Mindspeed Technologies, Inc. (Mindspeed) has introduced a new multi-channel, multi-rate, low-power chipset for serial digital interface (SDI) applications. The new chipset provides a complete serial link solution for 3G/HD/SD-SDI equipment with over 70% power savings compared to existing solutions. The chipset consists of a dual cable equalizer, a quad video reclocker and a dual cable driver features trace equalization and output de-emphasis.

The chipset provides improved analog performance for large system designs and complements the company’s existing crosspoint portfolio.

We have utilized our core strengths of integration, signal integrity, and low power design to provide a solution for the challenges faced by equipment designers in the broadcast industry today, said Kurt Bush, senior vice president and general manager of Mindspeed’s high performance analog products. With these multi-channel devices, we offer our customers robust functionality and high performance in a fraction of the area and power, helping to achieve the density and power consumption requirements of large systems. Furthermore, by integrating compensation for trace losses, we enable the design of robust 3G-SDI systems, without the added complexity and cost of external components.

Solving the Design Challenges of High Port Count, High Density Systems

In the broadcast market, there is a definite trend towards larger systems with more SDI ports. Generally, the physical size of the equipment does not scale with port count, leaving the system designers with the conundrum of achieving more SDI input/output ports in the same space. The company’s multi-channel devices are the ideal solution to address this problem.

Housed in quad flat no-lead (QFN) packages, the new devices help recognize a Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) compliant SDI port in a fraction of the space previously possible. The devices also feature an integrated cross point switch, eliminating the need for additional multiplexers and switches on the board, as well as internal supply regulators and input/output termination, further reducing the need for external components. These devices help achieve an area reduction of 30% or greater compared to designs realized with legacy solutions.

Low Power CMOS Design Alleviates Heat and Power Dissipation Concerns

The broadcast equipment designers must tackle the obstacles of heat dissipation and high operating power consumption. Furthermore, the desire to deliver more environmentally friendly equipment is driving the need for systems with lower operating power consumption. Mindspeed’s low power SDI products are implemented entirely in deep sub-micron complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS). Hence, these products provide power savings to the designers.

The quad reclocker, typically consumes 475mW when all four channels are active, which is comparable to the power dissipation of the single-channel reclockers available today. At 160mW and 80mW respectively, the dual cable equalizer and cable driver consume two-thirds less power per channel than existing devices. Collectively, the new SDI chipset from Mindspeed offers designers greater than 70% power reduction.

Integrated Loss Compensation Enables Robust 3G-SDI Design

In order to achieve robust system operation at the higher data rate necessary for 3G-SDI, many designers have resorted to utilizing additional components to compensate for signal degradations and losses across the board. The external compensation increases the design cost and complexity, while occupying valuable board real estate. Mindspeed’s devices ease signal integrity concerns as, in addition to providing exceptional analog performance, they also include compensation for trace losses.

The dual equalizer comes equipped with de-emphasis at both outputs, while the dual cable driver features input trace equalization for up to 40 of FR4 trace at both inputs. The quad reclocker provides trace equalization at the inputs and de-emphasis at the outputs, enabling high speed transmission across 40 of FR4 trace and two connectors. Using Mindspeed’s products, designers are able to realize a robust 3G-SDI system simply and cost effectively.

SMPTE Compliant Performance for 3G/HD/SD-SDI Applications

The new SDI chipset from Mindspeed is compliant with SMPTE standards defined for operation at SD-SDI (SMPTE 259M-C), HD-SDI (SMPTE 292M), and 3G-SDI (SMPTE 424M).

These devices are ideally suited for the design of SDI equipment, such as distribution amplifiers, video routing switchers, video production switchers, multi-viewers, monitors and cameras, amongst many more.

Technical Details

The dual cable equalizer, M21524, provides adaptive, low noise, high gain equalization for two 75 ohm coaxial cables at SDI data rates from 143 Mbps to 2.97 Gbps. It also features a 2×2 crosspoint switch allowing any input to be routed to either output. This device is capable of compensating for losses accumulated across cable lengths for up to 140m when operating at 2.97 Gbps.

M21355, the quad reclocker, features automatic rate detect (ARD) circuitry, and a 16×4 crosspoint switch at the input. It operates at SDI data rates ranging from 270 Mbps to 2970 Mbps.

M21355 has an input jitter tolerance (IJT) of greater than 0.6 unit intervals (UI) and can provide re-timed serial outputs with very low output jitter. The quad reclocker requires a single, external, 27MHz crystal, which is used as the reference clock for all four channels.

M21528, the dual cable driver, can drive 2, unipolar, pairs of 75 ohm coaxial cables, or 50 ohm equivalent loads, at SDI data rates from 143 Mbps to 2.97 Gbps. Similar to the equalizer, this device also features an integrated 2×2 crosspoint switch. M21528 is capable of outputting SDI signals with jitter values of less than 17ps p-p, when operating at 2.97 Gbps.

Mindspeed is a US-based supplier of semiconductor solutions for network infrastructure applications.