Frontier Silicon, which manufactures chips and modules for digital radio receivers, is launching its first digital radio module supporting the HD Radio standard.
Partnering with iBiquity Digital, Frontier says it has created a new module based on its Verona digital radio module. That means receiver manufacturers can now introduce U.S. versions of their digital radio devices, says Frontier; to-date, such devices have only been sold in Europe and the Asia Pacific region.
Conversely, North American brands and retailers will now be able to incorporate the Frontier Silicon module in their domestic HD Radio receivers and other devices.
Frontier Silicon CEO Anthony Sethill says “HD Radio has established a firm foothold in the North American automotive market, and the market for consumer HD Radio devices is ripe for development. We see this as a significant next step in the global development of digital radio.”
Indeed, iBiquity recently noted that 13 automakers have made HD Radio available in their vehicles across North America.
Sethill said by combining the technical expertise of the Frontier and iBiquity teams, they’ve accelerated time to market and avoided unnecessary duplication of effort.
The features of the Frontier HD Radio module, according to the manufacturer, include easy conversions of DAB designs, FM analog and FM HD Radio standards are supported with blending and international tuning support for 50 kHz, 100 kHz and 200 kHz steps. The module also includes international language menu support for English, Spanish, Portuguese and French as well as the ability for the receiver to display RDS text and program service data.
The Verona HD Radio module will be sampling in April, with partners going to mass production at the end of the second quarter.
