Posted By MaxLinear on January 20, 2014
Leading satellite antenna and RF system company designs MxL865 digital channel stacking SoC into its next-generation outdoor units for low power draw, unmatched performance and fast time–to-market
CARLSBAD, CALIF. – Jan. 20, 2014
MaxLinear Inc. (NYSE: MXL), a leading provider of integrated radio frequency (RF) and mixed-signal integrated circuits for broadband communications applications, today announced satellite antenna and low-noise block downconverter (LNB) developer Pro Brand International Inc. (PBI) has selected the MxL865 Full-Spectrum Capture™ (FSC™) system on chip (SoC) for a new direct broadcast satellite digital outdoor unit (D-ODU).
PBI’s new D-ODU, targeting multi-satellite, channel-stacking LNB applications, complements its full line of satellite antennas and LNBs. The MxL865 is a digital channel-stacking SoC that supports up to 24 channels over a single cable for simplified connections between the indoor set-top boxes/gateways and rooftop LNBs and multi-dwelling unit switches. The device has five FSC inputs for a total capture bandwidth of 10 GHz and features a single L-band IF output.
PBI selected the MxL865 due to its high level of integration and low power consumption, which makes the deployment of high-density channel-stacking D-ODUs commercially viable for the first time. The 10mm x 10mm device integrates a host CPU microcontroller, FSK and DiSEqC modems, and power management controllers. All major analog functions are also integrated into the device, including broadband input and output filters, RF gain blocks, channel filters, PLLs and automatic gain control (AGC) circuitry.
The device was designed to exceed stringent RF performance and MOCA co-existence requirements from leading direct broadcast satellite operators. The superior RF performance of the device, well in excess of the nominal system requirements, helps customers to significantly reduce design complexity, thereby enabling robust D-ODU solutions to be deployed in the market more rapidly.
“Digital ODUs enable a new range of satellite services. MaxLinear’s MxL86x SoC family has significantly higher levels of integration and lower power draw, which vastly simplifies ODU installation compared to legacy analog ODUs in the market. The MxL86x SoC family is ideally suited to help satellite operators with the transition from analog to digital ODUs,” said Brian Sprague, MaxLinear Vice President and General Manager. “We’re pleased to enable PBI to be a leader in the transition to digital ODUs in the satellite market.”