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World's Fastest High-Voltage Pin Driver Doubles Throughput for Automated Test Equipment

-- ISL55100A Provides Twice the Drive Capability of Competitive Devices

MILPITAS, CA, March 7, 2006 – Intersil Corporation, a world leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance analog solutions, today announced a quad 18V pin electronics driver and quad window comparator. The ISL55100A integrates four independent, programmable drivers and high-speed window comparators for use in automated test and measurement (ATE) applications. Each channel has independent driver levels, data and high-impedance control. Each receiver has a window comparator to provide high and low threshold level testing capability.

“With its many degrees of freedom to set supply voltages per driver, coupled with twice the drive capability as that of the closest competing solution, the ISL55100A provides significant cost savings through the reduction in component count, end-product variants and the ability to test a much wider variety of loads and equipment,” said Simon Prutton, VP/GM of Intersil’s Analog & Mixed Signal Products Group.

Flexibility, Accuracy and High Output Drive
The ISL55100A’s driver inputs can be driven in a single-ended or differential manner, allowing the device to be driven from a controller over a distance via twisted pair connections. The outputs can be placed in a high-impedance mode, facilitating the combination of this dynamic waveform testing solution with per-pin measurement units (PPMU) for DC parameter testing of components. With significantly lower output resistance compared to competing devices, faster rise and fall times and more accurate pulse waveform generation (up to 65 MHz) is achieved.

Each of the four drivers can be driven from their own split- or single-ended supply voltage arrangement, permitting the use of both positive and negative drive signals. Each of the four window comparators can be set to independent high and low thresholds and the inputs can be driven above and below ground to enable the device to interface with a wide variety of logic families. The comparators have flexible logic high and low level power supplies, which allows optimization of the interface to the controller.

Key Features

• Multi-channel architecture
  • Enables parallel testing of IC pins
• Integrated window comparators
  • Provides faster Voh/Vol testing and saves board space
• Wide output voltage range
  • Expands test coverage capability
• Per driver supply voltages
  • Allows parallel independent mode testing
• Low swing output drive capability
  • Allows accurate input threshold testing
• Low Rdson: less than 7 Ohms
  • Maintains fast rise time into capacitive or cable driven loads
• Negative output swing
  • Ability to test wide array of logic and analog parts or boards
• Differential input drive
  • Allows interface to LVDS or other differential signaling interfaces
• 72 pin QFN packaging with exposed thermal pad
  • Saves significant board area and assembly costs over discrete solutions

Target Applications

• Burn-in ATE
• Instrumentation
• Flash memory wafer testers
• Emulation
• Device programmers

About Intersil's ATE Portfolio
Intersil has an expanding portfolio of solutions tailored for the demanding requirements of today's automated test equipment (ATE). They include ultra-high-speed, low-noise amplifiers, high-dynamic-range and low-distortion amplifiers, high output current drive- capable pin drivers, data converters, switches, buffers, interface devices and transistor arrays. In addition, Intersil offers a comprehensive line of DC/DC converters. To learn more about Intersil’s ATE portfolio, visit the Special Analog page at http://www.intersil.com/special/.

Pricing and Availability
The ISL55100A is available now in a 72-lead QFN package and is priced at $17.00 in 1,000-unit quantities. More information on the ISL55100A is available at http://www.intersil.com/cda/deviceinfo/0,1477,ISL55100A,0.html. A large selection of amplifier products is supported by Intersil’s iSim™ online design tool. To explore these solutions, visit http://www.intersil.com/isim/. 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 the ISL55100A, visit Intersil’s photo room at: http://www.intersil.com/pressroom/photoarchives.asp. About Intersil
Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ: ISIL) 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, handhelds 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.

iSim is a trademark of Intersil Americas, Inc. All other brands or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.