MaxLinear Inc. announced the MxL86x family of 24-channel, Full-Spectrum Capture(TM) (FSC(TM)) band translation and channel stacking system on chip (SoC) devices that are the industry's lowest-power single-chip solutions for next-generation satellite digital outdoor units (ODUs). With a very high level of integration and the industry's lowest power consumption, the MxL86x chips are designed for worldwide satellite operators that are transitioning to high-density, channel-stacking ODUs. The devices are also suitable for multi-dwelling unit switches.

The availability of next-generation digital ODUs is essential to satellite operators being able to deploy media gateway server set-top-boxes inside the home that can simultaneously deliver multiple channels to multiple IP-client devices such as television screens, IPTV set-tops, smartphones, tablets and others. Existing analog channel-stacking ODUs are based on complex multi-chip solutions that require expensive external discrete RF filters, a separate microcontroller, and additional FSK or DISEqC ICs for communication between the set-top box (STB) and the ODU. Those solutions do not scale beyond 12 channels stacked in L-Band due to RF filtering architecture limitations.