Deliverable:
The project deliverables are listed in the following.
Multimode Tuner Architecture and System Design
o Multimode reconfiguration design
o Direct conversion architecture design
o System and modules specifications definition
o System interfaces and interfaces between modules definition
Multimode Tuner Modules IP
o Modules IP design in terms of schematics, simulation and layout
o Modules include receiver modules, frequency synthesizer modules, SPI/I2C and miscellaneous modules.
o Modules IP evaluation results
Multimode Tuner RFIC
o Functional tuner RFIC engineering samples fabricated in 0.13um RF CMOS technology. A few silicon tapeouts are planned to verify the tuner RFIC.
Demo Board
o Demo board for the tuner RFIC to work or test in a platform
Final reports of design documentation, interface definition (including SPI/I2C interface control) and integration guide
o All documentations which are necessary to license our technology and IP to external partners, including design, interface and integration.
Patent Applications
o We plan to apply for one to two patents in the areas of direct conversion architecture, DC offset cancellation, and modules design and implementation
Industry contribution and sponsorship
Huahong Integrated Circuit (HHIC) Company Limited has committed to collaborate with ASTRI, after rounds of negotiation, we have signed technology licensing agreement with cash amount of HK$1,639.2K, equivalent to 12% of project cost. Among the 12%, 10% will contribute to this project, and 2% will contribute to TD-LTE RFIC project to be kicked off in fiscal year 2009. HHIC is an IC company, it has wide product lines covering ID card, CPU, RF, demodulator baseband and etc. The technology developed in this project will be beneficial and portable to TD-LTE RFIC project since both projects have similar RF/analog modules such as multi-band RF frontend and scalable bandwidth filter. Other potential customers include ZTEIC in Shenzhen, Solomon Systech in Hong Kong and Natlinear in Shanghai, we will continue to engage with customers for IP licensing during project and after the end of project. It is our responsibility to achieve at least 10% industry contribution within 9 months after project kickoff.
Description:
This project aims to develop a reconfigurable multimode digital TV RF tuner for mobile applications. The tuner will support four standards in triple frequency bands, i.e. CMMB in S-band, DMMB and DVB-H in UHF band, and T-DMB in VHF band. CMMB (China Mobile Multimedia Broadcasting) is the industry standard for mobile TV application in China, CMMB and DMMB (Digital Mobile Multimedia Broadcast) are two candidates for China mobile TV national standard. The developed tuner will not only specially address China market needs, but will be used in the rest of world where either DVB-H or T-DMB technology is dominant. A tuner system will be designed that includes a total of 13 modules from RF frontend to input of ADC. The final deliverable will be an integrated tuner IP/IC with 0.13um RF CMOS. A systematic approach will be adopted from system level simulation and verification, module level design, implementation and verification to tuner integration. Four silicon tapeouts are planned to evaluate and prove the multimode RF tuner.
