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The CMX918 is a flexible RF Front-End Processor designed for small form factor, low-power software-defined radio (SDR) receiver solutions. Supporting a very wide frequency range from LF through to VHF Band II, the device is suitable for a diverse range of analogue and digital communication applications.

The processor offers general coverage operation from 150 kHz to 108 MHz, featuring frequency-optimised front-end inputs and a highly configurable receive path. Key features include variable gain settings, adjustable IF bandwidths, and programmable IF centre frequencies. This level of configuration allows the device to be precisely tailored to various air interfaces and challenging RF environments. External component requirements are kept to a minimum. Support for Ferrite rod antennas is provided for the LF and MF bands.

The CMX918 is designed to provide robust 'real-world' signal reception. The device's digital output is ready for further processing by a suitable DSP or FPGA platform, which implements the specific demodulation, protocol decoding, and audio processing functions required by the application. This architecture is ideal for SDR implementation, allowing for reception modes such as AM, FM, DRM, DRM+, as well as specialised protocols like SSB, NAVDAT, and others, to be implemented purely in software. A compact, versatile, high-performance, low-power receiver with extended battery life can therefore be realised at low cost.

Programmable power management is included to allow unused circuit blocks to be power saved when not in use, effectively minimizing overall current consumption for extended battery life. The CMX918 is controlled and programmed via a serial port which can be operated as either the industry-standard I²C or SPI/C-BUS. The device operates from a single supply of 2.9 to 3.6 V and is supplied in a 32-pin VQFN package with a central ground tab.