Undetected error probability for data services in a terrestrial DAB single frequency network

DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) is the European successor of FM radio. Besides audio services, other services such as traffic information can be provided. An important parameter for data services is the probability of non-recognized or undetected errors in the system. To derive this probability, we propose a bound for the undetected error probability in CRC codes. In addition, results from measurements of a Single Frequency Network (SFN) in Amsterdam were used, where the University of Twente conducted a DAB field trial. The proposed error bound is compared with other error bounds from literature and the results are validated by simulations. Although the proposed bound is less tight than existing bounds, it requires no additional information about the CRC code such as the weight distribution. Moreover, the DAB standard has been extended last year by an Enhanced Packet Mode (EPM) which provides extra protection for data services. An undetected error probability for this mode is also derived. In a realistic user scenario of 10 million users, a 8 kbit/s EPM sub channel can be considered as a system without any undetected errors (Pud = 6 · 10−40). On the other hand, in a normal data sub channel, only 110 packets with undetected errors are received on average each year in the whole system (Pud = 5 · 10−13).