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New Accessible Radio Publications and an NPR Labs Video Presentation: Overview of Radio Captioning
Click here To browse NPR Labs' Video Presenation: Overview of Captioned Radio; Radio Text Display Final Report: 3 Studies; Best Manufacturing Recommendations For Blind and Low Vision Users; Results from NPR Election Night '08 Captioned Radio Event; and see the NPR Labs' CONSOLIDATED REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION (RFI)
 
Update regarding the NPR Labs IBOC Power Calculator

Now that the FCC has acted on the NPR/iBiquity IBOC Power Proposal, the NPRLabs IBOC Power Calculator, originally provided as a courtesy to the industry to estimate allowable digital ERP for preliminary planning purposes, has been superseded.
Although the FCC ruling adopts the NPR-recommended power increase formula, the IBOC Power Calculator itself was based on a snapshot of the FCC database from late 2009, and is not to be relied upon for filing purposes.
Licensees may now prepare to file for voluntary digital facility upgrades, which should be based on accurate, current studies prepared by a qualified engineer, to determine their station's permissible digital ERP.

Please feel free to contact NPR Labs for more information on preparing digital ERP studies via

Comments and questions on retiring the power calculator should be directed to

 
Advanced IBOC Coverage and Compatibility Study (Final Report) Available
This report adds sections dealing with compatibility (impairment to analog main FM channel reception from same-station IBOC transmissions) and a means for estimating increases in IBOC coverage at elevated digital powers.
 
NPR Labs Online Viewing Applications for Public Radio and Television
The NPR Labs Public Television Online Viewing Application and the NPR Labs Public FM Radio Online Viewing Application comprise a set of tools that let users dynamically explore mapping and demographic data for PTFP-qualified FM and TV transmitters.
The tools are now freely available your interaction, and are intended for anyone affiliated with a PTFP-qualified FM and/or TV transmitter. Please see the abstracts introducing these tools and the scope of work in these PFTP studies.
 
20100301: REVISED NPR Labs PAD Applications for iBiquity v4.x and later Importer software
NPR Labs has learned that the PAD applications provided free-of-charge to NPR Members are incompatible with iBiquity's version 4.x and later Importer Software. NPR Labs has been working to revise the software, and is developing the replacement using the PADSDK provided through iBiquity Digital Corporation.
The alpha version has recreated the software as a Windows service with 'plug-in' components to operate the desired PAD stream, flexible scheduling to allow different services to push PAD to the same network port at different times.
 
IBOC DAB Interference Maps and Population Reports for 49 Public Radio Stations
Click here to see the maps and learn more about them.
 
Digital Radio Coverage and Interference Analysis Study Now Available

NPR Labs completed their DRCIA project - an exhaustive 18-month study projecting the consequences of interference between HD Radio and station analog broadcast signals, as well as HD Radio’s overall success in meeting coverage expectations and needs. Visit http://www.nprlabs.org/research/drcia to download the final report.
 
Research heading DRCIA PTFP PAD ACCESSIBLE RADIO

In addition to sustaining work with stations, NPR Labs actively competes for and executes grants pertaining to public radio technology, accessibility, and system improvements.

NPR Labs' PTFP work has culminated in the NPR Labs Online Viewing Application, available at http://www.nprlabs.org/nova/.
The PTFP Report can be downloaded in a Adobe Acrobat .pdf version by clicking this link (30MB)

NPR Labs' DRCIA work has also concluded. Maps generated during the project are available to the public at http://www.nprlabs.org/drcia/

Audio samples have been produced to demonstrate the impairments from elevated IBOC transmission power. 

The following samples use a real automotive receiver with a fading environment and RF noise accurately representing the receiving conditions for FM stereo mobile reception at the 60 dBu contour of a desired station.  The interfering station signal is a first-adjacent channel at an equivalent field strength of 54 dBu, resulting in the 6 dB D/U contour protection ratio required by the FCC rules for most FM stations.  The samples titles indicate the conditions (interference from analog-only, analog plus 1% IBOC and analog plus 10% IBOC).

Speech, analog-only interference

Speech, 1% hybrid interference

Speech, 10% hybrid interference

Choral music, analog-only interference

Choral music, 1% hybrid interference

Choral music, 10% hybrid interference

Technical details of the preparation of the samples

 

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