National Semiconductor Adds Active Filter Designer and Precision Amplifiers to WEBENCH Online Design Environment

National Semiconductor Adds Active Filter Designer and Precision Amplifiers to WEBENCH Online Design Environment

Creating a 9th Order Filter as Easy as Clicking http://filterdemo.national.com/

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- National Semiconductor Corporation (NYSE:NSM) today announced its WEBENCH(R) Active Filter Designer, the industry's most powerful online design tool, to speed the creation of sophisticated filters for data acquisition and signal conditioning applications. Designed from the ground up for ease of use, the tool lets engineers design advanced, highly customized filters for all standard filter types: low pass, high pass, band pass and band stop.

"Using the WEBENCH Active Filter Designer, any engineer can create a highly complex theoretical filter in minutes and implement it with highly accurate real-world models moments later," said Phil Gibson, vice president of National Semiconductor's Corporate Marketing group. "Engineers can sample the amplifiers, download the automatically generated documentation, use the custom assembly diagram, and build a filter tomorrow."

To view a demonstration showing how to create a 9th order low-pass filter with Bessel response in 30 seconds, see http://filterdemo.national.com/

"Today, designers may use the WEBENCH Active Filter Designer to develop more than 200,0000 customized low-pass filters using any of 180 op amps, including our brand new precision offerings," said Erroll Dietz, vice president of National Semiconductor's Amplifier product group. "National is not just building an 'ideal' structure, but is actually implementing it with real components."

"National's LMP(TM) precision products, such as the ultra-low offset LMP2011 and the LMP8270 high common-mode difference amplifier, process minute inputs and now, with advanced filters, any engineer can deliver an extremely precise signal," said Huibert Verhoeven, senior design manager for National Semiconductor's Precision Amplifier group.

The WEBENCH Active Filter Designer uses a powerful component selection tool, developed by National Semiconductor engineers to rapidly search among the company's portfolio of operational amplifier products (each with hundreds of different electrical parameters) and immediately configure the necessary bill of materials for every design. As with all the tools in National's WEBENCH design environment, the Active Filter Designer and its simulators are available free of charge at http://webench.national.com/.

National's WEBENCH Active Filter Designer also contains an embedded expert filter handbook. Visitors are guided through the process of creating a complete filter solution in a logical step-by-step fashion. All of the advanced theory any engineer would need is provided in a simple, integrated flowchart. The user can specify performance by frequency response, group delay or step response. The Filter Designer then creates all of the potential filter options (order and approximation) that meet the user's requirements and presents them as alternatives for comparison. Chebyshev, Bessel, Butterworth and elliptical transfer functions are offered with up to 9th order accuracy. Alternatively, the expert user can specify a set of ideal filters to be compared or even create an advanced filter from scratch.

Performance curves for each of the recommended filters are calculated and presented. The Filter Designer then guides the user through the selected filter implementation, including selection of the best op amp to be used in the design, and selection of each filter stage's topology, including Sallen-key, multiple feedback and state variable types. Simulation, free samples and automatically generated documentation make the filter a reality.

National's Unique Portfolio of Operational Amplifiers

National offers a complete portfolio of op amps ranging from high-speed, low-power, low-voltage to the newest line, precision. The company also offers application specific standard products (ASSPs) such as the world's fastest optical laser diode driver (LMH6533) and the innovative "Amp in a Mic" (LMV1032). These devices are offered in innovative packaging, including the revolutionary Silicon Dust(TM) and micro SMD packaging technologies.

A Seamless Suite of Online Tools and Resources

National's WEBENCH environment is useful for both the expert and the novice. It eliminates the need for a design engineer to perform tedious hand calculations and includes extensive online tutorials in analog design. The tools offer instant access to the latest SPICE models, parametric data and package information, enabling designers to simultaneously compare the performance of multiple devices in multiple applications. Overnight delivery in the United States is available on all of National's products with WEBENCH design tool capability.

The WEBENCH Active Filter Designer works seamlessly with National's other WEBENCH tools for wireless, power, audio, and amplifiers including http://solutions.national.com/ and National's online distance learning facility, Analog University.(R) To try National's other WEBENCH design tools, go to http://webench.national.com/.

About National Semiconductor

National Semiconductor, the industry's premier analog company creates high- performance analog devices and subsystems. National's leading-edge products include power management circuits, display drivers, audio and operational amplifiers, communication interface products and data conversion solutions. National's key markets include wireless handsets, displays, PCs and laptops. The company's analog products are also optimized for numerous applications in a variety of electronics markets, including medical, automotive, industrial, and test and measurement. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, National reported sales of $1.98 billion for fiscal 2004, which ended May 30, 2004. Additional company and product information is available at www.national.com.

NOTE: National Semiconductor, WEBENCH and Analog University are registered trademarks and Silicon Dust is a trademark of National Semiconductor Corporation. The SPICE engine for WEBENCH Active Filter Designer is supplied by Intusoft Corporation. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.


Source: National Semiconductor Corporation

CONTACT: Kimberly Fehrt of National Semiconductor, +1-408-721-7343, or
kimberly.fehrt@nsc.com

Web site: http://filterdemo.national.com/

Web site: http://www.national.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: To view high-resolution downloadable photos, please go to: http://www.national.com/company/pressroom/vpk/webenchfilters.html

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