Ensphere Solutions to Deliver New Transceiver Integrated Circuit for Intel's Light Peak Optical Interconnect Technology

New ESI-XVR10100 Features Low Power Consumption and Provides Dual Channel Operation, Full TX/RX Operation at 10Gbps in Compact Die

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Oct. 9, 2009 -- Ensphere Solutions, an emerging leader in advanced communications semiconductor ICs, today announced the availability of a new transceiver IC for the rapidly-developing converged I/O interconnect Light Peak technology.

Ensphere Solutions’ new ESI-XVR10100 is a cost-effective IC which interfaces with optical links and provides signal conversion between optical and electrical signals. It is one of the key building blocks of the Light Peak technology. Light Peak is a new transport technology that uses fiber optics instead of copper wires and is able to support full duplex data rates up to 10 Gbps. It supports legacy protocols such as USB, HDMI, DisplayPort, PCIe and others. The technology is designed from ground up to be inexpensive and small. It supports a wide range of devices such as handhelds, laptops, PCs, CE, and others.

Light Peak, developed by Intel Corporation, enables a single connection for video, storage devices, printers, webcams, and other peripherals that connect to a PC.. Its universal connector has the potential to replace multiple incompatible sockets. The ESI-XVR10100 monolithic device supports two independent channels, each with separate transmit and receive signal paths operating at 10 Gbps. Its flexible architecture supports multiple diagnostic modes as well as a comprehensive set of power management modes. ESI-XVR10100 is fabricated using deep submicron CMOS process technology, ensuring lowest power dissipation and cost with the flexibility to offer variations and customization for a broad range of applications.

“We have worked closely with Intel on this new design to assure optimal performance and minimal power dissipation, which is a key requirement for future portable applications,” said Hessam Mohajeri, Ensphere Solutions Chief Executive Officer. “Ensphere has a wealth of experience designing products supporting high data rates such as 10 Gbps as well as 25 Gbps. We are accustomedused to providing completeintense technical support to our customers, which is. This support is absolutely essential in order to overcome the challenge of designing systems and modules running at such high data rates.”

“Intel is pleased to be working with Ensphere Solutions to make Light Peak transceiver components ready for 2010,” said Jason Ziller, director, Optical I/O Program Office, Intel Corp. “The company has significant experience in advanced communications technology and design expertise that is vital to the implementation of Light Peak.”

Availability
Sample quantities of ESI-XVR10100 are available now and production quantities will be available at the end of this quarter.

About Ensphere Solutions Inc.
Ensphere Solutions Inc., a privately held company, offers advanced communications semiconductor ICs, IP cores and professional design services. Based in Silicon Valley, CA, the company specializes in the development of standard and custom mixed signal transceivers and RF chips. The company’s standard products are targeted for high-speed optical data communications.