News & Events
Copal To Sell Xicor's EEPOT Digitally Controlled Potentiometers
MILPITAS, CA, December 1, 1997 - Xicor, Inc. (XICO) and Copal Electronics Co., Ltd. of Japan have joined forces to further expand the market in Japan for Xicor's EEPOT digitally controlled potentiometers. The agreement covers Xicor's current EEPOT family of electrically adjustable potentiometers as well as future EEPOT products. Under this agreement, Copal will purchase EEPOTs from Xicor for resale, and will utilize its market presence to bring the EEPOTs to its broad customer base in Japan. Xicor will continue to sell its EEPOTs through its current distribution channels. Xicor and Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (VSH), the leading passive components supplier in the U.S. and Europe, entered into a similar agreement on October 29, 1997 for Vishay to sell EEPOTs worldwide, except for Japan.
Copal is a leading manufacturer of passive electronic components in Japan. EEPOTs are the semiconductor equivalent of traditional mechanical potentiometers and trimmers, but provide significant extra benefits. The parties to this agreement intend to combine Xicor's semiconductor expertise with Copal's passive components expertise and its leading market presence to drive a rapid expansion of the Japanese market for semiconductor digitally controlled potentiometers.
According to Raphael Klein, Xicor's Chairman and President, "By joining forces with Copal we believe that our EEPOT product family will gain access to new market opportunities in Copal¡¦s established base at the largest customers in the consumer, telecommunications, computer and automotive markets in Japan."
Mr. Yujiro Arimura, President of Copal, added that "Xicor's adjustable semiconductor integrated circuit devices complement our existing product line. Copal's sales force will be able to bring the benefits of these integrated circuit products to our customers in Japan due to our long-term relationships with them."
EEPOTs are semiconductor chips which leverage the nonvolatile reprogrammable nature of EEPROM to create the equivalent of potentiometers and trimmers plus more. The EEPOT, with no moving parts, can be adjusted at anytime to any resistance value by keyboard, telephone or other wired or wireless communication system and the set-and-forget nature of the device will keep stable resistance value after the adjustment. As solid state devices, the EEPOTs do not require a groove for screwdriver adjustment, thus allowing encapsulation in tiny surface mounted packages, which lead to significant saving of precious board space relative to their mechanical equivalent devices. Furthermore, EEPOTs make life much easier for the system designer and manufacturer as they bring solid state reliability and digital performance to the world of potentiometers. The in-the-system programmability of EEPOTs and their lack of moving parts benefit communications, consumer, computer, office automation, industrial, automotive and military products by adding advanced capabilities.
The advanced capabilities of EEPOTs facilitate automated manufacturing and testing, save board space, reduce sensitivity to vibration, dust, moisture and oil, enable remote maintainability and self calibration, and provide user personalization and easy adaptability to changing software and operating environments. Examples of applications that benefit from EEPOTs are:
- EEPOTs replaced several potentiometers in the base station of a 2-way
radio, to allow automated resistor
adjustment by digital signals from an electronic tester instead of the previous manual adjustment of the
potentiometers. - EEPOTs replaced mechanical potentiometers in power supplies, thereby
protecting the power supplies from the
deleterious effects of shock, vibrations, dust and moisture. - EEPOTs improved the maintainability of an automobile engine controller by
easily achieving and maintaining
precise ignition timing. - EEPOTs controlling (from the keyboard) the contrast and brightness of the
display in laptop PC¡¦s and PDA¡¦s
eliminate the potential failure of mechanical potentiometers, which constitute a major warranty return cause for
manufacturers. - EEPOTs incorporated in the camera of the Mars Pathfinder lander that has
recently sent to us, from 150 million
miles, exciting views of Mars and the Rover, are remotely adjustable.
Xicor Background
Xicor designs, develops, manufactures and sells nonvolatile in-the-system programmable products which retain information even when system power is turned off or is lost inadvertently. Xicor's product line includes advanced and standard EEPROMs, EEPOT digitally controlled potentiometers, Secure SerialFlashÆË memories, various memory and secure Smart Cards, and nonvolatile SRAMs.
In-the-system programmability benefits communications, consumer, computer, office automation, industrial, automotive and military products by adding advanced capabilities. Such capabilities include a much reduced design verification cycle, faster introduction to the market, easy adaptability to changing software and operating environments at the point of use, data security, remote maintainability, and personalization by the user. Many of Xicor's products consume little power, operate well from low voltage battery power sources, and come in small packages making them ideal for hand-held and portable applications.
Xicor products are sold worldwide and are supported by technically staffed offices located in Asia, Europe, Japan and North America. Headquartered in Milpitas, California, Xicor holds the Underwriters Laboratories Certification of Compliance with the ISO 9001 quality standard and the joint automotive QS 9000 quality standard certification.
Xicor's product, corporate and financial information is readily accessible on the World Wide Web at http://www.xicor.com, or by fax request to 408 432-0640.
Acronyms that are also used for the products mentioned above include E2PROMs, E2PROM, eeprom, eePROM electrically erasable PROM, electrically erasable programmable ROM, E2POT digitally controlled potentiometers, E2POT, Nonvolatile RAM, NOVRAMs, NVRAMs.
Copal Background
Copal Electronics Co., Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, is a leading Japanese manufacturer of passive electronic components including variable resistors, switches and electromechanical subassemblies. Copal's products are used in a broad range of industries. Copal holds the Certificate of Compliance with the ISO 9001 Quality Standard. Copal's product, corporate and financial information is readily accessible on the world wide web at http://www.copal-electronics.co.jp or by fax to Japan at 3-3364-7055.
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
This press release contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 including statements regarding expanding the market for Xicor's EEPOT digitally controlled potentiometers, the rapid expansion of the market for semiconductor digitally controlled potentiometers, access to new market opportunities, the continued development by Xicor of new EEPOT products and Copal's ability to bring the benefits of EEPOTs to their customers. Such statements are forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those projected. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include the following: general economic conditions and conditions specific to the semiconductor industry, fluctuations in customer demand, competition, competitive factors such as pricing pressures on existing products and the timing and market acceptance of new product introductions, Xicor's ability to have available an appropriate amount of production capacity in a timely manner, manufacturing efficiencies, the timely development of new products and processes, changes in Copal's expected demand for products to be purchased from Xicor, currency fluctuations, changes in laws, and the risk factors listed from time to time in Xicor's SEC reports, including but not limited to the Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1996 and the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 30, 1997, June 29, 1997 and September 28, 1997 (Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Factors Affecting Future Results section). Xicor assumes no obligation to update the information included in this press release.
