The MAX2175 RF to Bits tuner eliminates the need to rework the vehicle's hardware to support worldwide radio standards, allowing upgrades simply by changing the vehicle's software.
Traditional radio architecture presents many challenges for vehicle designers. The complex vehicle head unit must accommodate multiple tuners, manage heat dissipation, and receive multiple antenna cables. Furthermore, the received analog signals pick up noise as they travel from the antenna to the vehicle head unit. Finally, baseband processing uses single-purpose hardware, requiring separate designs to support multiple radio standards worldwide.
With Maxim's remote tuner solution, the RF-to-bit tuners are now located in a quieter environment near the antenna to minimize noise. Meanwhile, the tuners' digital outputs are serialized using Maxim's Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link (GESL) serializer and deserializer (SerDes) over a single, low-cost coaxial cable. Power for the remote tuner solution is also supplied over this cable. This not only improves radio performance but also reduces vehicle weight for increased range. Removing all tuners from the head unit saves space and reduces system complexity and heat dissipation. In a 4-channel radio, for example, 4W of power can be drawn from the head unit. Furthermore, the MAX2175 allows baseband processing to be performed in software on an automotive system-on-a-chip (SoC), such as the Renesas R-Car R3. This software-defined radio (SDR) approach allows for flexible deployments by eliminating the need for a dedicated baseband processor. Simply by changing the software, any global radio standard can now be supported using the MAX2175.
Key Advantages
• Design Flexibility and Scalability: Instead of redesigning the main unit, designers can optimize a single remote radio tuner architecture that can be scaled to different use cases by managing the number of remote tuners; simply change the software to support any global radio standard.
• Ease of Design and Space Savings: Replacing multiple tuners with a deserializer connected to the SoC reduces system complexity, space requirements, and heat dissipation in the main unit; available in a 7mm x 7mm 48-pin TQFN package (temperature range -40°C to +85°C).
• Improved Radio Performance: Tuners are positioned closer to the antenna; digital signals are used instead of analog for a clearer signal.
• Improved Vehicle Mileage: The reduced number of wires decreases wiring weight.
Maxim's remote tuner solution includes the following Maxim products:
• MAX2175 RF to Bit Analog/Digital Hybrid Radio Receiver
• MAX96708 14-bit GMSL Deserializer
• MAX96711 14-bit GMSL Serializer
• MAX15027 1A Low Dropout Linear Regulator
• MAX20002 36V, 2A Synchronous Buck Converter
• See details about Maxim's remote tuner solution, including a video: http://bit.ly/Remote_Tuner_Solution_Maxim
