FW: [Discuss-gnuradio] MicroTune Tuners

[Brian_Whitaker]

> Patent-schmatent -- there are a LOT of high-powered IC manufacturers who
> are hitting this silicon-tuner market very quickly, and whatever patents
> Microtune owns won't keep them from being the only player.
> 
> What did you get for $55?
> 
> I wouldn't expect to get much, if any, apps support from these guys -- an
> apps engineer will have us pegged as a hobbyist (ie, no volume) in about
> 30 seconds flat if they're asking the right questions.  Unless there's
> someone there who's personally interested in this GNU SDR, you won't get
> very far.
> 
> On another note, but also hardware-related, I've been trying to put some
> thought into a good general purpose TX for this, and in a recent internal
> presentation the following Maxim modulator was discussed:
> 
> http://www.maxim-ic.com/quick_view2.cfm/qv_pk/3430/ln/en
> 
> In an nut-shell:
> I/Q modulator, 35MHz BW per channel, RF out from 700MHz to 2300MHz (yes,
> just out of reach of 2.4GHz ISM)...
> 
> and ...(drumroll...)
> 
> a 28-bit frac-N synthesizer for the internal VCO -- complete PLL, just add
> loop filter.  this is sub-1Hz tuning resolution for just about any
> reasonable reference... this is key, folks, because the synth is always
> built around the frequency plan of the radio -- in SDR, we don't know what
> the channel raster, tuning range, settling requirements will be -- a
> high-res frac-N is the only way to accomplish this.
> 
> Brian
>