Radio Receiver fits inside Microchip

Philips Semiconductors has launched a range of fully-integrated single chip stereo radios for use in low voltage and low power applications such as mobile phones, MP3 players, portable CD players, toys and other portable devices where space is a premium. The radio chips use smart silicon to reduce the number of expensive external parts compared with standard chips and are therefore easier to integrate into the production process. According to Kees Joosse, market sector team manager at Philips Semiconductors, this breakthrough in radio architecture will enable the inclusion of radios in a whole new set of products and cater for consumer demand for radio at any time, in any place: "One-chip radio' is now becoming a reality, which will enable many new, exciting innovations."

The first chips to be released, the TEA5767 and the TEA5768 went into volume production earlier this year and are designed to tune into European, US and Japanese FM bands.