March 25, 2015 – Silicon Labs (Country Manager: Woon-Dal Paik), a company specializing in semiconductor TV tuners, announced the launch of a new family of high-performance digital STB tuner ICs designed to reduce the cost, complexity, and power consumption of cable, terrestrial, hybrid terrestrial/satellite, and IP-based set-top box (STB) products. Silicon Labs’ new Si2144 and Si2124 digital tuner ICs help STB designers reduce board space and bill of materials (BOM) costs through superior single-chip integration and industry-leading small packaging. The loop-through feature integrated into the Si2144/24 tuner family enables lower system-level costs and power consumption.

Silicon Labs' Si2144/24 product family provides industry-leading digital tuner solutions suitable for the global cable, terrestrial, and hybrid terrestrial set-top box market, which is expected to ship over 100 million units this year. China is considered a promising region for STB design and manufacturing in both domestic and export markets. Silicon Labs' Si2144/24 digital tuners are supported by leading terrestrial and cable STB System-on-Chip (SoC) suppliers in China.

The Si2144/24 family is based on Silicon Labs' 6th generation video tuner technology and a proven digital low-IF architecture that has been used in over 400 million units worldwide, and is optimized for performance, cost, footprint, and green energy requirements for STB applications. The Si2144/24 family supports all cable and terrestrial STB standards worldwide (ATSC/QAM, DVB-T2/C2/T/C, ISDB-T/C, DTMB).

Loop-through (LT) functionality transmits RF input signals to RF output signals, enabling them to be used by other video devices such as traditional analog TVs; this is a key feature required in numerous STB designs. The Si2144/24 IC is the most power-efficient, ultra-compact STB tuner capable of utilizing integrated LT functionality. It consumes less than 500mW of power, minimizing overall STB power consumption and reducing system costs suitable for multi-tuner designs, as well as addressing power supply and heat dissipation requirements.

In addition to the integrated Active LT (available when power is supplied to the STB), the Si2144/24 also features “off-through” passive LT. This function provides LT capabilities even when the STB is turned off or not plugged into an outlet. Passive LT minimizes the STB’s standby power consumption, allowing STB manufacturers to promote their products as “energy-friendly” by supporting consumer energy savings. In contrast, all competitor CMOS STB tuners require the separate use of expensive external components to implement the “off-through” function.

As a small 3 mm x 3 mm QFN package, the Si2144/24 IC is the smallest STB tuner available today. The minimal BOM count and ultra-small package enable the smallest footprint STB tuner solution on the market, requiring an area of 0.86 cm². The Si2144/24 tuner enables the smallest BOM cost of any STB tuner currently in production. Unlike competitor STB tuners, the Si2144/24 does not require a balun at the RF input stage and integrates all tracking filter inductors, significantly reducing system cost and complexity.

The Si2144/24 provides excellent linearity, sensitivity, and robust reception performance under real-world conditions, offering an enhanced noise figure across the entire band and superior immunity to unwanted signals, such as LTE signals, without the need for external filtering. These STB tuners provide a 13dB margin to the industry D-Book standard for excellent LTE interference immunity, enabling clear image clarity verified on over 400 million TVs worldwide without a single return due to LTE interference.

James Stansberry, Senior Vice President and General Manager of IoT and Broadcast Products at Silicon Labs, said, “As a leading supplier of silicon tuners for the TV industry, we have spent a lot of time researching and have concentrated 6th generation architectural innovations into the Si2144/24 STB tuner family. The Si2144/24 provides STB manufacturers with the optimal balance of integration for RF performance, energy efficiency, a small package, and BOM savings, enabling them to lower the cost, complexity, and power consumption of STB designs.”

The Si2144/24 STB tuner family uses a common API (application programming interface) with Silicon Labs' entire TV and STB tuner portfolio. This common software API accelerates learning for STB designers when transitioning from global hybrid HDTVs to localized platforms and STB designs. A simple application circuit common to all of Silicon Labs' TV and STB tuners immediately reduces costs and facilitates on-board design.

Product Price and Purchase Information

The Si2144/24 digital STB tuner in a 3 mm x 3 mm 24-QFN package is available in samples and production-ready quantities. The Si2144 digital cable and terrestrial STB tuner is priced at $0.74 per unit in 10,000-unit quantities, and the Si2124 digital terrestrial STB tuner is priced at $0.70 per unit in 10,000-unit quantities (all prices are in USD). To accelerate development, Silicon Labs offers Si2144-A-EVB and Si2124-A-EVB evaluation boards for $395 (USD MSRP). Detailed information on Silicon Labs' STB tuner ICs, as well as purchasing information for samples and development tools, can be found at www.silabs.com/tv-tuner.