Single-Chip RF Tuner Captures Terrestrial Digital Video Signals

The RF4000 single-chip television tuner targets digital-video broadcast terrestrial (DVB-T) applications. Developed by RF Magic, it enables terrestrial receivers throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Asia to achieve small physical sizes and deliver top

Dave Bursky

Sept. 15, 2005

Based on RF Magic's proprietary AdaptiveTune technology, the chip was developed specifically for digital terrestrial television applications that comply with the international DVB-T standard. Adaptive-Tune lets designers program the tuner's key characteristics via software to optimize front-end performance for different environments.

The single chip contains all front-end functions and requires no external surface-acoustic-wave filters or amplifiers. It simplifies customers' RF system design and enables sleeker, more stylish receiver designs with a footprint one-fourth the size of comparable discrete tuners. Front-end solutions that comply with NorDig 2, a common platform standard for digital television used in the Nordic region, can be implemented with the RF4000 on two-layer surface-mount pc boards for manufacturing simplicity and cost-effectiveness.

Samples are now available. The company anticipates extending the product line for the North American ATSC standard in the near future. The RF4000 will cost less than $5.00 each in small lots.

RF Magic Inc.
www.rfmagic.com/rf4000.asp

About the Author

Dave Bursky

Technologist

Dave Bursky, the founder of New Ideas in Communications, a publication website featuring the blog column Chipnastics – the Art and Science of Chip Design. He is also president of PRN Engineering, a technical writing and market consulting company. Prior to these organizations, he spent about a dozen years as a contributing editor to Chip Design magazine. Concurrent with Chip Design, he was also the technical editorial manager at Maxim Integrated Products, and prior to Maxim, Dave spent over 35 years working as an engineer for the U.S. Army Electronics Command and an editor with Electronic Design Magazine.