Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas, NV- January 9, 2003- National Semiconductor Corporation (NYSE:NSM) today announced that it is partnering with Microsoft to create the chip set technology for an entirely new class of intelligent, personalized, easy-to-use, connected consumer devices. Microsoft's Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT) initiative is designed to provide consumers customizable information on a host of familiar items they use every day, such as watches. National's complete solution including baseband processing and radio frequency capabilities are key technologies in new SPOT-enabled devices.At the heart of the solution are two custom integrated circuits. One is a custom baseband processor with digital signal processing (DSP) accelerators built on an industry-standard ARM7 core. The other is a custom-designed radio chip. The first devices equipped with SPOT will be wristwatches from leading sports and fashion watch manufacturers. Each SPOT-enabled watch has a unique built-in personalized reception code that allows the user to receive up-to-date Web-based information such as stock quotes, sports scores, weather, traffic and other customizable messages.
National technologists worked closely with Microsoft engineers for more than two years to develop a complete solution to meet the stringent requirements allowing for the wireless delivery of information to Smart Personal Objects. Key requirements for SPOT devices are small size, low power consumption, built-in security and high-volume manufacturability.
National leveraged its analog expertise to create a power management solution for Microsoft's SPOT reference platform using four power management chips and one low-power amplifier. The complete National solution consists of seven chips contained on a system board that measures only 34 mm by 30 mm by 2 mm. Thanks to National's ultra-small micro SMD and flip-chip packaging, the entire solution fits in a wristwatch.
The ARM7 processor core and radio chipset are being built in National's state-of-the-art wafer fabrication facility in South Portland, Maine, using an advanced 0.18-micron complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. The ARM7 core features a unique 256-bit identification register that has been laser etched onto each die. This laser programming allows each die to be individualized so that SPOT device users receive their own personalized Web-based information. These chips were designed at National's design center in Bangalore, India.
The power management chips were designed in National's headquarters in Santa Clara, California, and are made in the company's analog wafer fabrication facilities in Arlington, Texas, and South Portland, Maine. The National SPOT solution includes the LM2797, LP3983, LP3985, LP3987 power management chips and the LPV321 operational amplifier.
The first SPOT-enabled wristwatches will appear in retail markets in the United States and Canada in the fall of 2003. Other SPOT-enabled devices such as alarm clocks, keychains and watch fobs are in development.
