News & Events
Intersil’s Programmable Digital Up-Converter Simplifies Base Station and Smart Antenna Designs
Four independently programmable channels on a single chip
IRVINE, CA, September 28, 2000 — Intersil (NASDAQ: ISIL), a leading developer of silicon technology for integrated communications applications, announced today that it is sampling the latest addition to its CommLink™ family of digital radio circuits. The new up-converter supports legacy and next-generation wireless standards and can be programmed to accommodate up to four different cellular channels simultaneously.
IRVINE, CA, September 28, 2000 Intersil (NASDAQ: ISIL), a leading developer of silicon technology for integrated communications applications, announced today that it is sampling the latest addition to its CommLink family of digital radio circuits. The new up-converter supports legacy and next-generation wireless standards and can be programmed to accommodate up to four different cellular channels simultaneously.
"CommLink devices are specifically designed to support the expanding use of digital radio and wireless Internet applications across multiple cellular standards as well as second- and third-generation standards," said Juan Garcia, marketing manager of CommLink products at Intersil. "Intersils increased speed capabilities for cellular base station servers and broadband wireless access applications will help drive the cellular market. The latest addition to the CommLink family allows designers to program the device to accommodate multiple protocols simultaneously and positions Intersil as a supplier of complete digital radio solutions."
The CommLink ISL5217 is a quad programmable up-converter that serves in the transmit section in cellular base stations, enabling wireless, cellular communications. As a companion part, the ISL5216 serves in the receive section in the base station. CommLink supports multiple cellular protocols simultaneously, supporting legacy and newer third generation (3G) cellular standards as they come online, including GSM, IS-136 TDMA, EDGE, IS-95, CDMA (CDMA2000 and UMTS) and AMPS. The new up-converter and other CommLink devices support broadband wireless applications, enabling wireless broadband access of data for many miles.
Intersils digital radio technology fulfills the needs of the smart antenna application within the cellular marketplace, addressing frequency capacity limitations inherent in current base station cellular technology. Intersil develops digital radio infrastructure integrated circuits, digital up- and down-converters and data conversion devices that are designed to accommodate all current and next-generation protocols.
In the May 15 report "Wireless Semiconductor Application Markets, 1998 to 2003," Dataquest states that it will be important for suppliers to provide both A/D converters and digital up- and -down converters to be successful in the next wave of new broadband base station technology. On July 24, 2000, Dataquest noted, in a report entitled "Worldwide Wireless Communications Semiconductor Update: Spring/Summer 2000 Market Statistics," that 2.5G and 3G revenue will begin strong growth in 2001. Added Garcia, "Intersil is well positioned to capitalize on this expected trend by offering a multi-protocol compliant, and multi-protocol programmable converters."
Technical Information
The HSP50217 supports vector and FM modulation. In vector modulation, the QPUC accepts 16-bit I and Q samples to generate virtually and quadrature modulation format. The HSP50217 supports two FM modulation modes: FM with pulse shaping mode and FM with bandlimiting filter mode. The HSP50217 features an NCO driven interpolation filter, allowing the input and output sample rate to have a non-integer or variable relationship. The device features a maximum output rate of 80 MSPS and input sample rates as high as 5 MSPS. Multiple QPUCs can be cascaded digitally for multi-channel applications.
About Intersil Corporation
Intersil Corporation uses semiconductor expertise to enable highly integrated voice, data and video communications. Intersil's integrated communications portfolio includes PRISM® Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) chip sets that enable mobile connectivity products for the home and office; analog, mixed-signal and digital integrated circuits for broadband access to wireless and wired Wide Area Networks (WANs); and power management products that enable 24x7 reliability in network servers, next generation PCs and information appliances. For more information about Intersil, visit the company's Internet homepage at www.intersil.com.
This press release contains information relating to certain projections and business trends concerning Intersils integrated communications products and the digital radio and wireless markets that are forward looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward looking statements are based upon managements 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 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 Intersils integrated communications products and the digital radio and wireless markets include, but are not limited to, the rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt Intersils current, and next-generation digital radio circuits; the adoption of a particular cellular standard; 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; intellectual property disputes; as well as other risk factors detailed from time to time in Intersils filings with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission. 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.
CommLink is a trademark of Intersil Corporation.
PRISM is a registered trademark of Intersil Corporation.
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