Freescale and Philips Collaborate to Accelerate Availability of Compat

    Business Editors/Technology Editors

    AUSTIN, Texas & EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 25, 2005--Aiding the drive toward a common standard for next-generation in-vehicle networks, Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE:FSL) (NYSE:FSL.B) and Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE:PHG) have agreed to share their FlexRay(TM) technologies.
    This agreement will support the development, availability and compatibility of semiconductor-based FlexRay products from Philips and Freescale and bring the automotive industry another step closer to introducing FlexRay networks into the vehicle. FlexRay will enable next-generation, high-bandwidth control applications, including powertrain and body systems -- ultimately targeting by-wire solutions for active chassis management, braking systems and steering.
    "Combining the capabilities of Philips and Freescale will enable us to drive forward the introduction of highly reliable FlexRay networks," said Harry Inia, general manager Automotive Business Line and vice president Philips Semiconductors. "This is a major step toward introducing advanced control applications requiring high bandwidth into vehicles, allowing for more flexibility and design freedom for the car manufacturer, as well as greater safety, less fuel consumption and more convenience options for the driver."
    Philips and Freescale -- founding members of the FlexRay Consortium -- have extensive experience in developing silicon for FlexRay and other automotive communications protocols, such as controller area network (CAN) and local interconnect network (LIN). The companies will now combine their in-vehicle networking expertise and use a common FlexRay protocol engine design and a common System C-based reference software model to ensure interoperability of their FlexRay devices.
    This cooperation reflects the drive from both companies to offer FlexRay developers the first full solutions, from network simulation tools to silicon products, compliant with version 2.1 of the FlexRay protocol specification.
    "Freescale and Philips today have the only commercially available standalone FlexRay devices in the automotive industry," said Paul Grimme, senior vice president and general manager of Freescale's automotive business. "This agreement brings together both companies' years of experience in providing silicon products based on FlexRay standards and increases customer choice. We intend to translate the results of our collaboration into products this year, when we embed the 2.1-compliant hardware implementation onto our existing microcontroller families for automotive."
    Components from Philips and Freescale are already used extensively in the development of FlexRay solutions throughout the automotive industry. Freescale intends to include the FlexRay protocol engine design on products throughout its automotive portfolio, including the S12X, 56F8xxx, MPC55xx and MAC7x00 families. Philips intends to integrate the FlexRay protocol engine design throughout its ARM(R)-based automotive microcontroller portfolio, including the ARM7(TM) SJA20xx and the ARM9(TM) SJA25xx families.

    Availability

    The shared FlexRay protocol engine design and the jointly developed executable protocol model are now available for license from Freescale. Philips and Freescale plan to introduce additional FlexRay products during 2005. The first vehicles equipped with networking capabilities based on the FlexRay protocol are anticipated in 2006.

    Background

    Freescale released the first standalone FlexRay controller, the MFR4100, in October 2003. In April 2004, the company introduced the MFR4200, a standalone FlexRay device. Freescale expects to qualify the MFR4200 for full production in the first half of this year.
    Philips offers the first automotive-compliant 10Mbps FlexRay bus driver, the TJA1080, suitable for both bus and star network topologies.

    About Freescale Semiconductor

    Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NYSE:FSL) (NYSE:FSL.B) is a global leader in the design and manufacture of embedded semiconductors for the automotive, consumer, industrial, networking and wireless markets. Freescale became a publicly traded company in July 2004 after more than 50 years as part of Motorola, Inc. The company is based in Austin, Texas, and has design, research and development, manufacturing or sales operations in more than 30 countries. Freescale, a member of the S&P 500(R), is one of the world's largest semiconductor companies with 2004 sales of $5.7 billion (US). www.freescale.com

    Freescale Reader Inquiry Response
    Freescale Semiconductor
    P.O. Box 17927
    Denver, CO 80217 USA

    Freescale(TM) and the Freescale logo are trademarks of Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners. ARM, ARM7 and ARM9 are the registered trademarks of ARM Limited. (C) Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. 2005

    About Royal Philips Electronics

    Royal Philips Electronics of The Netherlands (NYSE:PHG) (AEX:PHI) is one of the world's biggest electronics companies and Europe's largest, with sales of EUR 30.3 billion in 2004. With activities in the three interlocking domains of healthcare, lifestyle and technology and 160,900 employees in more than 60 countries, it has market leadership positions in medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring, color television sets, electric shavers, lighting and silicon system solutions. News from Philips is located at www.semiconductors.philips.com.

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CONTACT: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., Austin North America: Laura Wilkerson, 512-895-7601 laura.wilkerson@freescale.com or Lois Paul & Partners for Freescale Emilie Harris, 512-638-5321 emilie_harris@lpp.com or Royal Philips Electronics Derrick Meyer, 408-474-5929 derrick.meyer@philips.com or Asia-Pacific: Gloria Shiu, +85-22-666-8237 gloria.shiu@freescale.com or Royal Philips Electronics Christine Kao, +886-2-3789-2821 christine.kao@philips.com or Europe, Middle East and Africa: Regina Cirmonova, +41-22-799-1258 regina.cirmonova@freescale.com or Royal Philips Electronics Marijke Sas, +31-40-272-2091 marijke.sas@philips.com or Japan: Koichi Yoshimura, +81-3-5437-9350 koichi.yoshimura@freescale.com or Royal Philips Electronics Christine Kao, +886-2-3789-2821 christine.kao@philips.com or Latin America: Ruth Ruiz, 480-814-4897 ruth.ruiz@freescale.com or Royal Philips Electronics Derrick Meyer, 408-474-5929 derrick.meyer@philips.com

KEYWORD: TEXAS NETHERLANDS INTERNATIONAL EUROPE INDUSTRY KEYWORD: AUTOMOTIVE TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORKING ADVERTISING/MARKETING HARDWARE PRODUCT MARKETING AGREEMENTS SOURCE: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.

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