Tokyo, Japan – March 14, 2001 – Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE: HIT) and
Parthus Technologies plc (Nasdaq: PRTH, LSE: PRH), today announced that
they will cooperate on the development of System-on-chip products using
the BlueStream platform from Parthus. The formal launch of the agreement
between the two companies was witnessed in Tokyo by Ireland’s Deputy Prime
Minister, Mary Harney, in the presence of Hitachi’s System LSI Business
Division Deputy General Manager, Kazuo Minorikawa, and Parthus Chief
Executive Officer, Brian Long.
As part of the cooperation agreement, Hitachi has licensed the Parthus
BlueStream baseband and protocol stack, which will be combined with its
own BiCMOS radio design using a Parthus BlueStream radio interface. This
solution ensures an accelerated time-to-market for the Bluetooth
product range from Hitachi, while ensuring maximum compatibility with its
SuperH microprocessor technology.
Bluetooth is rapidly becoming the de facto standard for wireless
communication between a range of electronic devices such as mobile phones,
laptops, PCs, printers and handheld devices. By eliminating the need for
cables between inter-connecting devices, individuals can share voice and
data using fast and secure local wireless connections. By 2005, Cahners
In-Stat forecasts that Bluetooth wireless technology will be used
in almost 1.4 billion devices, ranging from mobile phones and desktop
computers to digital cameras and automobiles.
“Bluetooth is driving the future of seamless wireless
connectivity, and Parthus’ BlueStream offers us an industry-leading
technology platform on which to base our offerings,” said Kazuo
Minorikawa, Deputy General Manager, System LSI Business Division,
Semiconductor & Integrated Circuits of Hitachi. “The flexibility of
the Parthus platform allows us to combine our BiCMOS radio design with the
Parthus baseband and protocol stacks on the Hitachi SuperH architecture to
deliver a truly world-class Bluetooth solution.”
“Hitachi’s microprocessor and radio technology is helping smooth the
convergence of the Internet and wireless devices,” said Brian Long, Chief
Executive Officer of Parthus Technologies. “While we can connect people
across continents, connecting devices in the same office or house has
proven extremely difficult without cumbersome wires. By combining our
respective Bluetooth technologies we are in a position to provide
wireless convenience in any location.”
About BlueStream
The Parthus BlueStream Platform delivers the complete Bluetooth
Platform comprising: – Radio ICs (SiGe, CMOS and mult-mode RF)
–
RF-to-DSP Interface IP
– Lower Link Controller IP
– Software
Protocol Stack
– Optional Audio Codec
* Hitachi licenses Lower Link
Controller IP and Software Protocol Stack.
Baseband Controller IP
The BlueStream 1000 baseband controller IP
solution provides the radio and lower link controller for the
Bluetooth specification. The Parthus Platform leads the industry in
form factor, MIPS requirements and software ROM size. The Parthus BB is
targeted at 0.18µm CMOS. The proposed Parthus partitioning is a digital
1Mbps interface with low-voltage signaling.
Protocol Software Architecture & Deliverables
The Parthus
protocol stack software has been written in ANSI C using object oriented
techniques, and has been architected to be modular and easily extended.
The software can support both L2CAP variants, with L2CAP either residing
on a host above the HCI or below the HCI in a deeply embedded ASIC
implementation. The stack extends all the way to the RFCOMM and SDP layer
and comes with a fully documented API for applications developers. Again,
with a baseband protocol stack requiring less than 40kbyte, the solution
is optimized for integration.
SuperH is a trademark of Hitachi, Ltd.
Bluetooth is a
trademark owned by its proprietor and licensed to Hitachi Ltd. and Parthus
Technologies.
About Hitachi
Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the world’s
leading global electronics companies, with fiscal 1999 (ended March 31,
2000) consolidated sales of 8,001 billion yen ($75.5 billion*). The
company manufactures and markets a wide range of products, including
computers, semiconductors, consumer products and power and industrial
equipment. For more information on Hitachi, Ltd., please visit Hitachi’s
web site at http://global.hitachi.com/ Hitachi’s
semiconductor business web site/home page address: http://global.hitachi.com/Sicd/index.htm
*At
an exchange rate of 106 yen to the dollar.
About ParthusCeva, Inc.
For further information About ParthusCeva,
Inc..
A PDF copy of this press release is also available
here.
###
This document may contain “forward looking
statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended. Any “forward looking statements” in this document are subject
to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those stated. Any statements that are not
statements of historical fact (including, without limitation, statements
to the effect that the company or its management “believes,” “expects,”
“anticipates,” “plans” and similar expressions) should be considered
forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual
results to differ from those indicated by such forward-looking statements
include uncertainties relating to the acceptance of semiconductor
intellectual property offerings, expansion of our business, quarterly
variations in results, and other uncertainties that are discussed in the
“Risk Factors” section of our prospectus dated November 8, 2000, which is
on file with the SEC and the Registrar of Companies in the Republic of
Ireland.