Broadcast Radio Front End IC

Atmel announced the availability of the broadcast radio front end IC ATR4262, which is designed for mobile systems such as car radios. The ATR4262 is compatible with the major radio standards including HD Radio, DRM, and AM/FM. Its FM section handles the frequency range from 70 MHz to 166 MHz, including weather band and HD Radio in the US. The AM path covers the entire broadcasting frequency range from 150 kHz up to 30 MHz, including DRM systems. The weather band functionality, for example, can be realized without additional components. Furthermore, no external crystals are needed as the ATR4262 features the use of any external clock signal.

 The ATR4262's AGC system enables matching to all reception conditions. The IF amplifier has 3 different inputs, which can be tailored to different filters. This allows the support of multiple radio standards such as AM/FM; HD Radio, or DRM. In addition, the ATR4262 provides several control possibilities, thus allowing connection to various baseband processors.

 Samples of the ATR4262 are now available in QFN packages. Pricing starts at US $2.00 for 100k piece quantities. Sample design demo boards are also available.