Cypress Extends Networking SRAM Portfolio to 18 Mbit Density; Synchronous and NoBL Memories Target Next-Generation Networking, Telecom Applications.

Business Editors

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 11, 2000

Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE:CY) today extended its networking-optimized SRAM portfolio to the 18-Mbit density level for next-generation communications applications, including high-speed buffer memory and processor cache applications. The new devices, based on both the No Bus Latency(TM) (NoBL(TM)) and standard synchronous architectures, target a broad range of networking and telecom segments, including wireless infrastructure, wide area network (WAN), and storage area network (SAN).

Cypress offers pipelined and flowthrough versions of these NoBL and standard synchronous devices in 1M x 18 and 512K x 36 configurations at 3.3-V and 2.5-V. The 2.5-V offering addresses the trend toward lower operating voltages: Lower-operating-voltage parts consume less power and are ideal for interfacing with the 2.5-V ASIC devices used in today's networking systems. The pipelined versions of the devices deliver performance supporting bus speeds up to 167 MHz.

"With the release of its 18-Mbit family, Cypress has attained a leadership position in synchronous, networking-optimized memories and underscored the fact that no one in the memory business has a broader offering of networking-optimized devices," said Tony Alvarez, senior vice president of Cypress's Memory Products Division. "Our new memories are a direct response to the needs of our strategic communications accounts, to whom we already provide a broad range of solutions in logic, timing technology, specialty memories, and physical-layer devices."

NoBL SRAMs have an architecture optimized for the most demanding high-speed applications requiring maximum bus bandwidth. They eliminate the latency (dead cycles, or wait states) found in conventional synchronous burst SRAM architectures when transitioning between write and read operations. The NoBL architecture allows data transfer on every clock cycle, regardless of whether a write or read operation is taking place, thereby providing 100% bus utilization. The standard synchronous architecture is used used in many processor based systems, providing the Level 2 cache that is critical to system performance.

Product Availability

Samples of the first device in the family -- the CY7C1380, a x36, 3.3 Volt, synchronous pipe SRAM -- are available now in standard 100-pin TQFP. Samples of the other new 18-Mbit SRAMs will be become available through the rest of the year. All Cypress synchronous and NoBL memories are 100% compatible with industry standards, providing customers with the security of multiple vendor support.

About Cypress

Cypress Semiconductor provides high-performance integrated circuit solutions "By Engineers. For Engineers.(TM)" for fast-growing companies in fast-growing markets, including data communications, telecommunications, computation, consumer products, and industrial-control. With a focus on emerging communications applications, Cypress's product lines include networking-optimized and micropower static RAMs; high-bandwidth multi-port and FIFO memories; high-density programmable logic devices; timing technology for PCs and other digital systems; and controllers for Universal Serial Bus (USB). Cypress is No. 1 in the USB and clock chip markets.

More than two-thirds of Cypress's sales come from fast-growing communications markets and dynamic companies such as Alcatel, Cisco, Ericsson, Lucent, Motorola, Nortel Networks, and 3Com. Cypress's ability to mix and match its broad portfolio of intellectual property enables targeted, integrated solutions for high-speed systems that feed bandwidth-hungry Internet applications. Cypress aims to become the preferred silicon supplier for Internet switching systems and for every Internet data stream to pass through at least one Cypress IC.

Cypress's employs more than 4,100 people worldwide with international headquarters in San Jose, Calif. Its shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CY. More information about Cypress is accessible electronically on the company's worldwide web site at http://www.cypress.com or by CD-ROM (call 800/858-1810). An electronic investor forum, and other investor information, is located at http://www.cypress.com/investor/index.html.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements herein that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" involving risks and uncertainties. Please refer to Cypress's Securities and Exchange Commission filings for a discussion of such risks.

Note to Editors: No Bus Latency, NoBL and "By Engineers. For Engineers." are trademarks of Cypress Semiconductor.