
Dual-channel dedmod chip supports latest DVB standards
The Si216x/6×2 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). Using a digital demodulation architecture, the single-channel Si216x and dual-channel Si216x2 demodulators enable excellent reception performance for each DVB standard while minimising front-end design complexity, footprint size, system cost and power dissipation. For TV and STB makers adding features such as personal video recorder (PVR) and picture-in-picture, multiple demodulators are essential components.
The Si216x/6×2 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 new services such as video-on-demand (VOD) and high-definition television (HDTV). Silabs notes that 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/6×2 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 analogue 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.
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.
Silicon Labs designed the devices 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 analogue broadcasting coexist. Fast lock time is a critical feature for TV and STB makers since it enables shorter channel change times, an attractive consumer experience feature for TV viewers. The single-channel Si216x demodulators use the same 7 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 x 8 mm QFN-68 package. The Si216x and Si216x2 demodulators share the same API software, enabling customers to 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.
Depending on the supported DVB standards, product pricing begins at $6.86 (10,000) for single-channel demodulators. The Si216x/6×2 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.
Silicon Labs; www.silabs.com/tv-demodulator
