Tuner Outfits Satellite DTV Receivers

Taking a bow as the first single-chip satellite tuner for free-to-air satellite DTV receivers, the ZL10039 direct-conversion tuner includes a low-noise amplifier (LNA), eliminating the need for additional RF circuitry. The device works in tandem with the ZL10313 satellite demodulator, both of which are supported by the ZLE10541 front-end reference design. The tuner operates in 1 to 45 Msample/s DVB-S, DSS, and 8-phase shift keying receiver systems. In addition to its LNA, the device includes both a RF loop-through and a power-and-forget VCO that eliminates the need for VCO calibration. Operating as a two-chip RF subsystem, the tuner and demodulator consume a total power of less than 1W in full operation. An integrated sleep pin reduces power consumption by 1,000-fold in standby mode. ZARLINK SEMICONDUCTOR, Ottawa, Canada. (613) 592-0200.