Features - Storage Innovations:

NEC INTRODUCES CHIPSET FOR 8X REWRITABLE DVD DRIVES

NEC Electronics Corporation and its subsidiaries in the United States and Europe, NEC Electronics America Inc and NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH, announced they have developed a new chipset for rewritable DVD drives supporting an 8x recording speed in DVD-R and DVD+R formats. The chipset comprises the mPD63630, a DVD signal processor with ATAPI interface, and the mPC3330, an analog signal processor that controls the servo system of the optical pickup. Compliant with various recording formats such as DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/+RW, and DVD-RAM, the new chipset will enable OEMs to easily configure a DVD rewritable drive capable of handling all the major standards. (The specification for 8x DVD-R recording is currently going through the standardization process at the DVD Forum.)

In the mPD63630, NEC Electronics provides high-speed recording through fast data processing and built-in write functions capable of controlling the recording laser power with high precision. The high-bandwidth amplifier adopted in the mPC3330 also contributes to stable recording at 8x speed for DVD-R and DVD+R.

The mPD63630 achieves high-speed recording while significantly reducing power consumption by taking advantage of 0.15-micron process technology and optimizing clock frequency in each block of the chip. In the mPC3330, the circuit configuration is optimized to reduce amplifier current, which reduces the device's power consumption. As a result, the chipset has achieved a power consumption rating approximately 30 percent lower than earlier devices.

As an additional benefit, the new chipset also provides 2x DVD-RAM read capability that enables it to read all of the DVD recording formats currently available on the market, including DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/+RW, and DVD-RAM.

"We expect the sales of DVD drives for the PC market to triple in 2003 from the previous year," said Shigeo Niitsu, general manager of 2nd System LSI division at NEC Electronics Corporation. "The increasing demand to store more data in the broadband networking environment will continue to expand the DVD drive market, even among consumers. Accordingly, NEC Electronics has introduced this high-performance chipset to meet the demands of this expanding market."

The chipset is expected to be used by Pioneer Corporation and NEC Corporation for their new rewritable DVD drives. Both companies are among the world's leading manufacturers of DVD writers.

The mPD63630 and mPC3330 are both housed in thin-type quad flat packages (QFP) while increasing function and performance, which also makes the chipset suitable for a slim DVD drive.

NEC Electronics will exhibit the chipset Oct. 7 at CEATEC JAPAN 2003, a major show covering communications, information and video, that will be held at Makuhari Messe, Tokyo.