Un chip a basso consumo per HD Radio e Eureka 147

SiPort di Santa Clara ha presentato recentemente un chip a bassissimo consumo per la costruzione di ricevitori e dispositivi compatibili con i sistemi HD Radio, DAB/T-DMB. Il silicio progettato da SiPort funziona anche per la decodifica MP3 e il basso assorbimento (100 mW!) rende possibile realizzare dispositivi portatili. Interessante anche la possibile accoppiata HD Radio/Eureka 147, anche se per il momento le prospettive di mercato per ricevitori ibridi per entrambi i sistemi sembrano piuttosto limitate. Questo è il link per scaricare una brochure del chip SP1010 L'approccio sembra essere quello della conversione diretta del segnale analogico, la sintonia digitale (downconversion) e il trattamento DSP della modulazione digitale (o analogica) in banda base.

SiPort Releases to Production the Broadcast Industry's Lowest Power Mobile HD Radio Solution

Advanced Power Management Techniques and Superior Architecture Spec the SP1010 Single-Chip Receiver at an Unprecedented 100 mW and Allow Mobile Platforms to Integrate HD Radio Functionality.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- SiPort Inc., a leading developer of digital terrestrial broadcast receiver ICs for use in consumer electronic devices, announced today that its SP1010 single-chip HD Radio receiver was released to production. The SP1010 single chip HD Radio receiver is the world's lowest power HD Radio solution and provides category-leading digital and analog FM performance for the mobile, tabletop and automotive aftermarket market segments. The SP1010 completed comprehensive product qualification and is being shipped in volume to OEMs, ODMs and module makers.
"This is the dawn of the digital radio revolution as the United States witnesses the rapid transition of analog radio to digital HD Radio technology," said Aiman Kabakibo, CEO of SiPort. "By offering the world's lowest power HD Radio solution in the smallest available form factor, SiPort is accelerating the analog to digital transition in popular consumer and mobile devices such as MP3 players and handsets. HD Radio technology is changing the listening experience by bringing amazing capabilities to broadcast radio such as a rich user interface, radio TiVo functionality and exciting new content."
The SiPort SP1010 Terrestrial Digital Broadcast Receiver is a highly integrated CMOS IC with tuner, baseband and DC-DC converters on a single die. This multiband single-chip receiver enables Digital Radio and Digital Data Services from terrestrial broadcasts to high-volume devices such as mobile handsets and MP3 players. The SP1010's low power and small form factor enable mobile system manufacturers to develop, for the first time, mobile HD Radio platforms that provide attractive form factors and long battery life.
While consuming an unheard of 100 mW for the entire HD Radio sub-system (baseband, tuner, DC-DC converters and memory), the SP1010's design provides superior RF performance and interference rejection in all operating modes. Digital Signal Processing (DSP) enables the baseband to provide performance previously found only in expensive, high-end receivers. A software-pro-grammable configuration enables multi-standard reception with no compromise on performance/power ratios. The single-chip receiver handles all symbol decoding, synchronization, de-interleaving, error detection, and error-correction functions.
"The availability of HD Radio on mobile platforms can significantly expand broadcaster interest and investment," said Will Strauss, president of Forward Concepts, a Tempe, AZ-based market research firm. "The SiPort HD Radio solution meets the mandatory power, packaging, performance and cost constraints for inclusion on mobile platforms. SiPort is enabling OEMs to tap a huge new audience that has not been exposed to the benefits of digital radio."
"The HD Digital Radio broadcast infrastructure is already in place and 84% of the U.S. population can already receive HD Radio," said Jeff Littlejohn, executive vice president of Clear Channel Communications. "SiPort's ultra-low power mobile HD Radio receiver extends HD Radio's reach to battery-powered devices, which are becoming the entertainment platforms of choice for many consumers. Mobile audiences will enjoy the rich and diverse content that's only available from the hundreds of HD stations."
The HD Radio system was developed by iBiquity Digital Corporation. The breakthrough technology allows digital radio signals to ride the same airwaves as today's ubiquitous analog AM and FM radio broadcasts, bringing additional content, crystal clear sound, and location-based data services.

About SiPort:

SiPort is a venture-backed fabless semiconductor company developing mixed signal RF and digital baseband wireless receiver chips supporting multiple Digital Broadcast Standards. SiPort's Audio/Data Broadcast Receivers are high-performance, low power, highly-integrated single-chip CMOS solutions enabling free-to-air and subscription broadcast audio and data services in MP3 Players, mobile handsets, Personal Navigation Devices (PNDs), automotive and home radios. With support for both analog and digital broadcast standards, SiPort's solution allows mobile and portable device manufacturers to provide consumers with on-the-go access to exciting new audio content via HD Radio as well as the same live, familiar programming that they receive on their radios at home and in the car. SiPort single chip solution provides the low power, form factor, and cost needed to enable delivery of live navigation data services on PNDs.
The SiPort team has an enviable track record designing complex RF and mixed-signal circuits that leapfrog current performance metrics and deliver the best broadcast performance per milliWatt. The team is focused on enabling ubiquitous delivery of mobile digital broadcast media to all handheld media platforms at attractive price points and form factors.