NORWOOD, Mass., Dec. 3, 1997 /PRNewswire/ Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) today
announced that 3Com will use a new ADI chip which integrates all the analog
and digital signal processing components of a 56K modem. This single-chip
solution is a custom design for 3Com (NASDAQ:COMS), the world's leading modem
maker.
    Today's U.S. Robotics(R) modems require five discrete integrated circuits
(ICs). ADI will integrate these chips onto a single silicon die -- in essence,
a 56K modem-on-a-chip. ADI's expertise in mixed-signal and DSP integration
will enable 3Com to produce a modem that consumes less power than currently
available designs. The IC will include 3Com's x2(TM) 56K* technology, which
provides high speed downloads from over 1200 Internet Service Providers
offering x2 service worldwide.
    With this development, 3Com includes ADI as one of its suppliers for
designing and manufacturing digital signal processors (DSPs) customized for
high-speed modem applications.
    "Analog Devices provides 3Com with a valuable supplier for integrated
DSPs," said Jerry Devlin, vice president and general manager of 3Com's
Personal Communications Division.
    "By integrating all analog and digital signal processing components onto
one chip, we go to market faster, with modems that feature lower power
consumption. Additionally, this new DSP will make it easier for our products
to comply with FCC regulations."
    According to Will Strauss, president of Forward Concepts, a market
research firm in Tempe, AZ, "The ability to integrate an analog front-end with
a DSP is the future of many emerging high volume consumer applications. This
single-chip solution for 3Com's U.S. Robotics 56K modem clearly places ADI at
the cutting edge of this technology."
    "High speed PC modems are an excellent target for an application-on-a-chip
solution" said David French, vice president and general manager of Analog
Devices' Computer Products Division. "This relationship with 3Com is evidence
that market leaders think of ADI when the solution calls for signal
processing-on-a-chip. With custom design and manufacturing services from ADI,
customers like 3Com are leveraging more than 30 years of analog signal
processing technology and our portfolio of successful DSP and mixed-signal
products."

    Benefits of Modem-On-A-Chip Solution
    The 3Com design integrates a programmable DSP core, all requisite memory,
and high-speed analog/mixed-signal circuits onto a single chip. The
programmable  DSP core provides a software upgradeable platform to support
evolving communications industry standards while preserving hardware
investments. Integrating all memory on-chip significantly reduces
powerconsumption and board space. In addition to power and space savings,
integrating analog/mixed-signal circuitry on-chip reduces eletromagnetic
interference (EMI), making FCC compliance easier.