Combines ST’s “Cannes/Monaco” family of HEVC Decoder SoCs with
MaxLinear Full-Spectrum CaptureTM Four- or
Eight-Channel MxL5xx Front-End ICs
Company Website:
http://www.maxlinear.com
CARLSBAD, Calif. & GENEVA -- (Business Wire)
MaxLinear Inc. (NYSE: MXL), a leading provider of integrated radio
frequency (RF) and mixed-signal integrated circuits for broadband
communications applications, and STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a
global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of
electronics applications, announce a reference design aimed at
accelerating the adoption of next-generation Ultra HD set-top boxes
(STB) and gateways for satellite pay-TV operators worldwide.
The reference design accelerates OEM development of the next-generation
of STBs and gateways, enabling satellite operators to deliver Ultra HD
content using the high-efficiency video-coding (HEVC/ H.265) standard.
The advanced design, combining next-generation technology from ST and
MaxLinear, supports the most demanding satellite-operator service
offerings, including multiple decode, multi-channel personal video
recorder (PVR), video-on-demand (VOD), multiple transcoding for
streaming to second-screen clients and state-of-the-art graphics, even
while maintaining very-low power consumption.
The reference design leverages MaxLinear’s best-in-class MxL5xx family
of satellite Full-Spectrum Capture™ (FSC™) receivers, and ST’s
pin-compatible STiH312 “Cannes” and STiH412 “Monaco” set-top box
system-on-chip (SoC) decoders. The platform supports a full array of end
products, from HD HEVC-ready STBs with multiple-channel decoding to
high-end servers with “4K” Ultra HD resolution and HEVC decode, along
with the display and real-time transcoding of numerous HD streams
simultaneously.
Both device families are pin-compatible, making the reference design
scalable from four to eight channels and flexible to support either full
HD or 4K Ultra HD with or without transcode. The platform can also be
adapted for cable MSOs1 using the pin-compatible MxL2xx
family of cable FSC multi-channel receivers.
The FSC front-end allows satellite operators to support a range of
multi-channel features, including fast channel-change time, video
streaming to multiple televisions or IP devices, flexible record/watch
combinations and progressive VOD in background. Optional terrestrial
front-end modules based on MaxLinear’s market-leading terrestrial
receiver technology can be added to the platform to enable capture of
over-the-air terrestrial broadcast channels.
The Cannes/Monaco SoC design is based on ARM multi-core processors,
superior 2D/3D graphics performance with a Mali™ GPU, integrated
hardware Faroudja® multimedia subsystem with HEVC-capable
robust video decoder, high-performance video encoder, and high-quality
video pre/post processing. The Cannes/Monaco SoC families provide
multiple interfaces: PCIe™ supporting Wi-Fi connectivity, smart-card
interfaces, 6Gbit/s Gen 3 eSATA interfaces, USB2/3, SPI, I2C, SDIO and
DDR3 memory support for flexible and affordable bill-of-materials HW
designs. A security toolbox for premium content delivery is provided to
optimize performance for premium content. The low power draw of both
chipset families combined with support for active standby mode enables
industry-leading low-power solutions.
“Ultra HD provides the next-level user experience that will enable
extra-ordinary opportunities for satellite broadcasters to maximize the
value of their extensive portfolio of premium content. This ST/MaxLinear
gateway reference design will assure powerful and flexible platforms to
revolutionize the satellite TV viewing experience,” said Herve Mathieu,
Box and Gateways Business Line Director, Unified Platform Division,
STMicroelectronics. “With ST’s leadership position and the successful
global adoption of the “Cannes/Monaco” platform, we are ideally placed
to support satellite operators worldwide in the transition to those new
ground-breaking platforms.”
“Support for 4K content is going to be a priority for satellite
operators in 2015 and this design will set the bar for both the highest
performance and lowest power consumption in the gateway segment,” said
Brian Sprague, MaxLinear’s Vice President and General Manager. “With our
FSC tuners and the performance of ST’s 4K/HEVC SoCs, this design is
ideal for first mover OEMs in this market.”
ST will be present with MaxLinear at the SES Industry days in Luxemburg
April 3rd and 4th 2014.
Technical Highlights – MxL5xx
The MxL5xx family includes three single-input RF receivers, the MxL541,
MxL561, and MxL581, which have four, six and eight demodulators
respectively. The MxL582 has two RF inputs and supports eight
demodulators. The MxL544 supports four RF inputs and has four
demodulators, while the MxL584 supports four RF inputs with eight
demodulators. All the devices are available in very small form factor,
pin-compatible 10mm x 10mm QFN packages ideally suited for minimizing
system manufacturing costs.
The MxL5xx devices integrate all active front-end components, including
the low-noise amplifiers (LNA). Due to the high levels of system
integration, the bill of material (BOM) in end applications is reduced
to a minimal number of low-cost passive components and a crystal, which
enables ultra-compact low-cost system solutions.
The capture bandwidth of each RF input can be configured to match
conventional L-band requirements (950MHz – 2150MHz) or to a wider
bandwidth (250MHz – 2300MHz). Other benefits of the FSC™ technology
include embedded remote spectrum monitoring, which provides built-in
performance monitoring and remote diagnostics for satellite operators.
The low-power and power-control flexibility of the MxL5xx devices enable
compliance with the requirements of Energy Star and the European Code of
Conduct for Digital TV Services and Broadband Equipment for both standby
and operating modes.
Technical Highlights - STiH312 and STiH412
The ‘Cannes’ client-box SoC family addresses a wide range of needs from
extensive support of Ultra High Definition (STiH312) and High Definition
(STiH310, STiH305) premium content to all-integrated, cost-optimized
solutions.
It delivers high computing capabilities based on ARM multi-core
processors, superior 2D/3D graphics performance, integrated hardware
video encoders with pre-processing, and Faroudja®-enhanced
video processing. The devices also feature PCIe™ supporting Wi-Fi
connectivity, smart-card interfaces, two 6Gbit/s Gen 3 eSATA interfaces,
as well as USB2/3, low-power modes and comprehensive security toolbox
for premium content delivery.
The ‘Monaco’ family provides an economical, yet full-featured solution
for server-type applications such as home gateways. The ST Faroudja
Transcode Engine provides best-in-class transcoding capabilities for
multi-screen experiences across consumer and handheld devices. This
allows operators to reduce their network bandwidth while offering an
excellent quality of service throughout the home. The ‘Monaco’ family
includes the ‘Ultra HD’ STiH412 and cost-optimized derivatives (STiH407
and STiH410) for HD markets.
Availability
The reference-design platform is sampling this month and is available
with a complete software development kit. The reference design is
pre-certified with leading CAS vendors for fast market deployment.
About MaxLinear, Inc.
MaxLinear, Inc. is a leading provider of radio-frequency and
mixed-signal semiconductor solutions for broadband communications
applications. MaxLinear is headquartered in Carlsbad, California. For
more information, please visit www.maxlinear.com.
MxL, Full-Spectrum Capture, FSC and the MaxLinear logo are trademarks of
MaxLinear, Inc. Other trademarks appearing herein are the property of
their respective owners.
About STMicroelectronics
ST is a global leader in the semiconductor market serving customers
across the spectrum of sense and power and automotive products and
embedded processing solutions. From energy management and savings to
trust and data security, from healthcare and wellness to smart consumer
devices, in the home, car and office, at work and at play, ST is found
everywhere microelectronics make a positive and innovative contribution
to people's life. By getting more from technology to get more from life,
ST stands for life.augmented.
In 2013, the Company’s net revenues were $8.08 billion. Further
information on ST can be found at www.st.com.
Cautionary Note About Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Forward-looking statements include, among others, statements concerning
or implying future financial performance, trends and growth
opportunities, and opportunities associated with new product offerings,
in particular the reference design announced in this press release.
These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results to be
materially different from any future results expressed or implied by the
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on
management’s current, preliminary expectations and are subject to
various risks and uncertainties. Risks and uncertainties affecting our
respective businesses, operating results, and stock prices, include,
among others, intense competition in our industry and uncertainties
concerning how end user markets for our products will develop, including
end user markets for the reference design announced today. In addition
to these risks and uncertainties, investors should review the risks and
uncertainties contained in MaxLinear’s and STMicroelectronic’s filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including MaxLinear’s
most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.
1 Multiple System Operator
Contacts:
MaxLinear Inc. Press Contact:
The David James Agency LLC
David
Rodewald, +1 805-494-9508
david@davidjamesagency.com
or
MaxLinear
Inc. Corporate Contact:
Yves Rasse
Senior Director,
Consumer Product Line
+1 760-692-0711
yrasse@maxlinear.com
or
STMicroelectronics
Michael
Markowitz
Director Technical Media Relations
+1 781-591-0354
michael.markowitz@st.com
Source: MaxLinear Inc.
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