1996-03-01 , IC- 443

Eindhoven, CA. -- March 1996 --Philips Semiconductorsannounced today the first USB transceiver, an essential building block in implementing the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard. The new transceiver, the PDIUSBP11, can be used with any peripheral or host device and eliminates the need for vendors to design their own internal USB transceiver, saving development costs and improving time to market.

USB, defined by a group of PC and telephone industry leaders, makes it considerably easier for an end user to set up and use peripherals without having to open the PC and plug in a peripheral card. Peripherals will be correctly detected and configured automatically as soon as they are physically attached. With USB, new peripheral devices, many of them multimedia, will become available to PC users, potentially changing the ways in which PCs are used. USB will also enable easy PBX and digital telephone connectivity without specialized add-in cards.

"As the first USB transceiver on the market, the Philips PDIUSBP11 brings the USB standard closer to reality", stated by Peter Stevens, press officer Philips Semiconductors. "By using our new transceiver, peripheral makers don't have to reinvent the wheel and can introduce new peripherals to the market faster."

PDIUSBP11 interfaces directly to the Serial Interface Engine (SIE) preliminating the need to make custom USB I/O cells. The SIE, a design specification which is distributed free of charge to members of the Implementers Forum, can be easily integrated into a vendor's ASIC. With the SIE and PDIUSBP11, existing peripherals can be easily converted to USB peripherals.

PDIUSBP11 complies with USB specification 1.0 and supports both 12 Mbit per second "full speed" and 1.5 Mbit per second "low speed" serial data transmission. It utilizes digital inputs and outputs to transmit and receive USB cable data and is available in a SO 14 pin package.

PDPIUSBP11 sampling starts in mid-February with production quantities availabile in late March. The PDIUSBP11 will sell for $0.35 per unit in quantities of 10,000. Pricing is for U.S. customers only. Pricing will vary worldwide. For pricing in your area, please contact your local Philips Semiconductors representative.

Philips recognizes the advantages USB technology provides the end user in the expanding market for multimedia applications. The PDIUSBP11 USB transceiver is the first of a family of Philips Semiconductors USB components.

Philips Semiconductors, a division of Philips Electronics NV, headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, is the tenth largest semiconductor supplier in the world, according to a preliminary report on 1995 figures from Dataquest. Philips Semiconductors' innovations in digital audio, video, and mobile technology position the company as a leader in the consumer, multimedia and wireless communications markets. Sales offices are located in all major markets around the world and are supported by regional customer application labs.