re: [Discuss-gnuradio] MicroTune Tuners

[Brian_Whitaker]

        Eric, Harley,

          I did not come across the way I intended in my response to
Harley's email -- I apologize. And, yes, I thought Microtune was one of the
first players in the IC tuner business... I knew that the current solution
was a $3 "canned tuner," hand-tuned by cheap labor in China, but I didn't
know that's what SDR folks here were using, and it is definately interesting
to know that Microtune holds patents on this... 

          Regarding IC tuners, there are many players entering the market
very soon. I will be in a position very soon to sample an eval kit for one
of these in the next couple of months.  Until that happens, I've been
thinking about a very nice DBS (direct broadcast satellite) receiver from
Maxim called the max2116/max2118.  Eval kits should be available for
$100-$150 each (definately more expensive than the Microtune cans).  

          Considering the price and availability, I have to admit that the
IC based cable/off-air tuner solution just isn't here yet... and for folks
needing the receiver _now_, this is probably the way to go. For folks that
can stomach the cost, I'll find out exactly what the pricing/availability of
the max2116 or max2118 evkits are... and for those that can wait, the
upcoming IC cable/offair tuners will offer a higher linearity front-end for
the higher dynamic range requirements that come with cable tuners.

          I was talking with Matt Ettus a few weeks ago about this, and my
thoughts are that the max2116 as the receiver and the max2150 as the
transmitter will offer a decent baseband-to-RF transceiver solution for this
SDR. The two offer RF coverage from about 900MHz to about 2200MHz,
basebandwidths of about 30-35MHz (each) I and Q... still missing would be:
TX VCO module, PA, TCXO references... so it would take some work for me to
develop this as a complete radio solution.

        I'll post back when I have some more info... I'll start a paper
design soon.

        Brian.