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Elantec Semiconductor Is Shipping The Industry's First Integrated Write-Strategy Laser Driver Engine For DVD & CD Disk Formats

The EL6290C is a next-generation laser driver engine that enables optical drives to write or read to either DVD or CD multi-standard disk formats

MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, May 8, 2000 -- Elantec Semiconductor, Inc. (NASDAQ: ELNT), a leader in high-performance analog laser driver ICs for the optical storage market, today announced the release of its EL6290C, a next-generation laser driver designed to enable optical drives to both write and read either DVD or CD disks. The EL6290C is the result of a joint development between Elantec Semiconductor, Inc. and the Digital Media Products Division of Hitachi, Ltd., Japan. The EL6290C supports multi-standard DVD formats: 4.7GB DVD-RAM, 2.6GB DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, +RW and DVD-ROM, as well as CD formats: CD-RW, CD-R and CD-ROM.

The EL6290C is a programmable laser driver engine that integrates the write strategy waveforms that support a wide variety of industry standard DVD and CD formats, media, and write speeds. The EL6290C contains waveform amplitude and timing registers that are programmable through the serial interface that configures the internal EL6290C's waveform generator. The EL6290C contains two high current outputs that enable either of two lasers to either write or read both the DVD and CD formats. Other features include a programmable high-frequency oscillator, a low noise read amplifier, a programmable laser slope compensation DAC, and programmable laser threshold current DAC.

Steve Sacarisen, Elantec's Director of Strategic Marketing, Optical Products Group said, "The EL6290C is the industry's first laser driver to integrate the write strategy waveforms for all industry standard DVD and CD formats." Describing the new architecture of the EL6290C, Mr. Sacarisen said, "Integrating the high speed write waveform generation inside the laser driver IC removes the previous design limitation of driving high speed write signals over a flex cable to the laser driver."

Mr. Sacarisen concluded that, "By combining the high density 4.7GB DVD rewritable formats with the industry-compatible standard CD-R and CD-RW formats, the EL6290C enables optical drive OEM's to design a single product with a longer lifecycle and higher value. Furthermore, when used with our EL6261C, an 8-channel switchable gain pre-amplifier which enables you to read all DVD and CD formats, we now can provide the complete write and read channel analog IC solution for DVD and CD writable drive optical pickup designs."

The EL6290C is available in both 32-pin LPP and 24-pin QSOP packages. For more information, please contact Steve Sacarisen at Elantec's Corporate Headquarters: (408) 945-1323 ext. 345. You may contact Mr. Kubo Tatsuya at Hitachi America Ltd.: (650) 244-7902.

Elantec designs, manufactures and markets high performance analog integrated circuits primarily for the video, optical storage, integrated DC:DC, and communications 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 conditions and market trends 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 1999 Form 10-K and most recent form 10-Q, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those discussed herein.