Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501) today announced the AE-4 Series, comprising the AE450, AE460, 
and AE45C, featuring a new 16-bit CPU core developed for multifunctional, large-capacity 
IC cards such as GSM-SIM*1 cards and multi-application cards.  Sample shipments of the 
AE45C will begin in December 2000 in Japan.

This new product series has an AE-4 16-bit CPU core newly developed for IC card use, 
providing more powerful processing than an 8-bit CPU together with support for a larger 
address space than the previous limit of 64 kbytes.  At the same time, enhanced security 
functions for preventing illegal reading of data, and so forth, are designed to meet 
the needs of IC cards, with their continued advances in multifunctionality and memory 
capacity.  These new products can also be used in other application areas that demand 
high-level security capabilities, such internet access control by means of user 
authentication, a field that is expected to see major growth in the future.

IC cards with a built-in microcontroller have recently experienced a rapid rise 
in popularity, especially in Europe, and are now found in many forms, including credit 
cards, bank cash cards, GSM-SIM cards, and ID cards.  An increasing number of applications 
require more than 64 kbytes of memory, bringing a demand for products that offer larger 
memory capacities, and at the same time there is a growing need for built-in high-level 
security functions that provide secure storage of confidential information.  

Hitachi has previously developed and released an IC card microcontroller employing 
an 8-bit CPU, but with the increasing difficulty of meeting market needs with an 8-bit 
CPU, the company has since developed the new AE-4 16-bit CPU core for IC card use, 
offering high-performance processing, an address space of over 64 kbytes, and enhanced 
security functions, and is now releasing the AE-4 series incorporating this CPU.  
The provision of a 16-bit CPU meets the needs of the market, and the product lineup 
further offers a choice of 32 or 64 kbytes of on-chip EEPROM.  To prevent problems such 
as illegal data reading--a major concern in IC card applications--security circuits 
have been enhanced, including abnormal voltage and abnormal frequency detection circuits, 
a watchdog timer, and a random number generator, while the serial interface for off-chip 
data transfer has been speed up, and timers and other modules are included on-chip, to 
provide a comprehensive range of peripheral functions.

In the new series, the AE450 with 32 kbytes and AE460 with 64 kbytes of EEPROM 
respectively, are suitable for GSM-SIM cards in European mobile phones.  The AE45C has 
32 kbytes of EEPROM and a co-processor that executes 1,024-bit exponential remainder 
operations, and is suitable for use in W-CDMA-UIM*2 cards and multi-application cards, 
which are expected to offer a wide variety of services in the future.  By strengthening 
its lineup, including previous 8-bit CPU products, Hitachi will offer products suited 
to a wide variety of application areas.

Two shipment forms, wafer and COT (Chip on Tape), are available, and an SOP-10 package 
is also planned.  The E6000 emulator is available as a development environment, 
supporting all the products in the AE-4 Series.

Future plans include a lineup of IC card microcontrollers with larger EEPROM capacity, 
and development directed toward a 32-bit CPU for high-end applications.

Notes:1. GSM-SIM (Global System for Mobile Communications-Subscriber Identity Module): 
         GSM is a mobile communication system for mobile phones, etc.  A 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. W-CDMA-UIM (Wide band-Code Division Multiple Access-User Identity Module): 
         W-CDMA is a communication system for use in next-generation mobile phones, 
         designed to offer better voice quality than previous systems (such as GSM 
         and PDS) as well as high-speed data communication and international roaming 
         (the ability to use the same phone worldwide).  Like the SIM card used in GSM, 
         a UIM card is incorporated into a mobile phone to hold user information.

< 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.