FSC-Based Receivers Capture 1 Gig Of Spectrum

The MxL265 and MxL267 40nm CMOS single-chip 16-channel and 24-channel digital cable front-end receivers now are available for sampling from MaxLinear. The new chips are based on the company’s Full-Spectrum Capture (FSC) technology.

“Capturing the full 1 Gigahertz (GHz) cable spectrum, both the MxL265 and MxL267 FSC receivers enable cable operators to meet consumer demand through flexible deployment of downstream bandwidth while migrating to high capacity DOCSIS 3.0 voice and IP data gateways, home media gateways, and hybrid or IP-based set-top boxes,” the company says.

MaxLinear says its proprietary FSC technology “replaces the need for several discrete single-channel cable tuners in a gateway or a set-top box with just one broadband multi-channel receiver. The MxL265 and MxL267 devices are capable of simultaneously receiving any combination of 16 or 24 channels, respectively, located arbitrarily inside the cable spectrum.”

In full 16-channel receive mode of operation, the MxL265 consumes fewer than 110 mW per channel, while the MxL267 consumes fewer than 90 mW per channel in full 24-channel receive mode. Both new products  can be used in an ultra-low power “battery backup/green” mode, consuming only 400 mW total, while still meeting cable operator voice call and standby time requirements upon loss of power to the home.

The pin-to-pin-compatible chips also feature real time full-spectrum power-level reporting with no interruption of service; in addition, they enable fast channel-change implementations in video systems.