Gain Technology and Intel Sign License Agreement
for Development of USB 2.0 Device Solutions
INTEL DEVELOPER FORUM, SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 26, 2001 - Gain TechnologySM today announced that Intel has licensed its USB 2.0 Digital PHY technology to Gain for inclusion in new Gain USB 2.0 Macrocell products. Intel will work with Gain to jointly test the product resulting from the integration of Gain's USB 2.0 analog technology with Intel's digital technology. Gain will market and sell the resulting USB 2.0 Macrocell products in the form of licensed USB 2.0 Macrocell intellectual property (IP) cores.
The first product resulting from this agreement will be a USB 2.0 physical layer (PHY) transceiver, a highly integrated mixed-signal semiconductor IP core which utilizes digital PHY technology and the USB 2.0 Transceiver Macrocell Interface (UTMI) standard, both developed in the Intel Architecture Labs. The USB 2.0 PHY core, targeted at customers developing system-on-a-chip hub and device applications, will initially be fabricated using TSMC's 0.18-micron CMOS digital logic process. Gain will offer design services to customers wishing to port the USB 2.0 PHY core to other semiconductor fabrication processes.
The PHY's flexible architecture supports the USB 2.0 480-Mbps protocol and data rate (high speed), and is backward compatible to the USB 1.1 protocol at 12-Mbps (full speed). Applications such as optical scanners, portable storage, external CD-R/W, desktop and hand-held video cameras, inkjet and laser printers, and other newly emerging high-speed peripherals will benefit greatly from USB 2.0's 40X improvement in transfer rate.
"We are fortunate to be collaborating with Intel on such an important development for the PC industry," said Steve Millaway, Gain's President. "USB 2.0's unprecedented 480-Mbps transfer rate coupled with its plug-and-play capability will revolutionize next generation PC peripherals. We are looking forward to working with Intel to help speed the adoption of this important new standard."
"We are confident that our collaboration with Gain will produce leading edge products that will address the growing demand for USB 2.0 device silicon solutions," said Jason Ziller, Intel technology initiatives manager and Chairman of the USB Implementers Forum. "Gain's solid industry reputation for developing high performance analog and mixed-signal chips will play an important role in enabling this exciting new technology."
Product Availability
Gain's USB 2.0 PHY transceiver core is currently available for licensing to both semiconductor and system companies. Silicon samples of the core and detailed support documentation will be available in the second quarter of 2001. Gain plans to perform certification testing at Intel's USB 2.0 peripheral integration lab in order to ensure compliance and interoperability with the USB 2.0 specification.
About USB 2.0
Universal Serial Bus (USB) enables cost-effective, outside-the-box connectivity with plug-and-play capability for personal computer, consumer, industrial, embedded computing and PC peripheral products. The current USB 1.1 standard is widely deployed in hundreds of millions of personal computers and peripherals including printers, scanners, keyboards, and digital cameras. USB 2.0 is a new backward compatible version of the specification designed to increase performance to 480-Mbps as compared to the existing transfer rate of 12-Mbps. More information can be found at www.usb.org.
About Gain Technology
Gain Technology is a privately held fabless semiconductor company that designs, develops and supplies high performance analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits and semiconductor intellectual property (IP) cores to semiconductor and systems companies worldwide. Through partnerships with strategic customers, wafer foundries and other vendors, Gain offers its customers both product design services and complete product delivery of Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Application Specific Standard Products (ASSPs) and semiconductor IP solutions. Gain is headquartered at 2700 West Broadway Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85745, Ph: (520) 628-9000, Fax: (520) 622-0076. Visit www.gain.com for more information.