Monday March 27, 1:57 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
Xicor Appoints International Components Corporation -ICC- as Authorized Design Center for Battery IC Products
MILPITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 27, 2000--
ú ICC to provide battery pack development support for customers in North America and Southeast Asia
ú Xicor and ICC to cooperate on module solutions for battery management
Xicor, Inc. (NASDAQ: XICO - news) today announced the appointment of International Components Corporation (ICC) as an authorized design center for battery IC products in North America and Southeast Asia.
In this role, ICC will provide advanced battery management design support and manufacturing expertise for major portable electronic systems manufacturers.
In addition, ICC and Xicor are cooperating in the development of module solutions incorporating Xicor's advanced battery management ICs. These module solutions will provide customers with ``off-the-shelf' battery management board level products. The recently released XM3100 is the first of these module products, and provides a complete turnkey solution for 3- or 4-cell lithium battery packs typically found in notebook PCs, handheld radios and portable medical instrumentation.
``ICC is a recognized leader in providing integrated power designs, with particular expertise in cellular phones and notebook PC applications,' said Michael Levis, vice president of marketing at Xicor. ``Now their experience is being applied to a series of modular battery management designs to reduce time-to-market and development costs. When coupled with Xicor's innovative battery management IC products, this will provide superior solutions to our customers.'
``We are pleased to be working with Xicor to develop advanced battery management solutions for our customers,' said Mike Davis, general manager of ICC's Energy Management Division. ``Xicor's innovative smart safety and gas gauging products add a new dimension of capability that has not been available in previous solutions.'
Xicor Company Background
Xicor, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures and sells nonvolatile in-the-system programmable products which retain information even when the system is turned off or power is inadvertently lost. Xicor's product line includes digitally controlled potentiometers (XDCPs(tm)), system management ICs, and standard and secure memory ICs.
Xicor product, corporate and financial information is readily accessible on the worldwide web at xicor.com .
About International Components Corporation:
International Components Corporation (ICC), based in Chicago, is a leading expert in portable power and rechargeable solutions. With over 30 years experience, ICC is dedicated to the design, development and manufacturing of power systems for the world's top cellular, communications, power tool, computer and other consumer products companies. By working closely with the rechargeable battery industry, ICC is able to help design, develop and manufacture battery chargers for new and existing chemistries such as Lithium Ion, Lithium Polymer, Nickel Metal Hydride, Nickel Cadmium and Sealed Lead Acid. For more information, visit the ICC Web site at icc-charge.com or call 312-850-8674.
Contact:
Xicor, Inc.
Mike Levis, 408/546-3593
Wendy Matthews, 408/546-3394
or
International Components Corp.
Mike Davis, 312/850-8674
Xicor and ICC Launch XM3100 Smart Battery Module
Xicor and ICC Launch XM3100 Smart Battery Module
MILPITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 27, 2000-- -- Complete solution for 3-4 cell Lithium Ion battery packs
ú Innovative software support for SMbus 1.1 smart battery specification
Xicor, Inc. (NASDAQ: XICO - news) and International Components Corporation (ICC) today announced the availability of the XM3100 smart battery module, a complete turnkey solution incorporating all of the electronics necessary to implement an SMbus 1.1 compliant battery pack.
The XM3100 includes all necessary software to support low cost gas gauging, calibration, and SMbus communications.
The XM3100 is ideal for 3- or 4-cell lithium battery packs typically found in notebook PCs, handheld radios or portable medical instrumentation, and supports:
ú Complete over-voltage, under-voltage and over-current protection circuitry. Safety threshold levels can be programmed by the user from a range of values to compensate for cell-to-cell variation.
ú Integrated EEPROM memory for recording key battery pack parameters and usage history.
ú Complete SMBus interface support.
ú Low cost software gas gauging via the on-board microcontroller, which eliminates the need for additional costly components or software development for gas gauging.
ú All software utilities to setup, calibrate and monitor battery pack operation.
``By utilizing the unique features found in Xicor's X3100 smart safety unit, we were able to develop a complete board level solution with 20-30% fewer components,' said Mike Davis, general manager of ICC's energy management division. ``Moreover, the X3100's ability to measure exact cell voltages allowed us to implement a very cost effective software `gas gauge' function.'
``The XM3100 is the ideal solution for customers who would prefer a cost effective turnkey solution for battery pack electronics,' said Michael Levis, vice president of marketing at Xicor. ``For those customers who desire enhancements or modifications to the basic design, ICC has the expertise and resources to quickly define, implement and manufacture solutions tailored to the most demanding customer requirements.'
Pricing and Availability
XM3100 samples are available now from either ICC or Xicor. Production lead-times are 12 weeks after receipt of order. Pricing for the XM3100 is $15.00 in quantities of 50,000 units.
Xicor Company Background
Xicor, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures and sells nonvolatile in-the-system programmable products which retain information even when the system is turned off or power is inadvertently lost. Xicor's product line includes digitally controlled potentiometers (XDCPs(tm)), system management ICs, and standard and secure memory ICs.
Xicor product, corporate and financial information is readily accessible on the worldwide web at xicor.com .
ICC Company Background
International Components Corporation (ICC), based in Chicago, is a leading expert in portable power and rechargeable solutions. With over 30 years experience, ICC is dedicated to the design, development and manufacturing of power systems for the world's top cellular, communications, power tool, computer and other consumer products companies. By working closely with the rechargeable battery industry, ICC is able to help design, develop and manufacture battery chargers for new and existing chemistries such as Lithium Ion, Lithium Polymer, Nickel Metal Hydride, Nickel Cadmium and Sealed Lead Acid. For more information, visit the ICC Web site at icc-charge.com or call 312-850-8674.
Contact:
Xicor
Mike Levis, 408/546-3593; Wendy Matthews, 408/546-3394
or
International Circuits Corp.
Mike Davis, 312/850-8674 |
