New Si216x/6x2 Family Supports Latest Digital Video Broadcast
Standards, Features the Industry's First Dual-Channel DVB Demodulators
AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Silicon
Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB), a leader in high-performance, analog-intensive,
mixed-signal ICs, today introduced a new family of universal digital
video broadcast (DVB) demodulators that support the latest worldwide DVB
standards for cable, terrestrial and satellite reception. Designed to
simplify the design of complex, high-performance video front-ends for
integrated digital TVs (iDTVs) and set-top boxes (STBs), Silicon Labs'
new Si216x/6x2 family includes the industry's first dual-channel DVB
demodulators targeting multi-receiver iDTV and STB applications.
Silicon Labs' Si216x/6x2 demodulator family supports all first and
second-generation DVB broadcast standards for cable (DVB-C2/C, ITU J.83
Annex A/B/C), terrestrial (DVB-T2/T) and satellite (DVB-S2/S, DSS).
Leveraging Silicon Labs' industry-leading digital demodulation
architecture, the single-channel Si216x and dual-channel Si216x2
demodulators enable excellent reception performance for each DVB
standard while minimizing front-end design complexity, footprint size,
system cost and power dissipation. For TV and STB makers looking to add
additional features like personal video recorder (PVR) and
picture-in-picture, multiple demodulators are essential components.
Silicon Labs' dual demodulators enable TV/STB makers to simplify and
reduce the cost of these multi-receiver designs.
The Si216x/6x2 family includes single and dual demodulators that comply
with the recent DVB-C2 specification for cable reception, enabling
highly efficient use of existing cable networks for delivery of
innovative new services such as video-on-demand (VOD) and
high-definition television (HDTV). The rapidly emerging DVB-C2 standard
is increasingly important in the German TV market and is also becoming a
"must-have" feature for the broader European market. High-end TVs
designed for European consumers have begun supporting DVB-C2, and this
trend will continue to accelerate. Many of Western Europe's leading
cable operators, representing more than 22 million households, have
chosen to adopt the new DVB-C2 standard.
The Si216x/6x2 family supports the latest DVB-T2 specification (ETSI EN
302 755-V1.3.1), also known as DVB-T2-Lite. New markets that are
migrating to digital terrestrial TV broadcasting are switching directly
from analog to DVB-T2-Lite. DVB-T2 adoption continues to expand to
various African countries, as well as Singapore, Russia, India, Malaysia
and Colombia. To date, 35 countries have adopted DVB-T2, 19 have
deployed and nine are running trials. Silicon Labs currently has the
highest market share for DVB-T2 demodulators among all Tier 1 TV
manufacturers. The field experience gained as a result of this leading
market position is integrated into Silicon Labs' latest generation of
DVB-T2 demodulators.
The DVB-T2-Lite specification allows simpler receiver implementations
for mobile and handheld reception. Additionally, the specification
enables "scrambling of L1 post-signaling," an attractive feature for new
DVB-T2 infrastructure deployments that reduces the cost of the power
amplifier in the broadcast transmitter. Emerging countries recently
deploying DVB-T2 have implemented these lower cost transmitters. Legacy
DVB-T2 demodulators that do not support DVB-T2-Lite will not be able to
receive T2-Lite broadcasts. Therefore, it is imperative that TV and STB
makers use a demodulator that supports DVB-T2-Lite to address the global
terrestrial broadcast market.
Silicon Labs' Si216x/6x2 family is designed to reduce demodulator lock
times across the DVB-C2/C/T2/T/S2/S standards. The new demodulators
demonstrate very short lock times in DVB-C2 mode, and they provide the
industry's fastest DVB-T2 lock times, even in the presence of co-channel
interference (CCI), which is an important consideration in countries
where DVB-T2 and analog broadcasting coexist. Fast lock time is a
critical feature for TV and STB makers since it enables shorter
"zapping" time (the speed of changing channels), an attractive consumer
experience feature for TV viewers. Noticeably long zap time can be
irritating for TV viewers while very fast zapping can be a key
performance consideration and differentiator when selecting a new TV or
STB in the retail market.
"Silicon Labs has achieved the largest share of advanced DVB
demodulators in the TV market by consistently supporting the latest DVB
standards and providing highly integrated solutions like our new dual
demodulators that enable customers to reduce design complexity and
cost," said James Stansberry, vice president and general manager of
Silicon Labs' broadcast products. "When combined with Silicon Labs'
market-leading TV
tuners, the Si216x/6x2 demodulators provide customers with the
highest performance video front-end solution from RF to baseband."
The single-channel Si216x demodulators use the same 7 mm x 7 mm QFN-48
package as Silicon Labs' previous demodulator family, providing
pin-to-pin compatibility, simplifying board design and reducing cost.
The dual Si216x2 demodulators are pin-compatible in a compact 8 mm x 8
mm QFN-68 package. The Si216x and Si216x2 demodulators share the same
API software, enabling customers to easily adapt their application
software to these new demodulators and upgrade their iDTV and STB
products to the latest DVB-T2-Lite and DVB-C2 features.
Pricing and Availability
Samples and production quantities of the Si216x and Si216x2 DVB
demodulators are available now. The Si2164 universal DVB-C2/C/T2/T/S2/S
demodulator and Si21642 dual DVB-C2/C/T2/T/S2/S demodulator are flagship
products within Silicon Labs' complete single and dual demodulator
portfolio. Depending on the supported DVB standards, product pricing in
10,000-unit quantities begins at $6.86 (USD) for single-channel
demodulators. The Si216x/6x2 demodulator family is supported by a
comprehensive set of evaluation boards. Reference design schematics,
layout Gerber files and sample driver source code help expedite time to
market while reducing development costs.
For more information about Silicon Labs' latest DVB demodulator products
and to obtain samples, please visit www.silabs.com/tv-demodulator.
Silicon Labs
Silicon Labs is an industry leader in the innovation of
high-performance, analog-intensive, mixed-signal ICs. Developed by a
world-class engineering team with unsurpassed expertise in mixed-signal
design, Silicon Labs' diverse portfolio of patented semiconductor
solutions offers customers significant advantages in performance, size
and power consumption. For more information about Silicon Labs, please
visit www.silabs.com.
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Silicon Labs
Dale Weisman, +1-512-532-5871
dale.weisman@silabs.com
Source: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
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