[opendtv] Re: Mirics Semiconductor FlexiTV IC TV Receiver

  • From: Tom Barry <trbarry@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:23:24 -0400

That chip is very interesting.  I don't even know at what stage you
would attempt forms of echo cancellation and multi-path adjustment but
am guessing you might be able to now apply a massive amount of
processing power and memory to it in a PC with a programmable GPU like
my NVidea GT8800 card.  It might be an interesting experiment, applying
various genetic algorithms and AI adjustments to tweak things if there
is a cheap developer kit for these tuners.

Some of the previously stated limitations of 8vsb have supposedly been
the amount of silicon needed.  It would be fun to get around that and
just see what is really doable without those limitations.

- Tom (previously for awhile on the similar DScaler open source project)


Mark A. Aitken wrote:
> http://mobiledevdesign.com/hardware_design/mirics-semiconductor-flexitv-ic-receiver-0227/
> 
> 
>   IC TV Receiver Uses Software-Defined Radio Solution
> 
> Feb 27, 2009 7:04 PM, By Louis E. Frenzel, Editor in Chief
> 
> Trying to make a one-size-fits-all IC TV tuner for the world TV market is a 
> real 
> challenge. There are at least half a dozen different digital TV standards 
> around 
> the world, as well as some lingering analog standards. This makes the 
> demodulator part of the design a complex multipart circuit. In the real 
> world, 
> that translates into different chips for each standard. One good way to 
> overcome 
> this problem is to use a software DSP demodulation approach. All you need is 
> a 
> processor with enough power to run the software, which is the approach taken 
> by 
> Mirics Semiconductor <http://www.mirics.com/> and its FlexiTV 
> <http://www.mirics.com/technology.php?navid=50> system.
> 
> 
>     Article Tools
> 
>     * <http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php>
> 
> <http://www.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=Mirics+Semiconductor+FlexiTV+IC+TV+Receiver&expire=&urlID=34520647&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmobiledevdesign.com%2Fhardware_design%2Fmirics-semiconductor-flexitv-ic-receiver-0227%2F&partnerID=378644#comments>
> 
> A few years ago, Mirics announced its FlexiTuner, which suits virtually any 
> radio or TV standard. It is a classic front end with RF amps, mixer, PLL 
> synthesizer, and IF filtering. The Mirics MSi001 and MSi002 
> <http://www.inc.co.kr/home_image/MSi001_2_Briefv0_4.pdf> cover all 
> frequencies 
> from 150 kHz through 1.9 GHz, making them candidates for any radio or TV 
> product. The chips support zero-IF or low-IF formats and provide the I and Q 
> outputs to any demodulator. The control interface is either I^2 C (MSi001) or 
> serial peripheral interface (MSi002).
> 
> The missing piece of the receiver is the demodulation. Now, Mirics supplies 
> the 
> software that will demodulate virtually any TV standard. These include DVB-T, 
> ISDB-T, DTMB, ATSC, DVB-H, CMMB (China), and T-DMB. It also supports analog 
> TV 
> (PAL, NTSC) and standard AM and FM analog as well as DAB, DRM, and HD Radio 
> digital formats. This software is designed to run on a host processor like 
> that 
> inside any PC, laptop, or netbook.
> 
> The FlexiTV receiver employs the MSi3101 SmartTuner, which is a new version 
> of 
> the Mirics FlexiTuner. FlexiTV also includes the regular FlexiTuner plus a 
> USB 
> 2.0 digital interface. This combination can plug into any available USB port, 
> making the computer a TV set (see figure below). With a BOM of less than $5, 
> a 
> Mirics-based TV receiver may have the lowest cost in the world.
> 
> The FlexiTV has become the world’s first broadcast TV receiver using software 
> demodulation to comply with the latest NorDig 2.0 (Norway, Finland, Sweden, 
> Denmark, Iceland) standard specification for digital terrestrial TV 
> reception. 
> The NorDig test specifications ensure that compliant quality products are 
> developed for robust DVB-T reception. The NorDig 2.0 standard requires very 
> modest system resources.
> 
> For example, a FlexiTV enabled notebook can receive live standard-definition 
> DVB-T signals with just 30% CPU load. However, it is the move toward 
> reception 
> of HD signals that is really driving CPU resource requirements, where H.264 
> decoding presents a significantly greater burden than requirements for 
> software 
> demodulation. Mirics FlexiTV can comfortably accommodate the most demanding 
> case 
> of HD H.264 DVB-T reception with the resources of an entry-level dual-core 
> x86-based PC.
> 
> This USB module is a complete TV receiver for use with PCs, laptops, and 
> netbooks. It includes the Mirics FlexiTuner and a USB interface that work 
> with 
> demodulation/decoding software that runs on the computer CPU.
> 
> /This USB module is a complete TV receiver for use with PCs, laptops, and 
> netbooks. It includes the Mirics FlexiTuner and a USB interface that work 
> with 
> demodulation/decoding software that runs on the computer CPU./
> 
> 
>     Related Articles
> 
>    1. Mirics, Luxoft Collaborate On Universal PCTV Solution
>       
> <http://www.mobiledevdesign.com/software_news/Mirics_Luxoft_Collaorate_On_Universal_PCTV_Solution/>
>    2. Mobile World Congress 2009, Day 2: Mobile TV And Test Take MWC By Storm
>       <http://www.mobiledevdesign.com/tutorials/mobile-tv-test-mwc-0218/>
>    3. Siano MDTV Receiver Chip Powers iPhone 3G Mobile TV Accessory
>       
> <http://www.mobiledevdesign.com/hardware_news/siano-mdtv-chip-powers-iphone-0217/>
> 
> 
>  
>  
> 
>  
> Find this article at:
> http://www.mobiledevdesign.com/hardware_design/mirics-semiconductor-flexitv-ic-receiver-0227
>  
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Regards,
> Mark A. Aitken
> Director, Advanced Technology
> ===================================
> “What you see and hear depends a
> good deal on where you are standing;
> it also depends on what kind of a
> person you are”
>><>   ~ C. S. Lewis ~   <><
> 
> Things are only impossible until
> they're not.
>><>   ~ J. L. Picard ~   <><
> 
 
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways:

- Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at 
FreeLists.org 

- By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word 
unsubscribe in the subject line.

Other related posts: