National Semiconductor Introduces Industry's First SuperI/O Chips With Integrated Fast Infrared.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 11, 1996--National Semiconductor today announced two new SuperI/Os with integrated 4Mbps fast infrared (Fast IR) technology, the PC87308 and PC87338. With this introduction, National has broadened its fast infrared solutions to address both the desktop and portable market.

National's fast infrared products help PC designers to support a wide range of high-speed wireless data transfer standards providing interoperability with any IrDA-compliant device. Data can be rapidly and easily exchanged among notebooks, hand-helds, desktops and peripherals such as printers, modems and network nodes.

Other possible applications include walk-up fax machines and printers in locations like airports and hotels, as well as bank ATMs that incorporate an infrared interface for computerized transactions. Robert Speckmann, National's Senior Product Manager for the portable market says: "Last year when we were planning our product roadmap, we clearly saw the benefits of infrared and the IrDA `High-Speed Extensions', but we felt we could go further. We wanted compatibility with fast infrared protocols and saw the need for consumer infrared in the future. This led us to the development of our universal infrared block, which supports all standard infrared protocols and also aligns with National's strategic focus on Technologies for Moving and Shaping Information."

For maximum user flexibility, National's family of universal infrared products offers a number of wireless infrared protocols which are selectable under software control. The IrDA-compliant rates are 115.2 kbps, 1.152 Mbps and 4.0 Mbps. Additionally, compatibility with Sharp DASK (Digital Amplitude Shift Keying) is provided, which ensures interoperability with the infrared interfaces that were used in some first-generation hand-held systems.

Also incorporated into the chip family is a universal TV remote mode that provides control functions for consumer applications such as televisions, VCRs, game controllers and related equipment. It offers programmable support for all the modulation modes and command code sets that are used in remote control devices.

With integrated "universal infrared" (UIR) capabilities and Plug 'n' Play support, National's fast infrared portfolio constitutes the industry's only complete line of fast infrared enabling products.

PC87338 SuperI/O Chip for Portables

The PC87338 is a new member in National's line of SuperI/O products aimed specifically at meeting the needs of portable PC designers. It provides the next generation of features required for portable PCs, including Plug'n'Play support and the universal infrared interface.

"The PC87338 is based on National's very popular PC87334 Super I/O which has captured greater than 50% of the portable market. The PC87338 is the first SuperI/O for portables to include the IrDA `High-Speed Extensions.' This enables portable PC designers to add fast infrared to all designs with no penalty in power consumption or board space," says Robert Speckmann. "The end-user will now get all of the benefits of fast infrared including much faster data transfers, no need to carry cables and interoperability with any IrDA compliant device. The PC87338 is designed to work with all major portable chipsets, such as those from PicoPower, Intel, Opti and others. The PC87338 is designed for use in portable systems based on the 486, Pentium, PowerPC and future generations of CPUs."

The PC87338 operates in 3.3 V, 5 V and mixed 3.3 V/5 V systems drawing only 10 uA in power-down mode. Its other interfaces include an NS16550 buffered serial port, an IEEE 1284 parallel port, a floppy disk controller, Plug`n'Play support and Advanced Power Management features.

PC87308 SuperI/O Chip for Desktops

The PC87308 is the latest member of the National family of ISA bus SuperI/O chips for the desktop. Its successful predecessor, the PC87306 is National's current flagship SuperI/O for the desktop market . The PC87306 provides all the traditional functional I/O including a floppy disk controller, a keyboard and mouse controller, a real-time clock, a bi-directional IEEE 1284 parallel port and two NS16550 buffered serial ports that are designed to work with high-speed Internet modems. The PC87308 is an enhanced version of the PC87306 with its added IrDA "High-Speed Extensions", TV remote, Plug`n'Play and Advanced Power Management (APM).

The PC87308 fast infrared interface allows wireless communication with portable computers, networks and any other device equipped with an IrDA-compliant infrared capability. The IrDA "High-Speed Extensions" increase data rates to 1.152 and 4.0 Mbps which proves to be invaluable for exchanging today's large files, as well as fueling industrial applications beyond the personal computer field. The universal TV remote is a feature designed specifically to meet the needs of the consumer desktop market segment.

The flexible Plug`n'Play support provided by the PC87308 exceeds the requirements of the Microsoft specification for 1995 PC hardware design (PC O95) and the Plug`n'Play 1.0a specification. This feature simplifies the installation of add-in cards, making it easier for the user to configure a desktop system and to use the widest range of applications.

Advanced Power Management in the PC87308 complies with the APM 2.0 software specification that is adhered to by BIOS suppliers, adding such features as wake-up on Ring In.

PC87108 Serial Interface Controller Chip for Embedded Environments

Introduced in October 1995, the PC87108 is a single-chip enhanced NS16550 UART device with a universal infrared interface that is ideally suited for such embedded applications as printers and modems. On the system side, it provides an ISA bus interface, or a chip select for embedded applications, and also includes an NS16550 buffered serial port that allows it to be used as a traditional UART. On the infrared side, it provides the same high-speed, flexible capabilities as the PC87308 and PC87338 SuperI/O chips.

Packaging, Price and Availability

The PC87338 is packaged in either a 100-pin thin quad flatpack (TQFP) as the PC87338VJG or a 100-pin PQFP as the PC87338VLJ. Both versions are sampling now and production is planned for the second quarter. The PC87338VJG is priced at $13.30 each, and the PC87338VLJ at $12.30 each in 1000-piece quantities.

The PC87308VUL is packaged in a 160-pin PQFP and is priced at $19.60 each in 1,000-piece quantities.. Samples will be available this quarter and production is planned for the second quarter.

The PC87108 is packaged in an 80-pin plastic quad flatpack (PQFP) as the PC87108VJE and an 80-pin thin plastic quad flatpack (TQFP) as the PC87108VHG. Both versions are available now in production quantities. They are priced at $10.00 each in 1,000-piece quantities.

For additional information, contact the National Semiconductor Customer Support Center at 1-800-272-9959.

National Semiconductor Corporation designs, develops and markets semiconductor Technologies for Moving and Shaping Information. The company focuses on strategic markets within the communications, personal systems, industrial and consumer markets. National Semiconductor is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and has 22,400 employees worldwide. In fiscal year 1995, the company reported sales of $2.4 billion and achieved the highest earnings in its history. -0-

Note to Editors: National Semiconductor and Technologies for Moving and Shaping Information are registered trademarks of National Semiconductor Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.

CONTACT: National Semiconductor

Uschi Joshua, 408/721-4250

Robert D. Speckmann, 408/721-4946

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