SAN JOSE, Calif., May 15, 2000 -- inSilicon Corporation -- a leading provider of communications technology for complex systems-on-a-chip -- today announced the availability of its USB 2.0 device controller that fully supports the USB 2.0 Transceiver Macrocell Interface (UTMI) specification.

Compliant with USB revision 2.0, the inSilicon device core features data rates to 480 Mbps - 40 times faster than USB 1.1 devices - and is fully forward and backward compatible to USB 1.1-based designs, allowing seamless migration and toggling from 12Mb/s signaling and functionality to high-speed data handling. Processor independent and portable to any foundry and design environment, the device controller is the first communications semiconductor intellectual property product available on the market supporting the USB 2.0 UTMI specification, designed to improve interoperability between USB 2.0 products developed by other manufacturers.

The technology is optimized for high-speed peripheral applications and supports up to sixteen (16) configurations with each configuration supporting up to sixteen (16) interfaces. In turn, each interface supports up to sixteen (16) alternate settings for up to (sixteen) 16 endpoints, totaling thousands of different combinations.

"Many of the highest volume USB 1.1 peripherals in the market today are based on inSilicon technology," said Eric Huang, USB product marketing manager of inSilicon. "All new USB 2.0 products must be compatible with the hundreds of millions of USB systems currently installed. Our USB leadership position and expertise has given us a clear advantage in providing an outstanding USB 2.0 solution to the marketplace. Designers can now migrate their designs to USB 2.0 with system compatibility, interoperability, and flexibility not being an issue. We believe that we've just supercharged the deployment of USB 2.0 devices."

"USB 2.0 will supercede USB 1.1, which already is the ubiquitous connection for the PC," stated Jason Ziller, technology initiatives manager at Intel Corporation. "inSilicon's USB 2.0 device controller is a broad step forward to enable high-speed peripherals that are fully compatible with today's USB systems and peripherals."

"We expect the market will quickly embrace USB 2.0; by 2002 most new personal computers will offer support for the enhanced standard," observed Nathan Brookwood, principal analyst at Insight 64, and a keynote speaker at the USB 2.0 Developers Conference. "Suppliers need to begin designing 2.0-compatible products now. By incorporating USB 2.0, developers can reduce development costs and gain time to market advantages, as they pursue this emerging opportunity."

Applications for the inSilicon USB 2.0 device controller include conference cameras, scanners, printers, external storage devices, fax, modems, and mobile personal computing devices.

UTMI Streamlines USB 2.0 Development

Conceptually proposed by inSilicon and developed by Intel Corporation, the UTMI specification efficiently partitions USB 2.0 functionality between the USB 2.0 Transceiver and Parallel Interface Engine. The UTMI specification provides for two primary interfaces. An 8-bit interface operating at 60MHz is intended for standard products and ASIC implementations. An optional 16-bit data interface operates at 30MHz, and is intended to support FPGA-based designs. Supported by the industry's leading USB semiconductor, ASIC and FPGA suppliers including Hewlett-Packard Company, Lucent Microelectronics, Texas Instruments, Fujitsu, ST Microelectronics, Cypress

Semiconductor and others, common system partitioning provides designers with a wide array of design solutions and vendors from which to choose-simplifying design and speeding product development.

"Support for the UTMI specification will be vital for rapid USB 2.0 product development," stated Dan Harmon, USB marketing manager, Texas Instruments. "Many peripheral controller designers will integrate the inSilicon device controller, which will allow their device to interface seamlessly with TI's high-speed analog transceiver. This will allow for faster consumer product development as well as help ensure USB 2.0 specification compliance."

"As a USB 2.0 promoter, we expect a rapid move to high-volume production of USB 2.0 peripherals as market demand increases," said Ed Beeman, USB 2.0 product architect manager for HP's Greeley Hardcopy Division. "The UTMI interface in the USB 2.0 device controller from inSilicon gives designers real options for bringing USB 2.0 peripherals to market."

"Many USB 2.0 peripheral makers will integrate the digital synthesizable device controller into their chip design and use a separate analog transceiver," said Joel Silverman, vice president of marketing, Kawasaki LSI U.S.A. "UTMI is the first, publicly available interface standard, created from the contributions of many USB vendors. Peripheral makers that adopt non-UTMI based transceivers may be forced to redesign their chip if they change to high-volume production. UTMI-based solutions, like the inSilicon USB 2.0 device controller with the UTMI, will help designers bring products to market sooner and migrate to high volumes quickly."

RapidScript(tm) Utility Optimizes Design and Test The USB 2.0 device controllers also supported by inSilicon's RapidScript design utility, allowing designers to configure the core suitable to their application requirements. The design utility outputs an optimized core source code implementation with only the required functionality as well as an optimized test bench. RapidScript reduces errors in core configuration, while speeding up the configuration process.

About inSilicon

inSilicon Corporation is a leading provider of communications and connectivity technology used by semiconductor and systems companies to design complex systems-on-chip that are critical components of digital devices. inSilicon's technology provides customers faster time-to-market, and reduced risk and development cost. The Company's enabling communications technologies, including Ethernet, USB, PCI, IEEE 1394 are used in a wide variety of markets encompassing communications, consumer, computing, and office automation. Information about inSilicon products and technologies is available at http://www.in-silicon.com.

inSilicon and RapidScript are trademarks of inSilicon Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Source: inSilicon Corporation
Web: www.in-silicon.com