Single chip radio - WITHOUT HD

[rbrucecarter5]

Well folks, for two years I have been saying how the stripped down parts list of radio reference designs (one ceramic filter FM, one ceramic filter AM) virtually guarantees that HD AM will not work, and WILL self jam. Now the semiconductor companies have stripped down the parts list even more - only two external components (other than antennas):

http://www.silabs.com/public/docume...dcast/Radio_Tuners/en/Si473x_Presentation.pdf

Guess what? NO HD support! Manufacturing pressures absolutely assure - the one chip radio is the future of radio, and it doesn't include HD! In a few years, look for competitors doing the same thing, the price drops on the IC's as millions are made, and $1 AM / FM radios the same as we have calculators and watches now in dollar stores now. ALL of them NON-HD!!!

And, if the IC has good performance, it will migrate into car and component systems - rather quickly I would assume because those markets are not as price sensitive. The space savings and reliability improvement alone make it inevitable. All of those systems, too - NO HD.

 

[700WLW]

Nice find - another, nail-in-the-coffin !

 

[SUPERCASTER]

Well folks, for two years I have been saying how the stripped down parts list of radio reference designs (one ceramic filter FM, one ceramic filter AM) virtually guarantees that HD AM will not work, and WILL self jam. Now the semiconductor companies have stripped down the parts list even more - only two external components (other than antennas):

http://www.silabs.com/public/docume...dcast/Radio_Tuners/en/Si473x_Presentation.pdf

Guess what? NO HD support! Manufacturing pressures absolutely assure - the one chip radio is the future of radio, and it doesn't include HD! In a few years, look for competitors doing the same thing, the price drops on the IC's as millions are made, and $1 AM / FM radios the same as we have calculators and watches now in dollar stores now. ALL of them NON-HD!!!

And, if the IC has good performance, it will migrate into car and component systems - rather quickly I would assume because those markets are not as price sensitive. The space savings and reliability improvement alone make it inevitable. All of those systems, too - NO HD.

My dollar store already has thumb sized FM radios, in colors, complete with earbuds for a buck. Somehow they forgot to include HD radio, but perhaps those defective Accurians and Receptors will show up there soon, as well.

 

[Mike Walker]

Except that Ibiquity says pocket HD radios WILL be available in either late 08, or early 09. Sooner would be better.

Radios have been on a dual track. Yes mostly cheaper, and poorer radios have been flooding the market. But who would have thought that 100 dollars (on sale at least) would buy a software defined radio with truly razor-sharp filtering (screw HD if you don't like it, the "guts" of the Accurian are an engineering marvel in such a cheap product!)

Pocket HD should be just as "doable" as pocket XM, or Sirius!

 

[700WLW]

Except that Ibiquity says pocket HD radios WILL be available in either late 08, or early 09. Sooner would be better.

Radios have been on a dual track. Yes mostly cheaper, and poorer radios have been flooding the market. But who would have thought that 100 dollars (on sale at least) would buy a software defined radio with truly razor-sharp filtering (screw HD if you don't like it, the "guts" of the Accurian are an engineering marvel in such a cheap product!)

Pocket HD should be just as "doable" as pocket XM, or Sirius!

Unless there is a breakthrough, in power supplies, portable HD Radio is not going to happen - and, there is always the question of poor reception and high cost. Portable HD Radio could never approach the cost of analog radios - even after two years of consumer awareness, interest in HD Radio remains flat:

http://www.google.com/trends?q="hd+radio",+"internet+radio",+xm,+sirius,+podcast

"Desperately Seeking Portable HD"

"... It all sounded great - except for one big, and largely unforeseen problem: the heavy power consumption of digital tuners... As a result, the lack of handheld HD Radio receivers - at least for the next few years - will keep the fledgling technology from becoming a player in the increasingly important portable audio industry. Given the strength and projected growth of that sector, this absence could have significant impact on HD Radio's success, as well as to the radio industry's overall relevance to future audiences."

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0054/t.359.html

 

[Mike Walker]

Of course there will be a breakthrough in power supplies, processing power, and affordability. There always is. Moore's law rolls on. I carry what would have been a state of the art desktop a decade ago in my pocket!

 

[700WLW]

Of course there will be a breakthrough in power supplies, processing power, and affordability. There always is. Moore's law rolls on. I carry what would have been a state of the art desktop a decade ago in my pocket!

Prove it !

 

[Tom Wells]

Moore's Law would not seem to apply to battery technology, or we would not have lead-acid cell batteries in our cars.

It is unlikely that any manufacturer would build HD on their chip. They would buy it and incorporate it in design.

Now, when fuel cells (direct Hydrocarbon to DC) are available, processing-based portables will be feasible.
But I'm sure they'll be sold first with Lithium-ion built-ins like ipods, with disappointing run times.
And I'll bet they don't incorporate a low-power analog-only receive mode.

I'm not too happy about radios without real inductive coupling between stages, or actual LC components.
People buy such radios, as that is all that's manufactured anymore, and then complain about overloading, intermodulation, whistles and birdies.
You can't have your modern operator interface unless you remove the physical LC parts.
The "market" has determined that no one cares as much about the performance as they do for a digital readout and memories.
As such these PLL semiconductor-only devices are radio emulators.

About the last thing I want is the processing power of a desktop computer in my pocket.
A notepad and pen is indispensible, however.

 

[Mike Walker]

Moore's law of course doesn't apply to battery power. For over a half-century there were virtually no advances in battery technology, and now we're paying the price. But energy efficiency is an area where we ARE making tremendous strides. Laptop computers, which have more processing power than required by HD, can now weigh much less than 5 pounds, and run for 6 hours or more. That ain't because of battery technology...it's because processing power is getting both more power, and less greedy.

I DO want the power of a desktop computer in my pocket. I can't check my e-mail on a pad and pen. Can't listen to internet radio. Can't watch videos while my wife shops. Can't play my mp3s. Can't play scrabble. Can't make free long distance calls over the 'net via Skype. Can't block out the AWFUL elevator music in the food court at the mall! I'll take my "desktop in the pocket" (resisting the urge to ask "Is that a desktop in your pocket, or are you glad to see me?)

My wife thinks a PDA is useless, too. She prefers a "pad and pen". Interestingly the one thing I NEVER do is write notes on it. Why bother with handwriting recognition, when I can just hit the record button, and record my notes?

You're right...battery technology is crreping along. But processing technology continues to roar...as portable devices get not just more powerful, but more energy efficient as well. One needn't wait for a breakthrough in batteries, which may or may not come. There's already a battery powered DRM portable. Of course there will be battery powered HD. Hell, I can power my Accurian from a battery pack (home-made). I'm not sure how long (probably not long...it's a greedy little devil!) But this ain't a "moon shot" in terms of technical challenge!