Cypress Unveils USB Keyboard-hub Evaluation Kit; New Reference Design Implements Single-Chip Solution, Reduces Overall System Cost.

Business Editors/Technology Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2000

Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE:CY), the leading provider of Universal Serial Bus (USB) controllers, today announced the availability of an evaluation kit for its keyboard plus integrated four-port hub USB controller. The evaluation kit (CY3652-KBHUB) uses the Cypress single-chip solution, CY7C66113, for the USB keyboard and hub function. Cypress's one-chip solution significantly reduces overall system cost versus comparable solutions. Keyboard designers can immediately connect the fully functional hardware right out of the box, and begin evaluation of the Cypress design.

The Evaluation Kit includes full reference design files, allowing designers to easily customize the design to suit their needs. The reference design includes source code, an application note, schematics in Orcad and .pdf formats, an Orcad OPJ file, a bill of materials, and a Cypress CY7C66113 datasheet. The CY7C66113 device is Cypress's M8-based keyboard-hub controller solution.

For further customization, Cypress also has available the CY3652C Development Kit. The CY3652C uses real-time hardware emulation of the actual devices to assist in firmware development. The kits consist of a USB development board, USB monitor/debugger, assembler, example application source code, cables, and documentation.

"Our evaluation kit provides the best way to test our single-chip solution for the fast-growing USB keyboard-hub application. With the EPROM inside the CY7C66113, manufacturers can quickly change the keyboard matrix for different multimedia keyboards while reducing both the bill of materials and overall cost for system designers," said Allyn Pon, product marketing director for Cypress USB. "Competing solutions require external EEPROM for programming flexibility and provide only two downstream ports, making it harder for consumers to enjoy the full benefits of USB plug-and-play expandability."

"Cypress's easy-to-use USB Development Kits provide a terrific `out-of-the-box' experience," Pon said. "In addition, our low EMI and high resistance to EFTB (Electrical Fast Transient Bursts) equates to the most robust and highest quality solution in the market."

A USB keyboard/hub implemented with Cypress's CY7C66113 controller enables a keyboard to connect directly into one of a PC's USB ports, and then provides two or four other ports through which additional peripherals can connect to the PC. By offering hub chips with a microcontroller architecture and EPROM, Cypress offers designers flexibility to quickly customize and differentiate their end-market products. Cypress's keyboard-hub reference design is fully hardware and firmware compliant with USB Specification 1.1 for hub and keyboard functions.

Cypress is the market-share leader in USB, recently passing the 50-million-unit mark in shipments. Cypress offers a microcontroller for virtually every USB peripheral, including low-speed devices for mice, keyboards, and joysticks, to full-speed hubs, scanners, and digital cameras.

The CY3652-KBHUB Developer's Kit is free to qualified customers. The CY7C66113-PVC is priced at $2.12 in 10,000-unit quantities. For more information on Cypress USB, please visit the web at http://www.cypress.com/usb/ or call Cypress at 1-800-858-1810.

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 multiport 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 datacom/telecom 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 employs more than 3,900 people worldwide with international headquarters in San Jose, California. 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 1-800-858-1810). 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.