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Lattice Semiconductor Introduces All-In-One Programmable Filter
HILLSBORO, OR - FEBRUARY 28, 2000-Lattice Semiconductor (NASDAQ: LSCC) today announced the newest member of its ispPACTM family of Programmable Analog Circuit monolithic ICs, the ispPAC80 in-system programmable filter. The ispPAC80 allows users to derive tens of thousands of different fifth-order precision filters from a single compact IC in a few seconds. The new product, an all-in-one, single-chip, continuous-time fifth-order filter, incorporates many additional advances to the ispPAC family, such as increased frequency range (up to 500kHz at full-scale amplitude), further improved offset performance, and new features such as a dual configuration memory. This "two-chips-in-one" capability allows the user to swap between two entirely different filter configurations by sending a command through the JTAG or SPI interface. The device instantly assumes the new configuration. The ispPAC80 joins the ispPAC10 and ispPAC20 products introduced in the fourth quarter of 1999. The earlier products are general-purpose, being capable of solving many different types of analog design problems smoothly. The ispPAC80 device is focused on filtering applications. "Filters make up a large portion of all designs which use discrete and low-integration analog components," said Andy Robin, VP of New Venture Businesses for Lattice. "It's always been tough to get those filters to work and be manufacturable at small tolerances in a system. But with the ispPAC80 chip, it's a pushbutton breeze." Advances in Technology Continuous-time fifth-order filters are very complex functions that have been burdensome and involved for analog designers. In the traditional approach, after multiple laborious calculations trying to choose the right filter type, a designer would then secure the needed components. To be aggressive about the filter's characteristics, the designer would buy high-precision resistors while being subject to the rather loose precision inherent in discrete capacitors. Very likely, precision OpAmps would be needed before and after the R-C filter. With components in hand, a breadboard would be created, which entails solving layout problems typical of the analog world. The resulting design might not deliver the desired results, after all - and then it's back to the drawing board. Once the design is reasonably final, analog component variability presents further hurdles to be overcome on the way to manufacturability. By contrast, the Lattice ispPAC technology incorporates all needed analog components on-chip, with thousands of highly precise, selectable values built in. This avoids the nuisance of having to secure the right parts. The essentially transparent ispPAC internal interconnect scheme eliminates the layout problem completely - the whole filter is in one ispPAC chip. Further, the resistors and capacitors built into an ispPAC device provide much higher overall filter precision than can be achieved with a non-monolithic approach, in addition to the obvious board-space saving integration benefit. Finally, if the user doesn't find the chosen filter to be what they wanted for their application, the ispPAC device's E� memory allows it to be reconfigured in an instant without searching for components, without creating a new board layout, and without any filter debug cycles. Additionally, the ispPAC80 "two-chips-in-one" capability allows the user to swap between two entirely different filter configurations. This on-the-fly reconfiguration effectively doubles the number of saved components in many designs. Useful applications for this capability include "seek-and-acquire" modes, test, and calibration sequences. The device also features a quick-access register to change the gain of the instrumentation input amplifier or to trigger a system offset calibration for critical applications. The ispPAC80 contains approximately 3,000 individual capacitors, arranged in what looks to the user like just seven programmable capacitors with 9-12-bit resolution. Thus, filter frequencies are never more than 3.5% away from a desired value between 50kHz and 500kHz. Overall, the user has 70 bits of control resulting in trillions of filter responses, all accessible through the simple PAC-Designer software. What You See Is What You Get The entire ispPAC family is supported by the PAC-Designer software tool, an integrated analog design environment with an easy-to-use GUI. Using the PAC-Designer software at a PC, an engineer selects their filter type and characteristics on-screen. A simulator shows the resulting signals immediately. Since the analog components used to implement the filter, their characteristics, and their interconnect are all on-chip, the designer can now enjoy the incomparable "What You See Is What You Get" benefit of the ispPAC Family - the programmed chip delivers precisely the filter response shown by the simulator. Although board-level designers have enjoyed filter-synthesis software for years, the frame-breaking difference Lattice provides is that after completing the design on the computer screen, the user downloads the design into the ispPAC device and the job is instantly complete, with unprecedented precision. This ease-of-design has never before existed for fifth-order filters. Though the user can define his/her own filter, the built-in expandable filter configuration database offers thousands of the most popular ones in a predefined, click-and-use format, and a powerful search engine allows narrowing the choices according to the characteristics needed in seconds, right on the user's PC. PAC-Designer software is available for Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT. Reduced Cost of Ownership The integration of many analog components in a single ispPAC product yields higher quality and reliability; lower purchasing, inventory, and assembly costs; and board space savings. In addition, it's very convenient to have an ispPAC80 device on hand when doing a filter design, instead of many dozens of different amplifiers, capacitors, and resistors: one can avoid the procurement delays typically suffered when one realizes that the right component isn't in stock. Further, each board using an ispPAC80 can be calibrated while in use at the system level, exploiting the built-in autocalibration capability. This robust approach eliminates the need for costly trimming steps and components in the manufacturing process. Applications The ispPAC family will be used in a diverse field of applications, just as are discrete and low-integration analog components. Some general usage themes will find ispPAC products near DSP functions preparing the analog signal for conversion and processing, next to the 30 percent of microcontrollers estimated to be used in conjunction with analog signals, in front of the volume of 12-bit A-to-D converters consumed today, and next to Lattice ispPLDs used in myriad applications which include analog circuitry. Applications are expected to include a host of industrial sensing, test, and measurement designs as well as communication and computation systems. Availability The ispPAC80 product and the PAC-Designer software are both available now. Pricing for the ispPAC80 is under $7.00 in thousands. The PAC-Designer software can be downloaded from www.latticesemi.com and is complimentary during an introductory period. The ispPAC80 System Design Kit, which includes software, samples, download cables, evaluation boards, technical documentation, and application notes, is available on the website for $149. The evaluation kit is also available through our extensive distribution channels at a suggested retail price of $149. About Lattice Semiconductor Oregon-based Lattice Semiconductor Corporation designs, develops and markets the broadest range of high-performance ISP programmable logic devices (PLDs) and offers total solutions for today's advanced logic designs. Lattice introduced in-system programmability to the logic industry in 1992. In June 1999, Lattice acquired Vantis, the corporation that invented the PAL� device and PLD switch matrix architecture, from AMD. With nearly double the R&D and sales resources, the resulting integrated company will focus on delivering logic products that satisfy the performance, density and ease-of-use requirements of its customers. Lattice products are sold worldwide through an extensive network of independent sales representatives and distributors, primarily to OEM customers in the fields of communications, computing, computer peripherals, instrumentation, industrial controls and military systems. Company headquarters are located at 5555 NE Moore Court, Hillsboro, Oregon 97124 USA; Telephone 503-268-8000, FAX 503-268-8037. For more information on Lattice Semiconductor Corporation or Vantis, access our World Wide Web sites at http://www.latticesemi.com. Statements in this news release looking forward in time are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including the effect of changing economic conditions, the effect of overall semiconductor market conditions, product demand and market acceptance risks, risks associated with dependencies on silicon wafer suppliers, the impact of competitive products and pricing, technological and product development risks and other risk factors detailed in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Actual results may differ materially from forward-looking statements. # # # Lattice Semiconductor, L (stylized) Lattice, ispLSI, ISP, in-system programmable, ispPAC, PAC-Designer, Vantis and PAL are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Lattice Semiconductor or Vantis Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Other marks are the property of their respective holders. For more information contact: Evelyn Leos, PR Manager |