Conexant’s product portfolio of multimedia ICs provide the finest combination of features, video performance, flexibility, size and value for today’s Set Top Box, PC Video, DVD playback, Digital Photography and other video systems. Key features such as 10-bit current output DACs, worldwide video standards support, interfaces with common bus architectures and compact packages provide the ultimate combination of video performance, quality, ease of design and overall value.

DStreamATSC™ HDTV on the PC

Conexant, in partnership with RAVISENT Technologies, Inc., delivers the world’s first viable, cost-effective High Definition Television (HDTV) solution for the PC –– the DStreamATSC™ reference design. Based on the Fusion™ 878A, the latest in PCI video decoders and RAVISENT’s CineMaster ® HDTV all software, MPEG-2 all-format decoder, the DStreamATSC design makes HDTV practical and affordable.

Built on a Foundation of Success
The DStreamATSC reference design is built upon the Fusion 878A, which has a proven track record of compatibility with graphics controllers and core-logic chipsets, capable of receiving both ATSC (American Television Standards Committee) and NTSC (National Television Standards Committee) TV broadcasts and using the host processor to perform the HDTV processing, the DStreamATSC reference design is the most advanced HDTV solution available for the PC.

NTSC and ATSC use the same 6 MHz bandwidth and frequency range to broadcast television content. ATSC encompasses both SDTV (Standard Definition Television) and HDTV. In all, 18 different ATSC video formats are available to the consumer. ATSC's 6 MHz of bandwidth can be used to transmit one HDTV signal or up to six SDTV transmissions, depending on the frame rate and resolution.

Deployment of ATSC started in November of 1998 and should reach 85% of the USA population by 2003. Affiliates from the major networks - ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC -will be the first to transmit DTV in the U.S. Which ATSC format is used -- SDTV or HDTV -- depends on the broadcaster and the content producer. Building an all-format ATSC receiver device is essential for consumers to view all the digital television content currently available.

HDTV: Format of the Future
DTV brings television closer to real life. With more than 18 different video formats, DTV will become the TV-viewing technology of the future. HDTV, with a maximum resolution of 1920 pixels by 1080 lines, delivers close to seven times greater resolution than is currently available on analogue television. This means that the images are sharper, the colours are brighter, and the viewing image is up to 300% wider. Combined with AC-3 digital audio, HDTV is the closest thing to a real-life experience through broadcast. The system begins with an RF signal received via an antenna, which feeds an ATSC tuner. From the tuner, the information is demodulated via an 8 VSB demodulator, into a 19.4 Mb transport stream, which is demultiplexed into video and audio elementary streams. The PC demultiplexer or Packet Identifier (PID) filter will pull out the individual program streams and split out the elementary data streams into video, audio, and data components.


Like hardware-based HDTV solutions, the DStreamATSC consists of five major architectural blocks, three hardware and two software. It provides reception capability for both analogue and digital (HDTV) television. From a hardware perspective, the PCI card has three major blocks: the TV tuner (analogue and digital), the 8 VSB demodulator, and the Fusion 878A PCI video decoder. The output of the PCI card is either an HDTV transport stream or a fully-decoded analogue (legacy) video image. The heart of the system is the Fusion 878A, which is responsible for managing the data flow (HDTV or digitised NTSC TV signals) from the PC board to the various target sites on the PC (hard drive, processor, system memory, sound card or graphics card). An HDTV transport stream is piped from the Fusion 878A serial port, at 2.5 Mbps, to the host processor. There, the data is demultiplexed and packetised. Using the RAVISENT CineMaster ® HDTV all-software, MPEG-2 all-format decoder, the transport stream is broken into its elementary streams (video, audio, and data) via a software packet identifier (PID)/splitter, then decoded by the HDTV software into high-definition video and AC-3 audio data. Once decoded, the video and audio are played back via the graphics controller and soundcard.

CX24108 Satellite Tuner

Digital Satellite Tuner RF IC Highly Integrated, Complete Broadband Satellite Front-End Solution
Conexant’s CX24108 satellite tuner RF IC intended for high-volume digital video, audio and data receivers. When combined with the HM1221 QPSK demodulator/FEC IC, the CX24108 provides a complete broadband satellite front-end solution capable of operating from 1 to 45 Msps in the most demanding satellite environments. It is designed for 80+ transponder systems and is compatible with international standards such as DVB and DSS. The highly integrated CX24108 satellite tuner RF IC reduces DBS tuner BOM cost and simplifies RF layout.

Following the integrated LNA, the CX24108 downconverts the satellite carrier directly to baseband and provides variable baseband filtering for the I/Q signals. It also has a completely integrated local oscillator. The VCO and synthesiser are built in and do not require external resonators or varactor diodes. All of this performance is available with just a single +5V supply.

Features
Single chip RF-to-baseband satellite receiver
Zero-IF architecture eliminates the need for image-reject filtering
Integrated LNA
Integrated LO with onboard VCO and synthesiser
Variable baseband filters for optimal interference rejection
Single +5V supply

Specifications
RF input: 950 to 2150 MHz
Input power range: -20 to -81 dBm
Noise figure: 10 dB, typical
Input IP3 at minimum gain: 12 dBm, typical
I/Q phase difference: ±3 degrees, typical
I/Q amplitude difference: ±1.5 dB, typical
Filter tune range: 0.5 to 30 MHz
Output voltage: RL >1KOhm: 0.5Vp-p
Typical junction temperature: 90° C at room temperature
Operating temperature range: 0° to 70° C
Package type: 48-pin TQFP

CX24110 Demodulator IC

High-Performance, Low-Power Broadband Satellite Front-End Solution
Combining Conexant’s experience in broadband systems and mixed-signal integrated circuit design, the CX24110 is the ideal solution for a wide variety of applications in DVB/DSS set-top and PC receivers, digital VCRs, and single/multiple-channel per carrier receivers. When combined with the CX24108 satellite tuner RFIC, the CX2410 provides a complete broadband satellite front-end solution capable of operating from 1 to 45 Msps in the most demanding satellite environments.

The CX24110 is a QPSK/BPSK demodulator IC with internal dual analogue to digital converters, digital demodulation, and forward-error correction (FEC). The demodulator IC provides digital denotation, digital filtering, equalisation, and Viterbi/Reed-Solomon FEC. The CX24110 is compliant with the DVB (ETS 300-421) specification for satellite transmission.

The CX24110 provides many advanced features that enhance overall system performance. The demodulator IC automatically corrects for external quadrature gain/phase imbalances and for DC offsets. The input signal level variations (e.g., due to rain fade) are compensated for the Automatic Gain Control, and frequency offsets due to inexpensive consumer LNB’s are correct by a robust-carrier tracking loop. A unique feature of the CX24110 is an automatic acquisition, and performs a smart search to reacquire the carrier during fade conditions. The CX24110 has integrated SNR and BER monitors for channel-performance measurements.

Features
QPSK/BPSK demodulation
DVB/DSS complaint
Symbol rates: 1 to 45 MSP
Automatic acquisition
Adaptive (FIR) equaliser
Internal carrier and bit timing recovery
Internal Viterbi and Reed-Solomon FEC
Internal SNR and BER monitors
DiSEqC™ Level 1.1 LNB control
External crystal frequency: 10 MHz
Sampling frequency: 45, 60, 80, 90 MHz
Quadrature equalisation compensation: ± 3 dB gain, ±13° phase
Viterbi decoding rates: 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 5/6, 6/7, and 7/8
Output data interface: serial or parallel
Supply voltage: +3.3V, +1.8V