Hyperstone introduces the industry’s most flexible flash memory card controller as a turnkey solution

Konstanz, Germany, January 14, 2003 - Hyperstone introduced today its new F2-16X series of power-efficient and highly compatible flash memory controllers.

With average data transfer rates higher than 7250 KB/sec, the new F2-16XN™ and F2-16XT™ flash memory controllers are designed for all applications that require power efficient, high-speed access to flash memory at the lowest manufacturing cost. The main target application is CF™ cards for PDAs, personal communicators, digital cameras, MP3 players and voice recorders. Additional applications include flash disks and disk-on-modules (DOM). Hyperstone provides a turnkey solution ready for mass production including schematics and all necessary firmware.

The F2-16X series offers many new features:

• Integrated on-chip components decrease customers’ total system cost.
• The chip, based on Hyperstone’s 32-bit RISC core, is produced in a 0.25 µm process boosting the applications’ performance and power efficiency.
• Optimized pre-formatting and testing procedures speed up customers’ manufacturing processes.
• Re-programmable firmware ensures compatibility and the flexibility to integrate additional features in the future.
• The controller connects up to 16 flash chips, operates up to 4 chips simultaneously, supports multi-die chips and is compatible with NAND chips (Samsung, Toshiba, etc.), AND chips (Hitachi, Mitsubishi, etc.), and NROM chips from Ingentix. Furthermore, it supports flash memory chips with 16- and 8-bit interfaces increasing customers’ system design flexibility and ability to react to changing market conditions.

The following options are available:

• The F2-16XN™ chip in a 128-pin LQFP (14 x 14 x 1.4 mm) directly connects up to 16 memory chips.
• The F2-16XT™ chip in a 100-pin TQFP (14 x 14 x 1.0 mm) directly connects up to 10 memory chips.
• The hyperFlash™ reference design includes schematics and all necessary files needed in order to manufacture CF™ or ATA cards.
• The CF™ card manufacturing kit enables efficient mass production
• Advanced system features can be integrated into custom SoC designs.

According to Dr. Matthias Steck, VP of Marketing and Sales, the F2 design is based on the very successful F1 flash memory controller. “The F1 gave our customers a significant competitive advantage, and with the F2 customers will outrun their competition altogether,” said Dr. Steck.

For more details please visit the Hyperstone web site at www.hyperstone.com (download the F2-16X product flyer at http://www.hyperstone.com/downloads/pdf/F2-16X_150dpi.zip)

About Hyperstone AG
Hyperstone, a fabless semiconductor and microprocessor design company, was founded in 1990 and is based in Konstanz, Germany. With a subsidiary in Taiwan as well as representatives, distributors and design partners worldwide, Hyperstone serves a global customer base. Product development is based in Germany and Taiwan. World-leading silicon foundries provide wafer-subcontracting services. Products include microprocessors based on Hyperstone’s unified RISC/DSP architecture and microcontrollers for flash memory solutions. The product scope ranges from packaged devices such as ASSPs (Application Specific Standard Products) and ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) to licensing of intellectual property (IP), reference designs and development support. Hyperstone’s products and solutions target markets such as digital imaging, mobile networking, internet appliances, flash memory solutions, communications, automotive and industrial solutions.