April 2, 2001 - National Semiconductor Corporation (NYSE:NSM) today announced a new family of high speed LMH™ operational amplifiers that are designed for use in communications applications such as xDSL, set-top boxes and other consumer applications. The first eight products in the LMH series are based on a cutting-edge VIP10 manufacturing process that National has developed to produce high-speed amplifiers.
"National Semiconductor is a leader in operational amplifier innovation. We are continuing to drive the market by developing process technology that will allow us to cost-effectively produce high speed operational amplifiers with the lowest power consumption for a given bandwidth," said Suneil Parulekar, vice president of National's operational amplifier product line. "The eight products we are introducing today for the communications market are just the first offerings from the LMH family. The benefits of VIP10 will allow National to move into optical storage and video markets, further increasing our presence in the lucrative operational amplifier arena."
LMH Product Offerings
National's LMH66xx family of operational amplifiers is a new series of high speed products based upon the VIP10 process. The first members of the LMH66xx family consist of eight devices, each targeting a specific market segment within the communications market. National plans to introduce its second wave of LMH products, targeted for optical storage/video applications, in Q4 2001.
The LMH6672 is a dual high speed amplifier with a high output current of +320mA, a very low distortion rate of -84dBc, and a good bandwidth-to-power ratio of 200MHz/5.5mA. Applications for the LMH6672 include Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) line drivers for xDSL applications.
National's LMH6654/55 high speed amplifiers have very low distortion and noise (4.5nV/rtHz), a good bandwidth-to-power ratio of 240MHz/4.5mA, and a high output drive of 110mA. Applications for the LMH6654/55 include Central Office (CO) and CPE receivers for xDSL applications.
The LMH6642/43 are cost-effective high speed amplifiers (130MHz) with excellent supply/output current ratio of 2.4mA/+90mA, rail-to-rail output, and true single supply voltage capability of 3.0-12V. Applications for the LMH6642/43 include cable set-top boxes, contact image scanners (CIS) and PC servers.
The LMH6645/46/47 are high speed amplifiers with a very low supply current of 650uA, and rail-to-rail input and output. Additionally, National's LMH6647 has the lowest shutdown current in the industry. Applications include battery-powered portable devices such as GPS receivers, DVD players, and information appliances.
VIP10 Process
Developed in National's wafer fabrication site in Arlington, Texas, VIP10 is a high speed, dielectrically-isolated, complementary bipolar IC process that utilizes deep trench technology on a bonded wafer for complete dielectric isolation and optimal high speed amplifier performance. Trench technology with bonded wafers helps minimize parasitic
capacitance for optimal power-to-bandwidth performance, lower distortion and decreased die size. VIP10 is the process technology that allows National to design the most power-efficient, performance-oriented high speed amplifiers on the market today.
Pricing and Availability
The LMH66xx family is available now with prices starting at $0.79 in 1000 unit quantities. For more information on the LMH products, visit National's World Wide Web site at http://www.national.com/LMH. To view high-resolution downloadable photos of the LMH66xx family of products, visit National's photo gallery at http://www.national.com/company/pressroom/gallery/oa.html.
About National Semiconductor
National Semiconductor is the premier analog company driving the information age. Combining real-world analog and state-of-the-art digital technology, the company is focused on the fast growing markets for wireless handsets; information appliances; information infrastructure; and display, imaging and human interface technologies. 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.
