NXP today announced that Audi of America will offer HD Radio, powered by NXP’s leading SAF3560 single chip solution, as standard on a range of 2011 Audi models. With the new NXP technology-based Harman Becker HD Radio, drivers and passengers of Audi models available from late 2010 will be able to experience digital broadcast with unprecedented high-quality sound.

The radio technology will provide Audi customers with access to more than 1,800 AM/FM stations and 900 multicast channels currently on the FM dial for a great audio experience. In addition to a broader choice of radio stations and dramatically improved audio quality, passengers will be able to access enhanced features including an FM station list and detailed song and artist information.

NXP’s SAF3560 provides Audi with a single flexible solution that enables a simple upgrade path from NXP’s AM/FM analog radio technology, while supporting the latest HD radio features. NXP Semiconductors and iBiquity Digital Corporation launched the SAF3560 in August 2008 as the first multi-standard radio integrated circuit (IC) dedicated to digital in-car reception to reduce development costs and complexity for car manufacturers.

Recognizing the increasing popularity of digital radio systems, the NXP SAF3560 was created jointly with digital HD Radio technology developer iBiquity and supports all global HD Radio technologies. The SAF3560 provides a single hardware platform for multiple digital radio standards, giving Audi an easy-to-deploy solution that offers exceptional analog and digital radio performance quality sound.

With many years of expertise in both the consumer electronics and automotive industries, NXP is well positioned to enable advanced car infotainment systems that are not only attractive to the consumer, but also meet the design and product life cycle constraints of the automotive industry.

NXP’s SAF3560 is the first dedicated single-chip solution to offer software implementations to support today’s unique automotive requirements for more highly integrated, flexible car radio systems. The SAF3560 incorporates the HD Radio technology from iBiquity and supports software programmable platforms, while reducing integration challenges and time-to-market by allowing flexibility to switch between standards.