News & Events
Elantec Semiconductor Introduces Next Generation High-Performance Laser Diode Driver

The EL6287C offers a faster, lower cost replacement for EL6257C designs

MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, March 8, 2001 -- Elantec Semiconductor, Inc. (NASDAQ: ELNT), a leader in high-performance analog ICs, today announced a new addition to its growing family of industry-standard laser driver products. The new EL6287C is a next-generation laser diode driver that replaces its predecessor, the EL6257C at a lower cost and with improved performance. With the 0.8nsec tr/tf response time and low cost CMOS design of the EL6287C, Elantec continues to introduce laser drivers that enable optical disk drive OEMs to develop even faster CD read/write (R/W) speeds in their newest optical disk drives.

The highest speed on the market today is 10X. Using the EL6287C, OEMs can increase the R/W factor to almost 20X, virtually cutting in half the fastest R/W times available today.

The EL6287C is functionally compatible with Elantec's industry-standard EL6257C, the industry's first highly integrated monolithic laser diode driver. The EL6287C integrates the four current channels needed for the read, erase, bias and write laser drive power levels. To reduce laser read noise and eliminate the need for an external oscillator-enable signal, the EL6287C integrates the high frequency modulator (HFM) oscillator with an automatic turn-off feature that assures precision turn-off of the HFM during the write channel enable. This level of integration lowers costs by reducing component count, decreases design time by reducing signal routing, and occupies less board space, thus enabling compact design. The EL6287C is compliant with the Orange Specification Standard for CD-R and CD-R/W write strategy formats.

Steve Sacarisen, Director of Strategic Marketing, Optical Products Group said, "The EL6287C gives our customers the highest performance on the market today at a cost that's even lower than before. Moreover, with minimal engineering effort, the EL6287C offers a pin-to-pin backwards compatible upgrade path from the EL6257C. This enables our existing OEMs to get to market quickly and more cost-effectively with new optical disk drive products."

The EL6287C is available in a 24-pin QSOP package. Production lead-time is 8-10 weeks. For more information please contact Steve Sacarisen at Elantec Corporate Headquarters, Milpitas, CA, at (408) 945-1323 x 345 or visit our web site at www.elantec.com.

Elantec designs, manufactures and markets high performance analog integrated circuits primarily for the video, optical storage, communications and power management markets. The Company targets high growth commercial markets in which advances in digital integrated circuit technology are driving increasing demand for high speed, high performance and low power consumption analog circuits.

Certain matters discussed in this press release pertaining to the market trends, product performance, cost effectiveness, and design-in time are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include product introductions by the Company's competitors, competitive pricing pressures, fluctuations in manufacturing yield, changes in the mix or markets in which products are sold, availability and cost of raw materials and other risks discussed in the Company's most recent Forms 10-K and 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.