Philips Semiconductors CoolRunner CPLDs Win EDN 1996 Innovation of the Year Award; EDN Readership Select CoolRunner's Fast Zero Power and XPLA Architecture in Digital IC Category

Business Wire, June 4, 1997

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 4, 1997--Philips Semiconductors today announced that its CoolRunner CPLD line of products, unveiled last August, received top honors for EDN Magazines Innovation of the Year Award in the Digital IC category.

According to Steve Kelley, general manager of Philips' CPLD Business Unit, "Philips' market response has been excellent since our first production release last August. It is an honor to be recognized for this level of innovation by our customers and peers. This award demonstrates our progress and contribution in the programmable logic market, and validates the overall acceptance Philips has achieved in less than one year."

CoolRunner devices feature two key technologies that provide fast, high-density chips in a unique manner. First, the XPLA architecture provides product-term allocation and sharing capability for maximum density with minimum speed degradation. XPLA allows multiple macrocells to share product terms with a maximum speed penalty of 2.0 nanoseconds -- yielding the fastest and most flexible product-term allocation solution available to designers.

Philips' Fast Zero Power (FZP) design technique addresses the traditional tradeoff between speed and low power. By replacing sense amps with a chain of CMOS gates to implement logic, Philips eliminates the need for constant current. The unique design technique enables stand-by power for CoolRunner devices to be less than 100 microamps as well as the lowest dynamic power, while device performance matches the fastest devices currently available at either 3 V or 5 V.

Philips Semiconductors, a subsidiary of Philips Electronics North America Corporation and an affiliate of Philips Electronics NV, headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, is the ninth largest semiconductor supplier in the world. 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. -0-

Additional information on Philips Semiconductors can be obtained by accessing the Philips Internet Home Page located at: http://www.semiconductors.philips.com

Additional information on CPLDs can be obtained by accessing the Philips CPLD Home Page located at: http://www.coolpld.com

CONTACT: Philips Semiconductors

Jodi Guilbault, 408/991-2332

jodi.guilbault@sv.philips.com

or

Mathas Communications

Carolyn Mathas, 541/899-8435

mathas@magick.net