Microtune's AM/FM Tuners Selected for Use in Panasonic Automotive Radio
PLANO, Texas--April 12, 2001--Microtune(TM), Inc. today announced that Matsushita Communication Deutschland GmbH (Panasonic), a Neumunster/Germany-based subdivision of Matsushita, has selected Microtune's new 1383 automotive AM/FM tuners for radio/cassette/CD systems that will be implemented in two major German car manufacturers' vehicles across the U.S., Japan and Europe. Production commenced in first quarter of 2001.
Based on Microtune's field-proven and award-winning AM/FM tuner technology, the 1383 series provides a highly specialized tuner-receiver subsystem for advanced automotive audio electronics. It is one of the first solutions to deploy dynamic filter adjustment, a breakthrough technology that delivers clean, clear signals in high-density urban areas. Additionally, the new 1383 series supports the RF frequency ranges of the U.S., Japan and Europe, providing a compact RF tuner that meets the high-end performance and quality requirements of global markets.
"Panasonic is world-renowned for producing some of the most sophisticated car audio electronics available today," explains James Fontaine, president of Microtune. "We are very pleased with this design win, because in addition to allowing us to partner with an industry-leading audio supplier, it underscores that the market for Microtune's world-class automotive tuners has expanded globally."
With excellent sensitivity and superior adjacent channel and multipath suppression, the Microtune 1383 automotive tuners receive weak signals and those packed in dense, urban signal environments. Implementing innovative agile filter adjustment techniques, the 1383 series analyzes the received signal and dynamically adjusts its filters to the best-suited configuration. This feature, together with the integrated multipath noise blanker, allows the 1383 series to produce clear sound with minimal noise and interference, even in the most critical receiving situations. The tuners are also manufactured under ISO 9002 and QS 9000 standards to meet stringent testing, operational and reliability specifications. Microtune's quality-driven product engineering and manufacturing ensures that radio systems perform to expectations, even over extended temperature ranges and under adverse environmental operating conditions.
Microtune is one of the leading suppliers of highly specialized RF tuners to the automotive industry. In addition to its suite of AM/FM tuners, the company also offers RF tuners and subsystems for mobile multimedia/TV systems. These tuners enable TV reception and the broadband delivery of data in mobile environments and represent the leading edge of advanced solutions for in-vehicle entertainment and information. Microtune's portfolio of RF products, including the single-chip MicroTuner(TM) tuner, MicroStreamer(TM) upstream amplifier and complete RF subsystems, also supports a broad range of consumer electronics markets.