Athena Semiconductors, Inc. has readied a new high-performance, ultra low-power, dual-band, RF tuner chip based on CMOS process to enable cost-effective mobile TV applications in cell phones and other devices such as PDAs and automobile entertainment systems. The ATS7000 is fully compliant with the Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H) standard that enables the reception of multichannel broadcast TV and audio channels on mobile consumer devices. ATS7000 supports mobile broadcast TV services in both Europe and the United States by operating in UHF and L-band, thus providing interoperability across networks and simplifying the design of mobile consumer devices capable of TV reception.

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The ATS7000 offers breakthrough levels of performance and integration by using Athena’s production proven OptimRF direct-conversion, zero-IF CMOS radio technology that has been deployed in a variety of Athena’s CMOS RF chips over several years. By using direct conversion, the ATS7000 avoids external SAW filters and tunable parts, which results in the lowest bill of materials (BOM), yet maintains a high level of performance. A complete mobile-TV receiver can be built by combining the ATS7000 with a partner’s digital demodulator chip. ATS7000 has a flexible interface to work with a range of demodulator chips from other vendors.

Key features include a low noise figure (NF) of 4 dB, minimum integrated phase noise in UHF and L-band, use of typical crystals used in different cell phone standards, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of higher than 30 dB for a wide range of input power, and ultra low power with less than 25 mW in typical time-slicing mode operation and less than10 mW in power-down mode. It comes in a miniature 40-pin MLF, 6 mm x 6 mm package. It is fully compliant with EICTA-MBRAI specifications and DVB-H specifications.

The ATS7000 is currently sampling with production planned for early fourth quarter. According to Athena, pricing will vary by configuration/count.