Intersil Introduces Industry's First 3.3-V Ringing SLIC with 100-V High Battery Ringing Supply Voltage Capability.

Business Editors, High Tech Writers

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 23, 2002

(Nasdaq:ISIL)

--Small form-factor QFN package conserves board space

--Supports elimination of 5-V supply in consumer premises equipment

Intersil Corporation (Nasdaq:ISIL), a world leader in the design and manufacture of high performance analog and wireless networking solutions, today announced the ISL5585 series of 3.3-V ringing Subscriber Line Interface Circuits (SLICs). These new ringing SLICs are the world's first to combine 3.3-V chip voltage with up to -100-V high battery (VBH) ringing supply voltage capability. The ISL5585 SLIC series supports the space- and cost-saving trend in broadband gateway applications to eliminate the 5-V supply in favor of a single lower-power 3.3-V chip supply. Designers can select an ISL5585 in the very small Quad Flatpack No leads (QFN) package to minimize board space requirements.

The market for broadband gateways, including cable and DSL modems, is ramping at a brisk rate. According to a recent report (MDR 2/2002) from In-Stat, the compound annual growth rate for Residential Gateways in USA markets for the period 2002 through 2005 is projected to be approximately 130 percent. This includes cable, DSL, satellite and fiber-to-the-home. To meet the needs of manufacturers in these high-growth markets, Intersil has established agreements with key industry leaders, such as Texas Instruments, Integrated Devices Technology and OKI Semiconductor, to provide complete voice solutions including reference designs and layouts. These reference designs greatly reduce manufacturers' costs and time-to-market.

"Intersil is maintaining its leadership in voice-interface markets by working closely with industry leaders and end-users to determine emerging needs and develop complete solutions," said Mike Althar, vice president of Intersil's Analog Solutions Products. "We are able to provide customers a varied selection of complete voice-interface reference designs that include CODECs and DSP ICs."

The 5-V supply elimination trend is due to space-, power- and cost-saving efforts in more complex new and next-generation broadband gateways. These include voice-enabled cable and DSL modems, where added features and interfaces compete for space and increase costs and power demand. The SLIC is one of the last system components to migrate to the lower 3.3-V supply voltage enabling designers to finally eliminate the 5-V system regulator altogether. The shedding of the 5-V supply frees up space and provides significant savings to the overall bill of materials, which creates a more cost competitive product.

ISL5585 Series

ISL5585 SLICs provide many benefits to the design and designer. The low 3.3-V chip voltage reduces power consumption and supports the move away from a costly 5-V supply in the same design. A further reduction in the overall bill of materials is realized using the ISL5585 SLICs because they provide on-chip ring waveform generation and programmable current limiting, functions usually achieved with additional circuitry. On-chip programmable transient current limiting reduces the complexity and cost of the power supply because the power supply does not have to be designed to respond to, or control, sudden transient currents caused by on-hook/off-hook changes. ISL5585 SLICs help to further conserve power, offering a mere 65-mW standby consumption (at -75 VBH).

Other benefits of the ISL5585 series include tip-open ground start operation to support Foreign Exchange Station (FXS) interfaces and balanced or unbalanced ringing to accommodate legacy PBX trunks. The ISL5585 series SLICs are available in both the 28-lead PLCC package and the very small 32-pad QFN package. The 7 X 7 mm QFN package offers significant space savings along with much greater thermal efficiency. The ISL5585EVAL1 evaluation board and application note are available.

General Applications

-- Short-loop access platforms

-- Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

-- Voice over cable and DSL modems

-- Internet Protocol PBX

-- Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH)

-- Remote subscriber units

-- Ethernet terminal adaptors

Price and Availability

Products are now sampling and will be market released this month. Projected pricing in quantities of 1000 units is in the range of $3.65 to $5.50 depending on specific part selected.

Intersil + Elantec Means More for Our Customers

Intersil Corporation is a global semiconductor leader in the design and manufacture of high performance analog and wireless networking solutions. The acquisition of Elantec Semiconductor, Inc., expanded Intersil's product portfolios to address four fast growing markets -- flat panel displays, optical storage (CD and DVD recordable), power management and wireless networking. Intersil brings added customer value in providing complete silicon, software and reference design solutions to new products that enhance the computing experience for people wherever they live, work or travel. For more information about Intersil or to find out how to become a member of our winning team, visit the company's web site and career page at www.intersil.com

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements are based upon Intersil Corporation's ("Intersil") management's current expectations, estimates, beliefs, assumptions, and projections about Intersil's business and industry. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," "would," "potential," "continue," and variations of these words (or negatives of these words) or similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements as a result of various risk factors. Important risk factors that may cause such material differences for Intersil's Analog Solutions product group include, but are not limited to: the slowdown in the technology sector generally and the semiconductor industry specifically; the rate at which consumers adopt broadband gateways (including cable and DSL modems, satellite, and fiber to the home), small handheld Internet appliances and portable computing devices in enterprises and in homes; the rate at which consumers purchase notebook computers, PC's and desktop computers; the rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt Intersil's voice interface, communications analog, power management, and standard analog technologies and products; the timing, rescheduling or cancellation of significant customer orders; the ability of our customers to manage inventory; the loss of a key customer; the qualification, availability and pricing of competing products and technologies and the resulting effects on sales and pricing of our products; silicon wafer pricing and the availability and quality of our foundry capacity and raw materials; availability, pricing, and quality of third party foundry and assembly and test capacity and raw materials; fluctuations in the manufacturing yields of our third party foundries and assembly and test facilities, and other problems or delays in the fabrication, assembly, testing or delivery of our products; the risks of producing products with new suppliers and at new fabrication and assembly and test facilities; problems or delays that we may face in shifting our products to smaller geometry process technologies; the effectiveness of Intersil's expense and product cost control and reduction efforts; the risks inherent in acquisitions, including the acquisition of Elantec Semiconductor, Inc. (including integration issues; costs and unanticipated expenditures; changing relationships with customers, suppliers, and strategic partners; potential contractual, employment, and intellectual property issues; accounting treatment and charges; and the risks that the anticipated benefits of the acquisition are not realized); intellectual property disputes, customer indemnification claims, and other litigation risks; Intersil's ability to develop, market, and transition to volume production new products and technologies in a timely manner; the quality of Intersil's products and any repair or replacement costs; the risks and uncertainties associated with Intersil's global operations, particularly in light of the war on terrorism; the effects of natural disasters, international conflicts and other events beyond our control; the level of orders received and the ability to fill those orders in a given fiscal quarter; and other factors. Intersil's Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other Intersil filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") (which you may obtain for free at the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov) discuss some of the important risk factors that may affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this communication and Intersil undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements.

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