Microtune Single-Chip Tuner and Amplifier Technology Deployed in Cable Modem Certified for EuroDOCSIS
PLANO, Texas--Aug. 30, 2001--Microtune(TM), Inc. today announced that a cable modem based on its radio frequency (RF) silicon technology has earned certification in the fifth European Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (EuroDOCSIS) testing wave.
Microtune, a worldwide RF silicon and systems leader and the holder of multiple patents for its single-chip tuner and amplifier architectures, provided the RF front-end components in the cable modem electronics, including its MicroTuner(TM) MT2030 solid-state tuner, the MicroStreamer(TM) MT1530 upstream amplifier and MT1230 intermediate frequency (IF) amplifier. The cable modem is the first in the industry to be qualified to the EuroDOCSIS standard using a single-chip silicon tuner.
The newly certified modem was submitted by Net&Sys Co. Ltd. (Seoul, Korea), a leading Korean provider of high-speed Internet gateway solutions for customers in Pan Asia and Europe. In addition, Microtune's complete RF transceiver subsystem was deployed in a cable modem by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. that was also certified in this wave.
With this most recent EuroDOCSIS certification activity, Microtune's RF technology continues to lead the global standards race in providing RF silicon and systems solutions optimized for cable broadband products. The company has provided the tuner-receiver solution in one or more models for 34 of the 53 companies that have been awarded DOCSIS or EuroDOCSIS certification.
Among the global EuroDOCSIS cable modem suppliers, Microtune's RF front-end technology is also featured in the cable modem products of Askey, Dassault AT and Ericsson.
"Worldwide manufacturers targeting global markets can confidently rely on Microtune's chip components, knowing that our core RF technology is certifiable on two continents," explained Douglas J. Bartek, Chairman and CEO of Microtune. "In addition, we offer market-proven, manufacturable silicon tuners and amplifiers that have demonstrated their robustness, manageability and reliability in real world environments. Microtune enables worldwide customers to meet discriminating performance and quality metrics, while supporting international interoperability standards."
"Microtune's silicon tuners and amplifiers enabled us to quickly meet the performance specifications, low-power requirements and price points required by our cable modem customers, while providing significant certification advantages," observes I. H. Kwon, President of Net&Sys. "Microtune's robust silicon RF technology, aggressive roadmap for the future and unmatched price/performance allowed us to deploy the tuners in high-quality, interoperable cable modem products, while minimizing design and manufacturing time. Microtune provides key front-end IC solutions for our gateways, and Net&Sys will partner with Microtune to provide innovative and market-winning solutions in the future."
The Samsung and Net&Sys cable modems successfully navigated an extensive series of interoperability tests, adapted from the U.S. DOCSIS specifications, that set the standard for the European cable modem industry. They were based on Microtune's transmit and receive products that provide the critical RF functionality for two-way, interactive communications. As components central to cable modem system operation, Microtune's tuners, amplifiers and transceivers empower consumers to send and receive video, data and voice services via the high-speed cable connection.
ABOUT MICROTUNE
Microtune Inc. is a leading RF silicon and systems company that designs, manufactures and markets RF broadband 'gateway' solutions for use in cable modems, set-top boxes, PC/TV multimedia, TV/digital TV, automotive entertainment and other consumer electronics. Inventors of the MicroTuner(TM) single-chip broadband tuner and a family of silicon broadband amplifiers, the company currently holds fourteen U.S. patents for its RF technology, with an additional fourteen pending approval, containing a total of more than 1000 supporting claims. Founded in 1996, Microtune is headquartered in Plano, Texas, with key design, manufacturing and sales centers located around the world. The web site is www.microtune.com.
EDITORS NOTE: Microtune, MicroTuner and MicroStreamer are trademarks of Microtune, Inc.