Harris Corporation Announces Strategic Alliance with Freescale Semiconductor for New Range of TV Transmitters

Harris Corporation has announced that it will integrate technology from Freescale
Semiconductor, a global leader in the design and manufacture of
embedded semiconductors, into its new TV transmitters for terrestrial
broadcasters. Using Freescale’s laterally diffused MOS (LDMOS) UHF
technology will enable Harris to produce its most compact and
power-efficient UHF transmitters.
Freescale’s latest
LDMOS solutions provide unprecedented UHF power levels for analog and
digital TV broadcasting, while enabling system-level power reductions
that can potentially save broadcasters thousands of dollars in
operating costs. The advanced design is engineered to provide a
dramatic increase in device power, allowing Harris to design, build and
deliver its most compact and efficient TV transmitters to date.
“Freescale
Semiconductor’s LDMOS technology allows us to take advantage of
off-the-shelf technology that ultimately helps us improve efficiency
and provides an exceptionally compact solution,” said Tim
Thorsteinson, president of Harris Broadcast Communications. “This drives down
long-term cost of ownership, and creates a new value proposition for
Harris that will be passed along to our customers. Our
strategic efforts with Freescale have resulted in a change in our
approach to the manufacturing process, producing a far more efficient
range of TV transmitters that allows us to stay competitive in the
marketplace, while retaining the superior quality that is a hallmark of
Harris TV transmitters.”
Harris and Freescale
engineers have collaborated on the development process for months,
testing the interoperability of the two platforms and revising the
products as needed to reach a common goal.
“Freescale and Harris
have been working closely to align strategies by communicating through
all stages of production in order to achieve the best combination of
power, efficiency and gain in the broadcast industry,” said
Gavin P. Woods, vice president and general manager of Freescale’s RF
Division. “With Freescale’s LDMOS products playing an integral role in
its latest transmitters, Harris is able to deliver dramatic savings in
both energy and transmission costs to its customers.”
The advanced
Freescale LDMOS solutions allow fewer “gain stages” to be used than in
previous designs, reducing the physical space required while improving
reliability. The improved efficiency and power density of the design
is passed on to the Harris transmitter platform, allowing Harris to
produce a transmitter footprint of less than half of the previous
size. This efficient, space-saving design ultimately passes savings to
the customer related to long-term cost of ownership, improved
transmitter cooling and reduced electricity costs.