MaxLinear’s New Low-Cost USB Dongle Reference Design Brings Broadcast HDTV to Latin American Consumers

• Turnkey reference design leverages MxL683 tuner-demodulator to deliver high quality reception even in difficult broadcast environments

CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- MaxLinear Inc. (NYSE: MXL), a leading provider of integrated radio frequency (RF) and mixed-signal integrated circuits for broadband communications applications, today announced that its MxL683 ISDB-T tuner-demodulator is at the heart of a new, low-cost USB dongle reference design that brings digital broadcast high-definition (HD) TV to consumers throughout Latin America.

The dongle can be used as an add-on for pay TV satellite and IPTV operators, or over-the-top (OTT) Internet video service providers, helping these companies deliver popular broadcast content while keeping set-top box (STB) costs low.

The new dongle design also enables free-to-air HD broadcast channels to be delivered to PCs, tablet computers or Netbooks that have a USB port. In addition, the reference design is cost effective for use as a PCI Express (PCIe) module for Netbooks in educational applications, which have recently been funded by several governments in the region.

The MaxLinear turnkey reference design consists of an ultra-compact form-factor USB dongle integrating the MxL683 ISDB-T receiver with a USB2.0 interface. The design package includes schematics, PCB layout files, a complete bill of materials (BOM), software drivers and test reports.

The MxL683 integrates MaxLinear’s latest “super radio” tuner core with a best-in-class ISDB-T demodulator. The MxL683 provides excellent rejection of out-of-band interference from 4G/LTE, Wi-Fi, satellite and MoCA signals. The superior forward error correction (FEC) technology enables ultimate AWGN C/N performance. MxL683 also delivers robust system performance under severe field conditions in Latin American countries where strong multi-path echo and co-channel interference are constantly present.

The MxL683’s performance has been validated by both Anatel, Brazil’s National Telecommunication Agency, and by the Mackenzie University Digital TV Laboratory.

“Free-to-air TV is incredibly popular in Latin America and that popularity has grown with this summer’s FIFA World Cup,” said Brian Sprague, Vice President and General Manager, Broadband and Consumer Products at MaxLinear. “This dongle design offers an innovative form factor with the proven performance of the MxL683 that enables pay TV operators to bring popular free-to-air channels to their subscribers throughout Latin America while keeping STB costs low.”

MxL683 Technical Highlights

The MxL683 is a monolithic tuner-demodulator system-on-chip that includes an embedded CPU for adaptive performance control, fast channel acquisition and advanced power management. It also integrates voltage regulation and RF loop-through output.

The MxL683 is fully compliant with Brazilian SBTVD-T (ABNT NBR 15604) terrestrial TV receiver specifications. The unmatched sensitivity and adjacent and co-channel interferer immunity provide assurance that receivers are reliable and robust in a crowded TV spectrum.

The MxL683’s power consumption is approximately 470 milliwatts (mW) in active mode. The low power consumption and ultra-small 7 mm x 7 mm 48-QFN footprint make the device an ideal solution for low cost, small form-factor designs as well as multi-tuner applications with personal video recorder (PVR) capabilities.

About MaxLinear, Inc.

MaxLinear, Inc. is a leading provider of radio-frequency and mixed-signal semiconductor solutions for broadband communications applications. MaxLinear is headquartered in Carlsbad, California. For more information, please visit www.maxlinear.com.

MxL, Full-Spectrum Capture, FSC and the MaxLinear logo are trademarks of MaxLinear, Inc. Other trademarks appearing herein are the property of their respective owners.

Cautionary Note About Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning or implying future financial performance or trends and growth opportunities affecting MaxLinear, in particular statements relating to the adoption and use of the dongle reference design, which incorporates MaxLinear’s MxL683, by pay television operators in the Latin American market. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. We cannot predict whether or to what extent the introduction and release of the dongle reference design, which incorporates MaxLinear’s MxL683, will result in future revenues. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current, preliminary expectations and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including (among others) intense competition in our industry; the ability of our customers to cancel or reduce orders; uncertainties concerning how end user markets for our products will develop; our lack of long-term supply contracts and dependence on limited sources of supply; potential decreases in average selling prices for our products; currently pending intellectual property litigation; and the potential for additional intellectual property litigation, which is prevalent in our industry. In addition to these risks and uncertainties, investors should review the risks and uncertainties contained in MaxLinear’s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including risks and uncertainties identified in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2014. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. MaxLinear is providing this information as of the date of this release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

MaxLinear Inc. Press Contact:
David Rodewald, +1 805-494-9508
The David James Agency LLC
david@davidjamesagency.com
or
MaxLinear Inc. Corporate Contact:
Yves Rasse, +1 760-692-0711
Senior Director, Consumer Product Line
yrasse@maxlinear.com

Source: MaxLinear Inc.

Released August 14, 2014