National Semiconductor Announces First 42-Bit, Fully USB-Compliant Scanner-on-a-Chip.

Business Writers/High-Tech Writers

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 7, 2000

National Semiconductor Corporation (NYSE:NSM) today introduced its second-generation scanner-on-a-chip for color image and document scanners. In addition to performing all the functions of National's first-generation scanner-on-a-chip -- including analog front end, sensor clock generation, microstepping motor control, and data buffering -- the high-performance LM9832 scans images in full 42-bit resolution, giving the end user greater clarity and superior colors. Moreover, the LM9832 is fully USB1.1 compliant for plug-and-play operation in USB-equipped computers.

"National's LM9832 has played a key role in making the Astra 3400 one of the hottest consumer products released this year," said Charles Lu, vice president of Umax. "With the release of Umax's advanced 42-bit Astra 3400 scanner, that mutual success continues to grow."

"The LM9832 builds on National's existing portfolio of scanner products, enabling light, ultra-thin, USB bus-powered portable scanners with enhanced image quality and scan speed to be bundled with USB-equipped computers, and to operate with USB as its sole power source," said Jitesh Vadhia, director of National's Data Conversion Systems group. "Being first to market with a USB-compliant one-chip scanner reinforces National's system-on-a-chip leadership in this fast-growth segment of the imaging market. Later this year we plan to introduce additional products to this market, including VGA CMOS image sensors, a digital copier signal processing analog front-end, and extensions to the camera analog front-end family."

Using a 6MHz, 14-bit ADC, National's LM9832 operates at a 6 million pixels/second conversion rate (2 million RGB pixels/sec) and scans images in full 42-bit color or 14-bit grayscale. The LM9832 incorporates 16-bit pixel-rate digital offset and shading correction, as well as all the analog processing functions that National built into earlier imaging products, such as gain, offset, and correlated double sampling. In addition, digital pixel processing and individual RGB gamma tables enable the new part to provide a variety of high-quality resolutions from 50 to 1200 dpi horizontal. Vertical resolutions are 50-2400 dpi in one-dpi increments.

The LM9832 has fine control over system clock rates, which allows the designer to match the scanner clock rate to the USB interface speed. By zooming in on a subset of CCD pixels, the device can transmit an arbitrary range of pixels to speed up the scanning of smaller items such as business cards. Pixel depths of 1, 2, or 4 bits are packed into bytes for faster scans of line art and low pixel depth images.

The microstepping motor controller determines the effective vertical resolution and moves the sensor over the image at a constant speed. A PWM current-control option for the stepper motor delivers the high torque and smooth movement needed for faster scans and superior images. This feature also allows use of a less expensive motor with a lower current rating, a useful feature for meeting the current requirements of USB bus-powered scanners.

The LM9832's current consumption is a mere 102mA (typ)/140mA (max) at 5V, making it an ideal choice for USB bus-powered applications. In USB suspend mode, current draw drops to just 19 microamps (typ)/175 microamps (max). For additional information on the LM9832, visit National's World Wide Web site at http://www.national.com/pf/LM/LM9832.html.

Price and Availability

Available now in a 100-lead TQFP (thin quad flat pack), the LM9832 is priced at $8.50 in 1,000-unit quantities.

About National Semiconductor

National Semiconductor provides system-on-a-chip solutions for the information age. Combining real-world analog and state-of the-art digital technology, the company's chips lead many sectors of the personal computer, communications, and consumer markets. With headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif., National reported sales of $2.1 billion for its last fiscal year and has about 10,500 employees worldwide. Additional company and product information is available on the World Wide Web at www.national.com.

Note to Editors: Photo available on request. To download a high resolution photo visit National's photo gallery at http://www.national.com/company/pressroom/gallery/.