Kiefer  Electronic  Development - WIRELESS

     RF Engineering Consultancy - Richard Kiefer, Principal

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[Product Image]Partly as a result of research conducted for the Ford Audio Group by KED, car radios perform better because of their modular architecture.  For example, in some Ford automobiles the AM/FM tuner is in the trunk, near the antenna, for high sensitivity while the control electronics is in the instrument panel.  The CD player and power amplifier may also be located elsewhere in the car where there is more space and better ventilation.  These various audio system modules communicate over a simple digital interface conceived by KED named the Audio Control Protocol.

 

Key Product Research Benefits -

  • More sensitive AM/FM reception.
  • Simplified Audio Control Protocol for the communications between subassemblies.
  • Lower manufacturing costs.

 

Our Design Contribution -

KED developed a demonstration radio system on a Ford Continental to show that better sensitivity on the AM and FM bands could be obtained.  A microprocessor control interface between the remotely located tuner and the Instrument panel was devised.  As part of this project we suggested the Audio Control Protocol, a very simple digital interface which could be implemented in each module at a very low hardware cost.  We also provided computer simulations which demonstrated that the control response times would be fast enough for customer acceptance.  Documentation and hardware was delivered to Ford.

Contact - Richard Kiefer: 303-449-4700 (Colorado, USA - MST)