One fiber in, the whole channel line-up out
The GSR 6017 is a SAT-IF optical receiver: it terminates a single-mode fiber carrying a modulated 1510–1570 nm optical signal, recovers the RF spectrum it was carrying, and hands that spectrum to coaxial distribution at 75 Ω. What makes it a SAT-IF unit rather than an ordinary CATV optical receiver is bandwidth: it reproduces the terrestrial band at 47–860 MHz and the satellite intermediate-frequency band at 950–2150 MHz from the same photodiode.
That matters because of what sits downstream. In a normal SMATV building you run a quattro or quad LNB into a multiswitch over four coax trunks, and every metre of that trunk costs you level, costs you conduit, and costs you a lightning path. Put the L-band on fiber instead and the trunk becomes one 3 mm cable that neither radiates nor picks anything up. The GSR 6017 is where that fiber ends and normal coax practice starts again - feed it into a multiswitch, a tap chain, or straight into a set-top box.
The same box is equally at home as an FTTH CATV optical receiver on the video overlay of a PON, because its built-in CWDM filter takes only the 1510–1570 nm window and ignores the rest of the fiber's traffic.
At a glance
| Place of Origin:Guangdong,China | |
| Model Number:GSR 6017 | |
| Type | SAT-IF + TERR optical receiver |
|---|---|
| RF range | 47–2150 MHz |
| Optical input | −16 … +2 dBm |
| AGC hold | −15 … 0 dBm |
| Connector | SC/APC, single fiber |
| Output | ≥80 dBµV @ TERR ≥78 dBµV @ SAT-IF |
| Supply | DC 18 V, <6 W |
| Size | 144.6 × 122 × 28.5 mm |
| Origin |
Shenzhen, China · OEM/ODM |
Two bands, one photodiode, one output port
Most receivers do 47–860 MHz or they do 950–2150 MHz. Doing both on one detector is the point of the part - and the reason its linearity numbers are written as CSO/CTB rather than a single gain figure.
47 – 860 MHzWhy the terrestrial band still goes up to 860
UHF broadcast in most markets now stops at 694 MHz after the 700 MHz clearance, but 47–860 MHz is not wasted headroom. It keeps the receiver usable for legacy DVB-T/T2 plans above 700 MHz, for DAB+ in Band III, for FM at the bottom, and for QAM overlays that reuse the old CATV plan. Specify it once, deploy it in markets that have cleared and markets that have not.
950 – 2150 MHzWhy 2150 is the number that matters
A universal Ku LNB down-converts its low band (10.70–11.70 GHz) with a 9.75 GHz local oscillator, landing on 950–1950 MHz, and its high band (11.70–12.75 GHz) with a 10.60 GHz LO, landing on 1100–2150 MHz. 950–2150 MHz is therefore the exact envelope of a universal LNB - not a rounded marketing figure. Anything that stops at 1950 MHz drops the top of the high band.
The reason to specify it
A 15 dB AGC window is 5 dB more design freedom than the class norm
Every optical receiver has two input ranges, and buyers routinely read the wrong one. The absolute range is where the part survives and works. The AGC range is where it holds RF output constant. The second number is the one your commissioning technician actually lives inside.
What 5 dB buys you on a real job
Take one 1550 nm SAT-IF over fiber head-end feeding a mixed estate at +10 dBm per distribution port. Two nodes on the same amplifier:
| Loss element | Node A · 1:8 riser | Node B · 1:32 feeder |
|---|---|---|
| Launch per port | +10.00 dBm | +10.00 dBm |
| Fiber @ 0.22 dB/km | 1.5 km → 0.33 | 12 km → 2.64 |
| PLC splitter | 1:8 → 10.50 | 1:32 → 17.20 |
| Connector pairs @ 0.3 | 2 → 0.60 | 2 → 0.60 |
| Splices @ 0.1 | 1 → 0.10 | 3 → 0.30 |
| Power at the receiver | −1.53 dBm | −10.74 dBm |
Both nodes land inside the GSR 6017's −15 … 0 dBm AGC window, 9.2 dB apart, with 4.3 dB still in hand at Node B for splice repairs, connector wear and laser ageing. A 10 dB window puts Node B outside AGC on day one; an 8 dB window puts it 2.7 dB outside. You would then be buying two receiver variants, holding two stock lines, and hoping the installer grabs the right one off the van.
Stock-keeping is the hidden cost. A distributor carrying one SKU across 1:8, 1:16 and 1:32 nodes writes fewer part numbers into tenders, quotes faster, and never returns a receiver because "the level was wrong at the far end of the estate."
Eight decisions inside the housing
Straight from the engineering specification, with what each one actually changes in the field.
High-linearity PIN photodiode, ≥0.9 A/W
Responsivity sets the photocurrent: at −3 dBm the detector delivers roughly 0.45 mA of signal current, at −16 dBm about 23 µA. Higher responsivity means more current for the same light, which is what keeps CNR up when the splitter ratio goes up.
GaAs active devices, ultra-low-noise chain
Gallium arsenide rather than silicon in the RF path. It is the reason the part can hold CSO ≥65 dB and CTB ≥62 dB while running flat from 47 MHz to 2150 MHz - a bandwidth where silicon devices start trading noise figure for linearity.
Built-in CWDM filter, 1510–1570 nm
Sits on the ITU-T G.694.2 coarse grid (1511 / 1531 / 1551 / 1571 nm, 20 nm spacing). The filter admits the video wavelength and rejects the rest, so the receiver can share a fiber with PON traffic at 1310 and 1490 nm instead of demanding its own strand.
Optical AGC, −15 to 0 dBm
Output stays within ±1 dB across the whole 15 dB window. You commission the node once and stop re-padding the coax side every time the optical path changes.
Single-fiber SC/APC, ORL ≥45 dB
One strand carries everything. The 8° angled polish throws reflections into the cladding rather than back at the transmitter - in an analogue-modulated link, reflected light turns into laser RIN, and RIN turns into visible noise on the picture.
75 Ω output, return loss ≥12 dB
Standard F-type into standard practice. ≥12 dB return loss across 47–2150 MHz keeps the match honest into a multiswitch input that is itself not perfect.
DC 18 V, under 6 W
Under 333 mA at 18 V. Low enough to sit in a crowded riser cabinet without a thermal argument, and on the same 18 V rail already used by much SMATV multiswitch gear.
144.6 × 122 × 28.5 mm die-cast housing
28.5 mm tall. It goes flat behind a multiswitch, inside a shallow floor box, or onto a DIN plate. The casting is the heatsink and the shield at the same time.
European practice quotes dBµV; North American practice quotes dBmV; optical people think in dBm. The specification says ≥80 dBµV at TERR. In a 75 Ω system that is 20 dBmV (dBmV = dBµV − 60), and about −28.8 dBm (0 dBmV = −48.75 dBm at 75 Ω). The SAT-IF figure of ≥78 dBµV is 18 dBmV. If your tender is written
in dBmV, those are the numbers to paste in.
CNR is the datasheet number, MER is the field number
CNR ≥50 dB, CSO ≥65 dB and CTB ≥62 dB describe the receiver under a defined analogue test load - that is how this product class is specified and how it gets compared. On a live DVB-S2 line-up your meter will show MER instead, and MER at the STB is set by the whole chain: LNB, transmitter drive, splitter uniformity, and the coax after this box. Use the CNR/CSO/CTB figures to compare receivers; use MER to sign off the installation.
| Responsivity | ≥0.9 A/W |
|---|---|
| Receive optical power | −16 … +2 dBm −15 … 0 dBm (AGC) |
| Optical return loss | ≥45 dB |
| Receive wavelength | 1510 … 1570 nm |
| Optical connector | SC/APC, single fiber |
| Power supply | DC 18 V |
|---|---|
| Power consumption | <6 W |
| Dimensions | 144.6 × 122 × 28.5 mm |
| Frequency range | 47 … 2150 MHz |
|---|---|
| Flatness | ±1.5 dB |
| Output level (AGC) | ≥80 dBµV @ TERR ≥78 dBµV @ SAT-IF |
| CNR | ≥50 dB |
| CSO | ≥65 dB |
| CTB | ≥62 dB |
| Return loss | ≥12 dB |
| AGC stability | ±1 dB |
| Output impedance | 75 Ω |
Sub-bands, for the avoidance of doubt. The 47–2150 MHz figure is the envelope. Inside it the receiver is characterised as SAT-IF 950–2150 MHz and CATV/TERR 47–860 MHz, which is why output level is quoted separately for each.
SAT-TERR over fiber
The head-end combines the terrestrial line-up with the satellite IF and modulates it onto 1550 nm. Fiber and a passive splitter carry it across the estate. A GSR 6017 sits at each node and turns it back into ordinary coax.
Where operators put it
MDU and residential towers. One dish on the roof, one fiber down the riser, a receiver on each floor plate. The alternative is four coax trunks per riser plus line amplifiers to make up the loss.
Hotels and hospitals. Long horizontal runs where coax level budgets fall apart and where re-cabling an occupied building is the real cost. Fiber pulls easier and does not need amplifiers in the ceiling void.
Campuses, marinas and holiday parks. Several hundred metres between the dish and the buildings. Fiber removes the trunk amplifiers and, with them, the maintenance visits and the lightning entry path.
Remote or shared head-ends. One dish farm feeding several sites. 12 km of fiber at 1550 nm costs about 2.6 dB; 12 km of coax at 2150 MHz is not a conversation.
Commissioning notes worth reading before the van leaves
Measure, don't assume. Put a power meter on the drop before you connect the receiver. Design to the AGC window (−15 … 0 dBm), not to the absolute range. Above 0 dBm the detector starts contributing distortion products long before it stops working - CSO and CTB degrade first, and they degrade quietly.
Clean every APC ferrule. One contaminated endface is the single most common cause of a node that "works but looks noisy." Reflections at an analogue-modulated 1550 nm link convert into transmitter RIN. Inspect with a scope, clean, inspect again.
Mind splitter uniformity. A budget 1:32 with ±1.5 dB port-to-port uniformity puts 3 dB of spread across one splitter before any fiber is involved. Premium grade holds ±1.0 dB. That is spread you are spending out of the AGC window.
Equalise on the coax side. Flatness is ±1.5 dB at the receiver output. Cable tilt from 47 MHz to 2150 MHz is a much bigger number - plan the equaliser at the multiswitch, not at the receiver.
GSR 6017 or something else in the range?
Three receivers cover most of what arrives in our inbox. This is how we tell customers to choose between them.
| Model | Bands | Optical input | AGC window | Supply | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GSR 6017 SAT-IF Optical Receiver |
47–860 + 950–2150 MHz |
−16 … +2 dBm | −15 … 0 dBm 15 dB |
DC 18 V | You need satellite and terrestrial on one fiber, and one part number across mixed split ratios. |
| GSR 6015 SAT-IF CWDM Receiver |
47–860 + 950–2150 MHz |
−18 … +3 dBm | −10 … 0 dBm 10 dB |
DC 24 V | Same coverage, tighter AGC, a 24 V rail and a 143 × 110 mm footprint already designed into your cabinet. |
| GCR 6001 FTTH AGC CATV Receiver |
CATV band only | −18 … +2 dBm | −12 … −2 dBm 10 dB |
see datasheet | The estate has no satellite service - a plain FTTH CATV optical receiver is cheaper and smaller. |
Still deciding? Send us the head-end launch power, the split plan and the longest drop. We will run the budget and tell you which receiver clears it - including when the answer is the cheaper one.
How this ships, and what we need from you
Everything below is what an overseas buyer asks in the first email. Here it is before you have to ask.
| Sampling | Samples available for evaluation before a production order. Tell us the target market so we ship the right cord length and connector. |
|---|---|
| MOQ & lead time | Quoted against your quantity and configuration. Confirmed in writing with the pro forma - we do not quote a lead time we have not scheduled on the line. |
| OEM / ODM | Housing colour and silkscreen, logo, printed carton and manual, firmware and UI branding across the wider product line. Hardware changes - connector type, pigtail length, supply rail, AGC set point - are engineering changes; send the requirement and we will scope it. |
| Compliance | The GME product line holds CE, FCC, UL, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification. RoHS declarations and test reports are issued per shipment on request. See company certificates. |
| Customs | Optical-to-RF conversion equipment of this type is commonly declared under HS 8517.62. Classification is your broker's call in your jurisdiction - we supply the technical description they need to make it. |
| Packing | Individual carton with the pigtail coiled and the ferrule capped. Master carton quantity confirmed at quotation. Neutral packing available. |
| Support | Pre-sales technical response within 24 hours. Send the link budget and we will check it against the AGC window before you order, not after. |
What to put in your enquiry. Quantity · head-end launch power per port · split ratio and longest fiber run · supply rail available at the node · connector and pigtail preference · destination market. With those six lines we can quote and confirm suitability in one reply.
Founded in 1992 with US$18 million registered capital, GME runs its own production base in Bao'an, Shenzhen, alongside Taiwan-based R&D. Optical fiber and broadcast television transmission has been the core of the business for more than 25 years - (X)GPON ONU/ONT/OLT, G.hn and MoCA, SAT-IF optical transmitters and receivers, CATV/MATV systems, amplifiers, modulators and set-top boxes.
1992
Founded · 30+ years in RF and optical transmission
40,000 m²
Own production base · 1,000+ employees · 30+ R&D engineers
8 lines
High-speed SMT with AOI and X-Ray · 600 M placements/month
200+
Countries and regions supplied · CE / FCC / UL / ISO 9001 / ISO 14001
Vertical integration is not a slide here: metal stamping and laser cutting run in a 2,000 m² press shop, plastics come off 50+ injection machines with in-house tooling, and assembly and test run on eight automated lines and three automated test lines. That is why a receiver like the GSR 6017 can be re-specified for a customer - a different rail, a different pigtail, a different silkscreen - without leaving the building. Our parent company GMI exhibited at ANGA COM 2026 in Cologne; if you met us there, the same engineers answer this page's enquiry form.
What is a Digital TV Converter Box?
A Digital TV Converter Box is a device that converts digital television signals into analog signals, allowing older analog TVs to receive and display digital over-the-air broadcasts.
Why is a Digital TV Converter Box needed?
A Digital TV Converter Box is needed for older analog televisions that are not equipped with built-in digital tuners. As television broadcasting transitioned from analog to digital, these converter boxes became necessary to continue receiving TV signals.
How does a Digital TV Converter Box work?
The converter box receives digital television signals over-the-air through an antenna, converts them into analog signals, and sends the signal to the analog television for display.
Questions we actually get asked
Q:What is a SAT-IF optical receiver, and how is it different from a CATV optical receiver?
A:Both convert a modulated optical signal on single-mode fiber back into RF on 75 Ω coax. A CATV optical receiver only has to cover the cable band - roughly 47–860 MHz. A SAT-IF optical receiver also has to cover the satellite intermediate-frequency band at 950–2150 MHz, which is the output of a universal Ku LNB. The GSR 6017 covers 47–2150 MHz from one photodiode, so a single unit feeds both the terrestrial line-up and the satellite service.
Q:How far can a SAT IF fiber receiver be from the transmitter?
A:Distance is rarely the limit - splitting is. At 1550 nm, single-mode fiber costs about 0.22 dB/km, so 20 km costs 4.4 dB. A 1:32 PLC splitter costs about 17 dB in one component. Work the full budget: launch power minus fiber, splitters, connector pairs (~0.3 dB each) and splices (~0.1 dB each). As long as the result lands between −15 and 0 dBm, the GSR 6017 holds output flat.
Q:Can this optical SAT receiver share a fiber with GPON?
A:Yes, that is what the built-in CWDM filter is for. It admits 1510–1570 nm and rejects everything else, so PON downstream at 1490 nm and upstream at 1310 nm pass through the network undisturbed while the receiver takes only the video wavelength. Confirm the wavelength plan and the filter arrangement at the node with your head-end design before ordering.
Q:Why 18 V rather than 24 V?
A:18 V is a rail already present in a lot of SMATV cabinets, and at under 6 W the receiver draws less than 333 mA. If your installed base is standardised on 24 V, the GSR 6015 uses that rail with the same band coverage. Tell us the rail and we will point you at the right one.
Q:What does ≥80 dBµV mean in dBmV?
A:20 dBmV. dBmV = dBµV − 60. In a 75 Ω system that is about −28.8 dBm, since 0 dBmV corresponds to −48.75 dBm at 75 Ω. The SAT-IF output figure, ≥78 dBµV, is 18 dBmV.
Q:Do you supply the matching optical transmitter?
A:Yes - see optical transmitters and the multi-CWDM optical transmitter. Buying both ends from one factory means the wavelength plan, the drive level and the AGC window are checked against each other before anything ships.
Q:Is OEM branding available, and what is the minimum order?
A:OEM/ODM is standard business for us: logo, silkscreen, packaging, manual, and firmware branding on the wider range. MOQ depends on how deep the customisation goes - cosmetic changes carry a much lower floor than a hardware change. Send the requirement through the enquiry form and you will get a specific number, not a range.
Q:What is the warranty and what happens if a unit fails on site?
A:Warranty terms are confirmed on the sales contract for your order. Practically: send the serial, the measured optical input at the drop and the fault symptom. Most "faulty receiver" reports we investigate turn out to be a contaminated APC endface or a node that fell outside the AGC window - which is why the optical reading is the first thing we ask for.
Q:Can a Digital TV Converter Box receive HD channels?
A:While Digital TV Converter Boxes primarily convert digital signals for analog TVs, the output quality is limited to the capabilities of the analog TV. They do not provide high-definition (HD) resolution on older analog televisions.
Q:Can a Digital TV Converter Box be used with a cable or satellite TV service?
A:No, Digital TV Converter Boxes are designed for over-the-air broadcast signals and are not compatible with cable or satellite TV services. They are intended for use with antennas to receive free, over-the-air digital broadcasts.
Q:How is a Digital TV Converter Box connected to a TV?
A:The converter box is typically connected to the analog TV using standard audio and video cables (usually composite or RF). The antenna is connected to the converter box to receive over-the-air digital signals.
Q:Are Digital TV Converter Boxes still needed after the digital TV transition?
A:The digital TV transition in many countries has already occurred, making digital TV signals the standard. However, if you have an older analog TV and wish to use it to receive digital broadcasts, a Digital TV Converter Box is still necessary.
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