Maxtor Selects Agere Systems to Provide "System-on-a-Chip" Electronics for High-End Ultra ATA/133 Desktop PC Disk Drives.Business Editors & High Tech Writers ALLENTOWN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 20, 2001 New system-on-a-chip, Agere's second custom design for Maxtor(r), demonstrates Agere's advanced technology integration capability Agere Systems Agere Systems Inc. was an integrated circuit components company based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States. Effective April 2, 2007, it was merged into LSI Corporation. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : AGR AGR advanced gas-cooled reactor .A) today announced that Maxtor Corporation (NYSE: MXO MxO Matrix Online (massively multiplayer online roleplayinggame) MXO Miniature Crystal Oscillator ) has selected Agere to provide advanced electronics that support Maxtor's high-end desktop computer disk drives. Representing the second system-on-a-chip (SoC) integrated circuit (IC) that Agere has custom-designed and built for Maxtor, it will help Maxtor offer higher data storage capacities, faster data transfer speeds, higher reliability and lower overall unit costs. Maxtor is incorporating the new chip in its DiamondMax(r) Plus line of high-performance 7200 revolutions-per-minute (RPM) disk drives, which also incorporate the company's recently announced Ultra ATA/133 "Fast Drives" interface. Earlier this year, Agere began supplying Maxtor with another SoC design for its line of 5400 RPM drives for desktop computer and consumer electronics applications. The SoC demonstrates Agere's integration expertise in combining several advanced technologies. The chip includes a custom-designed read-channel - which converts analog signals read off a disk drive's magnetic platters into digital bits - along with processing, memory and Maxtor's proprietary controller electronics. This level of integration promotes simplified disk drive design, higher reliability, reduced power consumption and board space, and easier manufacturing. "Our second SoC engagement with Maxtor is further evidence that system-on-a-chip integration is the right solution for the cost and performance needs of the hard disk drive market," said Joe O'Hare, vice president of Storage Products at Agere Systems. "Maxtor continues to demonstrate industry leadership by designing and building products using SoC electronics, and Agere is well positioned to support them with high-performance read-channel intellectual property, proven digital and mixed-signal design and process technology, and sophisticated but easy-to-use development tools." The SoC is based on a custom read-channel design developed in partnership with Maxtor and includes the latest data detector technology, which provides improved signal-to-noise ratio The ratio of the power or volume (amplitude) of a signal to the amount of unwanted interference (the noise) that has mixed in with it. Measured in decibels, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR or S/N) measures the clarity of the signal in a circuit or a wired or wireless transmission channel. (SNR See signal-to-noise ratio. SNR - signal-to-noise ratio ) and improved areal density. It leverages Agere's expertise in read-channel technology that has supported Agere's market leadership in read-channels for the last three years, as measured by the industry research firm IDC. According to IDC, Agere held a read-channel market share of 37 percent in 2000. "Agere is once again demonstrating its value as an industry-leading electronics supplier and systems design consultant," said Cecil MacGregor, executive director of ASIC/ESG at Maxtor. "In today's market, our OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) The rebranding of equipment and selling it. The term initially referred to the company that made the products (the "original" manufacturer), but eventually became widely used to refer to the organization that buys the products and and end-user customers are demanding more value than ever before, yet they won't forgo higher storage capacity, faster read/write speeds and top-notch reliability. Agere's SoC integration lets us reconcile these conflicting demands to deliver a powerful, competitively priced product." The Maxtor SoC utilizes an embedded processing engine based on a 100 MHz (MegaHertZ) One million cycles per second. It is used to measure the transmission speed of electronic devices, including channels, buses and the computer's internal clock. A one-megahertz clock (1 MHz) means some number of bits (16, 32, 64, etc. , 32 bit reduced instruction set (RISC RISC in full Reduced Instruction Set Computing Computer architecture that uses a limited number of instructions. RISC became popular in microprocessors in the 1980s. ) processor. Its Harvard architecture and multi-stage pipeline assure high-speed performance. Use of a RISC based design provides high-level software compatibility and portability. In an era of extremely short product life cycles and increasing time-to-market pressures, the design was created with reuse in mind. Implemented as a synthesizable core, the RISC engine can quickly be retargeted to more advanced semiconductor processes, enabling rapid performance upgrades as process technology evolves. The chip's system interface is based on Maxtor's Ultra ATA/133 standard. Buffering of high-speed data is done through a 100 MHz synchronous dynamic random access memory (storage) Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory - (SDRAM, Synchronous DRAM) A form of DRAM which adds a separate clock signal to the control signals. SDRAM chips can contain more complex state machines, allowing them to support "burst" access modes that clock out a series of (SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) A type of dynamic RAM (DRAM) memory chip that has been widely used since the late 1990s. SDRAM chips eliminated wait states by dividing the chip into two cell blocks and interleaving data between them. ) interface. On-chip memory includes 96 kilobits (Kb) of read-only memory See ROM. (storage) Read-Only Memory - (ROM) A type of data storage device which is manufactured with fixed contents. In its most general sense, the term might be used for any storage system whose contents cannot be altered, such as a gramophone record or a printed book; (ROM) and 12 Kb of static random access memory Static random access memory (SRAM) is a type of semiconductor memory. The word "static" indicates that the memory retains its contents as long as power remains applied, unlike dynamic RAM (DRAM) that needs to be periodically refreshed (nevertheless, SRAM should not be confused with (SRAM See static RAM. SRAM - static random-access memory ). As performance and complexity demands in disk drive design increase and time-to-market pressures continue, designers need the ability to rapidly evaluate and optimize SoC design parameters. To meet this need, Agere is providing Maxtor with a comprehensive suite of hardware and software development support tools, including the ARCTIC/SESAME read-channel evaluation system. The Agere design tools enable rapid set-up, data acquisition, analysis, and optimization of SoC performance characteristics in a user-friendly manner. As more sophisticated testing is needed, ARCTIC/SESAME allows Maxtor designers to build customized test and evaluation applications as well as take advantage of robust interfaces that allow access to industry-standard analysis tools such as bit error rate analyzers. Agere is manufacturing Maxtor's system-on-a-chip using its state-of-the-art COM (1) (Computer Output Microfilm) Creating microfilm or microfiche from the computer. A COM machine receives print-image output from the computer either online or via tape or disk and creates a film image of each page. 2 complementary metal oxide semiconductor See CMOS. (integrated circuit) Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor - (CMOS) A semiconductor fabrication technology using a combination of n- and p-doped semiconductor material to achieve low power dissipation. (CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) Pronounced "c-moss." The most widely used integrated circuit design. It is found in almost every electronic product from handheld devices to mainframes. ) process technology and is currently shipping volume quantities. About Agere Systems For more information on Agere's line of electronics for hard disk drives, customers may visit Agere's Web site at http://www.agere.com. Customers in the U.S. may contact the Agere Systems customer response center at 1-800-372-2447 (in Canada, call 1-800-553-2448; outside of the U.S. or Canada, call 1-610-712-4323). Written inquiries may be e-mailed to docmaster@agere.com, faxed to 1-610-712-4106, or sent to Agere Systems, Room 30L-15PBA PBA Professional Bowlers Association PBA Palm Beach Atlantic University (West Palm Beach, Florida) PBA Partial-Birth Abortion PBA Philippine Basketball Association PBA Public Broadcasting Atlanta (Georgia, USA) , 555 Union Boulevard, Allentown, Pa. 18109, USA. Agere Systems is the world's No.1 provider of components for communications applications with leadership in optical components and integrated circuits. This dual capability uniquely positions Agere to deliver integrated solutions that form the building blocks for advanced wired, wireless, and optical communications networks. Agere also designs and manufactures a wide range of semiconductor solutions for communications-related devices used by consumers such as cellular phones, modems, and hard disk drives for personal computers and workstations. In addition, the company supplies complete wireless computer networking solutions through the ORiNOCO(tm) product line. More information about Agere Systems is available from its Web site at http://www.agere.com. About Maxtor Maxtor Corporation (www.maxtor.com) is one of the world's leading suppliers of information storage solutions. The company has an expansive line of storage products for desktop computers, network storage, high-performance Intel-based servers, and consumer electronics. Maxtor has a reputation of being a proven market leader built by providing consistent high-quality products, and service and support for its customers. Maxtor and its products can be found at www.maxtor.com or by calling toll-free (800) 2-MAXTOR. Maxtor is traded on the NYSE under the MXO symbol. Agere Safe Harbor Safe Harbor 1. A legal provision to reduce or eliminate liability as long as good faith is demonstrated. 2. A form of shark repellent implemented by a target company acquiring a business that is so poorly regulated that the target itself is less attractive. Statement: This release contains forward-looking statements based on information available to Agere as of the date hereof. Agere's actual results could differ materially from the results stated or implied by such forward-looking statements due to a number of risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, completion of the distribution or sale of Agere stock by Lucent Technologies Inc., customer demand for our products and services, control of costs and expenses, timely completion of employment reductions and other restructuring activities, price and product competition, keeping pace with technological change, dependence on new product development, reliance on major customers and suppliers, availability of manufacturing capacity, components and materials, general industry and market conditions and general domestic and international economic conditions including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations. For a further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, see the prospectus filed by Agere with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2001, and Agere's subsequent reports on Form 10-Q Form 10-Q See 10-Q. . Agere disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Maxtor Safe Harbor Statement: This announcement relating to Maxtor may contain forward-looking statements concerning future technology, products incorporating that technology, and Maxtor's execution. These statements are based on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties which could materially affect the company's results, including, but not limited to, market demand for hard disk drives, the company's ability to execute future production ramps and utilize manufacturing assets efficiently, pricing, competition, and the significant uncertainty of market acceptance of new products. These and other risk factors are contained in documents that the company files with the SEC, including the Form 10-K Form 10-K A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information. Form 10-K See 10-K. for fiscal 2000 and its recent 10-Qs. Note: Maxtor, DiamondMax and the Maxtor logo are registered trademarks of Maxtor Corporation. GB means 1 billion bytes. Total accessible capacity varies depending on operating environment. |
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