Date: 13/08/2009

NXP's dual tuner RF system for single cable and legacy satellite reception

NXP has introduced its new silicon tuner with integrated dual-stream RF system for both single cable and legacy satellite reception.

The new NXP TDA20136 integrates a dual 8PSK satellite tuner with a pre-tuner circuitry to create a single platform that delivers the flexibility to be used in diverse installation scenarios without any hardware changes.

The pre-tuner circuitry allows set-top boxes to be used in dissimilar installation scenarios either with a single cable input, splitting the signal internally to the device, or in legacy mode with two separated inputs. In both cases, an optional dual loopthrough function is available.


The use of single input setting is when the set-top box is used with a single cable reception outdoor unit (ODU). Here the signals from multiple Low Noise Blocks (LNBs) are multiplexed onto a single cable at the ODU and provide the required signals for many set top boxes in a single home or multi-dwelling unit (MDU). Without hardware changes, a set-top box using this IC also be used in an installation with a legacy multi-LNB, multi-cable ODU. In this legacy installation, each tuner gets its signal from a separate cable.

"The industry trend towards Single Cable Reception has the potential to dramatically reduce installation costs because there are fewer cables to install, but implementing SCR circuitry in a set-top box using a standard satellite tuner is complex and expensive," said Tim Kirstein, NXP Semiconductors. "We have created the TDA20136 with the highest levels of RF integration to directly address these problems, while also providing the set-top box maker with the flexibility to be backwards compatible with traditional multi-LNB, multi-cable ODUs."

The TDA20136 system is based on NXP's dual-tuner technology, the CX24132 that includes all necessary Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs), Voltage-Controlled Oscillators (VCOs), synthesizers, mixers and filters required for common applications, and its small (7mm x 7mm) size allows system designers to reduce the size of front-ends.


Availability: From september 2009

For more details visit: www.nxp.com/products/rf/tuners/silicon_tuners