Microchip Technology Enhances Infrared Product Family with IrDA Protocol Stack Handler.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

CHANDLER, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 7, 2002

MCP2155 offers simplest, lowest cost solution for adding IrDA(R)

Standard wireless connectivity to embedded systems

Enhancing its Infrared product family, Microchip Technology (Nasdaq: MCHP) Monday introduced the MCP2155 IrDA(R) Protocol Stack Handler ideally suited for Data Communications Equipment (DCE) applications.

The MCP2155 employs patented technology that embeds the complex IrDA(R) protocol stack, including the Ir link access protocol (IrLAP), Ir link management-mux (IrLMP), tiny transport protocol (Tiny TP), IrComm layers (9-wire cooked service class) and portions of the IrPHY with bit encoding/decoding, into one peripheral device.

Additionally, the MCP2155 provides ring indicate (RI), carrier detect (CD) and data terminal ready (DTR) signal information back to the primary as required in DCE applications.

The MCP2155, along with the MCP2150 that Microchip announced in June, are the only devices currently available that embed the IrDA(R) protocol stack handling plus bit encoding/decoding functionality into a small, low-cost form factor.

This feature greatly simplifies the ability of a system designer to add IrDA(R) standard wireless communication capability to their embedded systems, expanding the breadth of applications that can now easily add IrDA(R) standard infrared communication.

"With the explosive growth of mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and other handheld electronic devices, the need for a simple, low-cost, wireless method to communicate between these devices has grown exponentially," said Keith Pazul, marketing manager for the Analog and Interface Product Division at Microchip.

"The MCP2155 enables designers to easily integrate IrDA-standard, wireless connectivity in embedded systems where cost, size or complexity made it prohibitive in the past."

The MCP2155, which connects to standard microcontroller UART peripherals and infrared transceivers, finds applications in a variety of markets such as telecommunication, consumer, industrial, medical and automotive.

Microchip also offers the Infrared Products Developer's Kit to assist designers with demonstration and development of IrDA(R)-enabled applications, including everything a designer needs to create a system employing infrared communication.

Microchip designs, develops and manufactures a broad range of microcontrollers and other related products targeted for embedded control systems. This infrared product family offers Microchip microcontroller customers an easy way to add infrared connectivity to their existing designs enabling wireless data transfer capability.

The MCP2155 is available in 20-pin SSOP, 18-pin PDIP and SOIC packages with pricing starting at $5.47 each in 1,000 piece quantities. Samples and development tool-support are available immediately for these devices. The data sheet and information on development tools can be accessed at www.microchip.com.

About Microchip Technology

Microchip has integrated analog technology, peripherals and features to meet today's demanding design requirements. Our broad spectrum of analog products addresses thermal management, power management, mixed-signal, linear and interface solutions.

Combined with "Intelligent Analog" microcontrollers, Microchip offers an extensive analog portfolio for thousands of high-performance design applications in the automotive, communications (wireless), consumer, computing and industrial control markets.

Microchip Technology Inc. manufactures the popular PICmicro(R) field-programmable RISC microcontrollers, which serve 8- and 16-bit embedded control applications, and a broad spectrum of high performance linear and mixed-signal, power management and thermal management devices.

The company also offers complementary microperipheral products including interface devices; microID(TM) RFID devices; serial EEPROMs; and the patented KEELOQ(R) security devices. This synergistic product portfolio targets thousands of applications and a growing demand for high-performance designs in the automotive, communications, computing, consumer and industrial control markets.

The company's quality systems are ISO 9001 (1994 version) and QS9000 (1998 version) certified. Microchip is headquartered in Chandler, with design facilities in Mountain View, Calif. and Bangalore, India; semiconductor fabrication facilities in Tempe and Chandler, Ariz. and Puyallup, Wash.; and assembly and test operations near Bangkok, Thailand.

Microchip employs approximately 2,950 people worldwide and has sales offices throughout Asia, Europe, Japan and the Americas. More information on the company can be found at www.microchip.com.

Note: The Microchip name and logo, PIC, PICmicro and KEELOQ are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Inc. in the United States and other countries. MicroID is a trademark of Microchip Technology Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. IrDA is a registered trademark of the Infrared Data Association.