CIE Components in Electronics
Silicon Labs has introduced the latest generation of its widely used analogue-tuned, analogue/digital-display (ATxD) multiband radio IC family. The Si4825/27/36 AM/FM/SW receivers have been designed to provide enhanced radio band coverage and a 16-pin SOIC package option that will help in the design and manufacturing of ATxD radio products.
The new Si48xx radio ICs provide an “all-in-one” single-chip receiver solution for tabletop and portable radios, stereos, mini/micro systems, boomboxes, clock radios, iPod docking stations, toy radios and many other consumer products containing wheel-tuned radios.
The wheel-tuned or “analogue-tuned” multiband radio product market exceeds 115 million units per year, according to Silicon Labs estimates. More than 90 percent of all ATxD radios including products for the global export market are manufactured in China.
The Si4825/27/36 receivers not only offer improved RF performance, integration in CMOS, and a reduced bill of materials (BOM) they are both easier to design with and manufacture compared to previous devices. In addition, the new receivers use a single band to cover a wider frequency range for FM and SW bands, and they also support TV audio carrier reception in the China market. Additionally, the devices provide advanced audio conditioning for all signal environments, removing pops, clicks and loud static in challenging signal conditions.
The Si4825 mono-output, consumer-grade product and the Si4836 stereo-output, commercial-grade product are designed for the ATAD radio market. The Si4827 mono-output, consumer-grade product targets the ATDD radio market. Each receiver supports worldwide broadcast frequencies from 64-109 MHz in FM, 504-1750 kHz in AM and 2.3-28.5 MHz in shortwave (SW), enabling a single radio design based on the receivers to support all worldwide markets.
“Silicon Labs’ Si48xx multiband receiver family provides an innovative ‘radio-on-a-chip’ architecture that enables wheel-tuned radio manufacturers to simplify and shrink their board designs, eliminate costly manual labor in manufacturing and reduce component count by more than 80 percent,” said James Stansberry, vice president and general manager of Silicon Labs’ broadcast products. “Our new wheel-tuned receivers leverage the patented low-IF digital architecture, digital core and audio conditioning technology used in our most advanced radio IC products.”
