TI and RadioScape to provide technology for
emerging Digital Radio Mondiale
Building on its leadership in digital radio technology,
Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) is working with RadioScape to develop
the necessary hardware and software to support Digital Radio Mondiale™
(DRM™).
Leveraging its vast technical expertise in Eureka Digital
Audio Broadcasting (DAB) technology, TI will supply the necessary digital
signal processor (DSP) - based digital radio silicon along with RadioScape's
software radio technology.
Together these companies will offer a cost-effective platform
for designing consumer receivers.
(See www.ti.com/dr12)
"Today's announcement from Texas Instruments and RadioScape
regarding their new DRM technology is a major milestone for the DRM consortium,"
said Peter Senger, director of distribution at Deutsche Welle and chairman
of the DRM Consortium.
"Coupling TI's position as a global leader in the semiconductor
industry with RadioScape's expertise in digital radio software brings
invaluable resources to the DRM market. We believe their commitment to
DRM will help drive its commercial success in the coming years - repeating
their success at driving the DAB market by enabling a wide variety of
receivers to be made at easily affordable prices."
DRM is the only universal, non-proprietary digital AM radio
system for short-wave, medium-wave and long-wave with near-FM quality
sound available to markets worldwide. By
exploiting the reach of these frequencies, DRM complements DAB to provide
digital reception anywhere in the world.
This capability enables broadcasters to launch exciting new services and
allows listeners to hear their favorite short-wave, medium-wave/AM or
long-wave broadcasts with considerably improved quality.
More than 65 leading broadcasters have begun transmitting
live, daily or weekly DRM broadcasts and special programs. The list includes
international broadcasters as well as national radio networks and local
radio stations – both commercial and public. Combining DAB and DRM
into new receivers will extend the range of digital stations and services
available, even further enabling broadcasters to reach new audiences with
innovative digital services anywhere in the world.
"We know what it takes to succeed in an emerging digital
radio market," says Les Mable, business development manager for Digital
Radio at TI. "TI is committed to the promising new DRM market and
will leverage our expertise to help provide the innovation required to
speed its rapid adoption. The use of RadioScape’s software-defined
radio solutions will allow a single cost-effective hardware platform to
receive DRM, DAB, FM and AM broadcasts."
Nigel Oakley, RadioScape’s VP of Marketing, adds, “RadioScape’s
unique software approach provides the flexibility that customers require,
especially for an emerging technology. New features, customized variants
and changes in standards can all be easily done via our software running
on TI’s programmable solution, unlike an ASIC chip that requires
slow and expensive mask re-spins. Our experience in creating innovative
DAB software solutions has made RadioScape one of the world leaders in
Software-Defined Digital Radio and will enable us to create a similar
success for DRM.”
Formed in 1998, the DRM Consortium has defined a universal,
non-proprietary digital system for providing near-FM quality sound on
the broadcasting bands below 30 MHz. With members in more than 25 nations,
DRM has wide support from broadcasters. Applications include fixed and
portable radios, car receivers, software receivers and PDAs. With some
broadcasters already on air, the initial deployment of receivers is expected
to start in the UK,
Germany and France.
DRM enables a single tower to broadcast over a huge geographic
area, so listeners all over Europe can receive the same station. DRM is
expected to drive expansion of the under-30 MHz radio market, bringing
new content to larger audiences while fitting within the current broadcast
band plan. Many existing transmitters can be easily modified with an inexpensive
upgrade to carry DRM signals.
For more information on Digital Radio Mondiale, visit www.drm.org.
For more information on RadioScape, visit www.radioscape.com.
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