eX FPGA Benefits Include Design Security and Low Power for e-Appliance and Portable Applications

SAN DIEGO, Calif. and SUNNYVALE, Calif. - October 16, 2001 - e.Digital Corp. (OTC: EDIG), a global provider of comprehensive digital product development and designs, and Actel Corp. (Nasdaq: ACTL), a supplier of innovative programmable logic solutions, today announced a technology relationship that will allow e.Digital`s proprietary design to be produced within Actel`s ASIC-like (application-specific integrated circuit-like) eX field-programmable gate array (FPGA) devices. e.Digital`s new solution is designed to increase reliability and reduce the board space required for implementation of advanced digital voice and music recorder/player functionality in small portable devices, such as portable Internet music players and personal digital jukeboxes.

``We`ve seen continued customer interest in our ASIC-like eX FPGAs for e-Appliance and portable applications, such as digital music players, due to the security and low power features of the architecture,`` said John East, president and chief executive officer at Actel. ``Actel`s eX FPGAs, combined with e.Digital`s innovative technology, offer significant advantages in functionality, security and dynamic power consumption, propelling this solution into a broad range of next-generation e-Appliance and portable products.``

``We are excited about working with Actel, an expert in FPGA architecture and system- and chip-level logic design,`` said Jim Collier, chief operating officer at e.Digital. ``Actel provides an ultra-secure technology that protects our intellectual property and enhances our licensing revenue sources. It will help OEMs significantly reduce their time to market by licensing a complete, full-featured logic system that can be incorporated by their internal development teams. We are pleased to be able to meet this need and enable the next-generation of portable music and voice player products.``

e.Digital`s solution has potential applications in automotive stereos, home stereo systems, laptop and handheld computers, desktop PCs, cellular phones and dictation systems.

The e.Digital solution is the latest portable consumer application to incorporate Actel`s FPGA devices. Actel devices are also used in digital cameras, digital film, multimedia products and smart-card readers.

About Actel`s eX FPGAs

Actel`s eX product family offers designers the industry`s lowest power, high performance, low cost complex programmable logic device (CPLD) solution. Aimed at the growing e-Appliance and communications markets, Actel`s eX family of FPGAs enables designers to use single-chip programmable logic for their traditionally low density ASIC requirements, eliminating the long lead times and costly non-recurring engineering (NRE) charges. Designing with the eX family delivers the precise features, lowest power and smallest package customers need to speed time to market without compromising cost or performance.

About e.Digital

e.Digital Corporation offers an engineering partnership for the world`s leading electronics companies to link portable digital devices to PCs and the Internet. e.Digital develops and markets to consumer electronics manufacturers complete end-to-end solutions for delivery and management of open and secure digital media. Applications for e.Digital`s technology include portable digital music players and voice recorders, desktop, laptop and handheld computers, PC peripherals, cellular phone peripherals, e-books, video games, digital cameras and digital video recorders. Engineering services range from the licensing of e.Digital`s patented MicroOS(tm) and MicroCAM(tm) technologies to custom software and hardware development, industrial design and manufacturing services. For more information on the company, please visit www.edig.com.

About Actel

Actel Corporation is a supplier of innovative programmable logic solutions, including field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) based on antifuse and flash technologies and embedded-programmable gate arrays (EPGAs) based on SRAM technology, as well as high-performance intellectual property (IP) cores, software development tools and design services. Founded in 1985 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, Actel employs approximately 500 people worldwide. The Company is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol ACTL and is located at 955 East Arques Avenue, Sunnyvale, California, 94086-4533. Telephone: 888-99-ACTEL (992-2835). Internet: www.actel.com.

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Editor`s Note: The Actel name and logo are registered trademarks of Actel Corporation. e.Digital is a trademark of e.Digital Corporation. All other trademarks and servicemarks are the property of their respective owners.

e.Digital and Actel To Deliver Silicon Solution For Digital Music And Voice Recorder/Players