SAN FRANCISCO—RF and mixed-signal chip vendor MaxLinear Inc. Monday (March 5) announced two 40-nm single-chip solutions for 16- and 24-channel digital cable front-end receivers based on the company's proprietary full-spectrum capture (FSC) technology.
Both the MxL265 and MxL267 FSC receivers capture the full 1-gigahertz (GHz) cable spectrum and enable cable operators to meet consumer demand through flexible deployment of downstream bandwidth while migrating to high capacity DOCSIS 3.0 voice and IP data gateways, home media gateways and hybrid or IP-based set-top boxes, according to
MaxLinear (Carlsbad, Calif.).
"Our research shows great growth in the market for hybrid set-top boxes, driven in large part by cable subscribers demanding gateways that can deliver more content into and throughout the home," said Jeff Heynen, directing analyst for broadband access and video for market research firm Infonetics, in a statement issued by MaxLinear. "New tuners that can capture the full 1GHz of cable spectrum, such as MaxLinear's full-spectrum capture receivers, give set-top box manufacturers the ability to deliver these whole home entertainment features in a cost- and power-efficient way."
MaxLinear maintains that its proprietary FSC technology replaces the need for several discrete single-channel cable tuners in a gateway or a set-top box with just one broadband multi-channel receiver. The MxL265 and MxL267 devices are capable of simultaneously receiving any combination of 16 or 24 channels, respectively, located arbitrarily inside the cable spectrum, according to MaxLinear. As a result, MaxLinear's FSC cable receivers reduce the power consumption in a gateway or a set-top box, minimize PCB footprint, eliminate external RF components, and simplify design of customer platforms requiring multiple channel access, according to the company.
The MxL265 and MxL267 deliver this scalable downstream bandwidth while supporting eight channels for upstream interactive services, MaxLinear said.
Customer samples of the MxL265 and MxL267 are available now with volume production expected in the third quarter of this year, MaxLinear said. Pricing information was not provided.