components. A large modulation index introduces more intermodulation. The system should
be designed by considering the device features. In particular, adjusting of modulation index,
optical power and gain are critical parameters for the optimization of the optical link design. A
Mach-Zehnder (MZ) modulator is suitable for broadband signal transmission; however,
...