Sharp Targets Digital Set-top Box Market with a Full Range of Enabling Components and Technologies.

CAMAS, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 1, 1995--As the new generation of interactive TV promises to let us push a virtual shopping cart through an electronic mall, change camera angles at a touchdown during the Super Bowl, or play games with friends over phone lines, Sharp Microelectronics Group is preparing to take a leadership role as a key OEM supplier to the digital set-top box manufacturers who will make these services possible.

Sharp is very well positioned to help set-top box designers achieve their goals for cost and performance in this market which Instat(TM), a market research firm, projects will grow from 2.2 million units in 1995 to nearly 17 million units by 1998. Sharp expects to participate in this growth by working closely with the OEMs as a supplier of components, subsystems and services armed with an impressive array of components and manufacturing technology.

"We see the set-top box as a point of convergence for computing, entertainment and information technologies - more than just an audio/video device. Our vast experience in consumer products and mobile computing will make us a key component supplier to this industry," said Frank Schneider, senior vice president of Sharp's Microelectronics Group. "Sharp's expertise in consumer product design and high volume manufacturing of tuners, modulators, displays, memories and ASICs puts us in a position to be very helpful to the set-top box OEMs," he added.

Sharp offers many high-performance and cost-effective solutions for set-top box designers including 112-channel tuners, modulators, infrared components, 32-bit microcontrollers, memories, flat panel displays and imaging products.

Tuners and Modulators

Sharp's new CADD 112-channel digital set-top box tuner is designed to offer high signal integrity for compressed digital TV signals. Its double conversion process converts the signal up to 955 MHz in the first stage to avoid leakage and interference back through the transmission line before converting down to the IF band for use by the television. This up/down tuner for digitally encoded TV signals is a cost-effective solution shipping now in sample quantities. There are versions of the part for both 16 VSB and 64 or 256 QAM broadcast formats which handle signals up to either 750 MHz or 806 MHz. For interactive TV, the CADD can send signals upstream at frequencies of 5 MHz to 30 MHz.

In addition, Sharp has the demodulators and modulators to produce the necessary output signals including the RFIVU3 for recovery of analog baseband audio and video signals for hybrid systems, and the E6095 for NTSC modulated output.

32-bit Engines for Decryption and Decompression

Formatting encrypted programs and compressed digital signals for the television requires fast, inexpensive, and powerful processors. Sharp offers application specific standard parts and full custom devices based around the 32-bit Advanced RISC Machines ARM7(TM) core. The ARM7 architecture is ideal for set-top box applications because of its low cost, small die size, high-speed performance and ease of integration. With high performance requirements and a low cost target, designers will find Sharp's ARM-based system-on-chip a perfect fit for the digital set-top box. Designers can build their system on a single chip around the ARM7 core by selecting from a library of macrocells saving space and manufacturing cost.

Infrared Devices for Remote Control and Data Communication

Access to on-line information services and video game subscriptions are important features of the digital set-top box. Sharp offers infrared communication components and technology that will allow users to download games and information to computers and game machines through a wireless IR link. Data can be transmitted and received using Sharp's ASK, DASK or IrDA compatible components. Sharp has demonstrated a 4 megabit per second fast IR link to transfer large files, games and graphics, for example. Sharp's 4 Mbps IR technology has been embraced by the IrDA (Infrared Data Association) as an industry standard for higher speed point-and-shoot applications. For remote control, Sharp offers reliable, inexpensive IR devices such as the GP1U28Y IR detector and fully functional 24, 36 and 44 button remote controls with 7 meter range which can be customized at the factory for use in set-top box applications (the SRMG24A, SRMG36A, and SRMG44A).

SRAM, DRAM, Mask ROM and Flash Memories

SRAMs are found in set-top boxes as packet buffers for the MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group) video decompression/compression of the data stream. Sharp offers fast (20 ns) 32K x 8 and 128K x 8 SRAMs in space-saving packages for this application.

Sharp is the world's leading supplier of mask ROMs (MROMs), a low cost, non-volatile storage technology used in computer games, laser printers and mobile computing devices, and now for storage of system software in set-top boxes. MROMs offer the lowest cost/byte of any of the non-volatile alternatives with pin-compatible replacements for EEPROM, EPROM and flash components. Sharp offers 256 kbit to 64 Mbit densities in a variety of packages. The 1Mbit 128K x 8, 2 Mbit 256K x 8 or 128K x 16, and 4 Mbit 256K x 16 MROMs are best suited to the set-top box application. The choice depends on the size of the box's system software.

Set-top boxes also require 4Meg DRAMs for data storage, decompression and compression (control and transport of data, including video). Sharp's 4Mbyte DRAM offers fast data access with extended data-out, BYTE WRITE/BYTE READ access cycles, and page mode are organized as 256K x16 or 1 M x 4. Low-power standby mode meets the stingy power requirements of the digital set-top box. Shipments of Sharp's new 4MB DRAM will begin in the fourth quarter of 1995.

Flash memory can be used for storage of software packets and software updates to the digital set-top box. Sharp now sells its rewritable, non-volatile flash memories in the U.S. in 4MB, 8MB and 16MB capacities with access times as fast as 60 ns. Single and dual voltage flash memories in SOP and TSOP packages will begin shipping in quantities in the U.S. in the third quarter of 1995 for use in set-top boxes and other applications.

Displays and Imaging Products

For channel and status display, Sharp offers highly integrated, reliable character displays with LED backlights. These compact, lightweight displays are only 1.5-3.5 mm thick. Sharp also provides compact LCD controller/driver ICs in a chip-on-flex configuration to save cost and board space. LCD controllers can be sourced as individual components or built-in to the ARM7 system-on-chip to reduce parts count and keep the system size down. Sharp is the world's leading producer of liquid crystal displays and supplies a complete line of 16 x 2, 20 x 2 and 40 x 2 character displays for a variety of applications. Sharp has the best LCD service and support team in North America to provide design assistance and manufacturing support.

Some designers envision video teleconferencing and video mail applications for the set-top box. Sharp is a leading supplier of CCDs, CCD modules and CCD cameras for capturing and digitizing images for transmission. Sharp's YH-7xxx series of color CCD camera modules is compact enough to fit inside the set-top box and offers electronic exposure for automatic setting of the iris and with a choice of output formats including NTSC composite video, Y/C or Y.R-Y.B-Y. A single 5V supply requirement makes integration simple. Or designers can keep their base unit costs lower and offer a stand-alone CCD camera as an accessory. Sharp's complete cameras, such as the model YH-7B60, are designed to sit on top of a PC or set-top box and provide a video image which can be digitized, compressed and transmitted in real time or stored and forwarded for later use.

Low Power Loss Voltage Regulators

Sharp offers a line of compact, efficient voltage regulators that make power supplies more compact, simplify design, and reduce power consumption. The PQ1PF1 primary side voltage regulator reduces the parts count in the switching control circuitry from 12 to just 5 parts and reduces the mounting area from 5.3 cm2 to 2.0 cm2 by integrating a power MOS-FET and its switching control into a single device. The PQ1PF1 reduces power loss in the control logic from 1.06 watts to 760 milliwatts. In addition, Sharp produces low power loss regulators for the secondary side of the power supply with benefits similar to those of the PQ1PF1. The secondary side regulators are also compact and highly integrated and available in surface mount packages. Sharp supplies 3V, 3.3V and 5V regulators with built-in on/off control and low power consumption in the off state (0.55A quiescent current). The PQ7V5 features a variable output voltage ranging from 1.5V to 7V and the same low power consumption in the off state to save energy.

Services

Sharp is more than just a component supplier and offers services including design, packaging and manufacturing of finished products. Sharp's entire manufacturing operation is geared toward high quality, high volume manufacturing of consumer products and can thereby reduce entry costs for companies seeking to participate in the digital set-top box market in the coming years.

Contact Information

Sharp Electronics Corp., the $2.8 billion U.S. sales and marketing subsidiary of Japan's Sharp Corp. has one of the industry's broadest lines of consumer, business and industrial electronics products. Sharp is the world leader in liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and uses this advanced technology in many of its more than 45 product lines including audio and video systems, microwave ovens, projection panels, electronic organizers, notebook computers and peripherals, copiers, facsimile machines and calculators. Headquartered in Mahwah, N.J., Sharp Electronics employs more than 2,200 people nationwide. For more information, contact Sharp Electronics Corp., 5700 NW Pacific Rim Blvd., M/S 20, Camas, Wash. 98607, or phone [phone].

CONTACT: Young & Roehr Inc.

David White, 503/222-0626

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