Front-end tuner is ready for DVB-S2 duties

Sharp has become one of the first manufacturers to provide a digital receiving part for the new DVB-S2 standard: a key component for receiving HDTV by satellite.

Sharp Corporation has started series production of the new front-end tuner (BS2S7HZ6306) for digital satellite receivers.

This leading developer of satellite tuner technology and market leader for satellite tuners is therefore one of the first manufacturers to provide a digital receiving part for the new DVB-S2 standard: a key component for receiving HDTV by satellite.

The new DVB-S2 standard has a much faster transmission speed than the existing DVB-S standard.

Economical HDTV transmission is only possible in conjunction with MPEG4 data compression, which reduces the volume of data by about two-thirds in comparison with MPEG2 compression.

Thanks to the new forward error correction (FEC) codes, the robustness of data transmission can be maintained in the DVB-S2 standard.

The new Sharp DVB-S2 front-end tuner covers a typical frequency range of 950 to 2150MHz for satellite TV transmission and is suitable for receiving both HDTV and SDTV (DVB-S) signals.

The receiving part also complies with the DVB-S2 standard, which was only approved in spring 2005, with technical parameters that are well above the values required by the standard.

They include the high input sensitivity and the low phase noise in particular, thanks to the precise tuning of integrated circuits developed by Sharp itself.

There is also the very low power consumption of about 0.4W with an input voltage of 3.3V DC and the very compact casing measuring just 32.6 x 13.0 x 28.0mm, which facilitate mechanical design-in.

Like all Sharp's terrestrial and cable tuners, the new DVB-S2 tuner is already compliant with RoHS guidelines that apply from July 2006.

A digital demodulator is to be added to the design of the DVB-S2 tuner before the end of the year.

This forthcoming tuner module will then detect both QPSK and 8PSK and provide an 8bit dataflow for further processing.

This new "NIM tuner" will be capable of processing both SDTV and HDTV signals and will also save hardware developers having to carry out major development tasks relating to high frequency and its optimisation to the necessary demodulator circuits.

Engineering samples will be available in the 4th quarter.

The new BS2S7HZ6306 DVB-S2 tuner is now available from Sharp dealers and distribution partners worldwide.

Back to top