SAN JOSE, California, July 15 /PRNewswire/ --

Micrel Inc., (Nasdaq: MCRL), an industry leader in analog, high bandwidth
communications, and Ethernet IC solutions, today added an Ultra-Low Voltage
CML product family to its growing portfolio of high performance interface
products. The initial seven products of the family, SY54011R, SY54016R/AR,
SY54017R/AR, and SY54023R/AR are 1.2/1.8V Ultra-Low Voltage CML output
products with a core power supply of 2.5V that can interface directly to
devices powered by 1.2/1.8V supply. These seven products include a 1:2 Fanout
Buffer, Differential Line Driver/Receiver, 2:1 Multiplexer, and a 2 x 2
Crosspoint Switch and operate up to 3.2GHz In addition, the SY54016R,
SY54017R, and SY54023R offer Micrel's Fail Safe Input (FSI) circuitry.
Targeted applications include clock and data distribution, hot swap
applications, rack-based equipment and Automatic Test Equipment. All devices
are currently in volume production with pricing for 1K quantities starting at
US$1.54. In addition, evaluation boards are available upon request and
samples can now be ordered on line on Micrel's web site at:
http://www.micrel.com/ProductList.do.

"This new family of products is the only Ultra-Low Voltage CML output
family in the market featuring 1.2V outputs while offering excellent jitter
performance. This makes it ideal for today's high speed demands, which
include low-noise and a need to interface and drive low voltage FPGAs and
ASICs," said Thomas S. Wong, vice president high bandwidth products. "In
addition, the 1.2V operation takes low power to new heights by featuring a
power reduction of up to 50 percent."

All product AC performance is guaranteed from DC through 2.5/3.2GHz or
3.2Gbps, with rise and fall times less than 95ps for all products. The
product family guarantees jitter performance to be less than 10psp-p over
temperature and voltage, operation over the full industrial temperature range
(-40-degC to +85-degC), and core supply voltage operation of 2.5V and output
power supply of 1.2V or 1.8V. Moreover, the devices are offered in an
ultra-small 16-pin MLF(R) package that saves critical space and provides
low jitter, making the SY54xxx series ideal for today's high speed, low
jitter designs.

The SY54xxx series, along with the rest of Micrel's FSI family of
solutions, have been optimized to prevent unwanted oscillations and maintain
output stability when an input signal's swing collapses or disappears. Unlike
existing products on the market, Micrel's FSI design prevents a metastable
output condition when the input signal is removed or the amplitude fails.
This is especially crucial for rack-based equipment that has many I/O cards
requiring Hot Swap capability. Furthermore, the product family offers
Micrel's patented 3-pin internal input termination, which simplifies designs
and interfaces to any differential signal, AC- or DC-coupled.

About Micrel, Inc

Micrel Inc., is a leading global manufacturer of IC solutions for the
worldwide analog, Ethernet and high bandwidth markets. The Company's products
include advanced mixed-signal, analog and power semiconductors; high
performance communication, clock management, Ethernet switch and physical
layer transceiver ICs. Company customers include leading manufacturers of
enterprise, consumer, industrial, mobile, telecommunications, automotive, and
computer products. Corporation headquarters and state-of-the-art wafer
fabrication facilities are located in San Jose, CA, with regional sales and
support offices and advanced technology design centers situated throughout
the Americas, Europe and Asia. In addition, the Company maintains an
extensive network of distributors and reps worldwide. Web:
http://www.micrel.com.

Note: MLF is a registered trademark of Amkor Technology.

Web site: http://www.micrel.com