Cogency Introduces Single Board HomePlug Solution for Embedded Applications

Manufacturers can now easily and cost effectively integrate HomePlug-compliant technology into home networking and entertainment products

TORONTO, Ontario, December 3, 2002 - Cogency Semiconductor today announced the availability of its HomePlug Embedded Design Kit which provides designers and manufacturers of consumer electronics products a seamless path to incorporate Cogencys advanced HomePlug silicon technology into a wide range of home networking and entertainment products.

By providing a complete suite of hardware, software and design guidelines, the Design Kit significantly reduces product development time and risk, while providing a cost-effective way to implement HomePlug in high-volume consumer products.    
At the core of the Design Kit is Cogencys HomePlug Embedded Module, a complete, pre-manufactured printed circuit board module that incorporates all of the circuitry required to add a HomePlug interface to any embedded product design.

The HomePlug Module includes Cogencys Piranha TM SE chipset, a complete analog front end with coupling, and local DC-DC power conversion to allow operation from a single 3.3V rail. For volume production, customers can assemble the HomePlug Module themselves using the manufacturing information provided in the Design Kit, or alternatively source the HomePlug Module from pre-approved manufacturers.

"HomePlug is rapidly becoming a must-have feature for consumer products which benefit from connecting to the home network," said Ron Glibbery, CEO and President, Cogency Semiconductor. "Our module facilitates the rapid deployment of HomePlug technology into embedded applications while maintaining the aggressive price points required to drive the marketplace."
Examples of target applications for the Design Kit and HomePlug Module include home networking routers and gateways, wireless access points, set top boxes, digital audio systems, VoIP systems, personal video recorders and game consoles.

Digital audio player products which are HomePlug-enabled allow consumers to access audio content from their PC such as MP3 and WMA files, or Internet radio via broadband, then remotely play this content in a different room in the home using a standard audio system. Reference designs, such as those from OpenGlobe, which feature the HomePlug Module in conjunction with Texas Instruments DSP-based dual processor audio solutions, are currently available now.

"As audio standards continue to evolve, having a programmable platform that supports multiple audio codecs at the core is a key customer care about," said Charles Gonsalves, Business Development Manager for Texas Instruments streaming media group. Combining our DSP-based audio solutions with Cogencys HomePlug Module will enable consumer electronics manufacturers to quickly create products which stream and decode Internet audio files for playback throughout the home and easily upgrade those products as new standards are developed."

HomePlug Module Features
·   Cogencys industry leading Piranha chipset technology
·   Small form factor, stackable for further space savings
·   Low Power consumption
·   Optional MII or 8 bit parallel interface
·   Single 3.3 V supply
·   HomePlug, FCC and UL compliant

The HomePlug Embedded Module is based on Cogency's Piranha SE chipset. Targeted specifically for embedded applications, the Piranha SE is a highly integrated and cost effective HomePlug 1.0 compliant chipset operating at 14 Mb/s. Key features include low-cost CMOS technology, a versatile ARM processor-based MAC, easy product integration, and a highly integrated analog front end.

Pricing and Availability
Cogency's HomePlug Embedded Design Kit (DK1100-MEM) is priced at US $5,000 and consists of a HomePlug Embedded Module; 3W HomePlug enabled power supply, USB-HomePlug Wall Adapter and a CD containing a suite of software support tools and documentation. The product is available now, with delivery 2 to 3 weeks from receipt of order.

About Cogency Semiconductor
Cogency designs and markets high-performance semiconductors for the home networking and entertainment markets, focused on the HomePlug powerline standard. Cogencys Piranha chipset family is supported by an extensive set of system-level software and hardware including reference designs, firmware, utilities, and embedded design tools. Founded in 1997, Cogency is a privately held company with North American offices in Newport Beach, Toronto and Ottawa, and is represented in Taiwan by Jedcom Ltd. For more information about the company, please visit www.cogency.com.

For more information about the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, see www.homeplug.org.

US Media:
Mitch Joel
Verrecchia Group Communications
Tel: 514-935-0166 x148
mitch@vergroup.com

Graham Wilson
Cogency Semiconductor Inc.
Tel: 613-270-5053
pr@cogency.com

Canadian Media:
Andrée Mongeon
Märkant Communications
Tel:613-233-8617
amongeon@markant.ca

© Copyright 2002 Cogency Semiconductor Inc. All rights reserved. The COGENCY name and logo and PIRANHA are trademarks of Cogency Semiconductor Inc. All other company and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Features, pricing, availability and specifications are subject to change without notice.

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