Texas Instruments Mobile Computing Business Supports 1394 High Performance
Serial Bus

The 1394 Serial Bus Ideal to Support Both PC Peripherals and Consumer
Electronic Devices

DALLAS, TX -- January 9, 1996 -- Texas Instruments Mobile Computing
business today announced support for use in its notebook computers and
docking systems the IEEE 1394 High Performance Serial Bus. TI remains a
leading supporter for the 1394 standard having been the first company to
develop, announce, and demonstrate a semiconductor chip set solution to
support 1394. Texas Instruments is working with Apple Computer, Compaq
Computer, Digital Equipment Corporation, IBM PC Company, Microsoft,
National Semiconductor, Sony, along with other companies to promote the
aggressive development and deployment of 1394 as the high speed serial bus
featured in all personal computers. With the participation of these
leading personal computer manufacturers, the 1394 High Performance Serial
Bus is the ideal multi-platform personal computer bus bridge for
traditional PC peripherals as well as the new emerging digital audio/video
consumer devices.

The 1394 bus provides users a simple, reliable, and foolproof way to
connect personal computers to traditional peripherals such as hard disk
drives, printers, CD-ROMs, and scanners, as well as various digital
consumer electronic products such as digital cameras, camcorders, VCRs,
high definition TVs, and stereo systems. The high speed capability of the
1394 bus allows users to view full motion video and audio while at the
same time communicating with other computers and peripheral devices. The
1394 bus brings a standardized way to communicate with consumer video and
audio electronics, thus allowing users to control all equipment with one
simple interface. With this merging of personal computer and consumer
devices, users will be able to create and edit both audio and video
material in one easily connected system of personal computers and various
consumer equipment.

The 1394 bus employs a scaleable architecture with current data transfer
rates up to 400 megabits per second, and work is underway to define
specifications of multi-gigabit per second transfer rates. Thus, using the
currently defined 6 pin plug, the same connection can be used for both low
and high speed connections providing a single, easy to make "Plug and
Play" connection across the home, office, and industry today and in the
future. In addition, the 1394 bus has the advantage of carrying both the
signal and the power source to most products. Therefore, connections are
made using one simple 6 pin plug with no additional wire connections
required.

"Texas Instruments long list of award winning notebook computers is a
result of using technology to provide the customer with additional
functionality which has real value," said Dave Richardson, Senior VP and
Manager of TI's Mobile Computing and Office Solutions business. "Being the
first major manufacturer to introduce PCI bus architecture in its
notebooks and having introduced a chip set to link 1394 to a PCI bus,
Texas Instruments intends to maintain its leadership position by
supporting 1394 and providing the bandwidth users will need when
integrating video and sound applications into their notebook computers."

"The IEEE 1394 bus interface simply provides users with tremendous
convenience, ease of use, flexibility and value. The speed and 63
isochronous channels are available to support full motion video and sound.
The convenience is there to connect PC peripherals, consumer electronics
devices, and even to make computer-to-computer connections. The ease of
use is provided by a single plug that carries both signal data and a power
source and allows hot docking and plug and play. Thus, for low power
devices, the user simply connects one plug with no need to plug into the
AC power supply. With its low cost, 1394 is the ideal high speed serial
bus to support the emerging digital video and audio PC applications. The
1394 bus's inherent scaleability ensures we have a path for high speed
data connection that lives on in the future. We are looking forward to
video and audio products of the future which demand unparalleled bandwidth
while at the same time providing the customer unheard of ease of
connection," Richardson concluded.

Texas Instruments Semiconductor Group and Personal Productivity Products
business also play a highly active role in the 1394 Trade Association.
This Association comprises a mix of prominent personal computer as well as
the leading consumer electronic manufacturers. Adopting the byline, "The
Multimedia Connection," the 1394 Trade Association plans to use the 1394
bus as a natural bridge between their respective products and provide
users with a common, simple, reliable, and low cost means of connecting a
wide variety of digital products in the home and office.

"IEEE 1394 provides the bandwidth to connect PCs to multimedia and consumer
electronic appliances like digital cameras and digital VCRs, " said Carl
Stork, Director of Windows Platforms at Microsoft. "We are pleased that TI
is taking a leadership role in making 1394 available to mobile computer
users."
 
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