Decoder IC for Emergency Warning Signal system. (EWS)

What is EWS?

EWS stands for the Emergency Warning Signal system which has widely been adapted in Japan since 1985 to provide the comprehensive emergency warning to the general public, led by NHK, Japan broadcasting corporation and JMA, Japan Meteorological Agency.
EWS system is primarily for Japan.

EWS signal will be transmitted throughout the radio and TV networks once emergency state takes place such as earthquake, tsunami and massive disaster. The commercial broadcasting stations also participate in the scheme. Test transmission is scheduled once every month.
Illustration below is the quote from Japan Meteorological Agency.　http://www.kishou.go.jp/

How the EWS works technically?

EWS is a set of audible tones. (listen to the EWS tone

)
EWS will awaken the receivers from sleep mode into acute active mode with louder audio for immediate attention. Radio receivers and TV sets with the EWS decoder shall turn on forcibly all at once .The warning tone is widely acknowledged as Emergency beep among the general through its scheduled test transmissions on radios and TVs at home.

The coding on top of the general coding scheme, includes the features like Specific Area Message coding to enable area specific alert and automatic emergency level detections etc., for optional and future applications.

Major earthquake risks grow high in Japan and Asia
but few EWS compliant receivers.

In Japan:
Japan Meteorological Agency starts the faster warning dissemination system from 2007 to cope with alerting risks of the major earthquakes to happen particularly in the regions facing the pacific coasts (Tokai area). The faster warning enables public to gain 30~40seconds for evacuation before the attack to the metropolis, which is believed to be immense advantage to minimize damages.

Outside Japan:
Tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean that devastated Indonesia's Aceh province, triggers the need for emergency warning system.NHK, Japan broadcasting corporation and its associated agencies in Japan reportedly extend the assistance to these victim nations with similar EWS signal system.

After all, Decoding requires complex filtering methodology to ensure the false free reliability, However, this has been the major hindrance to receiver manufacturers in terms of costs of R&D and material. And receiver with this feature is now almost none existent in Japan.

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What is EWS430 from Kyastem Co.,Ltd. Japan?

The EWS430 is the chip solution to the EWS system in Japan. The first in the industry, simple and clear solution to the technical hindrance of EWS at receiver suppliers. Released Feb. 2007.
The supplier Kyastem Co., (www.kystem.co.jp) is DSP software/hardware company in Tokyo, Japan. Their expertise in audio filtering is highly reputed among the laboratories of major voice-related companies like Nippon telephone and NHK. This solution is a joint product with NHK.