Las Vegas: CES 2012 - NXP Semiconductors has announced the first automotive-qualified, global, multi-standard, digital radio coprocessor to include DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale).
As a result, the company claims to be the first company to deliver automotive digital radio for the three key global standards - HD radio, DAB/DAB+/T-DMB and DRM - on the same co-processor, the SAF356X.
DRM digital radio is a standard currently being implemented in emerging markets such as India and Russia. It provides FM-comparable audio quality on the AM radio band. (AM covers 98% of the population in India, while only 37% of listeners can currently receive the FM signal.)
DRM is enabled by loading new firmware onto the processor, allowing manufacturers to use pre-existing HD radio architecture. The application can also be extended to DRM+ in future.
