NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR ADDS LOW-POWER SERIES TO FAMILY OF WORLD'S SMALLEST OPERATIONAL AMPLIFIERS

New Silicon Dust Op Amps Consume 94% Less Power than Original LMV Series While Addressing Space and Cost Concerns of Battery-Powered Applications

March 29, 1999 - National Semiconductor Corporation® (NYSE:NSM) today announced a new series of low-power operational amplifiers that further extend the applicability of the widely-accepted LMV product family in tiny SC70 packages. Within an operating range of 2.7V to 5.0V, LPV-series devices consume 94% less power than LMV series devices - a minimal 9 microamps quiescent current per channel. Despite low power consumption, they retain wide bandwidth performance of 150kHz. The new LPV series combines the advantages of low power, small size and low cost for designers of portable equipment such as cellular handsets, cordless phones and pagers, and smoke detectors.

"Battery longevity is the key to the success of most handheld products," said Carlos Sanchez, product marketing manager for National's amplifier product group. "Using advanced sub-micron BiCMOS process technology to prolong battery life is further evidence of National's commitment to deliver the most competitive, next-generation amplifiers to new markets," he added.

The LPV series consists of the LPV321 single op amp, the LPV358 dual op amp, and the LPV324 quad op amp. The LPV321 die, so tiny it is called "silicon dust," is housed in the SC70-5, industry's smallest package for single op amps, measuring only 2mm by 2.1mm by 1mm. With this small package size, designers can increase signal integrity by placing the LPV321 close to the signal source in space-constrained portable systems.

Specifications for the single-supply LPV321, along with the companion dual and quad versions, include rail-to-rail output. The LPV series exhibits speed/power characteristics of 150kHz gain bandwidth, a 0.10 Volt/microsecond slew rate, the low supply current of 9 microamps per channel, and is guaranteed over the industrial temperature range.

The LPV family's small size and low cost are made possible by National's advanced sub-micron silicon-gate BiCMOS process that combines the speed of bipolar and the low power of CMOS without incurring higher cost. National reports a cost reduction of as much as 50% over CMOS parts with comparable specifications.

Price and availability
Samples of the entire LPV series of op amps are now available. The LPV321M7 and LPV321M5, in the SC70-5 or SOT23-5 packages, respectively, are priced at $0.31 in 1000-piece quantities. The LPV358M dual in an SOIC package or LPV358MM dual in an MSOP package, are priced at $0.33 in similar quantities. The LPV324M quad, housed in an SOIC or LPV324MT in a TSSOP package, are priced at $0.36 in 1000-piece orders. For more information on the LPV321/324/358 low-power op amps or other National Semiconductor products, see the company's World Wide Web site at www.national.com.

National Semiconductor provides system-on-a-chip solutions for the information age. Combining real-world analog and state-of the-art digital technology, the company's chips lead many sectors of the personal computer, communications, and consumer markets. With headquarters in Santa Clara, California, National has annual sales of approximately $2.5 billion and 11,500 employees worldwide. Additional company and product information is available on the World Wide Web at www.national.com.