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National Semiconductor
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NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR ANNOUNCES ULTRA-SMALL DIGITAL TEMPERATURE SENSOR FOR SMALL CELLULAR HANDSET MARKET

The LM70 Comes in a New Chip-Scale Leadless Package and Offers an SPI/MICROWIRE Interface

September 11, 2000 - National Semiconductor (NYSE:NSM) today introduced a digital temperature sensor housed in a proprietary new chip-scale, leadless package. Designed by National for the limited clearance available in small cellular handsets and other compact designs, the LM70 temperature sensor in a LLP-8L package measures just 3.0 by 3.0 millimeters, and is a slim 0.75 millimeters high. The device is compatible with SPI/MICROWIRE interface.

"The LM70 meets the growing demand for smaller and thinner temperature sensors to monitor the next generation of smaller, thinner cellular phones and hard disk drives," noted Robert Eddy, product marketing director for National's Data Conversion Systems group. "It further reinforces National's leadership in package innovation as well as its ability to respond to the needs of a fast-moving market with a smaller form factor and a simpler SPI/MICROWIRE-compatible interface."

With a 10-bit plus sign temperature resolution (0.25 degrees Centigrade per least significant bit, LSB), the LM70 temperature sensor is rated at 2.0 degrees C accuracy over a temperature range of -40? C to +85? C. It operates from small supply voltages ranging from 2.65V to 5.5V. High-precision temperature measurement and low-power operation make the LM70 an ideal solution for system thermal management in cell phones, hard disk drives, game consoles, test and measurement equipment, PCs and other microprocessor/microcontroller-based applications.

The LM70 temp sensor consists of a band gap temperature sensing circuit, a gain stage, and an 11-bit delta sigma A/D converter with a simple three-wire SPI/MICROWIRE compatible interface for operation as a slave to most popular microcontrollers. National specifically designed the delta sigma A/D converter for DC or very slow signal conversions.

The band gap circuitry acts as a sensor, while the gain stage amplifies the sensor's signal for measurement by the A/D converter. The LM70 measures its own die temperature, and can be queried by the microcontroller at any time to read temperature.

Pricing and Availability
Available now, the LM70CILD-3/5 in a leadless LLP-8L package is priced at $0.80 in 1000-unit quantities. It is also available in a MSO8 package, designated LM70CIMM-3/5. For more information on the LM70 temp sensor, visit National's World Wide Web site at www.national.com/pf/LM/LM70.html. To view a high-resolution downloadable photo of the LM70, visit National's photo gallery at www.national.com/company/pressroom/gallery/dcs.html#lm70.

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 $2.1 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.