Maxim Integrated has announced the availability of their new MAX2173 RF to bits tuner chip.
The MAX2173 is a highly integrated direct-conversion tuner for digital audio broadcast (DAB) and terrestrial digital multimedia broadcast (T-DMB) applications in the 168MHz to 240MHz (VHF band-III) and 1452MHz to 1492MHz (L-band) frequency bands. For FM and DRM+ reception, a low-IF conversion is used, covering a frequency range of 76MHz to 108MHz (FM band). The design integrates lowpass filters, enabling low-power tuner-on-board designs. The mixer and lowpass filtering are followed by a dual ADC and digital filtering. The digital filtering reduces the output data rate and eases the processing load on the DSP. The resulting bit stream is driven off-chip via an I²S format bus.
An integrated digitally controlled crystal oscillator provides more than ±50ppm control range, eliminating the need for a VCXO. The MAX2173 also provides a buffered-reference clock output at the crystal frequency (fREF) or fREF/3.
Two LDOs are integrated into the MAX2173. The 1.6V LDO can be used to power the internal 1.6V circuitry. External circuits can be powered using the 1.2V LDO, eliminating the need for a stand-alone 1.2V regulator.
The MAX2173 is available in a 40-pin TQFN package (6mm x 6mm) with an exposed pad. Electrical performance is guaranteed over the extended -40°C to +85°C temperature range.
For more info, or to register to download the full datasheet (NDA required) visit Maxim Integrated.
who are you kidding? do you think we’ll sign an NDA when we’re doing open hardware? This looks like a sponsored post!
Indeed, I totally agree. NDA and OSHW are in full contrast.
NDA? Yer kidding right? Won’t waste my time.
Actualy, integrating the RF front end, ADC, and basic filtering into a single chip is a pretty good idea. They probably need an NDA to protect the fact their RF spectrum coverage is… let’s be polite… rather restricted. That’s because the target is the car industry – specifically “automobile FM/DAB reception”.
If someone had a product, with UNBROKEN reception from [for example] 1MHz to 200MHz, you’d just need downconverters, to cover any other bands of interest. But that level of integration would probably be considered “overkill” by those marketing this chip.
DAB broadcasting.. the solution that should silently (or in a garbled fashion) die a death because of the awful quality on the move, compared to good old FM
As SDR gets closer to the “core” IP operating on the device, especially for mobile devices like tablets/smart-phones, you will see (if not already) a large number of frivolous patents filed and awarded to the likes of Apple (one of many) by the corrupt and dysfunctional Government-Controlled US Patent and Trade offce. And the garbage patents will be “protected” by greedy trial-lawyers. We’ve seen this already when it comes to graphics processors on-die in ARM devices where there is little or no disclosure about how to get close to the hardware/firmware. Broadcom and Chinese SoC’s come to mind in this respect.