Conexant Systems has announced two new satellite set-top box (STB) components.
The first device, the CX24121, is a QPSK direct broadcast satellite demodulator and forward error correction decoder for set-top box and PC receivers, as well as residential gateways. The device is optimised for use with Conexant’s silicon satellite tuners.
The CX24121 shares a common software platform with Conexant’s previously announced CX24130 dual-stream demodulator. This provides manufacturers with a software-compatible migration path for applications such as personal video recording, which require dual-stream modulation.
The new device includes several features that enhance overall system performance, including integrated signal-to-noise ratio and bit error rate monitors that facilitate channel-performance measurements. As an added benefit, the device’s low jitter MPEG output clock smoothing simplifies the interface to MPEG decoders.
The second device, the CX24109, is a digital satellite tuner for set-top boxes, digital video, audio, and data receiver applications. When used in conjunction with either Conexant’s single-stream CX24121 or dual-stream CX24130 demodulator, it forms a complete satellite front-end semiconductor solution for a set-top box. The individual components and system solution are compliant with international digital video broadcast/digital satellite (DVB/DSS) standards.
The CX24109 is based on a direct-conversion, Zero-IF architecture, and includes an integrated low noise amplifier, an integrated variable baseband filter that provides interference rejection, and an integrated local oscillator with on-chip voltage-controlled oscillator and synthesiser that further reduces the overall complete cost of the tuner portion of the set top box.
The CX24121 demodulator/decoder is sampling now with volume production scheduled for October 2002. The device is packaged in a 80-pin thin-quad flat pack (TQFP).
The CX24109 digital satellite tuner is sampling now with volume production scheduled for October 2002. The CX24109 is packaged in a 48-pin exposed thin-quad flat pack (eTQFP).
