Winbond Introduces New WinPot Non-Volatile Digital Potentiometer IC Featuring Up/Down Interface and 100 Taps

San Jose, CA, Sept. 16, 2003 — Winbond Electronics Corporation America, a leading supplier of semiconductor solutions to the consumer, computer, communications and electronics products markets, today introduced a new IC as part of its family of WinPot line of non-volatile digital potentiometer chips. The WinPot WMS71xx series, introduced just last month, now offers a solution featuring 100 taps. The family of single channel Up/Down ICs already features 16, 32, 64, 128 and 256 taps non-volatile digital potentiometers with 10KOhm, 50KOhm or 100KOhm resistance values. The Up/Down interface is easy-to-use and common in the industry, employing just three wires to control wiper movement or store tap value in the non-volatile memory. All chips in the family are offered with or without an output buffer, enabling users to choose a device that precisely fits their circuit requirements. The WinPot series are targeted at consumer, optical networking, temperature control systems, flat panel displays (for brightness and contrast adjustment), volume control and power supply applications. All members of the WinPot Up/Down family are released to production. The WMS7170 device, featuring 100 taps, is aggressively priced at under $0.60 in 10K volume quantities.

“The WMS71xx series features enhanced electrical characteristics and pin-to-pin compatibility for a wide range of consumer and industrial applications, “ said Hezi Saar, Product Marketing Manager, Winbond America. “With the introduction of the 100-taps devices, the Up/Down series is now offering a full range of digital potentiometers featuring a wide array of tap options.”

The chips can be used as a three-terminal potentiometer or as a two terminal variable resistor in a wide variety of industrial and wireless applications that require exacting performance standards. The devices operate over a wide operating voltage; ranging from 2.7V to 5.5V, with typical stand-by current of 0.1 micro amps. All of the WMS71xx ICs are offered in 8-pin MSOP, SOIC and PDIP packaging. Additional information can be found by accessing Winbond America’s new WinPot design resource center on the Company’s web site: http://www.winbond-usa.com.

About Winbond

Winbond Electronics Corporation America, based in San Jose, California, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Winbond Electronics Corporation, the largest branded IC Company in Taiwan and a leading supplier of semiconductor solutions worldwide. Winbond America designs, develops, markets and sells IC solutions to the global electronics marketplace. With a strong emphasis on mixed-signal solutions, Winbond America’s primary mission is to serve the signal conditioning needs of computer, consumer and communications electronic manufacturers. Winbond Electronics Corporation has approximately 3,800 employees worldwide with design centers in Hsinchu, Taiwan; Shanghai, China; San Jose and Torrance, California; and Austin, Texas. The Company can be contacted via the web at http://winbond-usa.com for Winbond America, or through the corporate homepage at http://www.winbond.com.

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Note: Winbond is a registered trademark of Winbond Electronics Corporation. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.