Xicor Expands Real Time Clock Family with Integrated 256K bit of Embedded Memory and System Management Functions

MILPITAS, Calif., May 31, 2002 - Xicor, Inc. (Nasdaq/NM: XICO) today announced a three member family of Real Time Clock (RTC) products that combine advanced real time clock/calendar, high density (32K x 8-bit) embedded EEPROM memory and advanced System Management building block functions. The X1205 is the basic member of the family with advanced clock/calendar functions.

The X1286 offers the same clock/calendar functions and combines 256K bit of embedded EEPROM memory. The X1288 is the premier member of the family combining advanced clock/calendar functions, 256K bit of embedded EEPROM memory and CPU Supervisory functions.

These products operate from 1.8-5.5V, making them ideal for a wide range of embedded timekeeping applications. In addition, they include a battery switchover function that supports automatic switching from the main power supply to a battery backup in the event of power failure.

Time is a commonly measured environmental parameter in embedded systems. Accurate time & date monitoring is required in almost all systems:

• Set top boxes need to monitor "pay per view" events for billing, and need to monitor "loss of signal" events for maintenance.
• Industrial utility meters need to time stamp meter readings for billing.
• Medical equipment needs to time and date stamp critical readings to insure accurate diagnosis.
• Routers need to time and date stamp message packets to meet quality of service levels.
• All-in-one printers and fax machines need to time and date stamp fax transmissions and receptions.

The X1205, X1286 and X1288 have a variety of advanced features that facilitate control of time-based events, such as:

Flexible Alarm Structure
The X1205, X1286 and X1288 feature a flexible alarm architecture that allows designers to preset time or calendar driven alarms. Alarms can be set with resolutions of sub-second, second, minute, hour, day, or month, or can be programmed for a specific day of the week.

On-chip Oscillator Compensation
These new products have the "On-chip Oscillator Compensation" feature that eliminates the need for an external RC circuit, improves the accuracy of the RTC, and provides ease of use for design engineers. Additionally, these products feature a user-selectable frequency output option. The output provides designers the flexibility of getting a square wave of 32.768kHz, 100Hz or 1Hz out of the real time clock.

Industry Standard Interface
The integrated real time clock products support the industry standard two-wire interface for direct control and communications to the real time clock/calendar and memory from a microcontroller.

High Density Embedded Memory
Both the X1288 and X1286 contain 32K by 8-bits of EEPROM memory. This memory array can be used for phone book functions, calibration parameters, serialization, general user memory, or any other function requiring byte addressable nonvolatile storage. The embedded EEPROM memory can replace standalone memory and reduce overall component count and system cost.

Integrated CPU Supervisory Functions
The X1288 products have a complete set of integrated CPU supervisory functions, including watchdog timer, programmable low voltage detection circuits, and power-on-reset circuits. The watchdog timer supports several user-selectable timeout intervals, ranging from 250 milliseconds to 1.75 seconds.

"Real time clock functions are standard building blocks required in laptop computers, cellular telephones, fax machines, utility meters and many other applications requiring time and date stamping of random events," said Venkatesh Shan, Xicor's General Manager of Power & System Management Products. "These applications stand to benefit from system level integration and the flexibility the On-Chip Compensation feature offers to improve clock accuracy without additional external components thereby saving board space and cost."

Product Availability and Pricing
 

Part Number	Sample Availability	Production Availability	Price 1000+
X1205S8	Now	Now	$1.60
X1205S8I	Now	Now	$1.68
X1205V8	Now	Now	$1.60
X1205V8I	Now	Now	$1.68
X1286A8	Now	Now	$2.90
X1286A8I	Now	Now	$3.05
X1286V14	Now	Now	$3.05
X1286V14I	Now	Now	$3.20
X1288S16	Now	Now	$3.36
X1288S16I	Now	Now	$3.52
X1288V14	Now	Now	$3.36
X1288V14I	Now	Now	$3.52

 

About Xicor
Xicor designs, develops and markets a wide variety of programmable mixed-signal integrated circuits and nonvolatile memory products used in networking, computing, communication and industrial applications. The Company's products include digitally controlled potentiometers and system management ICs that allow system designers to digitally control analog functions in signal processing, microprocessor monitoring and power management.

Xicor product, corporate and financial information is readily available on the World Wide Web at http://www.xicor.com.

Safe Harbor Statement
Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release are forward looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks may include the impact of competing products and pricing, timely design acceptance by our customers, timely ability to ramp new products into volume production, industry wide shifts in supply and demand for semiconductor products, and other risks detailed from time to time in Xicor's SEC filings.

"Xicor" is a registered trademark and "XDCP" is a trademark belonging to Xicor Inc. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.