OMNIVISION CameraChip™ and Cypress USB Microcontroller Enable Easy and Cost-Effective Camera-to-Host Integration
SUNNYVALE AND SAN JOSE, CA — November 12, 2001 — OMNIVISION Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: OVTI), a market-leading independent supplier of CMOS CameraChip™ solutions for high-volume imaging applications, and Cypress Semiconductors, Inc., a market-leading manufacturer of high-performance integrated circuit solutions, today announced the Universal Serial Bus (USB) high-speed, stand-alone camera module reference design for their OEM manufacturing partners. The USB high-speed camera module comprises an OMNIVISION CameraChip™ and the Cypress EZ-USB FX2™ USB 2.0 high-speed microcontroller, providing a completely integrated solution.
OMNIVISION’s newest plug-and-play product design focusing on the high-speed bus market extends OMNIVISION’s USB camera solution portfolio and affirms OMNIVISION’s commitment to, and leadership in, offering advanced PC camera solutions. The module is the first USB high-speed digital camera reference platform available to the computer market.
“In the past, camera manufacturers faced costly and lengthy engineering, development and deployment problems when designing USB full-speed solutions,” said James He, vice president of core technology, OMNIVISION Technologies. “OMNIVISION’s USB high-speed camera module reference design simplifies production issues and eliminates the need for compression to achieve 30 frames-per-second video. Overall, this is a significant advancement in performance, time to market and cost savings for camera manufacturers and is a significant achievement for OMNIVISION.”
“As a leader in camera chip technology, OMNIVISION is a strong partner for Cypress Semiconductor’s efforts to proliferate the USB 2.0 standard for high-speed interfaces in the digital video market,” said Paul Novell, director of marketing at Cypress’ Personal Communications Division. “The EZ-USB FX2™ has a unique architecture that ensures sustained high-performance data transfer rates, as well as a general programmable interface that allows it to support all common bus standards. Both of these factors enable its support for the stringent interface demands that digital video places on any system.”
The USB camera modules are designed to improve time to market for camera manufacturers by providing the completely integrated design of a camera and USB 2.0 microcontroller, an extremely flexible, yet cost-effective single-chip solution from Cypress. This module will be pre-certified by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), ensuring that it has successfully passed compliance tests, giving OEM customers the assurance of design, operation and channel-acceptance. OMNIVISION is offering this module in VGA (640×480), SVGA (800×600) and 1.3 megapixel, or SXGA, (1280×1024) resolutions.
The high-speed reference design camera module is attractive to OEM camera manufacturers and monitor and display manufacturers interested in designing-in 30 frames-per-second video capture solutions. Additionally, the new OMNIVISION camera module is well suited for personal digital assistant (PDA) and handheld products, offering device connectivity via the high-speed USB interface. USB links PCs to peripherals in true “plug-and-play” fashion, making PCs much easier to use. The USB 2.0 standard, which transmits data at up to 480 Mbps, makes the speed of the peripheral-to-PC connection up to 40 times faster than the USB 1.1 specification.
The high-speed USB camera module is an easy-to-use, low-cost, high-volume solution based on OMNIVISION’s proprietary CMOS CameraChip™ technology. The advantages of CMOS imaging technology over CCD technology are smaller size, lower cost, lower power and simplified product design resulting in faster time to market. CMOS technology also enables cost-effective mass production needed for high-volume applications.
Price and Availability
High-speed USB reference design camera modules will be available from OMNIVISION in the first calendar quarter of 2002 for $175 per unit in VGA, SVGA and SXGA resolutions. The camera module development kit, which includes the camera module, will be available late in the first calendar quarter of 2002 for $499. Please contact your local OMNIVISION sales representative for additional information. Pricing and availability are subject to change.
About Cypress
Cypress Semiconductor (NYSE: CY) is “Driving the Communications Revolution”™ by providing high-performance integrated circuit solutions to fast-growing markets, including data communications, telecommunications, computation, consumer products, and industrial control. With a focus on emerging communications applications, Cypress’s product portfolios include high-speed physical layer devices (PHYs), network search engines (NSEs), network coprocessors, datapath switching elements (DSEs), networking-optimized and micropower static RAMs; high-bandwidth multi-port and FIFO memories; high-density programmable logic devices; timing technology for PCs and other digital systems; and controllers for Universal Serial Bus (USB). More information about Cypress is accessible electronically on the company’s worldwide Web site at http://www.cypress.com.
About OMNIVISION
OMNIVISION Technologies, Inc. is an independent CameraChip™ solutions provider. Utilizing proprietary design technology for its highly integrated still-photo and video camera solutions for high-volume imaging applications, OMNIVISION integrates multiple image processing and capture functions into a single CameraChip™ design. With the addition of only a lens, the result is a low-cost CameraChip™ that consumes less power, has a greater environmental functioning range and has a smaller footprint than typical CMOS multi-chip image sensor solutions. OMNIVISION’s CameraChip™ solutions are in cell phones, personal digital assistants, automobiles and industrial machine vision applications, as well as surveillance and biometric security applications. OMNIVISION is based in Sunnyvale, California. For more information about the company, visit our Website at www.ovt.com.
OMNIVISION and CameraChip™ are trademarks of OMNIVISION Technologies, Inc. All other trade, product or service names referenced in this release may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
EZ-USB FX2 and “Driving the Communications Revolution” are trademarks of Cypress Semiconductor. EZ-USB is a registered trademark of Cypress Semiconductor.
Certain statements in this press release, including statements regarding OMNIVISION’s commitment to offering advanced PC camera solutions; the product characteristics of OMNIVISION’s USB high-speed camera module reference design and the benefits it provides to camera manufacturers; the product characteristics of the EZ-USB FX2 and the benefits that such product characteristics provide; the certification of this USB high speed, stand-alone camera module reference design; the resolutions in which OMNIVISION is offering this module; the markets for which this module is well suited for; the benefits that the USB 2.0 standard provides to PCs; the benefits which the high-speed USB camera module provides and the pricing and availability of the high-speed USB reference design camera modules are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties, which could cause the forward-looking statements and OMNIVISION’s results to differ materially, include, without limitation: any interruption or termination of the relationship between OMNIVISION and Cypress Semiconductor; the intense competition in OMNIVISION’s markets; the timely introduction and production of the USB high-speed camera module; the high level of complexity and integration of functions of OMNIVISION’s products increases the chances of quality problems and latent defects; continued adverse changes in general economic conditions in the U.S., and internationally, including adverse changes in the specific markets for OMNIVISION’s products, could adversely affect the Company’s business and the other risks detailed from time to time in the OMNIVISION’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports, including, but not limited to, the OMNIVISION’s annual report on form 10-K filed on July 23, 2001. OMNIVISION disclaims any obligation to update information contained in any forward-looking statement.
“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements herein that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” involving risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to: the effect of global economic conditions, shifts in supply and demand, market acceptance, the impact of competitive products and pricing, product development, commercialization and technological difficulties, and capacity and supply constraints. Please refer to Cypress’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings for a discussion of such risks.