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Zilog Announces New Microstepper Motor Control Reference Design Featuring the Z8F1680 MCU

Latest Series of High-Performance Reference Design Solutions Offering Advanced Microcontroller Technology

MILPITAS, Calif. & LEIDEN, Netherlands — (BUSINESS WIRE) — November 14, 2013 — Zilog, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of IXYS Corporation (NASDAQ: IXYS) and a pioneer supplier of microcontrollers (MCUs) providing solutions for the industrial, telecommunication, automotive and consumer markets, introduces its new Microstepper Motor Control Reference Design to expand its portfolio of reference designs that target motor control applications and provide accelerated time-to-market solutions.

Zilog’s Z8F1680 MCU-based Microstepper Motor Reference Design is a complete and easy-to-use platform that demonstrates the feature set of the Z8F1680 microcontroller, which is optimized for microstepper motor control. This Microstepper Motor Reference Design drives a unipolar stepper motor using the Z8F1680 MCU’s onboard analog comparators for one-shot feedback current limiting. It also uses the Z8F1680 MCU’s multichannel timer as a microstepper sine/cosine current generator. The Microstepper Motor Reference Design is designed to be operated either by battery or an external power supply of 5V DC to 12V DC.

Other key features of the Microstepper Motor Reference Design include speed and directional control of the motor, one-step advancing of the motor, and a current generator for each coil. Examples of applications that are well suited for this reference design include precision surgical tools, motorized position cameras, motorized solar panel tracking, automation and robotics, HVAC coolant control, valve control for a fluid control system, motorized curtains or window cover controls, laser or optical precision positioning equipment, linear actuators and stages, motorized mirror mounts, flatbed/image scanners, computer printers and plotters.

The Microstepper Motor Reference Design employs Zilog’s full-featured Z8F1680 MCU to receive user commands which drive a unipolar stepper motor. Microstepping, or sine/cosine microstepping, is a stepper motor drive technique in which the current in the motor windings is controlled to approximate a sinusoidal waveform.

“This microstepping technique produces a much smoother rotation than that of a full step drive, plus it provides greater resolution and freedom from resonance problems because it involves more steps per revolution,” remarked Steve Darrough, Zilog’s VP of Marketing.

Zilog’s Microstepper Motor Control Reference Design featuring the Z8F1680 MCU is now available for customers that place orders through the Zilog Store. For more information, visit www.zilog.com.

About Zilog, Inc.

Zilog is a trusted supplier of application-specific, embedded system-on-chip (SoC) solutions for the industrial and consumer markets. From its roots as an award-winning architect in the microprocessor and microcontroller industry, Zilog has evolved its expertise beyond core silicon to include SoCs, single board computers, application specific software stacks and development tools that allow embedded designers quick time to market in areas such as energy management, monitoring and metering, motor control and motion detection. Zilog is an IXYS company. For more information, visit www.ixys.com, and www.zilog.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact, including the performance, features and suitability of products for various applications, may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause the results of IXYS to differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements, including, among others, risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2013. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements.

Zilog® trademarks are registered in the United States and in other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners in the United States and other countries.



Contact:

IXYS-Zilog
Steve Darrough, 408-644-6534
VP of Sales & Marketing
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