eWEEK is building a new IT products and services section that encompasses most of the categories that we cover on our site. In it, we will spotlight the leaders in each sector, which include enterprise software, hardware, security, on-premises-based systems and cloud services. We also will add promising new companies as they come into the market.
Today: Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (American semiconductor design and manufacturing company)
Company description: Cypress Semiconductor Corp. was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. It is publicly held. Hassane El Khoury was appointed CEO in 2016.
Cypress is a major provider of advanced embedded solutions for the world’s most innovative automotive, industrial, smart home appliances, consumer electronics and medical products. Cypress’ microcontrollers, wireless and USB-based connectivity solutions, analog ICs and high-performance, fail-safe memories help engineers design differentiated products and get them to market first. Cypress is committed to providing customers with the best support and development resources on the planet enabling them to disrupt markets by creating new product categories in record time.
Markets: Wireless, Microcontrollers, USB, Power Management ICs, Touch Sensing, Memory, Timing Solutions, Interface
International Operations: China, Germany, Ireland, India, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Ukraine
Product and Services
Wireless
- High-Speed 802.11ac Wi-Fi + Bluetooth is an advanced multi-radio wireless connectivity solution for Embedded and Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications. It combines high-performance, single-stream IEEE 802.11ac baseband/radio and a low-power Bluetooth 4.2 baseband/radio, with an advance coexistence engine for maximum combined performance.
- 802.11n Wi-Fi + Bluetooth is a single-chip, quad-radio device that provides the highest level of integration for wearables, IoT and gateway applications. This product features an integrated dual band, a single-stream baseband/radio and Bluetooth 5.0 for enhanced wireless connectivity.
- 802.11n Wi-Fi Connectivity is a single-chip device that provides the highest level of integration for a mobile or handheld wireless system with integrated single-stream MAC/baseband/radio, Bluetooth 4.1 and FM receiver.
- 802.11n/ac with Integrated Applications MCU is an advanced wireless MCU designed for IoT applications. This solution incorporates a high-performance applications processor and an advanced WLAN subsystem to deliver high-performance wireless connectivity for embedded and IoT applications.
- Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) provides a wireless Personal Area Network (PAN) with advanced power conservation abilities for extended battery life. It has been integrated into many internet-connected devices and appliances.
- Bluetooth Classic + BLE provides Personal Area Network (PAN) solutions, including Bluetooth 4.2 and Bluetooth 5.0 for increased network range and connectivity. This technology is widely used throughout IoT devices for advanced wireless connections.
- Wi-Fi + Bluetooth Combos that are primarily used in IoT applications to leverage ultra-low-power technology and enhanced low power modes. These combinations deliver 70% savings in received currents and 80% savings in low-power modes.
- Bluetooth Classic Solution, i.e., Basic Rate (B.R.), is the principal form of Bluetooth that allows PAN solutions for peer-to-peer (P2P) communication. Wireless data transfer, as well as audio and voice calls, are made possible with this solution.
- WICED software development kit (SDK) for Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Bluetooth readily enables connectivity in embedded system designs through proven protocol stacks and turnkey hardware solutions from various partnerships. The SDK combines the various components of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth into a single integrated environment.
- WICED SMART SDK for BLE provides users with the tools and software necessary to develop, program, and debug wireless internet connectivity in embedded BLE devices.
Microcontrollers
- PSoC is a programmable MCU architecture that integrates configurable analog and digital peripheral functions and memory onto a single chip, providing design flexibility and the ability to integrate multiple functions. PSoC 6, PSoC 5LP and PSoC 4 are 32-bit Arm Cortex M-based MCUs, while PSoC 3 and PSoC 1 are 8-bit MCUs.
- Dual-core Traveo II Automotive MCUs are based on Arm Cortex-M7 and Cortex-M4 cores, and Traveo Automotive MCUs are based on the Arm Cortex-R5 core. The MCUs deliver high performance, enhanced human-machine interfaces, high-security and advanced networking protocols tailored for a broad range of automotive applications such as electrification, HVAC, lighting and automotive cluster displays.
- CapSense is elegant, reliable and easy-to-use capacitive touch-sensing technology that has replaced more than 4 billion mechanical buttons. This product utilizes a sensing algorithm that increases touch sensing accuracy and features industry-best low-power operation and liquid tolerance.
USB
- The USB Type-C standard is gaining rapid support by enabling small form-factor, easy-to-use connectors and cables with the ability to transmit multiple protocols and offer power delivery up to 100 W — a significant improvement over the 7.5 W for previous standards. Cypress’ USB portfolio offers programmable solutions that enable simple firmware upgrades to keep up with changes to the evolving standard.
- The EZ-PD family of programmable USB Type-C port controllers with USB Power Delivery (PD) provides ideal solutions for Power Adapters, Power Banks, Type-C Dongles, Thunderbolt Accessories, Monitors, Docks and Notebooks.
- Hub Controllers allow smartphones or tablets to charge while simultaneously working with USB devices connected to the downstream ports. These products feature a USB 2.0 PHY, which improves signal quality, and they are compatible with all known host controllers, device classes and operating systems.
- EZ-USB hub controllers include the industry’s first 7-port USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C Hub with Power Delivery, supporting two Type-C + PD ports (one upstream and one downstream), and five downstream USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports. The controllers reduce BOM cost and solution footprint, which makes them ideal for USB Type-C dongles, docks and monitors.
- Peripheral Controllers are single-chip integrated USB 2.0 transceivers that feature smart SIE and enhanced 8051 microprocessors. Highlights of these products include ultra-low power capabilities and 16 KB of on-chip code/data RAM.
- EZ-USB peripheral controllers include the industry’s only programmable SuperSpeed USB 3.0 peripheral controller that enables developers to add USB 3.0 device functionality to any system. These products have a fully configurable, General Programmable Interface (GPIF II) that can interface with any processor, ASIC, image sensor or FPGA.
Power Management
Energy Harvesting PMICs
- The S6AE10xA family of Solar-Optimized Energy Harvesting Power Management ICs, including the S6AE101A, S6AE102A and S6AE103A, enable tiny, solar-powered IoT devices. They are the world’s lowest-power, single-chip Energy Harvesting PMICs, and can be used with solar cells as small as 1 cm2 due to their low startup and quiescent current.
- CY39C8xx General Purpose Energy Harvesting PMIC family provides a flexible and easy-to-use energy harvesting PMIC solution. This family includes the CY39C811 ultra-low-power buck PMIC and the CY39C831 ultra-low-voltage boost PMIC for solar or thermal, and can support vibration, heat and light energy sources with each harvester.
Automotive Power Management ICs
- The one-channel Buck-Boost DC/DC Converters S6BP20x series (S6BP201A, S6BP202A and S6BP203A) are automotive grade converters for automotive and industrial applications. These PMICs have low standby current, and provide stable power output across a wide range of input voltages.
- The three-channel Instrument Cluster S6BP501x series (S6BP501A and S6BP502A) PMICs are automotive-grade output PMICs and come with a buck controller and a buck converter, as well as a boost converter, offering a single chip 5.0V, 3.3V and 1.2V power source. These PMICs have quiescent current as low as 15μA, and are well-suited for Instrument Cluster systems.
- The Advanced Driver Assistance System S6BP401A PMIC has a six-channel power output, which includes a four-channel DC/DC converter and two-channel LDO and integrates output setting impedance and phase compensation circuits to reduce the PCB size and bill of materials. It is equipped with a windowed watchdog timer, separate pins to turn on/off each channel, and dedicated pins to monitor the power integrity of each channel.
Standard PMICs
- The S6AP412A, S6AP413A, CY39C031 and CY39C326 DC/DC converters supply the main power line and can operate with high switching frequency. These PMICs come with an output setting resistor, phase compensation circuit and switching FETs to reduce the number of external components and mount area; they also have a CTL input pin that can control on/off, a power signal output pin, and an I2C communication interface.
- The S6AP111A28, CY39C502, CY39C503 and CY39C504 DC/DC controllers are suitable for designing 5V and 3.3V power lines from 12V or 24V power lines and SoC core power supply. They support a wide input voltage range up to 28V and provide ultra-quick load transient response.
LED Lighting Driver ICs
- The High-Efficiency and Flicker-Less LED Driver CY39C60x series for TRIAC/PWM Dimmable LED Lighting includes Primary Side Regulation (PSR) LED driver ICs for LED lighting. Using the information of the primary peak current and the transformer-energy-zero time, it is able to deliver a well-regulated current to the secondary side without using an opto-coupler in an isolated flyback topology.
- The intelligent, four-channel Buck LED Driver S6AL211 series for integrates DALI/UART dimming controllers and is dedicated to wired/wireless-controlled and color lighting. The series integrates the DALI/UART interface and control block and enables designers to easily build intelligent LED lighting applications without developing firmware.
Easy DesignSim is an online design support tool enabling power circuit designers to automatically select suitable parts for printed circuit boards according to the input/output voltage and load current parameters.
Touch Sensing
CapSense Controllers
- The CapSense MBR3 solution quickly and easily replaces mechanical buttons with sleek and reliable capacitive-sensing user interfaces, and allows users to design with the click of a mouse.
- The CY8CMBR2110 solution supports up to 10 capacitive touch-sensing channels that enable 10 buttons/10 LEDs, is register-configured, and supports direct LED drive and LED effects at power-on and during run time. It is enabled with Cypress’ SmartSense auto-tuning algorithm, which eliminates the need for system tuning, enabling designers to include a capacitive-sensing UI without risk to the end product development schedule.
- The CY8CMBR2044 solution supports up to four buttons and is quickly configured in hardware, eliminating the need for software tools, firmware development and chip programming. This solution supports direct LED drive and configurable LED effects at power-on and features Cypress’ SmartSense auto-tuning algorithm.
- The CY8CMBR2016 combines SmartSense auto-tuning with hardware-configurable settings that eliminate the need for software tools, firmware and device programming, dramatically reducing the design cycle.
- The ultra-low power CY8CMBR2010 supports up to 10 capacitive touch-sensing channels that enable 10 buttons/10 LEDs and supports direct LED drive and LED effects at power-on. It is enabled with Cypress’ SmartSense auto-tuning algorithm.
TrueTouch Touchscreen Controllers
- With the industry’s highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), best waterproofing capability, and largest portfolio of proprietary noise immunity solutions, TrueTouch-powered devices enable a new era of touch interaction and creativity. The Gen 6 family delivers unmatched noise immunity performance and advanced feature support for various touch input modes for Automotive, Home Appliance and Industrial designs.
Automotive TrueTouch
- The TrueTouch CYAT817 touchscreen controller family was designed to meet stringent automotive quality standards, including the Automotive Electronics Council Q100, and enable innovative driver and passenger usage models. The controllers perform feedback processing on-chip for faster response times and are 32-bit Arm Cortex CPU-register configurable.
Memory
NOR Flash
- Serial NOR Flash
- The 64Mb to 265Mb FL-L NOR Flash Memory family enables the high-performance embedded systems to store critical data by providing the highest reliability, enhanced security and 67-Mbps read bandwidth even at an extended temperature range of 40°C to +125°C.
- The 128Mb to 1Gb FL-S NOR Flash Memory family offers one of the industry’s fastest Quad SPI NOR Flash Memory for high-performance embedded systems, with read speed in single, dual and quad I/O modes up to 133 MHz SDR and up to 80 MHz DDR.
- Parallel NOR Flash
- The GL NOR Flash family meets the voltage, density, cost-per-bit, reliability, performance and scalability needs of a wide variety of embedded applications. Each device requires only a single 3.0V power supply for read and write functions and is entirely command-set-compatible with JEDEC Flash standards.
- The AL NOR Flash family includes standard mode Flash devices with extended temperature support. Each device requires only a single 3.0V power supply for read and write functions and is entirely command-set-compatible with JEDEC Flash standards.
- The AS NOR Flash family includes standard mode Flash devices. Each device requires only a single 1.8V power supply for read and write functions and is entirely command-set-compatible with JEDEC Flash standards.
- The PL NOR Flash family supports page-mode operation that increases data throughput to improve system performance, and it is capable of performing simultaneous read and write operations with zero latency on four separate banks. Each device requires only a single 3V power supply for read and write functions and is entirely command-set-compatible with JEDEC Flash standards.
HyperBus 12-pin, High-Bandwidth Memories
- HyperFlash NOR Memory Flash devices deliver the performance required for the embedded systems found in automotive advanced driver assistance systems, automotive instrument cluster, automotive infotainment systems and communication equipment. They deliver high read bandwidth at 333MB/s, more than four times faster than Quad SPI NOR flash with one-third the number of pins of parallel NOR flash.
- HyperRAM Memory is a self-refresh DRAM with a read throughput up to 333 MB/s, making the devices ideal for SoCs with limited on-board RAM. The devices provide external scratch-pad memory for fast read and write operations, allowing fast delivery of high-resolution graphics in the early part of the boot process for automotive, industrial and IoT applications.
- The HyperFlash + HyperRAM MCP provides an optimum high-performance memory subsystem with 70% fewer pins and a 77% smaller footprint compared to existing SDRAM and Quad SPI solutions.
NAND Flash
- Cypress offers two standard SLC NAND product families, MS and ML, supporting 1 bit and 4 bit ECC options and available in 1Gb to 16Gb densities. The NAND Flash Memory products are targeted specifically for data storage in Automotive Instrument Clusters and Infotainment Systems, Communication Equipment, Consumer Electronics and Industrial Automation.
Serial and Parallel F-RAM Memories
- Cypress’ serial and parallel F-RAM products are the industry’s most energy-efficient and highest-reliability nonvolatile RAM solutions. They are ideal for systems that require the nonvolatile data retention of a ROM, and the high speed and high endurance of a RAM, addressing mission-critical applications such as smart meters, automotive electronics, industrial control and automation equipment, multifunction printers and portable medical devices.
Excelon F-RAM
- Excelon F-RAM delivers the industry’s highest-performance mission-critical nonvolatile memory by combining high-speed and low-pin-count interfaces, low-power operation, unlimited read/write cycle endurance and instant nonvolatility. This makes Excelon the highest-reliability data-logging memory for smart, connected factories and cars of tomorrow.
nvSRAM
- Parallel nvSRAM products provide unlimited read/write endurance, 1 million store cycles on power-loss and an optional Real-Time Clock (RTC). Applications include RAID storage, industrial automation, computing and networking, avionics and defense, and electronic gaming systems.
- Serial nvSRAM products provide infinite read/write endurance, 1 million store cycles on power loss, high-speed reads and writes, nonvolatile data retention, and an optional Real Time Clock (RTC). The serial nvSRAM products are ideal for mission-critical applications, including industrial control and automation equipment and smart meters.
Asynchronous SRAM
- Fast SRAM with ECC devices are form-fit-function compatible with older generation Asynchronous SRAMs and feature high reliability, multiple density options, fast access time, and ultra-low standby current, with industrial and automotive temperature grades.
- Fast SRAM with PowerSnooze is a family of devices that combines the access time of Fast Asynchronous SRAM with a unique ultra-low-power sleep mode (PowerSnooze) that eliminates the tradeoff between performance and power consumption in Asynchronous SRAM applications. PowerSnooze is an additional operating mode to standard Asynchronous SRAM operating modes (Active, Standby and Data-Retention).
Synchronous SRAM
- Cypress has the industry’s broadest Sync SRAM portfolio with more than 2,300 different products that are rated No. 1 for performance and reliability. These products have industry-leading Random Transaction Rate (RTR up to 2,132 MT/s), FIT rates less than 0.01-FIT/Mb, and on-chip Error Correction Code (ECC), making them suitable for systems running mission-critical applications such as switches and routers, radar and signal processing, test equipment, automotive and military.
Insight and Analysis
RevenuesAndProfits.com has a detailed analysis of Cypress Semiconductor here. Here is an excerpt:
“With $1.9 billion revenues, Cypress Semiconductor ranked number 22 of all the companies in the U.S. semiconductor industry.There were a total of 70 public companies in the U.S. semiconductor industry that had revenues greater than $50 million during 2017.”
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Here is a recent Seeking Alpha assessment of the company by tech analyst David Barbalas:
“Cypress Semiconductors (NASDAQ: CY) is a leading American semiconductor company focusing on the development and manufacturing of memory modules, micro-controllers, all-in-one chip solutions and integrated circuits. Started by several engineers from AMD in 1982, it has strong roots in developing memory and integrated chip solutions.
“The prospects for this corporation lie primarily in the developments in the Internet of Things (IoT) products and wearable technologies. By utilizing the synergistic effect of their wide range of memory products, we can expect CY to further leverage their holdings in IoT into the near future. Aside from their IoT products, Cypress also maintains a presence in touchscreen controllers. While Apple and Samsung have developed in-house products for their applications in mobile devices, there are still applications for infotainment systems and touchscreen interfaces for instruments and electronic devices.
“I believe that Cypress Semiconductors has the potential to be a good pick for those who want another good pick in the semiconductor industry. While Micron (NASDAQ: MU) has been an outstanding stock pick in this sector in the past few months, I believe that Cypress Semiconductors will likely outpace industry stalwart, Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) in the near future and be a good choice for those investors seeking short-term gains and long-term growth.”
To read the entire review, go here.
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CSIMarket has this 2018 report on how Cypress ranks versus competitors.
Cypress Semiconductor gets high marks as an employer. Go here for a series of reviews.
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List of current customers: Cypress has more than 30,000 customers, including innovative automotive suppliers such as Denso, Continental and Visteon, and companies bringing popular IoT products to market, such as LG, Netgear and Nintendo.
Delivery: Hardware
Pricing: http://www.cypress.com/cypress-store or contact: customercare@cypress.com
Other key players in this market: NXP, Microchip Technology, Renesas, Micron
Contact information for potential customers: Cypress Semiconductor Corp., 198 Champion Court, San Jose, CA 95134 USA; +1-408-943-2600 http://www.cypress.com
Resources
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