Frontier Silicon's content-rich Internet radio solution

The company’s Venice 6.2/IR2.0 solution provides one-stop shopping for consumer electronics (CE) brands and their ODM (original device manufacturer) partners wanting to offer digital music services on their home audio devices. The feature-customizable software stack enables easy integration into CE home devices, and the module provides access to over 10,000 Internet radio stations via the Frontier Silicon web portal, together with the listener’s own digital music library using UPnP. Also available are a comprehensive choice of premium streaming music services, including Pandora, Last.fm, Sirius and Rhapsody.

Typical applications include tabletop AM/FM radios, mini-systems, micro-systems, HTIB, iPod and MP3 docking products, and audio/video receivers.

“Internet radio is the most significant new function to be added to home audio products since the introduction of the CD in the 1980s,” commented Anthony Sethill, CEO of Frontier. “As consumers become increasingly familiar with Internet radio and the newer streaming music applications available, a significant percentage of the mass market CE home audio products will require wireless network connectivity in support of these services. Within five years, more than 50% of home audio products sold will include internet connectivity. This represents a significant new market opportunity for CE audio brands, their ODMs and the digital content providers. The Venice 6.2/IR2.0 solution allows CE brands to easily integrate and support these services on their products and enjoy the coming growth in networked audio functionality.”
IR2.0 is a comprehensive software stack for Internet radio and DAB, enabling network connectivity – either wired via Ethernet or wireless using IEEE 802.11b/g. The software also provides audio decoding in MP3, WMA, AAC and Real formats, an advanced user interface for control and content browsing, and a system management function that includes network discovery and system configuration. The user interface can be further customized for the OEM or ODM, in order to provide a unique appearance and to enhance the user experience.
The Venice 6.2 module provides complete hardware functionality for networked audio solutions, including built-in IEEE 802.11b/g wireless LAN functionality, removing the need for a separate wireless module. Venice 6.2 features Frontier’s own Chorus 2 baseband system-on-chip (SoC), integrating a multi-tasking, multi-threading META™ processor, which has been designed to address DAB and networked audio applications.
In addition to providing a silicon and software solution, the Venice 6.2 module is also available as part of Jupiter 6.2, a fully-qualified reference platform that provides a complete Internet radio reference design, with DAB/DAB+/DMB-A capability and an LCD graphic display supporting Frontier Silicon’s enhanced user interface. The Jupiter 6.2 platform is fully tested to conform to wireless network connectivity and will include wireless certifications as well as interoperability certification programmes. Comprehensive certification support enables customers wishing using the Venice 6.2 module to certify their products with minimal time-to-market and cost.
“Venice 6.2 with the IR2.0 software stack is the most complete and competitive networked CE and DAB digital receiver solution on the market, and the comprehensive software contains all the functionality necessary for implementing streaming and networked audio capability,” continued Frontier’s CEO Anthony Sethill. “With online music services such as Pandora, Last.fm, Rhapsody and Sirius, Frontier’s complete, low-cost networked audio solutions enable CE companies to deliver connected home audio devices to consumers, providing endless music streaming, discovery and ultimate enjoyment.”