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To: SemiBull who wrote (1040)	8/5/1999 7:55:00 PM
From: SemiBull	Respond to of 1445

Microsemi LinFinity awarded Patent for Direct Drive Backlight System Architecture SANTA ANA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 4, 1999--Microsemi Corp. (Nasdaq:MSCC - news) Wednesday announced that its LinFinity division has received Patent No. 5,930,121 for its Direct Drive Backlight System Architecture. The Direct Drive Backlight Architecture was developed specifically to enhance performance and reduce the cost of next- generation products introduced as part of Microsemi/LinFinity's RangeMAX line of backlight control ICs. The patent establishes Microsemi/LinFinity as the leading-edge supplier of advanced, energy-efficient, drive solutions for portable communication/information appliances and Auto PC-based display applications. Direct Drive offers distinct advantages over conventional Buck/Royer circuits; it includes full-range dimming (100:1 ratios) and simplified Lamp Strike technique, which allows designers to optimize the use of the high-voltage transformers in the circuit. ''Our Direct Drive Backlight Architecture not only provides the most efficient electrical performance with up to 30 percent power savings, but also is the lowest-cost architecture for the system designer due to component count reduction,'' commented George Henry, LinFinity's systems engineering director. ''Direct Drive'' refers to the ability of LinFinity's new architecture to eliminate the inductor and resonant capacitors necessary to implement a conventional Royer-oscillator-based inverter solution. Instead, Direct Drive topology uses a fixed-frequency PWM control circuit connected directly to a high-voltage transformer primary via a pair of N-Channel MOSFET Drivers. Eliminating the costly and power- hungry components found in traditional designs, it simultaneously improves module cost, efficiency and size. ''We are designing in products based on this new architecture into new applications every week. The main focus now is on portable battery powered applications like digital cameras, mobile phones and PDAs where we can provide efficiency and power savings of up to 30 percent,'' according to Roger Holliday, LinFinity's vice president of marketing and sales. ''Another application area where our new products have been well received is in the automotive display market, where the extremely wide-range dimming capability of our Direct Drive designs has enabled us to penetrate several new programs. ''Backlight control power management ICs are a significant element in Microsemi/LinFinity's revenue growth plans,'' added Holliday. Microsemi/LinFinity's LXM1614, designed for wide-range dimming automotive applications, and the LXM1612, for PDA applications, are examples of the growing family of products that incorporate this patented technology. Microsemi is a global supplier of high-reliability and commercial analog integrated circuits and power and signal discrete semiconductors for the satellite, telecommunications, computer and peripherals, military/aerospace, industrial/commercial and medical markets. More information may be obtained by contacting the company directly or by visiting the company's Web site at: microsemi.com.