NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR INTRODUCES 2.5A INTEGRATED SWITCHING REGULATOR AND ENABLES FAST DESIGN OF EFFICIENT, LOW VOLTAGE POWER SUPPLY

LM2655 Features High Performance, Small Size and Low Cost with Synchronous and Non-Synchronous Switching Flexibility

March 6, 2000 - Addressing an industry trend for increasingly lower voltage/higher current ICs, National Semiconductor Corporation (NYSE:NSM) today announced the LM2655 - an integrated 2.5A switching regulator in a TSSOP-16 package. The LM2655 delivers a conversion efficiency of 92 to 95 percent, resulting in increased battery life and decreased PCB area, which are factors of success in today's design challenges. The LM2655 is ideal for converting 5V to 3.3V or 2.5V and targets a myriad of applications, including laptop PCs, PC peripherals, Internet access devices, non-portable applications such as TFT monitors, cable modems and set-top boxes, and a variety of industrial applications.

"National's LM2655 presents a compelling alternative to a controller-based design when dynamic performance, board space and ease-of-design are important considerations," said John Perzow, marketing manager for National's switching regulators. "With very few external components, the device yields an extremely efficient, fast transient-response circuit in a very small space. This family of integrated synchronous regulators reduces the design time and component count typical with controller-based power supplies. Using National's switchers results in a high-performance switching power supply that can be designed in hours or days instead of weeks; and that gives our customers a meaningful time-to-market and cost advantage."

National's LM2655 switches at 300 kHz - a rate that at 1.5 to 3 amps maximizes efficiency and minimizes size. Also unique is the fact that the device can be used in synchronous or non-synchronous mode, which allows the designer to optimize his or her system for performance and low cost. The LM2655 has a low-side FET driver that allows the use of an external FET for synchronous operation. The LM2655 is extremely flexible and designed for small size, high-performance and low cost.

National's LM2655 is the newest member of a family of synchronous converters designed for low-voltage systems and is available in fixed 3.3V or adjustable versions. This product joins the the LM2651, a 1.5A synchronous switching regulator; the LM2650, a fully-integrated 3A converter; and the LM2621, a 1A, low-voltage step-up regulator that switches at 2 MHz. All of these devices are optimized for performance and size. Evaluation kits are available on the National Semiconductor Power Web Site at: Power.National.com.

Pricing and Availability
Currently available, the LM2655 is priced starting at $3.10 in 1,000 piece quantities and housed in a TSSOP-16 package. For more information on the LM2655, visit National's World Wide Web site at http://www.national.com/pf/LM/LM2655.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.