Conexant Systems Unveils Two SAR Devices and Software Driver for Asynchronous Transfer Mode --ATM-- Networking Equipment.

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 12, 1999--

Conexant Expands ATM Family With New Low-Power Chips That Support

Multi-Port Networking Equipment Through OC-12 Line Rates, and the

First Software Offering to Support the Harris & Jeffries Leap(TM)

Architecture for Simplified ATM System Design

Conexant Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CNXT) Monday announced two ATM Segmentation and Reassembly (SAR) chips that support multi-port networking equipment, and an ATM device driver that will use Harris & Jeffries Inc. (H&J) recently announced Layered Environment for Accelerated Portability (LEAP) software architecture to streamline ATM network software integration.

Conexant's new CN8236 and CN8237 ATM Service SAR controller chips add UTOPIA Level 2 Multi-PHY support to the company's low-power, single-chip CN823x ATM SAR architecture. They are targeted at applications that require multiple physical connections to the network, such as Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexors (DSLAMs), uplinks, ATM backplanes and routers. Additionally, the CN8237 SAR chip is the first to extend Conexant's SAR architecture to OC-12 line rates.

"Conexant's ATM SAR family now gives our customers a full range of total system solutions, from our cost-effective 155Mbps RS8235 end-station solution, to our CN8237 chip, which is the highest-performance, lowest-power single-chip 622Mbps solution on the market," said Geoff Bosket, ATM SAR product line manager for Conexant's Network Access Division. "This expanded family meets the power and performance requirements of demanding traffic-management environments at high line rates, and provides an effective migration path that enables customers to preserve their existing software investments."

Conexant is responding to customer requests to develop application specific device drivers by expanding on the features and functionality provided in Conexant's reference code. The new driver is the company's first since announcing in March that it would integrate the H&J LEAP software architecture into its CN823x ATM SAR device driver product line. The H&J LEAP architecture formalizes the interfaces between networking silicon and software, while giving the customer a complete hardware and software solution that reduces integration risk and preserves the advanced capabilities in Conexant's device-specific code.

"By making Conexant's new SAR-specific device driver LEAP-compliant, Conexant has reduced the integration risk and development time for customers integrating Conexant silicon with H&J's Soft-ATM family of products," said Mark Fauber, product line manager with Conexant's Network Access Division.

Initially available with Conexant's existing RS8235 SAR controller device, the CN8290 H&J VxWorks(R) driver is the first in a suite of Conexant ATM software that will allow the rapid development of low-cost terminals, full-featured uplinks and high-performance embedded systems using Conexant's full line of ATM solutions. The next VxWorks release will support the earlier RS8234 SAR and Conexant's new CN8236 SAR.

The CN8236 is the latest member in Conexant's broad family of OC-3 devices, and includes a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) interface and support for UTOPIA level 2 Multi-PHY applications. For higher-speed applications, Conexant's new single-chip CN8237 Service SAR controller is the industry's lowest-power solution to support 622Mbps, OC-12 line rates. The CN8237 reduces ATM SAR power consumption to 1.5w and includes an expanded feature set. Like their predecessors, the CN8236 and CN8237 SAR controllers combine a proven, best-of-class traffic scheduler, a PCI multi-peer data-transfer architecture and a unique five-coprocessor design to simultaneously minimize host traffic congestion while optimizing ATM network performance even in the most demanding, high-volume environments. They consolidate all popular ATM xBR service classes and their associated traffic-management requirements onto a single high-performance chip.

Evaluation modules for the CN8236 and CN8237 SAR chips will be available in the third calendar quarter. Both are rated for use in industrial temperature ranges, and feature extremely low power consumption as compared to alternative solutions. Both also support the Compact PCI Hot Swap specification, which gives routers, uplinks and similar systems the redundancy and back-up capabilities that are necessary so that cards can be removed from their boxes for repairs or upgrades without powering down the entire system.

About ATM

ATM has emerged as the primary networking technology for next-generation, multi-service communications networks. ATM's transport protocol uses a fixed-sized packet, or cell, to enable a homogeneous network for all traffic types, regardless of whether the application is to carry conventional telephony, entertainment video or data traffic over Local Area Networks (LANs), Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs), or Wide Area Networks (WANs). ATM also plays a key role in next-generation consumer applications for high-speed Internet access and wireless access.

Pricing and Availability

The CN8236 Service SAR is sampling now with production scheduled for the fourth calendar quarter of 1998. It is packaged in 388-pin Ball Grid Array (BGA) and priced at $98 per unit in OEM volumes of 1,000. The CN8237 Service SAR controller will begin general customer sampling in September, with volume production scheduled for the first calendar quarter of 2000. It is packaged in a 456-pin BGA and priced at $190 per unit in OEM quantities of 1,000. The packages for both of the new SAR devices use the same physical dimensions as their predecessors. Conexant's VxWorks H&J device driver is available immediately and is priced on a per-application basis for a one-time license fee of $25,000.

Conexant Systems Inc. is the $1.2 billion company that was created when Rockwell International spun off its semiconductor systems business to shareowners in December 1998. Conexant is the world's largest independent company focused exclusively on providing semiconductor products for communications electronics. The company aligns its business into five product platforms: Personal Computing, Personal Imaging, Wireless Communications, Digital Infotainment and Network Access. With more than 30 years of experience in developing analog modem technology, the company leverages its expertise in mixed-signal processing and communications technology to deliver integrated systems and semiconductor products for a broad range of communications applications. These products facilitate communications worldwide through wireline voice and data communications networks, cordless and cellular wireless telephony systems, and emerging cable and wireless broadband communications networks.

This news release contains statements relating to future results of the company (including certain projections and business trends) that are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: global and market conditions, including, but not limited to, the cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry and the markets addressed by the company's and its customers' products; demand for and market acceptance of new and existing products; successful development of new products; the timing of new product introductions; the availability and extent of utilization of manufacturing capacity; pricing pressures and other competitive factors; changes in product mix; fluctuations in manufacturing yields; product obsolescence; the ability to develop and implement new technologies and to obtain protection of the related intellectual property; the successful implementation of the company's diversification strategy and restructuring plan; labor relations of the company, its customers and suppliers; timely completion of Year 2000 modifications by the company and its key suppliers and customers; and the uncertainties of litigation, as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Other brands and names contained in this release are the property of their respective owners.