Frontier Silicon has launched a universal broadcast radio module which is capable of receiving Internet radio, DAB, FM and music streamed from a PC.
The module, called Venice 6, is claimed to be the first receiver of its type to integrate a WiFi, DAB, and FM front-end together with an on-board WiFi antenna in a single module.
Frontier Silicon is hoping that the multi-format module will be sold into digital radio markets around the world. The problem has been that these markets use a range of different access standards.
"Audio manufacturers want to build products that can be used and sold anywhere in the world. With the fragmentation of broadcast radio standards this has been a difficult goal to achieve," said Steve Evans, Frontier Silicon's v-p of digital audio.
"By bringing WiFi radio, music streaming, DAB and FM together into one compact and cost effective module, Venice 6 makes global audio products a reality," said Evans.
The CEO of another digital radio developer, Radioscape recently described how digital radio technology was re-inventing itself to address an increaisng Internet-based market.
Besides working with the existing DAB standard which uses the MPEG Audio Layer II coding, Venice 6 will also support the new additional audio codec, sometimes referred to as DAB version 2.
"DAB v2 is attracting significant interest from broadcasters outside of the UK so it makes sense for us to include this capability to allow manufacturers to easily address this part of the market with Venice 6," added Evans.
First products, including portable radios and HiFi tuners, are expected in the shops by July 07.
Measuring 107x40mm, Venice 6 is based around Frontier Silicon's Chorus 2i processor. It streams radio stations and music files in a variety of formats and protocols including MP3, Windows Media Audio (WMA), and Real Audio.
The module will also provides access to over 10,000 Internet radio stations and podcasts through a vTuner Internet Portal which manages all the stations.