MaxLinear Inc. has announced that Zinwell Corp. is developing a new satellite digital outdoor, or D-ODU, unit using MaxLinear's MxL865 channel stacking system on chip, or SoC. The MxL865 is based on MaxLinear's Full-Spectrum Capture technology, and can support up to 24 channels over a single cable for simplified connection between the indoor set-top box and rooftop LNB /multi-dwelling unit switch.

The device has five FSC wideband inputs for a total capture bandwidth of 10 GHz and features a single L-band IF output. Zinwell selected the MxL865 because of its low-power draw and high level of integration, which made its high-density channel-stacking D-ODU commercially viable. The 10mm x 10mm device integrates a host CPU microcontroller, FSK and DiSEqC modems and power management controllers.

The device also includes all major supporting analog functions such as broadband input and output filters, RF gain blocks, channel filters, PLLs and automatic gain control (AGC) functionality. The MxL865 exceeds strict RF performance and MOCA co-existence requirements from leading direct broadcast satellite operators. Having this additional performance helps customers like Zinwell significantly reduce the design complexity so they can enter the market quickly with a robust D-ODU solution.