News & Events
Intersil Launches Industry’s First Cascaded Dual DDR Memory Power Controllers

-- Designed to power DDR main memory and termination bus for all processors~-- Saves valuable board space, simplifies system architecture, reduces costs and improves efficiency

IRVINE, CA, February 7, 2001 – Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ: ISIL), a leading provider of power management solutions for PCs, file servers and portable information appliances, today announced the new Endura™ ISL6530 and ISL6531 dual pulse width modulation (PWM) regulator ICs designed to power double data rate (DDR) synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) on computer motherboards and systems. These ICs offer a highly integrated space-saving power solution that saves manufacturers costs and time to market.

“DDR SDRAM is rapidly replacing standard SDRAM on PC motherboards because it offers faster data access and improves program performance,” said Rick Furtney, vice president and general manager of Intersil’s Analog Business Unit. “Intersil has addressed the special power needs of DDR memory and offers manufacturers a highly integrated solution that reduces parts count, saves board space and improves power efficiency over pieced-together solutions.”

The ISL6530 and ISL6531 Power Solution
The ISL6530 and ISL6531 represent total power solutions for DDR SDRAM main memory in systems based on virtually any popular processor and system logic chip set combination. They are particularly well suited to server and workstation applications where large memory arrays require very high core and termination currents. These devices are the first, dual synchronous PWM buck controllers that are fully compliant to the DDR memory power requirements.

The new power controllers are 5-V input devices and provide three regulated voltage sources: a VDDQ chip voltage that provides the main power to the memory, a Vref low-power reference source that tracks the middle point of VDDQ, and a VTT voltage source that powers parallel termination resistors and also tracks the middle point of the VDDQ voltage. The ISL6530 and ISL6531 utilize a cascaded approach where the DDR memory line termination voltage, VTT, is created from the DDR memory voltage, VDDQ.

This cascaded architecture provides increased benefits compared to using independent controllers for VDQ and VTT. The VDDQ converter in the cascaded topology need only be rated for half the current compared to an independent architecture. Also, because of the lower input voltage for the VTT converter, switching losses are much lower, leading to higher efficiency. Finally, when the VTT voltage is created from the VDDQ voltage, several protection features, such as VTT OVP (over-voltage protection) and OCP (over-current protection), become automatic due to the elegant architectural implementation of the design.

Intersil’s new DDR memory power solution includes complete circuit layout and reference designs, evaluation platforms and technical support. Each IC offers a highly integrated set of optimized features to provide the most space-saving and power efficient DDR memory power solution. The ISL6531 includes internal compensation on the VTT regulator to further reduce parts count and ease circuit design. Visit Intersil’s Endura Power Management site at: http://www.intersil.com/design/powermanagement/index.asp

ISL6530 and ISL6531 Details
Optimized and integrated features of both ICs include:

• Two PWM regulators: one for DDR memory 2.5-V VDD and one for 1.25-V VTT termination
• 0% to 100% duty cycle PWM range on both outputs and fast transient response to very rapid changes in DDR memory loads
• Internal 0.8 V reference optimized for next-generation active memory termination systems
• PWM outputs switch out of phase to reduce the amount of required input filtering
• Over-current protection on both outputs (VDD and VTT)
• Vref-out pin supplies exactly half the DDR memory voltage (1.25 V)
• Separate Vref-in pin enables user-selectable output voltages
• Upper MOSFET current sensing to eliminate separate current-sense resistor
• Support DDR system sleep mode
• Power good monitoring
• Power shutdown pin
• Fixed 300 kHz frequency operation
• 24-lead SOIC or 32-lead 5 X 5 mm MLF packaging for greater space savings

ISL6530 and ISL6531 Pricing and Availability
Both ICs are now sampling. Price per IC on tape and reel is $2.35 for the ISL6530CB-T and $2.40 for the ISL6531CB-T in hundred quantities.

Intersil Power Management Technology
The Intersil Endura product family consists of leading power management solutions for desktop and mobile PCs, workstations, Internet appliances, I/O cards, RAID systems and high-availability servers. The Endura family includes high-efficiency solutions that are used in portable PCs and mobile information appliances as well as residential gateway products. Intersil’s leadership position has grown, capturing over 50 percent of the AMD Athlon™ and Intel® Pentium® 4 processors and providing power management solutions for next generation desktop, portable and wireless communications devices. The company is the first to introduce a complete cost effective power solution for new and next generation PCs that uses a multiphase power configuration to achieve unparalleled precision and efficiency. Learn more about Intersil’s Endura products at: http://www.intersil.com/endura About Intersil
Intersil is a global leader in designing innovative wireless networking and high performance analog solutions that enable wireless access to video, data and voice in homes, offices and public places. Creating advanced power management products, Intersil provides reliable solutions for file servers, portable information appliances and over half of all computer microprocessors manufactured today. With a rich high performance analog and mixed signal portfolio, Intersil brings added value in providing complete silicon, software and reference design solutions to new products that bring portable connectivity to people wherever they live, work or travel. Headquartered in Irvine, California, Intersil has offices in cities throughout the US, Europe and Asia. 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

This press release contains information relating to certain projections and business trends concerning the power management market that are forward-looking statements as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements are based upon management’s current expectations, estimates, beliefs, assumptions, and projections about our business and industry. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will" and variations of these words or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. Furthermore, any forward-looking statements and projections made by others in this press release are not adopted by Intersil Corporation (“Intersil”), and Intersil is not responsible for the forward-looking statements and projections of others. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements as a result of various risk factors. Important risk factors that may cause such material differences for Intersil in connection with the power management market include, but are not limited to: the recent economic slowdown; the rate at which consumers adopt small handheld Internet appliances and portable computing devices; the rate of purchases of PC’s, file servers and incorporation of DDR SDRAM; the rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt Intersil’s power management technologies and products; the timing, rescheduling or cancellation of significant customer orders; the loss of a key customer; the qualification, availability and pricing of competing products and technologies and the resulting effects on sales and pricing of our products; silicon wafer pricing and the availability of foundry and assembly capacity and raw materials; the effectiveness of Intersil’s expense and product cost control and reduction efforts; intellectual property disputes, customer indemnification claims, and other litigation risks; Intersil’s ability to develop, market, and transition to volume production new products and technologies in a timely manner, as well as other risk factors. Intersil’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and other Intersil filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) (which you may obtain for free at the SEC’s Web site at www.sec.gov) discuss some of the important risk factors that may affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this press release and Intersil undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements. Endura is a trademark of Intersil Americas Inc.
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