Kaben Developing FM Tuner IP

enables the integration of a complex mixed-signal functional block into multi-standard single chip ICs

Ottawa, ON  February 27, 2007  Kaben Research Inc., a leading developer of mixed-signal, Intellectual Property (IP) blocks for Wireless, System-on-a-Chip (SoC) manufacturers, announced today that it is developing an FM Tuner IP product. The new design is based on Kaben's proprietary Sampling IF Filter Technology.

Until now, when consumer product manufacturers wanted FM Tuner functionality, they needed to use a chip supplier that had already integrated the Tuner into one of their products, thereby accepting the performance provided by the vendor. Alternatively, if they were looking for a high quality tuner, manufacturers had to use a stand alone part which has an associated high bill of materials and consumes precious board space. For most of these vendors increasing the board size of the product is unacceptable.

Kaben's FM Tuner IP significantly reduces the manufacturer's complexity of integrating a high quality FM tuner functionality into their products. Applications for the FM Tuner IP are cellular phones, MP3 players, Personal Digital Assistants, portable audio devices, portable gaming devices and portable GPS receivers. The IP block is designed for a pure CMOS process and can be integrated into any customer's mixed-signal or digital chips.

One of the biggest challenges we faced was how to fully integrate the filters in a pure CMOS process without sacrificing performance or consuming a huge area., said Tom Riley, the CTO and chief architect of the FM tuner design. Our unique SIF architecture was an invaluable tool in achieving the desired result.

Describing the benefits of Kaben's FM Tuner IP to product manufacturers, Kaben VP of Marketing, Seste Dell'Aera said, This is a huge benefit to manufacturers giving them the flexibility of integrating a full solution into one of their own chips. He continued by saying, We are currently engaging with lead customers to help define the end product.

About Kaben

Kaben Research is an IP company focused on design, development, and licensing of mixed-signal building blocks that are key to creating future SoC products. The company delivers high-performance, proven IP blocks to SoC manufacturers in the wireless communications market that significantly reduce risk, cost, and time to market. Kaben's IP product offering includes: Frequency Synthesizers, Sampling IF Filters, D/A Converters, and Programmable Clock Generators. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.kabenresearch.com.