January 9, 2014, Seoul – As digital radio begins to gain momentum in major global markets, the number of automotive OEMs and key component suppliers providing in-vehicle digital radio systems is increasing. To accelerate this trend, NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ: NXPI), a global market leader in automotive entertainment semiconductors, has launched a multi-standard Software-Defined Radio (SDR) coprocessor for automotive entertainment capable of decoding all three major digital terrestrial radio standards. These major digital terrestrial radio standards include Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM)™, HD Radio™, and DAB/DAB+/T-DMB. Offering best-in-class reception performance, the SAF360x series significantly improves digital audio quality through advanced features such as Maximum Ratio Combining (MRC) for DAB and HD Radio, and scalability applicable to single, dual, and triple tuner use cases. The SAF360x platform also provides the highest level of integration, replacing up to six chips with a single IC and reducing the footprint of automotive digital radio applications by more than 75%, thereby realizing significant cost savings.

Torsten Lehmann, Senior Vice President and General Manager of NXP Semiconductors’ Car Entertainment Solutions business unit, said, “The SAF360x series (codename ‘Saturn’) is the culmination of over a decade of efforts to develop automotive radio solutions, delivering the all-in-one integration, true multi-standard support, and groundbreaking reception performance that leading automotive infotainment system suppliers have been waiting for.” He added, “With broadcast content and other additional services such as traffic information, weather forecasts, and interactive news updates rapidly increasing and becoming standard features in connected cars, we expect the SAF360x series to contribute to enhancing the availability and adoption of digital radio globally by significantly reducing the total cost of designing and manufacturing in-vehicle digital radio systems.”

Automakers are expected to begin production of their first digital radio systems based on the SAF360x this year.

Dr. Bertram Hock, Head of the Broadcast Receiver Development Group at BMW, explained, “As digital radio begins to become standard in new BMW car models in major markets, we have been working tirelessly to provide the benefits of digital radio, represented by a wide range of choices, improved reception performance, and superior sound quality, under all possible driving conditions. We have been able to realize this vision thanks to NXP, a provider of in-vehicle entertainment solutions with a long tradition.”

NXP is exhibiting the SAF360x series at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) (Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), Central Plaz 9).