HD Radio, silicio offresi

Lungo articolo di PRNeswire sulla disponibilità di alcuni chipset annunciati nei mesi scorsi per il sistema HD Radio di Ibiquity. Niente di nuovo, ne avevo già parlato, ma ora il silicio Samsung, SiPort e Sanyo ha raggiunto la fase della general availability. E ovviamente si tratta di silicio versatile, che potrebbe servire per del DSP multistandard.

HD Radio Manufacturing Infrastructure Now Enables Low-Power, Low-Cost Designs
May 27, 2008, 7:00 AM

COLUMBIA, Md., May 27 /PRNewswire/ -- iBiquity Digital Corporation, the developer of digital HD Radio(TM) technology for AM and FM broadcasting, today announced significant momentum in advancing the infrastructure for HD Radio designs.
"These next generation chipsets, modules and software development kits from Samsung and other major technology companies will enable a much wider range of low cost radio receivers in new form factors, with new features," said Bob Struble, president and CEO of iBiquity Digital Corporation.
The announcement comes on the heels of a similar set of announcements detailing lower-cost and higher-performance building blocks for manufacturers of HD Radio broadcast equipment.

Mobile HD Radio chipsets, next-generation DSP are now generally
available

As of this week, both Samsung and SiPort are now in general availability of next-generation HD Radio chipsets, shipping to dozens of receiver makers covering both the automotive and home/office markets. In January, Samsung disclosed sampling of a new generation of HD Radio chipsets to select customers.
Both the chipsets are enabling lower-power HD Radio receiver designs as well as smaller form-factors. These mobile devices will span both automotive and non-automotive applications. The Samsung chipset features an innovative single-chip RF-IF peripheral processor, a baseband processor, and achieves the coveted "no filter" concept. It supports a rich feature set, including conditional access, store & replay, traffic &navigation. For its part, SiPort's single-chip solution has been designed specifically for low-power, high-performance portables outside of the automotive market such as portable GPS devices. TSMC is fabricating the chipset.
Further, Sanyo is shipping a single-chip digital radio tuner/digital signal processor -- a fundamental component to HD Radio receiver designs. The new tuner/DSP similarly is enabling more compact and lower-cost designs of high-performance car radios and audio processing systems.

Software development kits, reference designs, test suite enable richer
receivers

In addition to hardware advances, iBiquity has been focused on moving software design forward. SDKs across several applications are now available; a critical reference design for hotly anticipated iTunes Tagging support; and a comprehensive testing, inspection and certification suite are also speeding next-generation designs to market.
A trio of companies -- SamBoo InfoTech, Analog & Digital Soft Company, and KRS Electronics -- are providing software-development kit support for specific applications, ranging from head units, to personal navigation devices, to iPod docks, and automotive head-ends, mini-shelf systems and AV receivers. The comprehensive support spans host microprocessor and user-interface design as well as advanced feature prototyping.
Also supporting advanced feature sets is an end-to-end iTunes Tagging reference design now available from iBiquity. The design defines HD Radio receivers with iPod docking stations and iTunes Tagging support and is now available to all licensees of both Apple Made-for-iPod (MFi) and iBiquity.
Rounding out the system-level design support is a comprehensive, second test suite to its HD Radio technology lab in Hong Kong from InterTek Group. The move, in response to high demand for digital radio module certification in Asia, will enable walk-in test requests and reduce test times.

In the world's most important emerging consumer electronics design
center

After a hugely successful inaugural session in 2007, iBiquity returned to Shenzhen, Hong Kong, last month to conduct another very well-attended partner event, the HD Radio Business Conference. And earlier this week, the company completed a similar event in Japan -- with more than 150 attendees from the receiver, automotive, telematics and component industries.
Shenzhen is a major technology- and design-focused province in this emerging R&D and manufacturing center. Three sessions were complemented by a 20-vendor exhibition. IC suppliers, module suppliers, test-unit makers, reference platform providers, and software design houses all demonstrated their HD Radio solutions and services.