Monoblock LNB

Low-noise block downconverters (LNBs) are electronic devices coupled to satellite dishes for TV reception or general telecommunication that convert electromagnetic waves into digital signals that can be used to transform information into human or machine interpretable data, e.g., optical images, video, code, communications, etc.

Monoblock (or monobloc) low-noise block downconverters are a special type of LNBs representing a single device that contains several (typically 2–4) LNB units and a Digital Satellite Equipment Control (DiSEqC) switch. The latter allows the recipient to receive signals from several neighboring satellites each communicating different channels or signals which increases the potential bandwidth of the receiver.

The two, three, or four LNBs can be automatically addressed with any DiSEqC 1.0 or higher receiver. In some cases, they can also be addressed with ToneBurst/MiniDiSEqC. However, they are only available for satellites with a fixed 3-degree, 4°, 4.3°, or 6° other spacing.

Most receivers which are commercially available are compatible with at least DiSeqC 1.0 allowing dynamic switching between 4 satellites (all of contemporary Monoblock LNBs), as the recipient manually switches settings, e.g., flipping channels using a TV remote control.