Catalyst Semiconductor Inc. announces new serial EEPROM products.SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 8, 1997--Catalyst Semiconductor Inc. (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :CATS) announced today the introduction of its 32 and 64 kilobit (thousand bits). For technical specifications, it refers to 1,024 bits. In general usage, it typically refers to an even one thousand bits (see kilo). Also Kb, Kbit and K-bit. See space/time. (unit) kilobit - 2^10 = 1024 bits of storage (1 Kb). I2C I2C Inter-Integrated Circuit I2C Intelligent Interface Controller I2C Intelligent Controller Serial EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM) A rewritable memory chip that holds its content without power. Although EEPROMs spawned flash memory, EEPROMs are byte addressable at the write level, whereas flash chips must erase a block of bytes before rewriting. family. Built on a 0.8 micron process technology this family is now available in an SOIC (Small Outline IC) A small-dimension, plastic, rectangular, surface mount chip package that uses gull-wing pins extending outward. See gull-wing lead, SOJ and chip package. (JEDEC The division of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) that deals with semiconductor standards (officially, the JEDEC Solid State Technology Association of EIA). JEDEC was formed in 1958 when the Joint Electron Tube Engineering Council (JETEC) split into two Joint Electron Device ) or "J" package and operates over a wide voltage range with zero standby power Standby power, also called Vampire power, refers to the electric power consumed by electronic appliances in a standby mode. A very common "electricity vampire" is a power adaptor built on a plug with no power switch. , ideal for battery powered applications. These devices are expected to be used in a broad range of applications including cellular phones, digital satellite systems, settop boxes, networking systems and modems. Catalyst's new product development efforts in the past year have led to the introduction of several new products. Market acceptance of these new products will be a significant component of the company's revenue objectives for the upcoming fiscal year. The company's CAT28F102 (x16) Flash memory products are targeted at disk drive applications and the company is currently selling these devices to several major disk drive manufacturers. The company believes its BIOS Flash family represents an opportunity for revenue growth in the first half of fiscal 1998. The product family is targeted toward personal computer OEMs for BIOS code storage. When completed, the family will include Intel-licensed boot block (operating system) boot block - A program at some fixed location on a hard disk, floppy disk or other media, which is loaded when the computer is turned on or rebooted and which controls the next phase of loading the actual operating system. and bulk erase technologies available in 1 Mb, 1.5 Mb and 2 Mb densities. The 1.5 Mb devices are unique to Catalyst. These products were developed to exploit the trend for PC BIOS See BIOS. requirements that exceed 1 Mb but not enough to justify a 2 Mb solution. The 1 Mb boot block Flash product is currently in the qualification process at several major personal computer OEMs and the company expects production volumes to be available for customer shipments by the end of April. New products in design that the company expects to sample to customers in the quarter ending July 31, 1997 include a CAT34WC02 family of serial EEPROMs targeted at personal computer main memory modules. Lower cost versions of many of the company's Flash memory products, produced on 0.6 micron processes, and serial and parallel EEPROMs, produced on 0.8 micron processes, are currently in design or already released to production. Reductions in product cost are expected in the July quarter, when those products begin shipping to customers. For example, manufacturing of Catalyst's 2 Mb Flash memory devices has been converted to 0.6 micron processes and with wafer deliveries expected in April. In addition, manufacturing of the three highest density products in the company's I2C Bus Serial EEPROM family have all been converted to 0.8 micron processes and released to production with wafer deliveries expected in April and May. All of the company's new products are being developed on the lower cost 0.6 and 0.8 micron manufacturing processes. Except for those statements that report the company's historical results, the statements being made are forward looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward looking statements. Factors which could cause actual results to differ from expectations include the following: volatility in supply and demand affecting market prices, timing and market acceptance of new products and increased expenses associated with new product introductions or process changes. Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward looking statements is contained under the heading "Certain Factors That May Affect the Company's Future Results of Operations" listed from time to time in Catalyst's SEC reports, including but not limited to the report on Form 10-K Form 10-K A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information. Form 10-K See 10-K. for the year ended April 30, 1996. CONTACT: Catalyst Semiconductor Inc. Kathryn Beaulieu, 408/542-1000 kathryn.beaulieu@catsemi.com |
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