MULTISTACKER CALCULATOR

Description

The Multistacker Calculator is a tool to assist Foxtel MDU designers and installers quickly plan and build a signal distribution system that meets the mandatory specifications. The tool accepts manual slider control user inputs including coaxial cable lengths and chosen equipment gain and slope control at 230MHz, 950MHz and 2400MHz frequencies. The tool then calculates and displays the MDU outlet signal levels in a simple table. If any level falls outside the specification the relevant table cell turns RED.

Additional information on Foxtel system requirements can be found here: https://www.foxtel.com.au/support/tv/troubleshooting/installation-help/developer-information.html

Operation

• The ‘Trunk Calculator’ appears on the left side of the screen. The ‘Trunk Cable’ is the main cable that distributes the signal up or down the height of the building and delivers a signal to each floor within the MDU.
• The ‘Distribution Calculator’ appears on the right side of the screen. It calculates and displays signal level information to outlets on individual floors within the MDU.
• The output signal levels of the Trunk Calculator are used as the input signal levels to the Distribution Calculator.
• The on screen slider controls are used to manually adjust the various Cable Lengths and the Active Taps gain and slope.
• The tables shown to the right of the Outlet Plates indicate the expected signal levels arriving at the floor outlets at 230, 950 and 2400 MHZ . Figures are shown for the possible cases of ‘Without a Splitter’, ‘With a 2 Way Splitter’ or ‘With a 4 Way Splitter’ used in front of the wall plates for the Long and Short lateral cable runs.
• If any of the cells in the table change to RED as the slider controls are adjusted then signal levels are outside the Foxtel specification, either too high or too low.