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Intersil Introduces New Family of Volatile, 32-Tap Digitally Controlled Potentiometers for Ultra-Low-Power Applications

-- ISL9046x Family Represents Industry's Smallest 32-Tap Digitally Controlled Potentiometers

MILPITAS, CA, September 19, 2005 – Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ: ISIL), a world leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance analog solutions, today announced a new family of volatile, digitally controlled potentiometers (DCPs). The ISL90460, ISL90461 and ISL90462 are the smallest volatile 32-tap DCPs in the industry. This family is designed to address current market needs for high-volume, space-constrained applications that require ultra-low power, such as LCD contrast and backlight brightness control in cell phones, PDAs and GPS receivers. Other applications include industrial automotive control, parameter and bias adjustments, and laser diode driver biasing.

With options ranging from a 100 kohm SOT-23 package down to the smallest 10 kohm SC-70 package, Intersil’s new family of DCPs features three potentiometer configurations, 32-tap positions, and a two-pin up/down (U/D) interface. Along with low power dissipation and a supply voltage range of 2.7V to 5.5V, the ISL90460/61/62 family is available in three resistance options, in two different packages, providing 18 options to choose from.

“The ISL90460/61/62 are digitally adjustable, electronic potentiometers that eliminate the stability issues caused by vibration or shock when using mechanical potentiometers,” said Simon Prutton, VP/GM of Intersil’s Analog & Mixed Signal Products Group. “Because these parts employ a volatile memory to control the DCP wiper setting, they are significantly more cost-effective than devices using non-volatile EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read only memory). Consequently, these DCPs are very attractive as replacements for mechanical potentiometers.”

Industry’s First, Smallest, Lowest Power
Intersil’s ISL90460/61/62 are low-noise, low-power DCPs used for adjustment, trimming, and calibration applications in industrial, medical, automotive, and consumer markets. The DCPs employ a popular two-pin U/D interface to control wiper position. The devices offer three configurations: a variable resistor with one end grounded (ISL90460), a floating variable resistor (ISL90461), and a potentiometer with one end terminal grounded (ISL90462). The potentiometer is implemented by a resistor array with 31 elements and a wiper switching network. Between each element and at either end are tap points accessible via the wiper terminal.

Key Features

• 32 resistor taps
• Two-pin U/D interface
• Supply voltage, 2.7V to 5.5V
• Low temperature coefficient of 35ppm/degrees Celsius typical
• Low-power CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor)
  • Active current, 25 microamps maximum
  • Supply current, 0.3 microamps

Target Applications

• LCD contrast control
• Parameter and bias adjustments
• Industrial and automotive control
• Transducer adjustment of pressure, temperature, position, chemical and optical sensors
• Laser diode driver biasing
• Gain control and offset adjustment

About Intersil’s Digital Control Products
Intersil offers a wide selection of low-to-high resolution digitally controlled potentiometers in single and multi-channel packaging. Available in both linear and non-linear tapers, these digital potentiometers replace mechanical potentiometers and trim resistors in applications where digital control allows microprocessor interfacing and extended functionality. DCPs are typically used for voltage reference trimming, equipment calibration and tuning, feedback loop control and signal level control. Digitally controlled capacitors (DCCs) offer similar control flexibility for tuning radio-frequency and oscillator circuits. To learn more, visit Intersil’s Digitally Controlled Potentiometers and Capacitors page at http://www.intersil.com/DCPs-DCCs/.

Pricing and Availability
The ISL90460 is available now in a 5-pin SOT-23 or SC-70 lead-free package and is priced at $0.57, and the ISL90461 and ISL90462 are available now in a 6-pin SOT-23 or SC-70 lead-free package and are priced at $0.57. All prices are for 1,000-unit quantities. More information on the ISL90460 is available at http://www.intersil.com/cda/deviceinfo/0,1477,ISL90460,0.html, more information on the ISL90461 is available at http://www.intersil.com/cda/deviceinfo/0,1477,ISL90461,0.html and more information on the ISL90462 is available at http://www.intersil.com/cda/deviceinfo/0,1477,ISL90462,0.html. To view a broad range of application block diagrams, visit Intersil’s Application Design Center at http://www.intersil.com/apps.

Note to editors: To view a high-resolution downloadable photo of these products, visit Intersil’s photo room at: http://www.intersil.com/pressroom/photoarchives.asp. About Intersil
Intersil Corporation, a NASDAQ 100 Index company, is a leader in the design and manufacture of high performance analog semiconductors. The company’s products address three of the industry’s fastest growing markets: flat panel displays, optical storage (CD and DVD recordable) and power management. Intersil products include power management devices for battery management, hot-swap and hot-plug controllers, linear regulators, supervisory ICs, switching DC/DC regulators and power MOSFET drivers; optical storage laser diode drivers; DSL line drivers; video and high performance operational amplifiers; data converters; interface ICs; analog switches and multiplexers; crosspoint switches; voice-over-IP devices; and ICs for military, space and rad-hard applications. For more information about Intersil or to find out how to become a member of our winning team, visit the company’s web site and career page at www.intersil.com.

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