Product category:
Wireless Communications
News Release from: RadioScape | Subject: RS200 module
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 12 March 2003
Speedy route to DAB receiver design
A new modular approach can reduce the time to create a new stereo DAB receiver with integral FM and RDS from months to weeks.
Building a DAB (digital audio broadcast) receiver is a new, challenging experience for many radio manufacturers The technology is unfamiliar and, being on a similar level of complexity to a digital mobile phone, is much harder to design than an analogue radio
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 23 May 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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Great care has to be taken to ensure that the receiver is designed to maximise the reception and minimise interference to achieve the crystal clear audio quality that DAB is renowned for.
Only a few models are currently available and in limited numbers, with demand outstripping supply.
To solve this problem, RadioScape has launched the RadioScape RS200 module.
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Manufacturers can now easily make a finished product with the addition of only a few items - power supply, case, speakers or headset, antenna, buttons, and a display.
This module approach can reduce the time to create a new stereo DAB receiver with integral FM and RDS from months to weeks so that products can be in the shops in Q3 2003 for ramp up to the Christmas market.
It has been designed using the readily available DRE200 chip from Texas Instruments, which is one of the world's best selling receiver chips for the Eureka 147 standard, and other easy-to-obtain components so that it can be produced in high volumes with minimal risk to meet the escalating demand for DAB receivers, enabling DAB to become a mass market technology.
"The DAB industry, particularly in the UK, is poised to take off", commented John Hall, RadioScape's CEO.
"The broadcasting infrastructure is in place.
Interesting and different content is being broadcast that people want to hear.
The last piece is the availability of reasonably priced receivers in large volumes.
RadioScape is in a pivotal position to drive the DAB industry by enabling high volumes of DAB receivers to reach the market at low consumer prices starting from under GBP 100 ($160).
"Our Software Defined Radio approach gives us great flexibility to adapt and customise very quickly because we can easily load new features and standards onto the DRE200 in the form of software that runs on the DSP.
We are listening to the feedback from the radio manufacturers to see what they need for future products and using our skills at creating innovative DAB solutions to design a roadmap of modules to precisely meet the different criteria of features, size and power consumption required for the various different DAB application areas.
These include kitchen radios, home entertainment systems, hi-fi tuners, portables, DVD players, PCs, automotive and mobile phones as DAB becomes not only the replacement for analogue audio radio but also a pervasive medium for digital data distribution".
RadioScape's key strength is in using software to create digital communications solutions.
This approach enables functions and updates to be added quickly and easily, unlike solutions based on fixed function ASICs that require time consuming and costly hardware redesigns for every major change.
"Software defined solutions enable us to keep our products at the leading edge of technology", added Dave Hawkins, RadioScape's Business Manager for Digital Radio.
"It also enables us or our manufacturing partners to create different feature sets for the module to provide vital product differentiation for receivers based on the RS200 module".
An example of this innovation through software is the provision of FM within the module, which is demodulated and decoded by RadioScape software that runs on the same DSP (digital signal processor) as the DAB software stack leading to an integrated, low cost solution.
Until now, the only way to add FM involves having an additional antenna, controls, and display, plus a special FM chip and associated circuitry.
The RS200 is the first module with a truly integrated solution and provides consumers with both DAB and traditional FM reception in one radio receiver.
RadioScape's skills at creating software solutions have resulted in its unique position of being an end-to-end innovator for DAB.
During 1999 NTL Incorporated, in conjunction with RadioScape, developed a revolutionary, software-based new way of implementing, controlling and monitoring digital radio transmissions for the start of Digital One in November of that year, which is now used for virtually all commercial DAB radio stations in the UK.
In addition, RadioScape designed the DAB software stack that is used by Texas Instruments in its DRE200 DAB receiver chip.
The company is continuing its partnership approach by working with a leading specialist manufacturer of DAB equipment in Taiwan, GyroSignal Technology Co, for the building of the modules.
Gyro will provide local support and customisation for radio manufacturing operations that are mainly based in the Asia Pacific region.
"It is a major advantage that this module is based on the DRE200 as this is available off the shelf from a world class semiconductor supplier", said Allen Tseng, General Manager of GyroSignal.
"This gives surety of supply so that we can quickly ramp up to very high volumes, unlike many other DAB receiver chips that are ASICs on long lead times.
This means that manufacturers can put products into volume production quickly using these modules and achieve very competitive prices to meet the escalating demand for DAB receivers, safe in the knowledge that the critical component is readily available".
All the other components are standard off-the-shelf parts and the design includes the provision to use alternatives in case of long lead times.
The DRE200 is based on the Texas Instrument's TMS320C5000 DSP core, which is made in the millions every month.
The TMS320C5000 is well supported with support and design tools as well as other software than runs on the DSP such as MP3.
"Using the lowest cost baseband chip, this module will be a winner", said Les Mable, Digital Radio Business Development Manager at Texas Instruments.
"With the DRE200 performing DAB and FM on a single chip, module cost and size are significantly reduced.
This module presents OEMs with a wonderful opportunity to build DAB products quickly".
The single supply voltage of 5V and compact size of only 44 x 110 x 15mm, makes it compact enough to be used in battery powered radios as well as mains powered ones.
Prices for the RS200 module start from below $40 depending on the volume ordered and optional features included, examples of which are Radio Data Stream (RDS), integral MP3 player software, infra-red remote control, electronic programme guide display with record capability, and I2C for external control of a CD transport.
The design of the module can be licensed if manufacturers wish to build it themselves.
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