Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc. (NASDAQ:CATS) a supplier of analog, mixed-signal and non-volatile memory semiconductors announced that EN-Genius Network has selected Catalyst’s CAT4201, 7W buck LED driver as a winner of the EN-Genius Network 2007 “Product of the Year” award in the “Smartest Commercial Move in Switching Regulators” category.
Designed for use in high-power household, commercial and automotive lighting products, the CAT4201 buck LED driver provides a significantly smaller and far more power-efficient “green” alternative to linear regulators, which, traditionally have been used to control high-brightness lighting applications.
EN-Genius Network Editor-in-Chief Paul McGoldrick stated, “With the whole automotive market poised for high-current LED lighting at the front end of vehicles, the need to power them effectively has become a big deal. Using linear regulators, going forward in time, is just not a good engineering solution. This converter has good efficiencies, is in a great package with no need for a heatsink. The price must be totally scary for the competition.”
“Catalyst is very excited to receive this prestigious award from EN-Genius Network,” said Scott Brown, vice president of marketing for Catalyst Semiconductor. “We recognize that EN-Genius is relentless in its commitment to a fair and balanced viewpoint and we are extremely honored to have the first in our family of buck LED drivers so highly rated from among the hundreds of products the editors review every year.”
The EN-Genius Network “Product of the Year” awards are based on the editors’ analysis of hundreds of new products reviewed during the year, with criteria including technical innovation, performance and commercial viability of the products. According to McGoldrick, “The Product of the Year awards are selected by our editors, all of whom are specialists in their fields. We believe the products selected will make significant bottom line numbers for the companies involved because of their strong technical merit, design innovation and marketability.”
About the CAT4201 LED Driver
The first device in a new family of buck converters, the CAT4201 is optimized for driving high-brightness, 350mA LEDs at up 94 percent efficiency. The device incorporates Catalyst’s patent-pending switching control scheme, which reduces system complexity and improves efficiency by providing better inductor control and eliminating the need for a dedicated heat sink. Traditionally, LEDs from 12V or 24V buses have been driven by linear regulators, which generate a significant amount of heat, resulting in the need for a dedicated heat sink and, therefore, a very large TO263 package. The patented architecture and small package size (TSOT-23) of the CAT4201 offer a simpler and significantly smaller alternative to linear regulators in high-power LED lighting applications.
About EN-Genius Network
Founded in 2001 under the banner of analogZONE, the expanded site that is EN-Genius Network is the premier source for electronic design engineers working in the fields of power management, audio/video, acquisition, connectivity, networking, wireless applications, dsp, programmable logic, and green engineering. sub-ZONEs covering these specific areas enable the designer to focus directly on products of interest, with timely and insightful reviews. News headlines and a calendar of events keep readers current, knowledgeable and informed, while companion ZONEs providing detailed technical notes and guest columns -- along with the usual trenchant commentary by our editors -- offer a wealth of information in an independent arena free from the limited detail permitted in print publications. For more information, visit www.en-genius.net.
About Catalyst Semiconductor
Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Catalyst Semiconductor designs and markets analog, mixed-signal and non-volatile memory products, including Digitally Programmable Potentiometers (DPP™), white and color LED drivers, DC/DC converters, LDO regulators, voltage supervisors, bus expanders, serial and parallel EEPROMs, Flash and NVRAM. Many of Catalyst’s products incorporate the Company’s Quantum Charge Programmable™ technology, to deliver Adaptive Analog™ products, which offer a new level of customer flexibility, lower power and smaller die size. Catalyst products are used in telecommunications, computer, automotive, industrial and consumer markets. Typical applications include LCD displays, automotive lighting, optical networks, printers, modems, wireless LANs, network cards, DIMM modules, cellular telephones, navigation systems, set-top boxes and Internet routers. www.catsemi.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains some forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include references by third parties to performance and commercial viability of Catalyst’s products. Additional information about factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is contained in Catalyst’s SEC reports including, but not limited to, Catalyst’s Annual Report filed on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports filed on Form 10-Q. Catalyst disclaims any obligation to update information contained in any forward-looking statement