1. FEATURE AZBox ME Receiver Software
Revealing the
Secrets of the
AZBox ME
Super Box
• automatically looks for all active
transponders
Part 1:
• also detects channels with very low
symbol rate
• makes full use of the AZBox ME
tuner’s capabilities
Blindscan
• finds all active channels
• blind scan mode currently in beta
mode
100 TELE-satellite International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 04-05/2012 — www.TELE-satellite.com www.TELE-satellite.com — 04-05/2012 — TELE-satellite International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine 101

2. FEATURE AZBox ME Receiver Software
Blindscan
for the AZBox ME
Vitor Martins Augusto
In TELE-satellite 02-03/2012 promises and does not leave require a degree in engineer- of the three available memory
we introduced the new Open- us in the dark as far as new ing: You simply reboot the re- banks you want to use for the
sat super box by the name features are concerned. ceiver and as soon as the boot new firmware. In addition,
of AZBox ME. At the time Naturally, we turned on our menu is displayed on the VFD you may access the ‘MICOM
we were not able to test the AZBox ME right away to have display you press the VOL+ Upgrade’ menu to update the
blind scan function, as it was an in-depth look at how Open- button to get the boot loader front processor as well. Please
not yet implemented. Open- sat delivers blind scan func- into flash mode. Next, the re- bear in mind, though, that this
sat has meanwhile released a tionality. The new firmware ceiver’s IP address appears should only be done when ab-
new version of the receiver’s image needs to be flashed be- on the VFD display and has to solutely necessary. Never use
firmware which features a fore the amended software is be entered in a web browser. a wrong file out of the blue, as
beta version of the blind scan available. Since the AZBox ME We used Mozilla Firefox, which this may result in the remote
mode. The updated software comes with a large flash chip works best with the web func- control not working any longer
was launched much quicker that allows parallel installation tions of the recceiver. If you and the VFD staying dark.
than we expected and thus of up to three different firm- prefer Chrome or the Inter- The ‘Device Info’ menu item
proves once again Opensat’s ware versions, we decided to net explorer, they can be used calls up various receiver pa-
commitment and customer install the new v1.6 firmware just as well in this case. rameters and ‘Reboot!’ will
dedication. It is the feed hunt- in memory bank no. 2. The web browser then dis- restart the box. As mentioned
ers among us who will appre- For the sceptics among you plays a website that is gen- before, we had decided to in-
ciate more than anybody else we are happy to reveal that erated by the receiver. Here, stall the new version in mem-
that Opensat always keeps its the flash procedure does not you first have to decide which ory bank 2, so we selected
1
1. Browser showing the FlashMeTM Interface. The user can select between three memory-banks for parallel firmware installations.
102 TELE-satellite International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 04-05/2012 — www.TELE-satellite.com

3. 2
should avoid by all means to
interrupt this process or, even
worse, unplug the receiver.
But then again, this would not
really cause any major dam-
age since the boot loader will
be unaffected and the worst
that could happen is that you
have to restart the flash pro-
cess for the memory bank in
3 question. What’s more, even
with a failed flash process
there are still two other intact
firmware images in the mem-
ory that can be used to boot
the receiver. And if the worst
case occurs and you manage
to screw up both the firmware
and boot loader the AZBox ME
boasts a kind of panic button
on the back panel which acti-
vates an emergency image to
4 allow a new flash process.
So now that the new v1.6
firmware was in place we
called up the installation wiz-
ard to adjust the software
according to our require-
ments. Instead of initiating a
channel search we decided to
use the settings list we had
saved previously, because we
wanted to get a first impres-
sion of the revised firmware
straight away. It always pays
off to have copies of one’s cur-
rent settings on the PC as it
saves valuable time in cases
like that. A number of settings
editors for Linux receivers are
available from the Internet,
but in actual fact all you have
to do is copy a directory with
the help of an FTP client. The
settings can be found in the
/etc/tuxbox directory and you
may use any standard FTP ap-
plication such as Filezilla, for
example, to create backups of
2. On the first step, the user must upload the desired firmware pleted the next page appears your existing settings and to
image. on the screen. restore those backup copies
3. After the upload, the receiver can be configured to On this third page you can onto the receiver again. The
automatically reboot after the flashing process. This is usually determine whether or not the only thing you need to know
a good idea.
receiver should re-boot auto- is your receiver’s IP address
4. Existing channel and satellite settings can easily be backed
matically after the new firm- to access its file directory.
up and restored, by just using any FTP client. Navigate to /etc/
tuxbox and copy the existing files. ware has been flashed. We Key in ‘root’ as user name
recommend activating this and leave the password field
‘Firmware Upgrade (BOOT On the next page you can function because it means empty by default. If your re-
2)’. In actual fact, it does not select the required firmware you can leave the box unat- ceiver can be accessed via the
make a difference at all which by pressing the ‘Browse’ but- tended during the entire up- Internet you should, however,
position you choose – the re- ton. Once the right file is cho- grade process. Once the new change the default setting and
sult always stays the same. All sen a click on the ‘Upload!’ firmware is installed the re- set a password to protect un-
you need to know in the boot button initiates the file trans- ceiver will boot all on its own authorised access. With MS
loader menu is which num- fer from the PC to the receiver. with the new software. Sim- Windows press the ‘Windows’
ber (0, 1 or 2) corresponds to This process only takes a few ply press the ‘Flash!’ button key plus ‘R’ and key in ‘telnet
which image. seconds and after it is com- and let the magic begin. You 192.168.1.100’ (make sure
104 TELE-satellite International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 04-05/2012 — www.TELE-satellite.com

4. 5
you use your receiver’s actual der search (‘Single Satellite’
address!). Use ‘root’ without mode) with active network
a password to log in and once scan. In general, providers
you’re in the Linux shell type take advantage of ‘their’ tran-
in the command ‘passwd’. sponders to transmit informa-
Then you set the password tion on other transponders
and key it in a second time to they also use, so that users
make sure it is correct. From can be sure their receivers
now on that password is re- find all channels of individual
quired for logging in as ‘root’ providers, no matter over how
user. many transponders they are
Now the time has finally spread. More often than not,
6 come for checking out the new pre-defined transponder lists
blind scan functions. All fea- are not fully up-to-date and
tures are seamlessly incorpo- therefore it makes sense to
rated in the firmware and can always use the benefits of net-
be found in the signal search work mode to make sure your
menu – right where we would receiver can find all available
have expected them. With the channels. The search on HIS-
new firmware the ‘Blind Scan’ PASAT 30.0W took some 24
option is added to the exist- minutes and yielded a total of
ing ‘Multisat’, ‘Single Tran- 548 channels.
sponder’ and ‘Single Satellite’ We then proceeded with
modes. performing the same search
Blind scan with the AZBox on the same satellite using
ME is a three-step affair: the newly added blind scan
7 First, the tuner scans the en- function. Once again, we
tire frequency band for tran- made sure ‘Network Scan’
sponders. Next, reception pa- was turned on. This time the
rameters are determined for search only lasted 18 minutes
each found frequency. In case and resulted in 613 identified
‘Network Scan’ is active all channels. Needless to say, we
associated transponder data were rather impressed with
are extracted from the NIT the capabilities of the AZBox
stream. The third step com- ME’s blind scan mode.
prises the actual blind scan, We gave the channel list
which means the individual a quick look and stumbled
transponders are scanned for across three channels that
channels. might be of particular interest
In our test we were looking to satellite DXers. (table 1)
8 for answers to the following Many tuners struggle with
questions: symbol rates of around 2000
• How many channels are Kbit/s and if that happens
found using blind scan as op- these channels are either not
posed to the pre-defined tran- found at all in a search or not
sponder list? demodulated correctly. We
• How fast is blind scan? were all the more surprised
• Are channels with low to find out that the AZBox ME
symbol rates also found using seems to be in a league of its
blind scan? own as far as low symbol rates
• Are the data of transpon- are concerned.
ders found with blind scan Excited by those promising
stored in the transponder list first results we hooked our 1m
so that those transponders offset antenna to the AZBox
5. The new blind scan functionality is seamlessly integrated in will also be found using regu- and aligned it towards TEL-
the service scan menu. lar search modes? STAR 12 (15.0W). This is a po-
6. Initialisation of the tuner. To find those answers we sition that is not widely known
7. Pass 1: The tuner searches for active frequencies. started out with deleting all and used in Central Europe
8. Pass 2: All found frequencies are analysed to determine channels transmitted from as it only transmits few FTA
the correct Symbol Rate and to obtain other transponders HISPASAT 30.0W and initi- channels. Transponder 10 at
broadcasted in the NIT. ated a standard transpon- 12608H seems to be the most
obvious choice – it is used by
Globecomm to broadcast BBC
Persian, among others.
To be frank, there is anoth-
er reason we chose TELSTAR
Tabel 1 12 for a blind scan search: It
106 TELE-satellite International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 04-05/2012 — www.TELE-satellite.com

5. 9 10 15 16
11 9. Thanks to the NIT, the can compare these PIDs with 17
transponder search is speeded the ones specified on popular
up a lot. satellite websites to make sure
they did indeed find a new
10. Pass 3: On the last stage, channel and not just an existing
all listed transponders are channel with a different name.
scanned for valid channels. 18. Service Info of Ribamontana:
11. Blind scan of Hispasat the Symbol Rate is specified in
30.0W. Bit/s instead of the usual Kbit/s!
Clearly a very low SR, showing
12. Pass 1: Frequency scan. the excellent capabilities of the
13. Pass 2: Transponder tuner.
analysis. 19. Tunisia 1 on TELSTAR 15.0W.
14. Pass 3: Channel scan for Also a channel with low Symbol
Rate. Most receivers are not able
each of the 55 transponders. to receive such channels.
15. Ribamontana TV: FTA 20. Verification of TELSTAR
channel with particularly low 15.0W with our spectrum
Symbol Rate analyzer. We compared the
16. The AZBox offers detailed number of found transponders
information of the active with the number of spikes seen
channel. on the spectrum (only one image
17. Visualization of the different shown, but of course we used
PIDS used by the current all four bands: V-L, H-L, V-H and
channel. This is important for H-H). The blind scan did not miss
channel- and feed-hunters: they any transponder!
12 13 18 19
14 blind scan with the HISPASAT further west until we reached to the antenna output of the found that details of transpon- 20
satellite configuration still in INTELSAT 905 (24.5W). Apart AZBox ME and looked at the ders found using blind scan
place. In such a case a regu- from NTA International and spectrum analyser to find out unfortunately are not added
lar transponder search would RTI 1 there are no FTA chan- what was going on. It turned to the general transponder
hardly bring a result since nels transmitted in the Ku out that the beta version of list. Opensat’s software engi-
transponders on different sat- band from that position. There the blind scan mode has a neers are currently address-
ellites generally have different are, however, numerous tran- bug which can prevent the ing that issue and will offer a
frequencies and deviating re- sponders dedicated to feeds receiver from switching from fix shortly.
ception parameters. only, which prompted us to high band to low band (0 kHz While the new blind scan
One of the found channels perform another blind scan. signal instead of 22 kHz sig- mode still leaves some room
was TUNIS TV with a symbol This time, many transponders nal) in the final step of a blind for improvement, feed hunters
rate of 2893 Kbit/s, which goes were found again in steps 1 scan. What happens then is may nonetheless use it at this
to show yet again how capable and 2 of the blind scan pro- that transponders found in the stage to write down the fre-
the tuner of the AZBox ME re- cess, while not a single result low band are later scanned in quencies of all detected tran-
is the position of choice for and hardly exceed the 2000 to ally is. It should definitely be was achieved in step 3, when the high band, which of course sponders and then perform tures to a receiver that never ready. It’s hard to believe such
a number of regular feeds 5000 Kbit/s bracket. able to meet even the exact- the actual channels should be yields no results. manual scans using that data. ceases to amaze us. We’re all a small and inexpensive satel-
which come with totally out- To make sure the AZBox ing demands of feed hunters scanned. When we examined the ‘sat- In addition, we have noth- looking forward to the final re- lite receiver can offer so many
of-the-ordinary symbol rates. ME’s new firmware does not and satellite DXers. To obtain a second opinion ellites.xml’ file, which Linux ing but praise for Opensat’s lease version of the blind scan useful functions. You can be
To make matters worse, those rely on ‘dirty’ tricks or use As our in-depth test pro- we attached our reference receivers generally use to speedy firmware development feature, yet even now the AZ- sure this isn’t the last time you
rates usually are also very low any shortcuts we performed a gressed we moved the antenna meter (Spaun Sparos 609) save their transponder list, we which keeps adding great fea- Box ME is a fascinating box al- read about that super box.
108 TELE-satellite International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 04-05/2012 — www.TELE-satellite.com www.TELE-satellite.com — 04-05/2012 — TELE-satellite International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine 109