Peregrine Semiconductor Launches 75 Ohm RF CMOS Switch Line.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 2, 2003

Peregrine Semiconductor Corp., a leading RF CMOS IC manufacturer, has launched a new line of absorptive switches for the CATV market. The products represent a breakthrough in technology allowing for the first time, solid state switches to be used in broadband RF applications for CATV and set-top box equipment. The introduction of the PE4256, PE4270 and PE4271 demonstrates unrivaled isolation and broadband linearity performance.

The switch products are being introduced as the CATV market is modernizing its outside plant by installing addressable taps. The taps allow cable providers to remotely activate services as opposed to the costly and time consuming alternative of sending a technician to a residence.

"The PE4256, PE4270 and PE4271 are the perfect solution for cable equipment manufacturers to solve their addressable tap system requirements by offering unprecedented isolation, broadband linearity and power consumption," said Ron Reedy, Peregrine's Executive V.P. and CTO. "These switches are also being well received by the set-top box market with their industry leading isolation of 63 dB at 1 GHz operation as well as industry leading carrier triple beat or CTB of +85 dB."

The PE4256 is a fully absorptive 75 Ohm SPDT packaged in a 4 x 4 mm MLP, while the PE4270 is a fully absorptive 75 Ohm SPST packed in a 3 x 3 mm MLP. The PE4271 is a SPST packaged in a 3 x 3 MLP with a 75 Ohm absorptive input and a reflective output. The switches cover a broad frequency range from DC up to 2.2 GHz and require extremely low bias while operating on a single 3-volt supply.

About Peregrine Semiconductor

Peregrine Semiconductor Corp. designs, manufactures and markets high-speed communications integrated circuits for the wireless, satellite and broadband cable communications markets. Using its patented Ultrathin Silicon-on-Sapphire (UTSi) CMOS process, Peregrine markets a series of radio frequency IC products for high-growth applications, including cellular telephone handsets and infrastucture, wireless LAN, satellite communications, CATV infrastructure and set-top boxes, optical communications, and space and defense radiation hard IC's. Peregrine, with headquarters in San Diego, has established design centers and satellite operations in Chicago, Aix-en-Provence, France, and Sydney, Australia. Additional information on Peregrine Semiconductor is available on its Web site: www.peregrine-semi.com. Contact Peregrine's worldwide distribution partner, Richardson Electronics (NASDAQ: RELL), for sales information at 1-800-737-6937.

Peregrine Semiconductor is not affiliated with Peregrine Systems, a software systems company also based in San Diego.

For more information, contact Peregrine Semiconductor Corp. at 858-455-0660 or visit the Web at http://www.peregrine-semi.com. UTSi is a registered trademark of Peregrine Semiconductor Corp.