Fairchild Semiconductor's High Performance Crosspoint Switch at the Heart of Chyron's Sirius Router

Business Wire, Sept 9, 2002

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 9, 2002

Fairchild Semiconductor (NYSE:FCS) announced today that Chyron's Pro-Bel division is using Fairchild's OCX256 crosspoint switch in its innovative family of routers.

Fairchild's crosspoint switch routes high bandwidth video and audio signals instantly between an array of inputs and outputs with no external conversion equipment.

"There simply is not anything comparable on the market. Similar or larger products are geared to much higher frequencies, not necessary for Standard Definition Video (SDV) applications," said Russ Trayling, operations manager at Chyron's Pro-Bel Division. "Using Fairchild's crosspoint switch has allowed us to not only make Sirius incredibly versatile by switching both SD video and Audio Engineering Standard (AES) audio signals on the same board, but being a single-chip solution, also makes it extremely cost effective."

Fairchild's high-performance SRAM-based OCX256 crosspoint switch features a non-blocking 128 x 128 I/O switch matrix that delivers 667Mb/s data bandwidth per port. This CMOS device offers high port count, low power consumption and fast configuration to designers of advanced switching solutions.

The foundation of the OCX device is its silicon-efficient non-blocking crosspoint architecture. It uses the switch matrix to connect input/output buffers in one-to-one or one-to-many connections. A special broadcast mode routes a single input to all outputs at the maximum data rate for high-bandwidth applications, while the RapidConfigure(TM) parallel interface allows fast configuration of the switch connections.

The OCX256 is available with either LVDS or LVPECL I/O ports, providing flexibility to system and board designers. Design is further simplified with mainstream CMOS technology that operates at 2.5V and 3.3V, minimizing power consumption and heat dissipation. OCX256 also offers an industry standard JTAG interface that allows engineers to add boundary scan testing to their designs, improving testing and manufacturability.

The Sirius family of routers will be introduced in Europe at the International Broadcasting Conference (IBC) to be held in Amsterdam in September.

About Chyron

The Company the Whole World Watches(R), Chyron Corp. is a leading innovator in the development of industry-standard broadcast solutions ranging from on-air graphics to automation and signal processing and distribution. From the time Chyron introduced its first character generator in 1970 and Pro-Bel introduced its first routing switcher in 1975, Chyron Graphics and Pro-Bel products have gone on to become integral to broadcast operations in 115 countries. Today Chyron offers the industry's most comprehensive experience in providing integrated, scalable on-air solutions, all designed to protect the investment of the customer. For more information about Chyron products and services, please visit the company Web site at www.chyron.com

About Fairchild Semiconductor

Fairchild Semiconductor International (NYSE:FCS) is a leading global supplier of high performance products for multiple end markets. With a focus on developing leading edge power and interface solutions to enable the electronics of today and tomorrow, Fairchild's components are used in computing, communications, consumer, industrial, and automotive applications. Fairchild's 10,000 employees design, manufacture and market power, analog & mixed signal, interface, logic, and optoelectronics products from its headquarters in South Portland, Maine, USA and numerous locations around the world. Please contact us on the Web at: www.fairchildsemi.com.