Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE:HIT) today announced the H8/3150,3160 Series of microcomputers 
for use in IC cards such as bank cash cards and GSM-SIM*1 cards, with from 1 to 32 kbytes 
of on-chip EEPROM.  Sample shipments will begin in March 1999 in Japan.

This new series features enhanced security functions to prevent illegal data reading, etc., and 
offers a range of EEPROM sizes, up to a maximum of 32 kbytes, allowing IC cards to be 
tailored to particular applications.  These devices can also be used in other fields such as 
access control for workstations and personal computers.

Recently, IC cards with a built-in microcomputer have come into widespread use, particular 
in Europe, in the form of credit cards, bank cash cards, GSM-SIM cards, ID cards, and so 
on.  Since the amount of memory required depends on the application, there is a demand for 
a range of microcomputer models with different memory capacities for use in these cards.

Following the earlier release of the H8/3102 (8-kbyte EEPROM) and H8/3103 (16-kbyte 
EEPROM) IC card microcomputers, Hitachi has now responded to current market needs 
with the H8/3150,3160 Series, with models offering EEPROM sizes of 1, 2, 8, 16, and 32 
kbytes.  The new series also offers enhanced security--a major concern in IC card 
applications--to prevent illegal data reading and similar problems through the use of special 
circuits that include voltage and frequency detectors, a watchdog timer, and a random 
number generator.

The H8/3150,3160 Series has an H8/300 CPU core and uses a 0.5-micron to 0.35-micron CMOS 
process, enabling the chip size to be kept small.  The H8/3155 and H8/3156, with 1-kbyte 
and 2-kbyte EEPROM, are suitable for single-function credit or cash card applications, 
while the H8/3164, with 32-kbyte EEPROM, is suitable for use in applications handling 
large volumes of data, such as GSM-SIM and multi-application cards, an area in which a 
wide variety of services are expected to be available in the future.  This extended product 
lineup offers a range of products suited to a wide variety of application areas.

The H8/3150,3160 Series devices can be shipped in various forms: wafer, COB (Chip on 
Board), or COT (Chip on Tape: newly developed for IC card use).  The SOP-10 package is 
also planned, enabling these devices to be used in applications other than IC cards, such as 
access control (user identification) for workstations and personal computers.

The E6000 emulator is available as a development environment for the H8/3150,3160 
Series.  This emulator supports all products in the series.
Emulator:		E6000 (HS3150EPI60H)
Supported PCs:		PC/AT-compatible machines (DOS/V)
Operating environment:	Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 95/Windows NT(R)*2  
PC interface board:	HS6000EII01H (ISA bus board)
User cable:		Provided with emulator 
			(ISO7816-compliant IC card type interface cable)
User interface:		HDI (Hitachi Debugging Interface) provided with emulator

Notes:1. GSM-SIM: Global System for Mobile Communications - Subscriber Identity 
	 Module GSM is a mobile communication system for portable phones, etc.  The 
	 SIM card holds user information (user ID, charge information, called-party phone 
	 number, and various kinds of service information).  Incorporating this card in a 
	 GSM phone enables calls to be made in accordance with the card owner 
	 information.
      2. Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 95, and Windows(R) NT are registered trademarks of 
         Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.

<Typical Applications>
Various kinds of IC cards:
GSM-SIM cards, ID cards, electronic-money cards, bank cash cards, multi-application 
cards, etc.
Network security control
Access control for workstations, personal computers, set-top boxes, etc.


<Prices in Japan> 
Product Code		    Shipment Form     Sample Price (Yen)
H8/3152		HWD6483152	Wafer			700		
		HD6483152NB	COT			850		
		HD6483152SB	COB			1,000		
H8/3153		HWD6483153	Wafer			850		
		HD6483153NB	COT			1,000		
		HD6483153SB	COB			1,150		
H8/3164		HWD6483164	Wafer			1,200		
		HD6483164NB	COT			1,350		
		HD6483164NB	COT			1,350		
		HD6483164SB	COB			1,500		
H8/3155		HWD6483155	Wafer			550		
		HD6483155NB	COT			700		
H8/3156		HWD6483156	Wafer			600		
		HD6483156NB	COT			750		
H8/3158		HWD6483158	Wafer			1,000		
		HD6483158NB	COT			1,150		
		HD6483158SB	COB			1,300