Datastrip Uses 200-MHz Hitachi SuperH 32-bit RISC Microprocessor in its DSVERIFY2D Barcode/Fingerprint Reading Device, which Reduces Fraud and Security Breaches in Identity Card, Passport and Other Authentication Applications.

Business/High-Tech Editors

SAN JOSE, Calif. & EXTON, Penn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 4, 2000

The Hitachi SH7750 (SH-4 series) chip has a built-in floating point

unit (FPU) that accelerates Datastrip's proprietary biometric

verification calculations; the RISC processor enables low power

consumption for longer battery life in handheld devices.

Hitachi Semiconductor (America) Inc. and Datastrip, Inc. today announced that Hitachi's SuperH(R)RISC SH-4 processor will power Datastrip's new two-dimensional barcode reader and fingerprint biometric reading device, the DSVERIFY2D.

Datastrip's DSVERIFY2D product is the first fully integrated identity card and passport reading device of its kind. The stand-alone, off-line device reads and decodes barcode and optional character recognition (OCR) data; performs "on-the-spot" one-to-one fingerprint biometric verification; and can interface with other biometric devices, including iris, facial, retinal and hand-geometry scanners. It is ideal for verifying the identity of people using voter register cards, social services cards, passports, medical insurance cards, and similar forms of identification. The DSVERIFY2D product is capable of independent operation or network integration. Datastrip offers handheld, countertop and wall mount configurations, as well as options such as smart card interfaces and relay contacts.

The key to the functionality and performance of the DSVERIFY2D device is Hitachi's 200-MHz SH7750, one of the market-leading SH-4 family of 32-bit RISC microprocessors. Datastrip's designers make good use of the SH7750's on-chip floating point unit (FPU), tasking the speedy hardware to rapidly complete the complex calculations that implement proprietary biometric verification algorithms. The engineers saved valuable product development time by using Hitachi system design tools and some of the third-party software that supports the SH-4 family.

SH-4 RISC processors have valuable built-in peripheral functions and provide very high throughput. For example, in the DSVERIFY2D device, the fast SH7750 executes up to 360 million instructions per second at 200 MHz, while addressing 32Megabytes (MB) of synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) and 8MB of flash memory with 64-bit access. The proven RISC devices in the SH-4 family are popular for embedded control applications because they cost-effectively meet the performance and power consumption targets of sophisticated interactive electronics.

SH-4 provides integration and high performance at low cost

"The Hitachi SH-4 CPU gives Datastrip an optimal mix of integration and high processing performance at a low cost," said Gene Gerety, VP of Research and Development at Datastrip. "It offers floating-point performance superior to that of many digital signal processors. Also, the chip has a rich, highly-integrated peripheral set useful for implementing the DSVERIFY2D device's many interfacing options."

The Datastrip DSVERIFY2D verification device incorporates industry-leading fingerprint biometric hardware and software, along with Hitachi's SH7750 processor and HD64465 companion chip. The Datastrip technology is used in conjunction with the Imaging Technology Corporation/Polaroid digital photo ID badging software to create a complete identity verification and security system. Datastrip plans to begin production of the DSVERIFY2D device early in 2001.

According to Steve Imsen, director of segment marketing for Hitachi, "Datastrip reduced their overall development time and achieved a major market advantage by choosing Hitachi's chipset, then using our reference platforms to jump-start their system design process."

Hitachi's SuperH RISC-based line of CPUs now power and enable a wide range of applications, including video game consoles, set-top-boxes, personal digital assistants (PDAs), industrial terminals, wireless communication devices, networking equipment, voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) equipment, and automotive control and entertainment systems. Hitachi has one of the industry's most robust offerings of processors for interactive devices such as the Datastrip DSVERIFY2D device.

About Datastrip, Inc.

Datastrip is an innovative world leader in providing 2D barcode and OCR software, hardware and biometric verification devices. Formed in 1994 and privately held, Datastrip is dedicated to providing high quality and highly integratable products and integration support services to its customers and their end-users. Datastrip is a member of AIM (automatic identification trade association), SIA (security industry trade association), the Biometric Consortium and the AfB Association for Biometrics.

About Hitachi Semiconductor (America) Inc.

Hitachi Semiconductor (America) Inc. -- a subsidiary of Hitachi America, Ltd., in turn a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE:HIT) -- supports the requirements of the North American marketplace with a broad range of standard and low-power semiconductor solutions. Offering some of the industry's most popular RISC microprocessors and memory components among other semiconductor solutions, Hitachi provides chips to the world's leading device manufacturers within industrial, consumer and emerging market applications. Hitachi's substantial design engineering, research and development facilities in the United States help bring the world's best technology to U.S. customers.

Readers can find additional product and contact information on Hitachi Semiconductor's Website at http://www.hitachi.com/semiconductor or by calling [phone].

SuperH is a trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. Other products and companies mentioned herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

All Datastrip products are trademarks of Datastrip Incorporated. Other brands and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.