San Jose, Calif., Aug. 7, 2006 — Micrel Inc., (Nasdaq:MCRL), an industry leader in analog, high bandwidth communications and Ethernet IC solutions, today launched a new family of tiny dual ultra-low dropout voltage (ULDO™) linear regulators. The MIC5320 and the MIC5321 are part of a new family of dual LDOs offering ultra-low dropout voltages of 35mV@150mA, more than 70db Power Supply Rejection Ratio (PSRR) and ultra-low output noise — all in an extremely compact form factor. The parts are offered in one of the industry’s smallest packages, a tiny 1.6 mm x 1.6 mm 6-pin MLF® package making them ideal for today’s most advanced portable applications including cellular phone RF power, camera modules, imaging sensors for digital still and video cameras, PDAs, portable media players (PMP) and PC cameras. The MIC5320 and MIC5321 are currently available in volume, with pricing starting at $0.64 for 1K quantities. Additional ICs are planned for introduction later in the year.

“Today’s portable applications continue to demand increasingly smaller solution sizes without compromising on specifications or performance,” noted Ralf Muenster, Micrel’s director of marketing for power products. “Micrel’s new MIC5320 and MIC5321 allow engineers to reduce the footprint of their solution by an astounding 71 percent when compared to standard 3 x 3 mm packaged solutions commonly available in the market. It’s Micrel’s goal to continue to push the envelope on current density and this family of LDOs delivers an impressive 117mA/mm2 which makes possible very compact form factor designs.”

Micrel’s new MIC5321 is targeted for those applications requiring high PSRR because it provides a bypass pin for additional noise filtering. This coupled with the low dropout, enables significant advantages in applications where maintaining high PSRR under low input voltage-to-output voltage conditions is crucial.

For general purpose, or digital applications requiring over 60db PSRR, Micrel offers the MIC5320. This device eliminates the bypass capacitor and provides two enable pins for applications requiring sequenced start-up. Both devices provide exceptional thermal performance, diminutive size and high current capabilities delivering an impressive 117mA/mm2 which makes possible very compact form factor designs. The ICs also offer the industry’s lowest dropout for a 150mA dual LDO thereby enabling longer battery life when powering portable applications from a Li-Ion battery.

The MIC5320 and MIC5321 integrate two, high performance LDOs that offer exceptional transient performance while requiring only very small and inexpensive 1uF ceramic capacitors. Both devices feature low quiescent current , a fast turn-on time of 30µsec, current limit and thermal shutdown protection, and can operate from -40°C to 125°C.

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