STMicroelectronics ( www.st.com , Country Manager for Korea Sung-keun Kang), a leader in automotive infotainment semiconductors, announced that its HD Radio™ technology chipset embedded in Alps Electric modules has been certified by iBiquity Digital Corporation for meeting comprehensive performance requirements.

Evaluation factors for iBiquity digital certification include sensitivity, acquisition time, audio quality verification, functionality verification, and BER (bit error rate) testing. ST’s advanced HD Radio chipsets have already been successfully applied multiple times in the field of embedded and aftermarket HD radio receivers, and automotive equipment manufacturers developing with ST’s chipsets are expected to obtain certification early on.

HD Radio technology was developed by Ibiquity and offers improved sound quality, a wider variety of programming options, and new wireless data services through existing FM and AM radio channels. HD Radio technology is gaining popularity in the automotive market and has been adopted by a total of 13 automotive brands representing over 70 car lines to date.

ST's end-to-end solution integrates a baseband receiver (STA680) and an RF front-end IC (TDA7706) and expands the functionality of HD radio receivers through new features such as conditional access support and dual-channel applications (HD Radio 1.5).

ST's chipsets incorporate technology that enables broadcasters to offer pay-per-listen options, private channels, and more for specific demand. The restricted reception system encrypts the signal and authorizes authenticated receivers to decode it with a custom key.

Since the receiver supports HD Radio 1.5, it can simultaneously demodulate audio and data provided through two independent radio channels. Therefore, it is possible to receive audio content on one channel while simultaneously receiving traffic and weather information on the other channel.

Jeff Jury, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Ibiquitous,