For Immediate Release

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT

Jim Lyons (Microchip Technology Inc.) ...... 602/345-3322 Donna Buckmaster (Martz & Wadas) ...... 602/998-3154

MICROCHIP INTRODUCES 16-BIT XGA GRAPHICS ROM

CHANDLER, Ariz. (July 3, 1991) – Microchip Technology Inc., today introduced the XGA16C16, a 16-bit CMOS OTP (one time programmable) high-speed ROM designed for XGA graphics applications.

Designed as a world-wide user-programmable (16K x 16) array, Microchip’s XGA16C16 offers graphics board designers the fastest access times available (45, 55 and 70ns). This allows them to greatly enhance the speed of their board designs while also providing them with a single chip programmable memory solution to reduce circuit board space.

“The personal computer market has been demanding faster ways to deal with graphics imaging,” said Jim Lyons, product marketing manager. “The XGA16C16 will give graphics card designers a single chip, high speed alternative to using conventional EPROMs. With its 16-bit address/data bus and rapid access time, Microsoft Windows and other PC-based applications will be able to paint screens up to five times faster.”

The XGA16C16 from Microchip Technology is fully compatible with IBM’s 16- bit pixel storage format and can be pre-programmed to customer specifications.

CSS Laboratories, a leading manufacturer of graphics boards, selected the XGA16C16 for its new XGA graphics boards because of design flexibility. According to Tom Hayes, product planning manager for CSS Laboratories, “the 16-bit architecture is perfect for not only peripheral boards, but for motherboards too. It will replace two chips with one.”

Microchip’s new product offers additional advantages over standard EPROMs said Hayes. “The pin count is down to almost half of what it would take for a normal X8 EPROM and the space required is reduced. The XGA16C16 allows full utilization of the host computer buss speed without any wait states which increases performance.”

Price and Availability

The XGA16C16 is available for sampling now. The 70ns XGA16C16 is priced at $5.50 for plastic dip or PLCC packages, and $6.50 for the windowed UV erasable development chip (in 1000 quantities). Faster speeds are available at slightly higher rates.

CSS Laboratories, of Irvine, CA., designs and manufactures computer peripherals and graphics boards.

Microchip Technology Inc., a privately held company, designs and manufactures logic and non-volatile memory integrated circuits used in the production of electronic products in computer, telecom, datacom, automotive, consumer and military industries. The company’s logic devices include RISC microcontrollers and microprocessor peripherals such as display drivers. Memory products include serial and high density EEPROMs as well as high speed and standard CMOS EPROMs. Because of the company’s ongoing focus on surface mount packages, Microchip Technology has become the largest producer of plastic EPROMs in the industry. All product families are available as commercial, industrial and military offerings.

Microchip’s world-wide headquarters is in Chandler, Ariz., where it has two wafer fabrication lines as well as research and development, product engineering, manufacturing, marketing, corporate sales and administration departments. The company also has a wholly-owned assembly and test facility in Kaohsiung, Taiwan and sales offices in the United States, Europe, Asia and Japan.