Television Tuner Research Articles

Impact of Social Media Selected TV Programmes on Current Social Issues and Factors Affected the Categories of Viewers

Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location. The signals are received via an outdoor parabolic antenna commonly referred to as a satellite dish and a low-noise block down converter. A satellite receiver then decodes the desired television programme for viewing on a television set. Receivers can be external set-top boxes, or a built-in television tuner. Satellite television provides a wide range of channels and services. It is usually the only television available in many remote geographic areas without terrestrial television or cable television service. Early systems used analog signals, but modern ones use digital signals which allow transmission of the modern television standard high-definition television, due to the significantly improved spectral efficiency of digital broadcasting.

A Passive Mixer for a Wideband TV Tuner

This brief presents the design of a direct conversion mixer for a wideband television tuner operating at 48-860 MHz. The mixer consists of a transconductance stage, a passive current switching stage, and a transimpedance amplifier stage. In the switching stage, by adopting an opposite phase auxiliary switching quad configured in parallel with the main switching quad, the unwanted harmonics at the output of the switching stage are suppressed, thereby preventing mixer linearity degradation at low input frequencies. The proposed mixer is implemented in a 0.13-μm CMOS technology, and measurements show more than a 19.5-dB voltage gain, 12-dB noise figure, and 8-dBm IIP3 over the entire operating band of 48-860 MHz while dissipating 4.5 mA from a 1.2-V supply.

A Single-VCO Fractional-$N$ Frequency Synthesizer for Digital TV Tuners

A single-voltage-controlled-oscillator (VCO) fractional-N frequency synthesizer is designed for Advanced Television Systems Committee, Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial, and Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial digital television tuners. This frequency synthesizer can cover all the frequency bands for all three standards with only one VCO, and thus, the chip area as well as the power consumption can be greatly reduced. Different channel spacing requirements can be fulfilled by fractional synthesis. A dynamic frequency calibration loop is also used to automatically choose the coarse setting of the VCO. The synthesizer was fabricated in a standard 0.13-μm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor process and draws 14 mA from a 1.2-V supply. The measured phase noise is lower than -80 dBc/Hz from 1 to 100 kHz offset and -100 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset. The active area of the frequency synthesizer is smaller than 0.54 mm2.

A NOVEL LOW-VOLTAGE CMOS VARIABLE GAIN AMPLIFIER WITH GAIN-INDEPENDENT INPUT IMPEDANCE MATCHING FOR DTV TUNING APPLICATIONS

This paper presents a novel low-voltage single stage CMOS RF Variable Gain Amplifier (RFVGA) designed in 130 nm IBM CMOS process technology using current feed-back gain-independent impedance matching. The proposed RFVGA has a nearly constant gain over the 400 MHz–1 GHz frequency band. Also, it has a 70 dB gain variation (-40 dB to 30 dB) which is decibel-linear within this frequency band for a control voltage in the range of 0.41 V–0.81 V. The RFVGA demonstrates high linearity (THD ≈ -60 dB) and noise immunity (average Noise Figure ≤ 6 dB). It has an input referred third-order intercept point (IIP3) of -1.5 dBm, and an input reflection coefficient (S11) under -8 dB within the frequency band of interest. Also, it dissipates around 5 mW using a 1.2 V power supply. Further, Monte Carlo simulations incorporating process, supply voltage and temperature variations (PVT variations) as well as mismatch between devices (based on width and length of devices) indicate that the design is quite robust. The proposed RFVGA is highly suitable for mobile digital television (DTV) tuner applications.

Understanding hearing through deafness

Twenty-five years ago, many people thought that auditory prostheses were too crude to ever benefit auditory neuroscience. One skeptic thought that trying to understand auditory processing by using the artificial pattern of neural activation through a cochlear implant was like trying to understand how a television tuner works by applying a lightning bolt to the antenna. Recent papers in PNAS (1, 11) have shown the gains auditory prostheses have made in 25 years, in terms of practical benefit (i.e., restoring hearing to deaf people) and as a valuable tool for neuroscience. In this issue of PNAS, Rouger et al. (1) show that deaf people have superior lip-reading abilities and superior audiovisual integration compared with those with normal hearing and that they maintain superior lip-reading performance even after cochlear implantation. The development of the cochlear implant allowed for this unique perspective on auditory and visual integration.

A High Dynamic Range CMOS Variable Gain Amplifier for Mobile DTV Tuner

A high dynamic range RF variable gain amplifier (RFVGA) suitable for mobile digital television (DTV) tuners is presented. Variable gain is achieved using a capacitive attenuator and current-steering transconductance (Gm) stages, which provide high linearity with relatively low power consumption. A novel broadband input impedance matching scheme based on resistive shunt-feedback is proposed. This scheme allows the RFVGA to achieve a low noise figure. A gain control technique suitable for CMOS current-steering variable gain amplifiers is described; it features 1 dB per step resolution, independent of process and temperature variations. The chip is fabricated in six-metal 0.18mum CMOS technology and consumes 12.2mA current from 1.8V supply. The RFVGA achieves 16dB maximum gain, 33dB gain control range, a 4.3dB noise figure, and an IIP3 higher than 25dBm

A wide band up-conversion mixer for cable television tuner

An up-conversion mixer implemented in a 0.35μm SiGe BiCMOS technology for a double conversion cable TV tuner is described. The mixer converts the 100MHz to 1000MHz band to the Intermediate Frequency of 1GHz above. The mixer meets the linearity and noise figure requirements for a TV tuner. The noise figure (IF) of 19.2∼17.5dB, 1dB compression of 12.1dBm, and gain of −1∼0.7dB in the 900MHz band are achieved at a supply voltage of 5V. The power consumption is 47mW.

The Broadcast Flag: It's Not Just TV

The Broadcast Flag was an FCC Rule adopted in late 2003 to restrict indiscriminate Internet redistribution of television programs by limiting the capabilities of digital television tuners. While it would not have stopped television piracy, the Rule would have sharply limited independent and open-source development of home media technology with features like TiVo's pause live TV. I argue that technology mandates must be assessed not only by their effectiveness against the problem they are designed to address, but also by their collateral effects on technology development and end-user innovation. Measured against this wider circle of effects, the Broadcast Flag Rule would hurt far more than it helped. [Since this piece was published, the Broadcast Flag Rule was struck down by the D.C. Circuit on the grounds that the FCC lacked jurisdiction to regulate signals once received. As of late 2005, Congress is being lobbied to re-enact the Flag rule or to give the FCC the power to do so.]

System for identifying and adapting a tv-user profile by means of speech technology

Speech input supplied by the user is evaluated by the speaker verification/identification module, and based on the evaluation, parameters are retrieved from a user profile database. These parameters adapt the speech models of the speech recognizer and also supply the natural language parser with customized dialog grammars. The user's speech is then interpreted by the speech recognizer and natural language parser to determine the meaning of the user's spoken input in order to control the television tuner. The parser works in conjunction with a command module that mediates the dialog with the user, providing on-screen prompts or synthesized speech queries to elicit further input from the user when needed. The system integrates with an electronic program guide, so that the natural language parser is made aware of what programs are available when conducting the synthetic dialog with the user.

Measurement of television direct pickup (DPU) in a GTEM cell

The requirements of the new cable bill specify the amount of signal a television tuner may receive over the air, this is known as direct pickup (DPU). DPU is readily definable in terms of antenna parameters. The theoretical basis and measurement technique used to quantify the DPU of a television tuner using a GTEM is examined.

Countering the new media: The resurgence of share maintenance in primetime network television

Despite recent interest in the new technologies, media researchers have only begun to examine the impact of remote control devices, VCRs, and cable television on inheritance effects. In this study, share maintenance in network primetime programming was found to have decreased in the 1983, 1984, and 1985 seasons. This was predicted from the rapid growth in cable television, VCR, and remote tuner penetration during this time. But, surprisingly, these decreases were reversed between 1986–1988. These results are discussed in the context of the changing composition of the network primetime television audience and possible adjustments in network promotion and scheduling practices.

Specifications for tuner design for use in cable ready television receivers and VCRs

It is pointed out that, with the expansion of the number of cable channels from 12 or fewer to the current 78, the realization has come that television tuner performance is not always satisfactory. Some of the performance parameters important to tuners operating on cable systems are described, and tuner performance is compared with set-top converter performance. The following tuner issues affecting performance on cable television systems are discussed: direct pick-up, local oscillator emission, distortion, image rejection, adjacent channel rejection, and noise figure. >

Determination of Subnanosecond Fluorescence Lifetimes with a UHF Television Tuner and a cw or Mode-Locked Laser

An inexpensive ultra-high-frequency (UHF) television tuner and an argon-ion laser are employed for the determination of excited-state lifetimes of a series of common fluorophores. Fluorescence lifetimes are determined in the frequency domain; the results are in good agreement with previously reported values and demonstrate the utility of the new approach for subnanosecond measurements. Binary mixtures of rhodamine 6G and rose bengal can also be resolved with the use of this novel instrument design.

Novel Techniques for the Determination of Fluorescence Lifetimes

Abstract: Two novel techniques for the measurement of fluorescence lifetimes are discussed. The first method operates in the frequency domain, selectively amplifying the signals generated by the mode beats of a cw laser with a UHF television tuner. The second approach measures the fluorescence with simultaneous temporal and spectral resolution to simplify the characterization of complex samples.

Oscillator for television tuner

Oscillator for television tuner

Surface Acoustic Wave Devices for Use in a High Performance Television Tuner*

Two key components in a high performance tuner/IF system for television are described; a surface acoustic wave (SAW) low loss filter and a surface acoustic wave resonator. The low loss filter provides the adjacent channel rejection and ultimate spurious signal suppression with accurate amplitude and phase control that are the cornerstones for the high performance receiver. The resonator is the frequency control element for a stable, low-cost local oscillator for down converting the TV signal after it is cleaned up by the fixed frequency low loss filter. In this paper the characteristics of the SAW ccnponents are described.

Glass-Passivated Thick-Film Capacitors for RC Circuits

The advantages, disadvantages, and the reasons for the limited usage of thick-film capacitors are discussed. The electrical and environmental properties of a glass-passivated high dielectric constant (HiK) (~1000) capacitor which does not require hermetic packaging are described. Design criteria for achieving a Iow-cost thick-film capacitor-resistor-conductor network are presented. These include: 1) satisfying multiple circuit requirements; 2) using many capacitors, resistors, and conductors per circuit or per processing operation; 3) using Iow-cost materials, sealing techniques, and processes; 4) achieving high yields. An example is cited of a television tuner circuit on a 2 X 3 X 0.040-in substrate utilizing 47 resistors, 30 capacitors, 8 crossovers, and 1 ground plane in which the substrate also serves as a printed,circuit board for mounted discrete components.

Response of RF Tuned Circuits in Television Tuners at Frequencies FAR from Resonance

If the bandwidth of an RF tuned circuit is satisfactory at a few decibels down, it is often assumed that its attenuation continues to increase progressively with further departures from the resonant frequency. That this is not the case for many practical resonant circuits is demonstrated by measurements of the performance of the RF input tuned circuits of several television receivers. Typical variations from simple resonant circuit response are shown to be such as to make the receivers vulnerable to interference from strong signals on freqencies far from the wanted channel. It is suggested that, by giving more attention to the selectivity at frequencies away from resonance, designers will have the possibility of reducing the susceptibility of receivers to certain types of interference.

The Mark IV ---- An All Channel Television Tuner

This paper describes a solid state television tuner capable of tuning all 82 U.S. channels. Significant attainments in terms of cost reduction and performance enhancement are achieved. Design concepts as well as economic factor are discussed.

The New Thick Film Hybrid Integrated Circuit Module for VHF Television Tuners

The New Thick Film Hybrid Integrated Circuit Module for VHF Television Tuners