Cisco 4585DVB Set Top Box Teardown

Overview / Main Features

The Cisco 4585DVB is a Hybrid set-top box designed for Virgin Media's "V Box HD cable service in the UK. The 4585DVB is specifically a QAM tuner (terrestrial cable or DVB) set top with IP capability (on-demand video streaming).

Cisco 4585DVB Set Top Box Main Image

Western European Cable Service Operators (Virgin Media)

Released

H1 2010

Pricing and Availability

Pricing - Reference pricing is not available since Virgin Media only leases equipment to subscribers as part in parcel of cable television service package.

Availability - Virgin Media service area (primarily UK)

Volume Estimations

For the purposes of this teardown analysis, we have assumed a lifetime production volume of 1 Million units.

As a reminder, teardown volume production assumptions are primarily used for our cost analysis in terms of amortized NRE and tooling costs, especially for custom components specific to the model being analyzed (mechanical components especially). Unless assumed volumes are different by an order of magnitude, minor changes in volume (say 1 million vs. 2) rarely have a large net effect on our final analysis because of this.

Cisco 4585DVB Set Top Box Cost Analysis

Main Cost Drivers Representing ~80% of total materials cost

Broadcom - BCM7206DPKFEBA01G - HD Digital Video/Audio Solution - SoC, 400MHz, Dual Core MIPS32/MIPS16e, MPEG-2/4/VC-1/AVS-Compliant Video Decoder, for Satellite, IP and Cable USB DVR STBs, 65nm

Broadcom - BCM3249RA3KPBG - Front End - QAMLINK Advanced Set-Top

Hannstar - 4-Layer - FR4

Samsung Semiconductor - K4T1G084QE-HCF7 - SDRAM - DDR2-800, 1Gb, 1.8V (Qty:2)

Lite-On - PE-1170-1SA1 - AC Adapter - 5V, 3A, 15W, w/ 6ft Cord

Samsung Semiconductor - K4D261638K-LC50 - SDRAM - GDDR, 128Mb, 2.5V, 200MHz

Broadcom - BCM3409KML - Tuner IC - QAM (Qty:2)

Enclosure, Main, Bottom - Injection Molded Polycarbonate, Recyclable

Numonyx - NAND01GW3B2BZA6E - Flash - NAND, SLC, 1Gb, 3.3V

Enclosure, Main, Top - Injection Molded Polycarbonate, Recyclable

Enclosure, Main, Center - Injection Molded Polycarbonate, Printed

Texas Instruments - TPS40190DRCR - Regulator - DC-DC Controller, Synchronous Buck, 300kHz (Qty:4)

Samsung Semiconductor - K4T51163QG-HCF7 - SDRAM - DDR2-800, 512Mb, 1.8V

LiteOn - LTG-0924M - LED - 7-Segment Display Array (4x1), w/ 3 Indicator Icons & Injection Molded Plastic Housing

Kudelski Group - Smart Card

SMT Frame - Stamped / Formed Metal, w/ 1 Female F-Connector

Total BOM Cost $78.11

What Is Not Included in our Cost Analysis

The total materials and manufacturing costs reported in this analysis reflect ONLY the direct materials cost (from component vendors and assorted EMS providers), AND manufacturing with basic test. Not included in this analysis are costs above and beyond the material manufacture of the core device itself - cost of intellectual property, royalties and licensing fees (those not already included into the per component price), software, software loading and test, shipping, logistics marketing and other channel costs including not only EMS provider and the OEM's margin, but that of other resellers. Our cost analysis is meant to focus on those costs incurred in the manufacture of the core device and exceptionally in some circumstances the packaging and literature as well.

Manufacturing Notes

Country of Origin / Volume Assumptions

Based on markings, the unit was assembled in Mexico. Furthermore, we have assumed that custom mechanicals (plastics, metals, etc.) were also sourced in Mexico.

Country of origin assumptions relate directly to the associated cost of manufacturing, where calculated by iSuppli. In the cases of 'finished' sub-assemblies (such as Hard Disk Drive), we do not calculate internal manufacturing costs, but rather assess the market price of the finished product in which case country of origin assumptions may or may not have a direct effect on pricing.

Remember also that labor rates are applied directly only to hand inserted components and systems in our bill of materials, and although regional assumptions do, these new rates do not have a direct effect on our modeled calculations of placement costs for automated SMD assembly lines. ""Auto" inserted components (such as SMT components) placement costs are calculated by an iSuppli algorithm which allocates a cost per component based on the size and pincount of the device. This calculation is affected by country or region of origin as well.

Cisco 4585DVB Set Top Box - Disassembly View 1

Design for Manufacturing / Device Complexity

The Cisco 4585 DVB HD Set Top has an overall component count of 1175 (excluding box contents). This complexity figure is on par with other Hybrid set top boxes we have previously analyzed.

Component counts have a direct bearing on the overall manufacturing cycle times and costs, and also can increase or decrease overall yields and re-work. Our calculations of manufacturing costs factor counts and more qualitative complexities in the design. The cost of manufacturing is also, to some extent, decreased in this case because of assumed labor rate applied for Mexico.

Note that manual labor has a much smaller effect on auto-insertion assembly lines (for the Main PCB, for example), where manufacturing costs are much more capital equipment intensive and driven by these investment costs.

Design Notes

Here is a summary of the major components used in the Cisco 4585DVB design:

Main PCB

A/V Processing

• HD Digital Video/Audio Solution - Broadcom - BCM7206DPKFEBA01G

Front End

• Front End - Broadcom - BCM3249RA3KPBG
• Tuner IC - Broadcom - BCM3409KML

Memory

• SDRAM - Samsung Semiconductor - K4T51163QG-HCF7, DDR2-800, 512Mb, 1.8V
• SDRAM - Samsung Semiconductor - K4D261638K-LC50, GDDR, 128Mb, 2.5V, 200MHz
• Flash - Numonyx - M28W160FSB70ZA6T, NOR, 16Mb, 3V
• Flash - Numonyx - NAND01GW3B2BZA6E, NAND, SLC, 1Gb, 3.3V
• SDRAM -Samsung Semiconductor - K4T1G084QE-HCF7, DDR2-800, 1Gb, 1.8V

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Cisco 4585DVB Set Top Box - Box Contents