Radio Tuners Cut Component Counts

In addition to assuming position as the industry’s smallest, the Si470x family of FM broadcast radio tuners in 4 mm x 4 mm, 24-pin QFN packages are said to reduce component count by more than 90%. The Si4700 integrates selectivity filtering, automatic gain control, a frequency synthesizer, and audio processing. Unlike comparable devices that require more than 30 components, the Si4700 requires one external supply bypass capacitor and can be implemented in less than 20 mm² of board space. Targeting the European Radio Data System (RDS) and the U.S. Radio Broadcast Data System (RBDS) markets, the Si4701 integrates a digital pre-processor to enable data such as displaying the station ID and song name to the user. Prices for the Si4700 and Si4701 are $3 and $3.45 each/10,000, respectively. An evaluation board is available for $150. SILICON LABORATORIES INC., Austin, TX. (877) 444-3032.