NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR ENTERS DIGITAL IMAGING MARKET WITH ANALOG FRONT END SOLUTION FOR STILL AND VIDEO CAMERAS

March 21, 2000 - National Semiconductor Corporation (NYSE:NSM) today announced its entry into the markets for digital still and video cameras and digital industrial imaging with the introduction of the company's first member of a new family of imaging products, the LM98501 analog front end solution.

When used as a drop-in replacement for existing integrated or discrete analog front ends the single-chip LM98501 provides an excellent signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at lower power and with higher sampling and conversion rates. In addition, the LM98501 further improves image quality by using National's multiple-gain pixel-rate white balancing and multiple pixel-rate offset elimination built into the chip. These techniques are based on protected intellectual property. Digital imaging quality is mainly determined by SNR and the resolution of the CCD sensor along with performance of the analog front end and digital processing within the camera.

National's technique performs the white balance function on the analog image signal before converting each pixel to a digital signal. Other current digital imaging systems perform the white balance after conversion, when the SNR of the pixels has been fixed. Any subsequent gain thus amplifies both the signal and the noise level of the pixel, which degrades image quality. National's unique offset calibration provides a similar benefit by setting the black reference voltage level at the output of the analog-to-digital converter (ADC). This is more accurate than the conventional method which adjust the reference only at the input to the ADC, making no provision for variations in the offset voltage due to temperature and other factors.

The LM98501 provides a maximum sampling rate of 27 MHz (27 million samples per second) at 10-bit resolution, which is the standard for consumer cameras. It also features low power consumption of 160 mW at 2.7 volts and maximum sampling rate. Lower power usage helps extend battery life.

"The LM98501 has launched National Semiconductor into the fast growing markets for digital still cameras, digital video cameras and digital industrial imaging," said Jitesh Vadhia, vice president for National's Data Conversion Systems group.

"National will launch other imaging products this year to extend our product family and position National as a leader in the digital imaging marketplace," he added. One of these products will be the LM98502, an 18 MHz version of the analog front end with reduced power consumption and other features.

Pricing and Availability
The LM98501 is available now in a 48-pin quad flat pack and is priced at $4.50 each in quantities of 1,000. It also will be available in a leadless (LLP) package to be announced later this year. For more information on the LM98501, visit National?s World Wide Web site at http://www.national.com/pf/LM/LM98501.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.