K-micro to Sample IEEE 1901 Compliant, Single Chip HD-PLC for 240Mbps High-Speed Power Line Communications

Lowest power, small form factor chip gives customers the benefits of high performance and easy integration into a variety of network and consumer devices

San Jose , CA. – February 21, 2012 –K-micro (Kawasaki Microelectronics America, Inc.), a leader in advanced ASICs and a member of the HD-PLC Alliance, announced that it will be sampling the lowest power single chip HD-PLC next month. Fully compliant with the IEEE 1901 standard, the chip (dubbed the “KHN13200 Chip”) will give customers high performance in a very small form factor, enabling easy integration into communications adapters and a variety of other network devices such as multimedia equipment and cameras.

“The low power of K-micro’s new chip enables the development of eco-friendly devices, and the small size allows HD-PLC to be readily integrated into a variety of consumer products,” said Kyoichi Kissei, executive VP of K-micro. “With a 240Mbit PHY rate, the KHN13200 Chip is the highest performance IEEE 1901 compliant device available.”

“We are pleased that K-micro is delivering the world’s first single chip HD-PLC that is fully IEEE 1901 compliant,” said Michimasa Aramaki, president and chairman of the HD-PLC Alliance. “We applaud the company’s rapid development of new and innovative HD-PLC products for network and consumer devices.”

About K-micro’s KHN13200

With its ISP support, the KHN13200 Chip provides a future-proof solution for tomorrow’s systems that support the coexistence scheme. Coexistence has been integrated into the IEEE 1901 specification and the ITU-T G.hn specification to ensure that when these products are available, the KHN13200-based adapters will continue to operate properly on the same power lines.

“KHN13200” features include:

1. Lowest power consumption in IEEE 1901 compliant devices:

• Operation mode: 0.4W (KHN13200 Chip only), 1.1W (module), 1.6W (entire adapter)
• Standby mode: 0.07W (KHN13200 Chip), 0.4W (module), 0.5W (entire adapter)

Highest data rate in IEEE1901 compliant devices -- 240Mbps PHY rate

Integrated PLC Coexistence requirements; ISP for IEEE 1901 and G.9972 for ITU-T G.hn. Compatibility with existing HD-PLC LSI products.

Availability

Samples of the KHN13200 Chip will be available in March 2012 along with a reference design and SDK (Software developers Kit). Volume production is slated to begin in May. Offered in a 144-pin TQFP package with exposed pad, the price is $25 in 1000 unit quantities.

About HD-PLC ALLIANCE

The HD-PLC Alliance was established on September 25, 2007, to promote the world-wide adoption of HD-PLC high-speed power line communication technology, and the interoperability of devices that use that technology. The HD-PLC Alliance is a non-profit association of more than 20 members including industry-leading organizations. The Alliance dedicates its efforts to leading the international standardization such as IEEE, and certification logo program. For more information, visit http://www.hd-plc.org/.

About K-micro (Kawasaki Microelectronics America, Inc.)

K-micro’s innovative ASIC technologies and world-class design support are used in the consumer electronics, computer, office-automation, networking and storage markets. The company is an active participant in industry standards organizations, including InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards (INCITS) Technical Committee T10 for SCSI Storage Interfaces, PCI Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG), USB Implementers Forum, Universal Plug and Play Forum (UPnP), Serial ATA International Organization SATA-IO, Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (HomePNA), IEEE P1901, IEEE P2030, International Telecommunication Union (ITU), HomeGrid Forum, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA), High Definition Power Line Communications (HD-PLC), and OCP International Partnership (OCP-IP). K-micro has design centers in San Jose, Taipei, and Tokyo. For more information, contact the company at 408-570-0555, or visit http://www.k-micro.us