Duo dials in to HD Radio
By Jeff Berman, News Editor -- 10/24/2005
EDN
Texas Instruments <> and Atmel <> have joined forces to deliver an HD Radio offering that combines Atmel's 74260 RF tuner IC with TI's TMS320DRI350 HD Radio digital baseband.
The companies say the offering provides improved flexibility over competing approaches, optimizes overall system performance, and lowers bill-of-materials costs for HD Radio developers.
The DRI350 is the sole available baseband with HD Radio and AM/FM baseband processing in a single chip, according to TI. When paired with the Atmel T4260, it can be programmed for a twin tuner implementation, which enables distortion-free reception through phase diversity, antenna diversity, dynamic antenna-direction adaptation, and continuous background reception, according to TI.
"The DRI350 performs HD Radio and AM/FM radio processing, such that if you lose the digital sidebands, you have the analog center channel to fall back on," said John Gardner, TI digital radio product manager.
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The DRI350 offers higher integration than competing approaches based on co-processors, such as Philips CarDSP platform, Gardner said.
"From our perspective, we have the analog component with our AFEDRI8201 A/D converter, which does RF sampling, and that is coupled with the DRI350 for the analog and baseband components of an HD Radio solution," Gardner said.
In the past TI has paired its baseband processor with Philips' TEF6721 for the RF function. Atmel's T4260 provides a lower-cost option, Gardner said. "It also provides better flexibility for designers that do not want to have a single source of RF components," he added. "Now Atmel is able to give them a different option."
Vendors next need to develop systems on modules, in which all HD Radio components, along with certain peripherals from RF to audio out, would be on a single board, Gardner said. A single-board offering would free HD Radio developers from focusing on RF, the baseband, and the interface between the two.
Atmel's RF T4260 tuner is available now and costs $2.38 (10,000). TI's DRI350 carries sample pricing beginning at $22.
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