Satellite STB flaunts 8 demodulators in a single chip

Broadcom Corp. has introduced a satellite set-top box (STB) solution that claims to deliver a boost in performance, lower power and support for the latest DVB-S2X broadcast standard. The BCM45308 SoC device integrates Full Band Capture (FBC) technology to offer satellite operators with more efficient video and IP service distribution to subscribers' connected devices throughout the home, stated the company.

According to the company, the Broadcom BCM453xx series dramatically simplifies system design and cost by integrating dual FBC analogue digital converters (ADCs) and up to eight demodulators in a single chip. The inclusion of FBC technology and DVB-S2X demodulators allows operators to digitise the entire 250MHz to 2350MHz spectrum and provide flexible bandwidth deployment and tuning function in the digital domain, which enables a drastic reduction of tuner area and power. Remote diagnostics capabilities provided by FBC technology saves operators costly on-site customer visits and pairs with FastRTV technology to provide quick channel change regardless of frequency.

The latest DVB-S2X satellite standard offers improved operating range and performance in direct-to-home (DTH) satellite markets to cover additional subscriber deployments and business applications. The BCM453xx series supports all new DVB-S2X coding rates, modulation schemes, channel bonding and sharper roll off factors to improve efficiency on transponder bandwidth.

The BCM453xx series of devices are ball compatible to Broadcom's BCM452xx DVB-S2 series of devices to provide a very quick and easy upgrade path to support the S2X standard.

Broadcom's BCM453xx series, including the BCM45308, is sampling.