[February 03, 2015]

Semtech's EnVerv Division Successfully Completes HomePlug Netricity™ Interoperability Tests for Long-Range Powerline Communication

Semtech Corp. (Nasdaq: SMTC), a leading supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors, today announced that the EV8000 Powerline Communications SoC platform, from its EnVerv™ division, has successfully completed interoperability testing at the HomePlug (News - Alert) Alliance Netricity™ interoperability event for long-range powerline communications.

The interoperability event, held in Paris on January 20-21, 2015, confirmed interoperability of IEEE (News - Alert) P1901.2 implementations exchanging IPv6 packets in the FCC-above-CELENEC band using various modulations and payload sizes. EnVerv is a leader in powerline and wireless communications system-on-chip (SoC) modems for smart grid applications.

The Netricity program addresses the need for long-range powerline networking for outside the home, Smart Grid, Smart City and industrial control applications. The technology can be used in dense urban and sparse rural communications using frequencies below 500 kHz. The technology also incorporates an IEEE 802.15.4-based media access control (MAC) layer that is key to enabling hybrid wired / wireless networks.

"We are pleased to achieve HomePlug Netricity interoperability with our EV8000 modem," said Reza Mirkhani, Vice President of Smart Grid Solutions at Semtech. "By providing a fully programmable solution, we demonstrated our ability to interoperate in all of the frequency bands supported by the IEEE P1901.2 specification. Completing this round of interoperability testsgives our customers further confidence that their Semtech-based products can be successfully deployed in P1901.2 based networks worldwide."

The EV8000 is a single-chip PLC SoC with programmable frequency bands, covering CENELEC-A, FCC (News - Alert) and ARIB bands without the need for hardware changes. Furthermore, the EV8000 soft-modem can be programmed to operate in ITU-T G.9903 (G3-PLC), ITU-T G.9904 (PRIME), IEEE P1901.2 and IEC (News - Alert)-61334 (S-FSK) modes simply by downloading the respective firmware code to the chip remotely over the powerline network.

EV8000 has been successfully field tested with major utilities in Asia, the Americas and Europe. Successful MV and LV transmission has been conducted as well as thru-transformer data transmission, making a GPRS-FREE AMI network a logical choice for utilities.

About HomePlug® Alliance

The HomePlug® Alliance is a group of about 55 companies working together to develop technology specifications and certification & logo programs for powerline networking. With over 125 million devices in the market, HomePlug products are used worldwide by consumers and service providers to improve home networking performance while expanding coverage and Wi-Fi mobility.

HomePlug technology enables a home's electrical wires to distribute broadband Internet, HD video, digital music and smart energy applications within the home, as well as enables narrow-band communications outside the home. Visit the HomePlug Alliance website at www.homeplug.org for more information regarding HomePlug Alliance and its family of technologies, and sign up for the HomePlug interest list at www.homeplug.org/about/inquiry to receive updates.

About Semtech

Semtech Corporation is a leading supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors for high-end consumer, computing, communications and industrial equipment. Products are designed to benefit the engineering community as well as the global community. The company is dedicated to reducing the impact it, and its products, have on the environment. Internal green programs seek to reduce waste through material and manufacturing control, use of green technology and designing for resource reduction. Publicly traded since 1967, Semtech is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol SMTC. For more information, visit www.semtech.com.

Semtech, the Semtech logo, and EnVerv are marks of Semtech Corporation. Netricity is a trademark of the Home Plug Alliance.

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