ViaDesigner is a new electronic design automation (EDA) tool that enables system-level engineers, who have no previous IC design experience, to design their own mixed-signal configurable ASICs. This new approach to IC design is built on comprehensive system-level design technology from Mentor Graphics and Triad’s intelligent ViaASIC™ library wizards. Triad Semiconductor is a leading supplier of low-cost mixed-signal via configurable arrays, known as ViaASICs. Mentor Graphics is a leading supplier of EDA software, including solutions for high-level, mixed-signal system development and analysis.

The foundation for ViaDesigner is the SystemVision® design environment by Mentor Graphics, which seamlessly merges design capture, SPICE simulation, digital simulation, and high-level VHDL-AMS behavioral modeling into a unified design flow. Triad’s ViaDesigner tunes and extends the SystemVision environment by adding an easy-to-use set of ViaASIC library wizards that help the user design sophisticated mixed-signal circuits while freeing the designer from the tedium and expertise required of full-custom IC layout. ViaDesigner output is mapped to a ViaASIC utilizing Triad’s mixed-signal aware place & route software, ViaPath™.

For more than 40 years, analog design has been referred to as art or “black magic” that is beyond the reach of all but the most gifted of analog IC wizards. For the first time, ViaDesigner makes low-cost, mixed-signal IC design available to system-level engineers. ViaDesigner coupled with ViaASIC technology provides designer’s with a low-cost way to combine precision analog functions, data converters, ARM processors, custom digital logic, non-volatile memory and power management into their own optimized IC.

“Full custom mixed-signal IC design will always be hard work and quite frankly looks a bit like magic,” says Jim Kemerling, Triad CTO. “The beauty and power of ViaDesigner is that we’ve captured decade’s worth of custom IC design know-how into ViaASIC library wizards, freeing system-level designers from many of the low-level chip design issues.”

ViaDesigner supports designing at high levels of abstraction to greatly speed up the development process. ViaDesigner wizards guide the user through the realization of low-level IC elements, such as matched resistors, capacitors, switches, op-amps, etc., without forcing the user to be an expert in device physics or a particular foundry’s full-custom design rules. Triad’s own IC designers focus on the details of full-custom best practices and then make well-behaved IC resources available to their customers for easy selection and configuration of custom ICs through ViaDesigner wizards. In essence, Triad’s new ViaDesigner offering lets system engineers design their own custom ICs in a simplified process that is very much like designing a printed circuit board circuit out of discrete components.

Mentor Graphics is unique among EDA vendors in its focus on various aspects of system design, including multi-discipline, mixed-technology modeling and analysis with SystemVision. “Our SystemVision tool empowers system designers to virtually integrate and verify their mixed-discipline systems prior to physically building them,” said Serge Leef, Vice President and General Manager, System Level Engineering Division, Mentor Graphics. “The synergies of this powerful design environment, tuned specifically for Triad’s needs, combined with Triad’s unique ViaASIC platform, offer a compelling and game-changing solution for the custom IC industry.”

Triad Semiconductor’s long-time foundry partner austriamicrosystems is a leading provider of precision, high-quality analog/mixed-signal foundry services. “austriamicrosystems has a long history of providing specialty foundry services to Triad. Since 2005 several innovative via configurable arrays were developed based on our RF and high voltage CMOS technologies” said Thomas Riener, Senior Vice President and General Manager of austriamicrosystems’ Full Service Foundry business unit. “Triad’s new ViaASIC technology and ViaDesigner EDA flow provide to system-level engineers in quality-focused and performance-driven markets easy access to our foundry services and capabilities.”

About Triad Semiconductor

Triad Semiconductor is changing the way mixed signal ASICs are designed. Triad makes ViaASICs™ that combine silicon-proven analog and digital resources onto ASIC die that are configured with a single via-only mask layer change. This approach to ASIC design reduces development cost, development time, and is easier and less risky than traditional full-custom IC design. Triad is a privately-held fabless semiconductor provider of IC solutions for any production volume with headquarters at 3900 Westpoint Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC 27130. Visit: www.triadsemi.com or call 336-774-2150.

About Mentor Graphics

Mentor Graphics Corporation is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world’s most successful electronic, semiconductor and systems companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues in the last fiscal year of about $1,015 million. Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777. World Wide Web site: www.mentor.com.

Triad MARCOM Contacts

Reid Wender

VP of Marketing

336-774-2150

rwender@triadsemi.com

February 29, 2012 – Winston-Salem, NC – On March 26, 2012 full-custom mixed-signal semiconductor layout will go the way of the slide rule, punch cards, and OS/2. After literally billions on nanoseconds of analysis, the great minds at Triad Semiconductor realized that the focus of the year should not be on the so-called Mayan end of the world but rather on the end of the antiquated full-custom-only design of semiconductors.

The rewards of mixed-signal application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) are tremendous. ASICs deliver reduced system cost, save on size, weight and power, greatly improve reliability, enhance product manufacturability and protect sensitive intellectual property. Everybody wants the benefits of IC integration so why isn’t everybody designing their own custom ICs?

For some forty years, analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits have been manually hand drawn in a process known as full-custom layout. This full-custom layout process is time consuming, excessively expensive, prone to errors, and exceedingly difficult to change. Until now, companies needed to invest large amounts of time and money in sophisticated layout software, try and find scarce full-custom IC designers, and utilize expensive IC fabrication to realize their own mixed-signal application specific integrated circuit (mixed-signal ASIC).  These barriers to custom mixed-signal ASIC design have severely limited the number of designers and companies that can afford to attempt IC integration. Triad’s announcement on March 26th will at long last bring mixed-signal ASIC design within the reach of any electronics engineer – no full-custom IC know-how required.

As one Triad engineer was quoted, “@posedge DateClock { if DateReg == `END_OF_FULL_CUSTOM { NewWorldReg <= `TRUE;}}” (Okay, there is a reason that our engineers are better at doing than saying).

To find out more about the end of full-custom design and the new future of mixed-signal ViaASIC™ design visit www.triadsemi.com and look for the upcoming announcement on March 26, 2012.

About Triad Semiconductor, Inc.
Triad Semiconductor is changing the way mixed signal ASICs are designed. Triad makes ViaASICs™ that combine silicon-proven analog and digital resources onto ASIC die that are configured with a single (Via-Only™) mask layer change. This approach to ASIC design reduces development cost, development time, and is easier and less risky than traditional full-custom IC design. For more information, please visit www.triadsemi.com or call (336) 774-2150.

# # #

Editorial Contact:
Reid Wender
Triad Semiconductor
Vice President of Marketing
Tel: 336-774-2150
Fax: 336-774-2140
E-mail: info@triadsemi.com
www.triadsemi.com

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – January 31, 2012 – Triad Semiconductor Inc., the industry’s leading supplier of configurable mixed-signal ASICs, today announced the availability of a family of three new mixed signal via configurable arrays (VCAs). The new arrays, VCA-3, VCA-5, and VCA-8 are the smaller siblings to VCA-6. VCA-6 is Triad’s million-gate plus mixed signal via configurable array. These new VCAs all share the same type of high-performance analog and digital configurable circuits as VCA-6. These new smaller arrays are ideal for cost optimized mixed signal applications that can benefit from single chip integration. This family of arrays (VCA-3, 5, 6 and 8) is fabricated on IBM’s 180nm RF-CMOS process (7RF) providing cost-effective, high-precision mixed signal solutions. Fabricated in North America, these arrays are ideal for commercial applications and can support a full ITAR-compliant flow as needed for defense applications.

Technical Highlights
The VCA-3, VCA-5, and VCA-8 family of devices share similar analog and digital resources. The arrays provide a range of analog and digital capabilities with VCA-3 being the smallest of the new arrays while VCA-5 and VCA-8 have similar die sizes with different mixes of analog and digital resources to better match a range of design requirements. This spread of capabilities allows designers to match their high-performance, mixed-signal requirements to exactly the VCA that best fits their needs thereby optimizing cost, package size and power consumption.

VCA-3 Technical Details
28 single-ended amplifiers, 16 fully-differential amplifiers, 17.9M ohms of resistance, 3,030 resistors, 625pF of capacitance, 4,037 capacitors, 334 PFETs, 339 NFETs, 81 PNP BJTs, 744 switches, resistive DAC tile, 56,700 ASIC gates, 83Kbits of dual-port SRAM, 144Kbits of via-ROM, 124 configurable I/O.

VCA-5 Technical Details
32 single-ended amplifiers, 8 fully-differential amplifiers, 21.54M ohms of resistance, 2,996 resistors, 615pF of capacitance, 4,250 capacitors, 525 PFETs, 534 NFETs, 81 BJTs, 528 switches, 5 current steering DAC tiles, resistive DAC tile, 100,800 ASIC gates, 147Kbits of dual-port SRAM, 192Kbits of via-ROM, 160 configurable I/O.

VCA-8 Technical Details
28 single-ended amplifiers, 12 fully-differential amplifiers, 15.9M ohms of resistance, 2,582 resistors, 543pF of capacitance, 3,469 capacitors, 270 PFETs, 275 NFETs, 648 switches, resistive DAC tile, 151,200 ASIC gates, 221Kbits of dual-port SRAM, 288Kbits of via-ROM, 160 configurable I/O.

All of the analog and digital resources are arranged into tiles. A single Via-Only™ mask layer change configures and interconnects these analog and digital resources into a wide range of mixed signal circuits. If the design can be conceived of as an interconnection of op-amps, resistors, capacitors, logic and memory then the design can be implemented on a Triad VCA. As with all Triad VCAs, a wide variety of package options can be supported to best match system requirements. An ITAR-compliant design and manufacturing flow coupled with an expansive packaging offering makes these VCAs a good choice as an End-of-Life (EOL) or obsolescence re-design solution. Older FPGA, FPGA plus analog, and EOL ASICs can be replaced quickly and inexpensively with these VCA solutions.

About Triad Semiconductor, Inc.
Triad Semiconductor, Inc., a privately held fabless semiconductor company with headquarters in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, develops and produces configurable mixed-signal ASICs. The company’s groundbreaking via-configurable array (VCA) technology delivers ASICs with silicon-proven analog and digital functions more quickly and at a lower cost than traditional full-custom approaches. Triad’s single-mask, Via-Only™ routing cuts engineering effort and fabrication time, resulting in fast-turn prototypes and allowing design changes to be made at minimal cost. For more information, please visit www.triadsemi.com or call (336) 774-2150.

# # #

Editorial Contact:
Reid Wender
Triad Semiconductor
Vice President of Marketing
Tel 336-774-2150
Fax 336-774-2140
E-mail: info@triadsemi.com
www.triadsemi.com

SANTA CLARA, CA, —January 17, 2012— Berkeley Design Automation, Inc., provider of the world’s fastest nanometer circuit verification, today announced that Triad Semiconductor Inc., the industry’s leading supplier of configurable mixed-signal ASICs, has selected the company’s Analog FastSPICE (AFS) Platform for block-level characterization and full-circuit verification of their analog and mixed-signal designs.

“Triad develops complex analog and mixed-signal designs using via-configurable arrays that present unique circuit verification challenges,” said James C. Kemerling, CTO at Triad Semiconductor. “With AFS we can perform full-circuit verification of switched capacitor circuits such as delta-sigma modulators and filters which was not practical with our existing tools. AFS has shown as much as 10x performance improvement over traditional SPICE on PLLs and ADCs with nanometer SPICE accuracy.”

The Analog FastSPICE Platform is the world’s fastest nanometer circuit verification platform for analog, RF, mixed-signal, and custom digital circuits. The AFS Platform delivers foundry-certified nanometer SPICE accuracy 5x-10x faster than any other simulator on a single core and an additional 2x-4x performance with multithreading. For circuit characterization, the AFS Platform includes the industry’s only comprehensive silicon-accurate device noise analysis and delivers near-linear performance scaling with the number of cores. For large circuits, it delivers >10M-element capacity, the industry’s fastest near-SPICE-accurate simulation, and mixed- analog-digital co-simulation with leading Verilog® simulators. Available licenses include AFS circuit simulation, AFS Transient Noise Analysis, AFS RF Analysis, AFS Co-Simulation, and AFS Nano SPICE.

“We are excited that Triad Semiconductor selected the Analog FastSPICE Platform for verification of their configurable mixed-signal designs,” said Ravi Subramanian, president and CEO of Berkeley Design Automation. “Triad’s selection of the AFS Platform validates, once again, that Berkeley Design Automation is an essential partner to innovative mixed-signal semiconductor companies.”

About Berkeley Design Automation
Berkeley Design Automation, Inc. is the recognized leader in nanometer circuit verification. The company combines the world’s fastest nanometer circuit verification platform, Analog FastSPICE, with exceptional application expertise to uniquely address nanometer circuit design challenges. More than 100 companies rely on Berkeley Design Automation to verify their nanometer-scale circuits. Berkeley Design Automation has received numerous industry awards and is widely recognized for its technology leadership and contributions to the electronics industry. The company is privately held and backed by Woodside Fund, Bessemer Venture Partners, Panasonic Corp., NTT Corp., IT-Farm, and MUFJ Capital. For more information, visit http://www.berkeley-da.com.

About Triad Semiconductor
Triad Semiconductor, Inc., a privately held fabless semiconductor company with headquarters in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, develops and produces configurable mixed-signal ASICs. The company’s groundbreaking via-configurable array (VCA) technology delivers ASICs with silicon-proven analog and digital functions more quickly and at a lower cost than traditional full-custom approaches. Triad’s single-mask, Via-Only™ routing cuts engineering effort and fabrication time, resulting in fast-turn prototypes and allowing design changes to be made at minimal cost. For more information, please visit www.triadsemi.com

Analog FastSPICE, AFS Nano, and WaveCrave are trademarks of Berkeley Design Automation, Inc. Berkeley Design and BDA are registered trademarks of Berkeley Design Automation, Inc. Via-Configurable Array (VCA) is a trademark of Triad Semiconductor. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

PR for Berkeley Design Automation – Cayenne Communication LLC
Michelle Clancy, 252-940-0981, michelle.clancy@cayennecom.com

“Triad Semiconductor delivers mixed signal IC solutions using a radically different approach that allows a designer to integrate analog and digital circuitry into an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) at a fraction of the cost and time normally required”, stated James Kemerling, CTO of Triad. “We can achieve this by our unique patented VCA technology, which gives the designer the ability to configure and interconnect a rich set of mixed signal resources using only a ‘single’ via mask layer.  We have made Incentia’s TimeCraft static timing analysis tool a key part of our mixed signal ASIC design flow.  We were very impressed with the features, performance, ease of use and the overall value of this tool, as well as Incentia’s prompt and professional customer support.”

“We are pleased that Triad Semiconductor has selected TimeCraft for their mixed-signal design flow, using VCA technology,” said Ihao Chen, president and CEO of Incentia. “TimeCraft met the requirements in features, fast adoption, affordability, and fast turnaround.  We are looking forward to a strong business relationship with Triad Semiconductor”

About Incentia Design Systems, Inc.
Incentia Design Systems, Inc. is a leading Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tool provider of advanced timing and signal integrity analysis, post-layout timing & power ECO, and logic synthesis software for multi-million-gate nanometer designs.  Incentia’s products are in use at leading semiconductor, fabless IC design, systems, and design service companies worldwide. Incentia has offices in Santa Clara, CA. and Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan, and distributors in US, Japan, China, Europe, India and Korea.  For more information, please visit www.incentia.com, email to info@incentia.com or call 408-727-8988.

About Triad Semiconductor, Inc.  
Triad Semiconductor, Inc., a privately held fabless semiconductor company with headquarters in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, develops, prototypes and produces mixed-signal ASICs. The company’s groundbreaking via-configurable array (VCA) technology delivers ASICs with silicon-proven analog and digital functions more quickly and at lower cost than traditional full-custom approaches. Triad’s single-mask, via-only routing cuts engineering effort and fabrication time, resulting in fast-turn prototypes and allowing design changes to be made at minimal cost. For more information, please visit www.triadsemi.com or call (336) 774-2150.

Press Contact:
James Kemerling, Triad Semiconductor, Inc., 336-774-2150,  jkemerling@triadsemi.com

Ihao Chen, Incentia Design Systems, Inc., 408-727-8988 X101, ihao@incentia.com

TimeCraft are trademarks of Incentia Design Systems, Inc Via-Configurable Array (VCA)  is a trademark of Triad Semiconductor. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective holders. 

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – November 30, 2011 – Triad Semiconductor Inc., the industry’s leading supplier of configurable mixed-signal ASICs, today announced the availability of their smallest via configurable array (VCA), VCA-12.  This new VCA is fabricated in a 0.18-micron high voltage process at TowerJazz. The VCA-12 is optimized for size and price constrained applications.  The smaller die size of the VCA-12 allows the array to be assembled into small QFN, SOIC and other package options optimized per customer requirements. Produced on a cost-effective high-voltage 0.18-micron process, the VCA-12 is a cost effective solution for consumer, medical, industrial and portable applications. And, the array can support a ITAR-compliant flow for defense applications.

“It is bigger on the inside,” said Reid Wender, VP of Marketing at Triad Semiconductor, “Yes, the VCA-12 can fit into small packages yet this VCA still comes packed with nineteen op-amps and over 3,900 configurable resources” The VCA-12 is based on Triad’s silicon-proven via-configurable array (VCA) technology, which allows designers to quickly and inexpensively customize analog and digital features with lower power consumption and greater system cost savings than previous ASIC solutions. Typical applications include sweep up discrete analog functions such as filters, op-amps and data converts, integrated power management controllers, customized sensor interfaces and voltage domain translators.

Technical Highlights
The VCA-12 contains the following configurable resources:

• 852 configurable combinatorial logic blocks (any three-input logic function)
• 214 configurable sequential logic blocks (latches, flip-flops)
• 300 configurable multiplexer functions (analog and digital uses)
• Band gap reference
• 600 5V capacitors
• 48 18V NMOS transistors
• 63 18V PMOS transistors
• 46 configurable I/O pads
• 138 18V capacitors
• 136 5V NMOS transistors
• 8 5V op-amp output stages
• 14 5V operational transconductance amplifiers (OTA)
• 130 5V PMOS transistors
• 1,120 resistors
• 208 configurable switches
• The array support operation from 3V to 18V.

About Triad Semiconductor, Inc.
Triad Semiconductor, Inc., a privately held fabless semiconductor company with headquarters in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, develops and produces configurable mixed-signal ASICs. The company’s groundbreaking via-configurable array (VCA) technology delivers ASICs with silicon-proven analog and digital functions more quickly and at a lower cost than traditional full-custom approaches. Triad’s single-mask, Via-Only™ routing cuts engineering effort and fabrication time, resulting in fast-turn prototypes and allowing design changes to be made at minimal cost. For more information, please visit www.triadsemi.com or call (336) 774-2150.

# # #

Editorial Contact:
Reid Wender
Triad Semiconductor
Vice President of Marketing
Tel: 336-774-2150
Fax: 336-774-2140
E-mail: info@triadsemi.com
www.triadsemi.com

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – October 25, 2011 – Triad Semiconductor Inc., the industry’s leading supplier of configurable mixed-signal ASICs, today announced the availability of a family of three new high-voltage via configurable arrays (VCAs).  The new arrays, VCA-9, VCA-10, and VCA-11 enable the integration of high voltage analog, precision low voltage devices, digital functions and memory blocks into inexpensive single chip solutions.  These new VCAs are fabricated on austriamicrosystem’s 0.35-micron H35 CMOS process optimized for high voltage mixed signal performance and digital integration. Applications such as high voltage analog filters, replacement of CPLD and analog designs, high voltage multi-channel data acquisition, sensor interface, high voltage actuators and power management can benefit from the mix of 3.3V, 5V, 10V and 20V resources available on these arrays.

“Many applications are seeing the need for higher voltages to interface with new sensors and provide improved noise immunity,” said Reid Wender, VP of Marketing at Triad Semiconductor, “These new VCAs are perfect companions for today’s low voltage processors and FPGAs that want to control high voltage resources cost effectively without risking damage to their sensitive deep sub-micron circuitry.”  The VCA-9, VCA-10 and VCA-11 are based on Triad’s silicon-proven via-configurable array (VCA) technology, which allows designers to quickly and inexpensively customize analog and digital features with lower power consumption and greater system cost savings than previous ASIC solutions.

Technical Highlights
The VCA-9, VCA-10, and VCA-11 family of devices share similar analog and digital characteristics. The arrays provide a range of analog and digital capabilities with VCA-9 being the largest of the new arrays, VCA-10 smaller and VCA-11 the smallest of the three devices. This spread of capabilities allows designers to match their high voltage application to exactly the VCA that best fits their requirements thereby optimizing cost, package size and power consumption.

VCA-9 Technical Details (VCA-9 Product Page)
30 20V op-amps, 17 5V op-amps, 3,400+ 20V FETs, 3 12-bit ADCs, 2 10-bit DACs, 18.4K ASIC Gates, 24Kbits of SRAM, 78 20V analog I/O, 16 5V analog I/O, 46 digital I/O

VCA-10 Technical Details (VCA-10 Product Page)
3 20V op-amps, 48 5V op-amps, 2,200+ 20V FETs, 1 12-bit ADC, 2 10-bit DACs, 9.2K ASIC Gates, 12Kbits of SRAM, 50 20V analog I/O, 50 5V analog I/O, 31 digital I/O

VCA-11 Technical Details (VCA-11 Product Page)
3 20V op-amps, 40 5V op-amps, 1,650+ 20V FETs, 1 12-bit ADC, 2, 10-bit DACs, 6.9K ASIC Gates, 9Kbits of SRAM, 46 20V analog I/O, 42 5V analog I/O, 25 digital I/O

All of the analog and digital resources are arranged into tiles. A single Via-Only™ mask layer change configures and interconnects these analog and digital resources into a wide range of mixed signal circuits. If the design can be conceived of as an interconnection of op-amps, resistors, capacitors, logic and memory then the design can be implemented on a Triad VCA.

About Triad Semiconductor, Inc.
Triad Semiconductor, Inc., a privately held fabless semiconductor company with headquarters in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, develops and produces configurable mixed-signal ASICs. The company’s groundbreaking via-configurable array (VCA) technology delivers ASICs with silicon-proven analog and digital functions more quickly and at a lower cost than traditional full-custom approaches. Triad’s single-mask, Via-Only™ routing cuts engineering effort and fabrication time, resulting in fast-turn prototypes and allowing design changes to be made at minimal cost. For more information, please visit www.triadsemi.com or call (336) 774-2150.

# # #

Editorial Contact:
Reid Wender
Triad Semiconductor
Vice President of Marketing
Tel 336-774-2150
Fax 336-774-2140
E-mail: info@triadsemi.com
www.triadsemi.com

The VIP-REG1850 buck converter uses PFM/PWM control architecture to provide improved efficiency across operating load current range. The 2.7V to 5.5V input voltage range makes the VIP-REG1850 ideally suited for single Li-Ion battery-powered applications.

Find out more about the VIP-REG1850.

Boston MA, Embedded Systems Conference – Booth #821 – Triad Semiconductor Inc. (“Triad”) the industry’s leading supplier of via-configurable mixed-signal ASICs and Kaben Wireless Silicon Inc. (“Kaben”) an industry leading provider of high performance mixed-signal IP, announced the development of a programmable and via-configurable RF array (RF-VCA) for use in a wide variety of wireless applications. Implemented in a 65 nm RF-CMOS process, the RF-VCA makes integrating ARM processors, a customer’s proprietary digital circuits and custom RF receivers into small, cost effective solutions a reality.

Traditionally, RF IC design has been expensive, time-consuming and risky! RF ICs often need from three to four expensive silicon fabrication cycles and they require two years to develop a production worthy device. Using the Triad-Kaben RF-VCA approach, designs can go from concept to working silicon in four to six months. As the RF-VCAs are configured with a single mask layer change, designs can be modified and revised silicon can be delivered in four weeks at a fraction of the cost of a full-custom RF IC re-spin. “Not everyone has cell-phone-like production volumes and the development budgets necessary to create their own custom 65nm RF receiver ASIC paired with an embedded ARM processor and custom analog and digital” said Reid Wender, VP of Marketing at Triad Semiconductor “Now, with the Kaben Powered RF-VCA, many companies that would have never considered ASIC integration can afford their own custom RF-VCA solution.”

The RF-VCA contains two complete RF receiver signal chains that can be configured for applications such as GPS, cellular base stations, cognitive radio, military receivers, FM tuners, ISM-band receivers, and MRI channels. Central to the RF-VCA’s architecture is Kaben’s patented SIF-ADC™ technology that implements RF down-mixing, SAW filter replacement, and analog to digital conversion (ADC) and can be dynamically programmed in the field. The SIF-ADC architecture is ideally suited for implementation on Triad’s VCA architecture. Implemented in an RF-optimized 65nm process, the RF-VCA combines high-performance RF and IF processing with 12-14 bit, 156MSPS SIF-ADCs, onboard RF synthesizers, 2-million configurable ASIC gates, 2-Mbits of dual-port SRAM, and dual 3.125Gbps SERDES channels. The RF-VCA is a complete RF and digital solution for applications spanning frequencies from DC to 3GHz. “Combining the performance and field programmable capabilities of the SIF-ADC with the configurability of the VCA technology is very powerful” said Seste Dell’Aera, Kaben’s Director of Marketing. “A single product can now be applied to a wide a range of wireless and wireline receiver applications.”

To review your RF application and how your business can benefit from an RF-VCA implementation, please contact Triad’s system architects at 336-774-2150 or info@triadsemi.com to schedule a review of your requirements.  For information on the SIF-ADC contact Kaben at 613-596-6646 or seste.dellaera@kabenwireless.com.

Kaben SIF-ADC™ Technology
At the core of the receiver is Kaben’s patented SIF-ADC technology. The SIF-ADC is an analog implementation of a Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filter prior to a pipelined Analog to Digital Converter (ADC). Applying the filter function prior to the ADC provides exceptional anti-alias and image reject filtering to prevent unwanted signals from compromising the ADC performance. The transfer functions of the SIF filters are programmable using 256 field programmable tap coefficients.

About Kaben Wireless, Inc.
Kaben Wireless Silicon Inc is a semiconductor development organization for wireless and wireline communications systems addressing next generation communication standards. We develop circuits and systems for frequency generation and timing products, integrated reconfigurable tuners for software-defined radio, programmable on-chip filters, RF/Analog front ends and systems for proprietary and standards-based applications. Kaben delivers high-performance designs to manufacturers in the wireless and wireline communications market, that significantly reduce risk, cost, and time to market. For more information, please visit www.kabenwireless.com.

About Triad Semiconductor, Inc.
Triad Semiconductor, Inc., a privately held fabless semiconductor company with headquarters in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, develops, prototypes and produces mixed-signal ASICs. The company’s groundbreaking via-configurable array (VCA) technology delivers ASICs with silicon-proven analog and digital functions more quickly and at lower cost than traditional full-custom approaches. Triad’s single-mask, via-only routing cuts engineering effort and fabrication time, resulting in fast-turn prototypes and allowing design changes to be made at minimal cost. For more information, please visit www.triadsemi.com or call (336) 774-2150.

Contacts for media at Triad

Reid Wender
Triad Semiconductor
Vice President of Marketing
Tel 336-774-2150
Fax 336-774-2140
E-mail: info@triadsemi.com
www.triadsemi.com

Contacts for media at Kaben

Seste Dell’Aera
Kaben Wireless Silicon
Director of Marketing
Tel 613-596-6646
Fax 613-596-1809
E-mail: seste.dellaera@kabenwireless.com
www.kabenwireless.com

At Triad, Mr. Pratt will be responsible for overseeing and directing the rapidly growing engineering team tasked with creating mixed signal via configurable array (VCA) technology. Triad’s VCA solutions are developed by a veteran team of IC designers that have been handpicked from across the semiconductor industry. This engineering team, led by Mr. Pratt, is delivering semiconductor solutions that range from precision ITAR defense programs to high volume consumer applications.

After graduating from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1992, Mr. Pratt cut his teeth in the early days of RF Micro Devices (RFMD) as an RFIC designer. He was directly involved with the design of LNA’s, mixers, quadrature modulators, quadrature demodulators, automatic gain control (AGC) amplifiers, and driver  amplifiers. Over the years, as RFMD grew from eleven people to over 4,000 employees, Pratt took on an ever-increasing set of responsibilities within an engineering organization of hundreds of engineers. He led teams and departments in developing wireless products that shipped in the hundreds of millions. Mr. Pratt brings a wealth of engineering and semiconductor experience to Triad with semiconductor process know-how spanning GaAs HBT, SiGe, BiCMOS and CMOS-only processes. “We are excited about the impact Billy has already made here at Triad and we are confident that he is the right man to oversee the continual engineering growth needed to support the tremendous demand for Triad’s VCA technology in the marketplace” said Lynn Hayden, President and CEO of Triad.

About Triad Semiconductor, Inc.
Triad Semiconductor, Inc., a privately held fabless semiconductor company with headquarters in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, develops, prototypes and produces mixed-signal ASICs. The company’s groundbreaking via-configurable array (VCA) technology delivers ASICs with silicon-proven analog and digital functions more quickly and at lower cost than traditional full-custom approaches. Triad’s single-mask, via-only routing cuts engineering effort and fabrication time, resulting in fast-turn prototypes and allowing design changes to be made at minimal cost. For more information, please visit http://www.triadsemi.com or call (336) 774-2150.