Building block for radio with iPod docking feature

A reference design enables audio manufacturers quickly to produce low-cost DAB/FM radios with iPod docking capability.

Frontier Silicon has announced a reference design that enables audio manufacturers quickly to produce quickly low-cost DAB/FM radios with iPod docking capability.

The Jupiter 3 (FS4023) platform is based on Frontier Silicon's Venice 5 (FS2025) DAB/FM module which now has an integrated docking interface for communication and control of iPods, something that was previously only achievable using a separate microcontroller and DAB module.

Jupiter 3 can be used as it is or as a starting point to speed development of custom OEM products, and its modular-based approach simplifies the design and manufacturing process, making it easy to produce compact DAB/FM radios with iPod docking that could retail for as little as £35.

"Through Jupiter 3, we are helping our customers to rapidly bring exciting new combined DAB and iPod docking products to the market", says Steve Evans, VP Sales and Marketing for Digital Audio at Frontier Silicon.

"In tapping into the iPod phenomenon, we are expecting Jupiter 3 to significantly boost the market roll out of Venice 5, which is already beating forecasts with first volume customer orders received shipping this month and over 20 new volume products based on the module scheduled for release by the middle of the year".

"With the quantity and quality of the projects that we are working on, we have confidence that we will ship over one million pieces of Venice 5 to our customers in its first 12 months of production", Evans adds.

More than four million DAB modules from the Venice series are already deployed in digital radios worldwide.

Venice 5 is the current entry-level DAB/FM module,with a small footprint, battery life of more than 170h, and customisable software allowing manufacturers to deliver rapid product differentiation.

The extensive 64 Kbyte of on-chip memory available on its baseband chip (Kino 2) enables valued added functions like FM, clocks, alarms, and timers to be implemented without the need for additional external memory.

Frontier's customers for DAB solutions include Pure Digital, the brand leader for DAB radios, and Roberts Radio, Sony, Philips, Denon, Onkyo and Yamaha.

Independent analysts estimate that Frontier provided 75 % of the DAB products shipped during 2006.

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