Founder of eSilicon Launches Astro Semiconductor

Astro Semiconductor provides complex, low-power, high-performance analog and mixed-signal IP solutions for the storage, communications and consumer markets
Initial products include PHYs for Serial ATA, SPI-4 and HyperTransport, a high-performance amplifier platform, and PCI-X I/O

SAN JOSE, Calif. – May 12, 2003 – Today, Anjan (AJ) Sen, founder and former executive of eSilicon Corporation is formally launching Astro Semiconductor, an analog and mixed-signal Intellectual Property (IP) company that he founded in January 2002. Simultaneously, Astro is announcing a series of physical layer (PHY) IP for the storage and communications markets along with analog IP for the consumer market (see separate press release titled, "Serial ATA PHY and High-End Analog IP from Astro Semiconductor," May 12, 2003).

"I formed Astro Semiconductor to deal with the challenges of designing and integrating robust, low-power, high-performance analog functionality into large, deep sub-micron (DSM) ICs," said Sen. "Bleeding-edge analog functionality demonstrated in a lab is a big step away from the end goal of delivering robust analog IP integrated into a large DSM ASIC that has a high yield and works to specification. Our analog products are proven to exceed performance expectations in real-world applications--even under the toughest noise conditions encountered in low-cost, mass-produced systems."

Astro's technology combines a unique design approach for achieving low power without sacrificing performance – known as Adaptive-Dynamic Biasing™ – and a methodology that allows efficient porting of analog IP to any foundry that has a standard CMOS process.

Astro's customers are leading systems and semiconductor providers including Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC), and Astro's IP is being used by fabless semiconductor companies as well as OEMs.

"As a leader in mixed-signal SoC design, TAEC is aware of the challenges in deep sub-micron analog design and have relied on Astro Semiconductor to deliver high-performance analog IP," said Doug Day, director of Mixed-Signal Design at TAEC.

Henry Jun, an analog veteran with prior experience at Analog Devices, Inc., VLSI, and Philips is Astro's CTO and leads a technical team of analog engineers with a history of delivering leading-edge, production-worthy analog ICs. The company is funded by its principals.

About Astro Semiconductor, Inc.
Astro Semiconductor is a fabless semiconductor company providing complex, low-power, high-performance analog and mixed-signal Intellectual Property (IP) in .18 micron, .13 micron and 90nm CMOS. Astro's IP address the complex analog and mixed-signal design challenges in rapidly growing storage, communications and consumer markets. Astro's products and technology allow its customers to integrate leading-edge analog functionality into their ICs, reduce implementation risk, and shorten time-to-market. Astro Semiconductor is located in San Jose, CA., founded in January 2002, and is led by Anjan (AJ) Sen, CEO and Henry Jun, CTO. More information about the company, its products and services is available at www.astrosemi.com or call 408-436-1548.