Product category:
Communications ICs (Wireless)
News Release from: Microtune | Subject: MicroTuner MT2170
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 14 March 2007
DOCSIS-compliant 1GHz input tuner for
cable modems
DOCSIS-compliant 1GHz input tuner for use in cable modems offers the equivalent capability of four DOCSIS 2.0 digital tuners
Microtune's MicroTuner MT2170 is a 1GHz input tuner based on the new CableLabs DOCSIS 3.0 specification The new tuner chip is engineered to deliver the fast data speeds (greater than 160Mbit/s) and wider bandwidth (100MHz) demanded by cable equipment manufacturers for an easy, reliable, and cost-effective way to implement DOCSIS 3.0
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 25 Sep 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Three devices aim for automotive multimedia
Microtune has unveiled three products aimed at the emerging in-car entertainment and personal telematics markets.
Transceiver aids cable modem qualification
An Arris VoIP cable modem using Microtune transceiver technology has earned Euro-DOCSIS 1.1 qualification in the recent testing wave performed by tComLabs in Ghent, Belgium.
The MT2170 tuner offers the equivalent capability of four DOCSIS 2.0 digital tuners in a highly integrated miniature package, shrinking the tuner footprint and reducing the power consumption by approximately 75% compared to pre-DOCSIS 3.0 multi-tuner solutions.
Equally important, the MT2170 significantly reduces the radio frequency (RF) bill of materials costs.
When integrated into cable modems or video-over-IP set-top boxes, the MT2170 delivers speeds greater than 160Mbit/s.
Further reading
Single-chip Bluetooth drives down headset prices
Skypower Wireless used the recent Hong Kong Electronics Fair to unveil its award-winning product lineup, and a breakthrough in Bluetooth pricing to drive mass-market adoption.
Broadband amp aids in-car TV diversity reception
Delphi Corp's Fuba Automotive subsidiary is to use Microtune's MT1110 broadband amplifier in its redesigned Gen ll TV diversity reception system.
Package is complete USB/Bluetooth kit for OEMs
The patent-pending CableFree USB product line is the latest addition to the Bluetooth portfolio from Microtune.
This enhanced throughput will permit cable operators to offer cost-effective bandwidth-intensive digital services today, to position their products for integrated service innovations in the future, and to aggressively compete with high-powered fibre-to-the-home networks.
Cable premises equipment can be designed to support fast high-definition video downloads, video file exchanges, time-shifted and place-shifted video, Internet-Protocol (IP) voice and interactive on-line gaming.
In the cable modem, the tuner functions as a 'gateway' component; it receives and tunes the signals, embedded with data and/or voice, delivered over the cable network to the subscriber.
"DOCSIS 3.0 represents a major technology shift in the cable industry, permitting cable operators to enable faster, scalable broadband Internet services, including movie downloads and other IP video", says James A Fontaine, President and CEO of Microtune.
"Our new wideband tuner is key to enabling true DOCSIS 3.0, and we have been actively involved in the definition of the DOCSIS 3.0 specification which ensures our compliance with this important standard".
"As a major supplier to the industry's premier equipment manufacturers, we are providing our customers cost-effective and highly advanced technology to help them accelerate adoption of DOCSIS 3.0 capabilities in their next-generation cable products".
"Consumer demand for more TV content, combined with the rollout of new voice, video, and data services, has enabled cable TV operators to maintain a market leadership position in both pay-TV services and telecommunications service bundling", says Mike Paxton, Principal Analyst, In-Stat.
"Telcos, targeting residential customers with new 100Mbit/s services, are placing increasing pressure on the cable industry to match their fibre-based performance levels".
"DOCSIS 3.0 and wideband technologies are part of the cable industry's effort to counter the telco's capacity advantage, and Microtune's new wideband tuner is a key component that will enable cable operators to deliver new high-bandwidth broadband Internet services".
The MT2170 is a highly integrated single-chip tuner optimised to receive and tune radio frequencies in the 50MHz to 1GHz range of the cable spectrum.
It supports the DOCSIS 3.0 channel bonding technology, a bandwidth expansion technique that combines four DOCSIS channels to significantly increase data rates.
The MT2170 can accept bonded channels within bandwidths up to 100MHz when paired with a DOCSIS 3.0-capable demodulator.
The MT2170 is engineered to function in a much more hostile signal environment than that experienced by conventional cable-modem tuners.
While a conventional cable modem tuner need only process a single stand-alone 6MHz channel, the MT2170 is able to process wideband bonded channels in the presence of multiple interfering signals, while at the same time meeting stringent DOCSIS 3.0 sensitivity and adjacent channel interference requirements.
The MT2170 also extends the operational frequency range up to 1GHz, ensuring that cable operators will be able to make effective use of the additional spectrum provided by future network upgrades.
With unmatched integration, the MT2170 shrinks the tuner footprint and cuts power consumption by approximately 75% compared with comparable multituner solutions.
Using state-of-the art silicon germanium processes, the MT2170 provides a high-performance, highly integrated tuner solution at a significantly lower cost than alternative solutions--all in a small 7 x 7mm QFN package.
The MT2170 tuner will be sampling in second quarter 2007 to select customers and is priced at less than US $5.00 in volume quantities.
• Microtune: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Electronicstalk email newsletter
• Electronicstalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
