Link to Document

Fabless semiconductor supplier MaxLinear has readied a CMOS tuner IC that meets all global digital and analog cable and terrestrial TV standards. The MxL5007 incorporates key CMOS circuit design and radio architecture that enable “can” tuner equivalent performance in digital/analog televisions, terrestrial and cable set-top box (STB) and portable TV applications.

Article Tools

• 

Based on the company's proprietary digital CMOS process, it offers high performance comparable to exotic SiGe BiCMOS process-based tuner solutions with low cost, low power consumption and heat dissipation that is only achievable using CMOS technology. It comes in a 5 mm × 5 mm 32-pin QFN package and consumes 300 mW of power, which is three to six times lower than competing products.

According to the maker, MxL5007 even exceeds the exacting requirements of ATSC A/74 receiver performance guidelines. Until now, the stringent ATSC A/74 requirements could only be met by traditional can tuners or higher power SiGe-BiCMOS tuners using expensive external tracking and/or SAW filters. Exceeding the A/74 requirements without the use of external tracking and SAW filters is a key accomplishment of the MxL5007, said MaxLinear.

“With the MxL5007, manufacturers can now move to a lower cost, lower-power silicon solution without sacrificing the performance benefits associated with traditional can tuners,” said Kishore Seendripu, MaxLinear's CEO. “MaxLinear's CMOS radio IC technology is well proven in PC TV, mobile TV, and DVB-T STB markets using our older generation 5003/5005 tuner ICs. The MxL5007 uses an enhancement to this proven CMOS radio technology to address multiple TV standards and applications.

Modified versions of MxL5007 will target specific standards to offer even lower-cost solutions for customers.”

The MxL5007 can receive an input signal spanning a continuous frequency band from 44 MHz to 1002 MHz from a 75 V antenna or cable. It supports every major cable and terrestrial digital and analog TV standard, including ATSC, DVB-T, DVB-H, ISDB-T 13-segment, DVB-C, DMB-T(H), 64/256 QAM for US cable applications, analog cable, DOCSIS 3.0, NTSC, PAL and SECAM.

The MxL5007 has an integrated low-noise amplifier (LNA), on-chip tracking and PLL loop filters, automatic gain control, LO generation, and channel selectivity functions for simplified and low-cost board-level design. By eliminating the need for external SAW filters, external tracking filters, PLL loop filters, and external loop through circuitry, and by requiring no factory calibration or adjustments the MxL5007 greatly reduces BOM and manufacturing costs for end users. Additionally, MxL5007 offers a flexible output IF ranging from 4 MHz to 44 MHz to support many demodulators and has an integrated on-chip loop-through function that vastly simplifies STBs requiring RF out and multituner applications such as PVRs and televisions supporting picture-in-picture or similar functionality.

The product was demonstrated at the IBC2007 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Engineering samples and evaluation kits are expected to be available in the fourth quarter with production quantities expected in the second quarter of 2008.

For more information, visit www.maxlinear.com.