News & Events
Intersil's PRISM 3 Chip Set Enables SyChip's Secure Digital WLAN Card
-- PRISM 3 chip set reduces size and cost, offers high performance for new SD form factor card
IRVINE, Calif., July 9, 2002 Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ: ISIL), a world leader in the design and manufacture of high performance analog and wireless networking solutions, today announced that SyChip, a fabless semiconductor manufacturer based in Plano, Texas, is incorporating Intersils PRISM® 3 chip set with zero intermediate frequency (ZIF) architecture into their diminutive secure digital (SD) form factor Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) card.
The tiny SyChip WLAN card will provide 802.11b connectivity for PDAs that have an SD slot built in. The SD card will enable wireless connectivity for these devices without the added bulk and cost of adaptor sleeves. The SDIO card measures just 50 mm long (~1.25 inches), 24 mm wide (~1 inch) and only 2.1 mm thick (~0.1 inch). As the SD interface expands beyond a memory interface and gains popularity by being incorporated into other wireless devices, applications are expected to expand into next generation designs for devices such as cellular telephones, digital cameras and printers.
"Enabled by the high levels of integration afforded by our PRISM 3 chipset, SyChips innovative new design advances Wi-Fi connectivity to the next level of miniaturization," said Larry Ciaccia, vice president and general manager of Intersils Wireless Networking Products Group. SyChips SD card transforms PRISM technology into the smallest WLAN form factor in the world and represents future generations of handheld devices that will provide mobile connectivity and anywhere, anytime access to the Internet and personal data.
Intersils industry leading position in the burgeoning WLAN space together with their system expertise led us to partner with them for this innovative solution targeted at portable applications, said George Barber, CEO and president of SyChip. The combination of a market leader such as Intersil together with SyChips world class technology and design expertise has resulted in what we believe to be an industry first 802.11b SDIO Network Interface Card (NIC).
SyChip expects an evaluation card for the module and support materials for the reference design to be ready by Q4 02 with samples of the full SD-format WLAN card by the end of 2002. These new modules will support Windows 2000/XP/CE (2.11 or greater), and the Palm OS (4 and higher). The card is targeted toward consumers but will also address mobile and telecommuting areas of the enterprise. Like any standard WLAN network card, SyChips PRISM-based WLAN cards will operate in ad hoc (peer-to-peer) or Infrastructure mode (with an access point).
About PRISM 3 ZIF Technology
Intersils PRISM 3 (802.11b) chip set is comprised of two highly integrated circuits (ICs), a direct up/down conversion transceiver IC and a Baseband Processor/Medium Access Controller (BBP/MAC) IC. The up/down conversion transceiver IC is a highly integrated device that takes high-frequency radio waves and directly converts them to the baseband signal during reception, or directly up-converts them from the low-frequency baseband signal to a high radio frequency during transmission. This ZIF architecture completely eliminates the need for the usual first mixer, oscillator and intermediate frequency (IF) stage found in most radios, thereby reducing complexity and bill-of-materials and manufacturing costs. The transceiver couples to the second IC in the chip set, the BBP/MAC. The tight coupling of the radio front-end and this advanced processor overcomes DC offset problems normally associated with ZIF radios. This new technology offers reductions in size and costs without sacrificing performance.
About SyChip
SyChip Inc. designs, develops and markets Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits and Chip Scale Modules for the wireless Internet appliance market. The company focuses on developing highly integrated RF modules that are differentiated because of proprietary integration, modular architectures, and low-loss Silicon technologies. Learn more about SyChip by visiting their Web site at: http://www.sychip.com
Intersil + Elantec Means More for Our Customers
Intersil Corporation is a global semiconductor leader in the design and manufacture of high performance analog and wireless networking solutions. The acquisition of Elantec Semiconductor, Inc., expanded Intersils product portfolios to address four fast growing markets flat panel displays, optical storage (CD and DVD recordable), power management, and wireless networking. Intersil brings added customer value in providing complete silicon, software and reference design solutions to new products that enhance the computing experience for people wherever they live, work or travel. 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 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 Intersil Corporation’s (“Intersil”) management’s current expectations, estimates, beliefs, assumptions, and projections about Intersil’s business and industry. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," “predicts,” "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," “should,” “would,” “potential,” “continue,” and variations of these words (or negatives 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. 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’s WLAN product group include, but are not limited to: the slowdown in the technology sector; the rate at which consumers adopt small handheld Internet appliances and portable computing devices in enterprises and in homes; the rate at which consumers purchase notebook computers with embedded wireless; the rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt Intersil’s wireless access technologies; the timing, rescheduling or cancellation of significant customer orders; the ability of our customers to manage inventory; 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 and quality of our foundry capacity and raw materials; availability, pricing, and quality of third party foundry and assembly and test capacity and raw materials; fluctuations in the manufacturing yields of our third party foundries and assembly and test facilities, and other problems or delays in the fabrication, assembly, testing or delivery of our products; the risks of producing products with new suppliers and at new fabrication and assembly and test facilities; problems or delays that we may face in shifting our products to smaller geometry process technologies; the effectiveness of Intersil’s expense and product cost control and reduction efforts; the risks inherent in acquisitions, including the acquisition of Elantec Semiconductor, Inc. (including integration issues; costs and unanticipated expenditures; changing relationships with customers, suppliers, and strategic partners; potential contractual, employment, and intellectual property issues; risks of not securing regulatory approvals; accounting treatment and charges; and the risks that the acquisition cannot be completed successfully, or that the anticipated benefits of the acquisition are not realized); 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 recently filed 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 communication and Intersil undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements. PRISM is a registered trademark of Intersil Americas Inc.
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