Demoduator enables mobile TV

Zarlink Semiconductor launched a new terrestrial demodulator for PC-TV, portable and handheld digital television equipment designs. The company reports that the ZL10355 device offers the industry's smallest package, lowest power consumption and lowest software overhead, coupled with an extended temperature range uniquely suited for mobile DTV. The demodulator fully complies with the stringent NorDig Unified 1.0.2 standard.

The ZL10355 chip is pin and feature compatible with the recently introduced ZL10353 device, and it offers the industry's lowest NorDig Unified operational and standby power, as well as the fastest DVB-T (digital video broadcast-terrestrial) "blind-scan and auto re-acquisition" capability. Package size measures just 7-by-7mm. The device includes an integrated digital IF filter that eliminates the need for switched bandwidth surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters in the tuner design, allowing compliant reception of 6-, 7- or 8MHz channels with one filter. The chip also contains an RF signal strength indicator, allowing download and reading of the TV signal strength directly at the receiver box.

The small form-factor ZL10355 chip offers an extended operational temperature range of -40°C to 85°C, delivering higher reliability in rugged consumer environments.

The device delivers the industry's lowest power consumption at <300mW in a typical application or 270mW in a lower power mode. It features a "sleep" pin that reduces the chip's power requirement 1,000-fold when a device is not in use, assisting manufacturers in meeting the mandatory requirements of power reduction directives and the power requirements of handheld and PC-TV equipment manufacturers.

Zarlink's demodulators feature a very high-speed "blind scan and auto re-acquisition" function, built on a hardware-based state machine that automatically scans the entire broadcast band much faster than software-based channel-scanning algorithms. Since the reception on PC, portable and handheld TV devices routinely fluctuates as the user moves around, high-speed scanning and channel re-acquisition is a highly valued function.

The new demodulator is available now. The company supports the product with an evaluation system that includes TNIM (terrestrial network interface module) reference designs, evaluation software, PC interface and device drivers.

- Janine Love

eeProductCenter