News & Events
New Intersil I/Q Modulator / Demodulator and Synthesizer Chip – a PRISM II IC – Now in Full Production

— Most highly integrated IC produced on IBM SiGe process
— One of five ICs in PRISM II WLAN Chip Set

PALM BAY, FL, September 9, 1999 – Intersil today announced availability of the HFA3783 I/Q Modulator/Demodulator, a highly integrated and fully differential baseband converter for half-duplex wireless applications. The new device includes all necessary blocks for quadrature modulation and demodulation of "I" and "Q" baseband signals. It is in full production and is the most highly integrated chip yet fabricated at IBM’s silicon germanium (SiGe) foundry.

The HFA3783 is one of five chips that comprise Intersil’s new PRISM II WLAN Chip Set, which will be released as a complete set later this month. The new device integrates all IF transmit and receive functions including an AGC receive IF amplifier with level detector; in addition, it integrates a receiver DC offset calibration loop, and a three-wire interface synthesizer and PLL. It provides fast transmit-receive switching of 1s and a broad quadrature frequency range from 70 to 600 MHz.

"The SiGe BiCMOS process provides DC-to-GHz performance with low power consumption," said Larry Ciaccia, vice president – engineering and co-leader of the PRISM Wireless Products business. "Also, it provides very high integration of RF circuits combined with good digital CMOS density. We apply our design expertise to fully exploit SiGe’s deep trench isolation process, maximizing the attendant benefits of noise-reduction and circuit isolation, and yielding very high-density, high-performance RF designs. We’ve designed the PRISM II chips to lead the industry in integration, performance, and power consumption, giving our customers the competitive edge in value vs. cost for a variety of WLAN applications."

The HFA3783 is well-suited for a variety of wireless applications including wireless local area networks (WLANs), PCMCIA wireless transceivers, ISM systems including automatic level control (ALC) and TDMA packet protocol radios.

With the HFA3783, the receive and transmit IF paths share a common differential matching network so that only a single IF filter is required for half duplex transceivers. Only one SAW filter is required, providing further cost savings. A pair of second-order anti-aliasing filters with an integrated DC offset cancellation architecture is included in the receive chain for baseband operation down to DC. The AGC has 70 dB of voltage gain and more than 70 dB of gain control range. The transmit output also features gain control with 70 dB of range.

In addition, an IF level detector is included in the AGC chain for threshold comparison. Up and down conversion are performed by double-balanced mixers for "I and Q" IF processing. These converters are driven by a broadband quadrature LO generator with frequency of operation phase locked by an internal 3-wire interface synthesizer and PLL. The device requires low LO levels from an external VCO and a PLL reference signal up to 44 MHz.

Packaging, Availability and Pricing

The HFA3783 is available in 48-lead LQFP packages – well suited for PCMCIA board applications – or on Tape and Reel. It is priced at $6.96 in 100K quantities. For more information on the HFA3783 – including a complete data sheet – or the other ICs in the PRISM family, visit Intersil’s homepage at http://www.intersil.com/prism.

Adoption of PRISM Technology
Since introducing the PRISM WLAN chip set in 1996, over forty companies have incorporated PRISM chips in more than 100 product designs. PRISM technology is designed to comply with the IEEE’s 802.11 global standard and Intersil plans to introduce better performing, more highly integrated chip set solutions roughly every nine months. PRISM chips are used in WLAN systems from industry leading companies including Compaq, Nokia, Siemens, 3Com, Nortel, Samsung, Zoom Telephonics, Aironet, and SpectraLink.

About PRISM II
Intersil’s PRISM II Chip Set is the world’s most complete silicon solution for the design of Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). Comprised of five highly integrated ICs incorporating advanced silicon germanium (SiGe) and sub-micron CMOS technology, PRISM II delivers all the required analog and digital circuitry for the PHY and MAC layers, providing a complete, "Antenna-to-Computer™" solution for high-data rate WLANs. PRISM II has been chosen by the world’s leading telecom, networking, and computer companies as a key part of high performance wireless products for home or office.

About Intersil Corporation
Intersil Corporation uses analog, mixed-signal, power and radiation-hardening technologies to develop advanced integrated circuits and discrete semiconductors for high-growth segments of the communications, power and space/defense markets. Intersil Corporation employs 5,800 worldwide and utilizes the rich intellectual property heritage from Harris, GE Solid State and RCA. The company’s worldwide web site is located at http://www.intersil.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current assumptions and estimates of future performance and economic conditions. Specific risks include worldwide demand and product pricing for integrated circuits, and reductions in the U.S. and worldwide defense and space budgets. In addition, Intersil cautions investors that any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results and future trends and events to differ materially from those matters expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements.

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PRISM is a registered trademark of Intersil Corporation