NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR ADDS POWER SWITCH AND PROTECTION DEVICES TO USB ARENA

Single and Dual Port USB Devices Offer Thermal Shutdown Isolation and Delay Flag Pin Advances With Pin Compatibility to Industry Standard USB Switches

January 31, 2000 - National Semiconductor Corporation (NYSE:NSM) today expanded its offerings into the burgeoning USB market with the LM3525/26 single and dual port USB power switches and protection devices. The LM3525/26 perform two vital tasks for USB downstream ports - over-current protection and power switching. They supply power to a USB "tree" of devices, notifying their controllers when over-current, over-temperature or under-voltage fault conditions are detected. Such protection capabilities are necessary and required in devices that source power, including root hubs, monitor and other embedded hubs, and stand-alone hub devices.

"Although our customers have many choices in the USB power switch market, we're taking a lead in innovation by eliminating external parts, while maintaining the compatibility the industry requires in standard USB switches," said James Schuessler, Power Management marketing manager for National. "We're offering the reliable volume delivery and short lead time required by high volume manufacturers in markets such as cell phones and handheld information appliances. We have the processes, technical capability and means to generate advanced products while maintaining a competitive cost structure."

The addition of an internal delay for the error flag pin enables the elimination of two external components per port (a resistor and capacitor). The elimination of these components does not affect pin compatibility with competitors' products, but does provide a cost advantage. The LM3525 device provides for a low RDS-ON of 120 milliohms worst case, allowing wider tolerance on the power supply and fewer constraints on PCB layout. The LM3526 provides thermal isolation between ports in over-current conditions, preventing good ports from glitching or asserting the error flag pin unnecessarily.

Available now in the SO-8 package, the LM3525 is priced at $0.75 in quantities of 1,000 and LM3526 is priced at $0.90 per 1,000. For more information on these products, visit National's World Wide Web site at http://www.national.com/pf/LM/LM3525.html and http://www.national.com/pf/LM/LM3526.html, or contact National's Customer Response Group at 1-800-272-9959.

About National Semiconductor
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 reported sales of $2 billion for its last fiscal year and has about 10,500 employees worldwide. Additional company and product information is available on the World Wide Web at www.national.com.