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US 2009/0213275 A1Published application
Digital interface for tuner-demodulator communications
AssigneeSilicon Laboratories Inc.
InventorDavid Trager
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus may include analog tuner circuitry, a digital unit to process incoming data, an analog interface to receive the processed data for conversion back into analog signals, and a first pin to output the analog signals on a link. A separate digital interface may be present and can be enabled to receive the processed data and encode it into a serial bit stream for transmission via the first pin, avoiding the need for the analog interface to operate when the digital interface is enabled.
Claims25
An apparatus comprising:
- an analog front end to receive incoming radio frequency (RF) signals including television data and convert the incoming RF signals to baseband digital signals;
- a digital unit coupled to the analog front end to receive the baseband digital signals and to process the baseband digital signals;
- an analog interface to receive the processed baseband digital signals and to convert the processed baseband digital signals into analog signals;
- a first pin coupled to the analog interface to output the analog signals on a link coupled between the apparatus and a second component;
- and
- a digital interface to receive the processed baseband digital signals and to convert the processed baseband digital signals into a serial bit stream, the digital interface coupled to the first pin to output the serial bit stream on the first pin, when enabled.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- receiving, in a digital interface of a transmitter, data samples having one of a plurality of bit widths and a control signal to indicate which of the bit widths to which the data samples correspond;
- packing the data samples into a packet having a fixed size, wherein the packet includes a first number of the data samples if the bit width is a first bit width and instead includes a second number of the data samples if the bit width is a second bit width, the first number less than the second number, wherein the first bit width is greater than the second bit width;
- and
- transmitting the packet from the transmitter as a serial bit stream.
1 more element
A system comprising:
- a television tuner including an analog front end to receive incoming radio frequency (RF) signals and convert the incoming RF signals to digital signals, a digital unit coupled to the analog front end to receive the digital signals and to process the digital signals, the digital unit to operate at a first clock frequency that is dynamically controlled to avoid interference with the analog front end, and a digital interface to receive the processed digital signals and to convert the processed digital signals into a serial bit stream to be transmitted from the television tuner at a second frequency, wherein the digital interface is to operate at the second frequency, the second frequency asynchronous with the first clock frequency;
- and
- a demodulator coupled to the television tuner by a link, the demodulator including a digital interface to receive the serial bit stream and process the serial bit stream to obtain the digital signals.
An apparatus comprising:
- a transmitter to transmit differential signals along a differential conductor of the transmitter and across a link, the transmitter including:
- a tap line coupled to the differential conductor;
- a comparator to compare a voltage of the tap line to a reference voltage;
- and
- a controller coupled to an output of the comparator;
- and
- a receiver coupled to the link to receive the differential signals along a differential conductor of the receiver, wherein the receiver includes a variable impedance coupled between the differential conductor, wherein the receiver is to dynamically adjust the variable impedance to provide control information to the transmitter.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.