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                                                                     EXHIBIT 1.1

                             UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT




                                 August __, 1999


BancBoston Robertson Stephens Inc.
Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.
Needham & Company, Inc.
As Representatives of the several Underwriters
c/o BancBoston Robertson Stephens Inc.
555 California Street, Suite 2600
San Francisco, CA  94104


Ladies and Gentlemen:

               INTRODUCTORY. Vixel Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in
Schedule A (the "Underwriters") an aggregate of [___] shares (the "Firm Shares")
of its Common Stock, par value $.001 per share (the "Common Shares"). In
addition, the Company has granted to the Underwriters an option to purchase up
to an additional [___] Common Shares (the "Option Shares") as provided in
Section 2. The Firm Shares and, if and to the extent such option is exercised,
the Option Shares are collectively called the "Shares". BancBoston Robertson
Stephens Inc., Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. and Needham & Company, Inc. have agreed
to act as representatives of the several Underwriters (in such capacity, the
"Representatives") in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.

               The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission") a registration statement on Form S-1
(File No. 333-[___]), which contains a form of prospectus to be used in
connection with the public offering and sale of the Shares. Such registration
statement, as amended, including the financial statements, exhibits and
schedules thereto, in the form in which it was declared effective by the
Commission under the Securities Act of 1933 as amended and the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the "Securities Act"),
including any information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of
effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A or Rule 434 under the Securities Act, is
called the "Registration Statement". Any registration statement filed by the
Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act is called the "Rule
462(b) Registration Statement", and from and after the date and time of filing
of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement the term "Registration Statement"
shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. Such prospectus, in the
form first used by the Underwriters to confirm sales of the Shares, is called
the "Prospectus"; provided, however, if the Company has, with the consent of
BancBoston Robertson Stephens Inc., elected to rely upon Rule 434 under the
Securities Act, the term "Prospectus" shall mean the Company's prospectus
subject to



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completion (each, a "preliminary prospectus") dated [___] (such preliminary
prospectus is called the "Rule 434 preliminary prospectus"), together with the
applicable term sheet (the "Term Sheet") prepared and filed by the Company with
the Commission under Rules 434 and 424(b) under the Securities Act and all
references in this Agreement to the date of the Prospectus shall mean the date
of the Term Sheet. All references in this Agreement to the Registration
Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, a preliminary prospectus, the
Prospectus or the Term Sheet, or any amendments or supplements to any of the
foregoing, shall include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to
its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System ("EDGAR").

               The Company hereby confirms its agreements with the Underwriters
as follows:

        SECTION 1. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY.

        A. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company hereby
represents, warrants and covenants to each Underwriter as follows:

        (a) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Registration
Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement have been declared
effective by the Commission under the Securities Act. The Company has complied
to the Commission's satisfaction with all requests of the Commission for
additional or supplemental information. No stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted
or are pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or
threatened by the Commission.

               Each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus when filed
complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and, if filed by
electronic transmission pursuant to EDGAR (except as may be permitted by
Regulation S-T under the Securities Act), was identical to the copy thereof
delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offer and sale of
the Shares. Each of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became
effective and at all subsequent times, complied and will comply in all material
respects with the Securities Act and did not and will not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The
Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, as of its date and at all subsequent
times, did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein,
in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
The representations and warranties set forth in the two immediately preceding
sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration
Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, or any post-effective
amendment thereto, or the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto,
made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any
Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Representatives expressly
for use therein. There are no contracts or other documents required to be
described in the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration
Statement which have not been described or filed as required.


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        (b) Offering Materials Furnished to Underwriters. The Company has
delivered to each of the Representatives one complete conformed copy of the
Registration Statement and of each consent and certificate of experts filed as a
part thereof, and conformed copies of the Registration Statement (without
exhibits) and preliminary prospectuses and the Prospectus, as amended or
supplemented, in such quantities and at such places as the Representatives have
reasonably requested for each of the Underwriters.

        (c) Distribution of Offering Material By the Company. The Company has
not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the Second
Closing Date (as defined below) and the completion of the Underwriters'
distribution of the Shares, any offering material in connection with the
offering and sale of the Shares other than a preliminary prospectus, the
Prospectus or the Registration Statement.

        (d) The Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized,
executed and delivered by, and is a valid and binding agreement of, the Company,
enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnification
hereunder may be limited by applicable law and except as the enforcement hereof
may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other
similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by
general equitable principles.

        (e) Authorization of the Shares To Be Sold by the Company. The Shares to
be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for
issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by
the Company pursuant to this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and
nonassessable.

        (f) No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights. There are no
persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt
securities registered for sale under the Registration Statement or included in
the offering contemplated by this Agreement, except for such rights as have been
duly waived.

        (g) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the respective dates as of
which information is given in the Prospectus: (i) there has been no material
adverse change, or any development that could reasonably be expected to result
in a material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in
the earnings, business, operations or prospects, whether or not arising from
transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company and its
subsidiaries, considered as one entity (any such change or effect, where the
context so requires, is called a "Material Adverse Change" or a "Material
Adverse Effect"); (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one
entity, have not incurred any material liability or obligation, indirect, direct
or contingent, not in the ordinary course of business nor entered into any
material transaction or agreement not in the ordinary course of business; and
(iii) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or
made by the Company or, except for dividends paid to the Company or other
subsidiaries, any of its subsidiaries on any class of capital stock or
repurchase or redemption by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any class
of capital stock.

        (h) Independent Accountants. PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP and KPMG Peat
Marwick LLP, who have expressed their respective opinions with respect to the
financial statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the related
notes


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thereto) and supporting schedules filed with the Commission as a part of
the Registration Statement and included in the Prospectus, are independent
public or certified public accountants as required by the Securities Act.

        (i) Preparation of the Financial Statements. The financial statements
filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and included
in the Prospectus present fairly the consolidated financial position of the
Company and its subsidiaries as of and at the dates indicated and the results of
operations and cash flows for the periods specified. The supporting schedules
included in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required
to be stated therein. Such financial statements and supporting schedules have
been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles as
applied in the United States applied on a consistent basis throughout the
periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes
thereto. No other financial statements or supporting schedules are required to
be included in the Registration Statement. The financial data set forth in the
Prospectus under the captions "Prospectus Summary--Summary Financial Data",
"Selected Financial Data" and "Capitalization" fairly present the information
set forth therein on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial
statements contained in the Registration Statement.

        (j) Company's Accounting System. The Company and each of its
subsidiaries maintain a system of accounting controls sufficient to provide
reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with
management's general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded
as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with
generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States and to
maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in
accordance with management's general or specific authorization; and (iv) the
recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at
reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any
differences.

        (k) [Subsidiaries of the Company. The Company's subsidiaries, when
considered in the aggregate as a single subsidiary, would not constitute a
"significant subsidiary," as defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X under the
Securities Act.]

               [The Company will need to provide a representation that Arcxel is
a significant subsidiary.]

        (l) Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been
duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing
under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is organized with full corporate
power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described
in the prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation
and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction which requires such
qualification.

        (m) [Capitalization of the Subsidiaries. All the outstanding shares of
capital stock of each subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and
issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, and, except as otherwise set forth
in the Prospectus, all outstanding shares of capital stock of the subsidiaries
are owned by the Company either directly or through wholly owned subsidiaries
free and clear of any security interests, claims, liens or encumbrances.]


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        (n) Capitalization and Other Capital Stock Matters. The authorized,
issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the
Prospectus under the caption "Capitalization" (other than for subsequent
issuances, if any, pursuant to employee benefit plans described in the
Prospectus or upon exercise of outstanding options or warrants described in the
Prospectus). The Common Shares (including the Shares) conform in all material
respects to the description thereof contained in the Prospectus. All of the
issued and outstanding Common Shares have been duly authorized and validly
issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and have been issued in compliance with
federal and state securities laws. None of the outstanding Common Shares were
issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other
similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company. There are
no authorized or outstanding options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of
first refusal or other rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities
convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the
Company or any of its other than those accurately described in the Prospectus.
The description of the Company's stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans
or arrangements, and the options or other rights granted thereunder, set forth
in the Prospectus accurately and fairly presents the information required to be
shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights.

        (o) Stock Exchange Listing. The Shares have been approved for listing on
the Nasdaq National Market, subject only to official notice of issuance.

        (p) No Consents, Approvals or Authorizations Required. No consent,
approval, authorization, filing with or order of any court or governmental
agency or regulatory body is required in connection with the transactions
contemplated herein, except such as have been obtained or made under the
Securities Act and such as may be required (i) under the blue sky laws of any
jurisdiction in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by
the Underwriters in the manner contemplated here and in the Prospectus, (ii) by
the National Association of Securities Dealers, LLC and (iii) by the federal and
provincial laws of Canada.

        (q) Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments Agreements. Neither the
issue and sale of the Shares nor the consummation of any other of the
transactions herein contemplated nor the fulfillment of the terms hereof will
conflict with, result in a breach or violation or imposition of any lien, charge
or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its
significant subsidiaries pursuant to, (i) the charter or by-laws of the Company
or any of its significant subsidiaries, (ii) the terms of any indenture,
contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or
other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which the
Company or any of its significant subsidiaries is a party or bound or to which
its or their property is subject or (iii) any statute, law, rule, regulation,
judgment, order or decree applicable to the Company or any of its significant
subsidiaries of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental
body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any
of its significant subsidiaries or any of its or their properties, except any
such conflict, breach, violation, liens, charge or encumbrance which would not
singly or in the aggregate result in a Material Adverse Change and except as may
be disclosed in the Prospectus.

        (r) No Defaults or Violations. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary is
in violation or default of (i) any provision of its charter or by-laws, (ii) the
terms of any


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indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan
agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to
which it is a party or bound or to which its property is subject or (iii) any
statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any court,
regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other
authority having jurisdiction over the Company or such subsidiary or any of its
properties, as applicable, except any such violation or default which would not,
singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change and except as
otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus.

        (s) No Actions, Suits or Proceedings. No action, suit or proceeding by
or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator
involving the Company or any of its significant subsidiaries or its or their
property is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened that
(i) could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the
performance of this Agreement or the consummation of any of the transactions
contemplated hereby or (ii) could reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect.

        (t) All Necessary Permits, Etc. The Company and each subsidiary possess
such valid and current certificates, authorizations or permits issued by the
appropriate state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to
conduct their respective businesses, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary
has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or
modification of, or non-compliance with, any such certificate, authorization or
permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable
decision, ruling or finding, could result in a Material Adverse Change.

        (u) Title to Properties. The Company and each of its significant
subsidiaries has good and marketable title to all the properties and assets
reflected as owned in the financial statements referred to in Section 1(A)(i)
above, in each case free and clear of any security interests, mortgages, liens,
encumbrances, equities, claims and other defects, except such as do not
materially and adversely affect the value of such property and do not materially
interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the
Company or such subsidiary. The real property, improvements, equipment and
personal property held under lease by the Company or any subsidiary are held
under valid and enforceable leases, with such exceptions as are not material and
do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such
real property, improvements, equipment or personal property by the Company or
such subsidiary.

        (v) Tax Law Compliance. The Company and its significant subsidiaries
have filed all necessary federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax
returns or have properly requested extensions thereof and have paid all taxes
required to be paid by any of them and, if due and payable, any related or
similar assessment, fine or penalty levied against any of them except as may be
being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings, and as disclosed
in the Prospectus. The Company has made adequate charges, accruals and reserves
in the applicable financial statements referred to in Section 1(A)(i) above in
respect of all federal, state and foreign income and franchise taxes for all
periods as to which the tax liability of the Company or any of its significant
subsidiaries has not been finally determined. The Company is not aware of any
tax deficiency that has been or is likely to be asserted or threatened against
the Company that could result in a Material Adverse Change.


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        (w) Intellectual Property Rights. Each of the Company and its
significant subsidiaries owns or possesses adequate rights to use all patents,
patent rights or licenses, inventions, collaborative research agreements, trade
secrets, know-how, trademarks, service marks, trade names and copyrights which
are necessary to conduct its businesses as described in the Registration
Statement and Prospectus; the expiration of any patents, patent rights, trade
secrets, trademarks, service marks, trade names or copyrights would not result
in a Material Adverse Change that is not otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus;
the Company has not received any notice of, and has no knowledge of, any
infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of the Company by others with
respect to any patent, patent rights, inventions, trade secrets, know-how,
trademarks, service marks, trade names or copyrights; and the Company has not
received any notice of, and has no knowledge of, any infringement of or conflict
with asserted rights of others with respect to any patent, patent rights,
inventions, trade secrets, know-how, trademarks, service marks, trade names or
copyrights which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable
decision, ruling or finding, might have a Material Adverse Change. There is no
claim being made against the Company regarding patents, patent rights or
licenses, inventions, collaborative research, trade secrets, know-how,
trademarks, service marks, trade names or copyrights. The Company and its
significant subsidiaries do not in the conduct of their business as now or
proposed to be conducted as described in the Prospectus infringe or conflict
with any right or patent of any third party, or any discovery, invention,
product or process which is the subject of a patent application filed by any
third party, known to the Company or any of its significant subsidiaries, which
such infringement or conflict is reasonably likely to result in a Material
Adverse Change.

        (x) Year 2000 Preparedness. There are no issues related to the
Company's, or any of its significant subsidiaries, preparedness for the Year
2000 that (i) are of a character required to be described or referred to in the
Registration Statement or Prospectus by the Securities Act or the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder which have not been accurately
described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or (ii) might reasonably
be expected to result in any Material Adverse Change or that might materially
affect their properties, assets or rights. All internal computer systems and
each Constituent Component (as defined below) of those systems and all
computer-related products and each Constituent Component (as defined below) of
those products of the Company and each of its significant subsidiaries fully
comply with Year 2000 Qualification Requirements. "Year 2000 Qualifications
Requirements" means that the internal computer systems and each Constituent
Component (as defined below) of those systems and all computer-related products
and each Constituent Component (as defined below) of those products of the
Company and each of its significant subsidiaries (i) have been reviewed to
confirm that they store, process (including sorting and performing mathematical
operations, calculations and computations), input and output data containing
date and information correctly regardless of whether the date contains dates and
times before, on or after January 1, 2000, (ii) have been designated to ensure
date and time entry recognition and calculations, and date data interface values
that reflect the century, (iii) accurately manage and manipulate data involving
dates and times, including single century formulas and multi-century formulas,
and will not cause an abnormal ending scenario within the application or
generate incorrect values or invalid results involving such dates, (iv)
accurately process any date rollover, and (v) accept and respond to two-digit
year date input in a manner that resolves any ambiguities as to the century.
"Constituent Component" means all software (including operating systems,
programs, packages and



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utilities), firmware, hardware, networking components, and peripherals provided
as part of the configuration. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus,
the Company has inquired of material vendors as to their preparedness for the
Year 2000 and has disclosed in the Registration Statement or Prospectus any
issues that might reasonably be expected to result in any Material Adverse
Change.

        (y) No Transfer Taxes or Other Fees. There are no transfer taxes or
other similar fees or charges under Federal law or the laws of any state, or any
political subdivision thereof, required to be paid in connection with the
execution and delivery of this Agreement or the issuance and sale by the Company
of the shares.

        (z) Company Not an "Investment Company". The Company has been advised of
the rules and requirements under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
(the "Investment Company Act"). The Company is not, and after receipt of payment
for the Shares will not be, an "investment company" or an entity "controlled" by
an "investment company" within the meaning of the Investment Company Act and
will conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become subject to the
Investment Company Act.

        (aa) Insurance. Each of the Company and its significant subsidiaries are
insured by recognized, financially sound and reputable institutions with
policies in such amounts and with such deductibles and covering such risks as
are generally deemed adequate and customary for their businesses. The Company
has no reason to believe that it or any subsidiary will not be able (i) to renew
its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) to
obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or
appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would
not result in a Material Adverse Change. Neither of the Company nor any
subsidiary has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for
which it has applied.

        (bb) Labor Matters. To the Company's knowledge, no labor disturbance by
the employees of the Company or any of its significant subsidiaries exists or is
imminent that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Change and the Company is not aware of any existing labor disturbance by the
employees of any of its principal suppliers, that reasonably could be expected
to result in a Material Adverse Change.

        (cc) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation. The Company has not taken
and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might
be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of
the price of the Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.

        (dd) Lock-Up Agreements. Each officer and director of the Company, each
beneficial owner of the Company's capital stock and each holder of an option,
warrant or other rights to purchase or acquire capital stock of the Company has
agreed to sign an agreement substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit
A (the "Lock-up Agreements"). The Company has provided to counsel for the
Underwriters a complete and accurate list of all securityholders of the Company
and the number and type of securities held by each securityholder. The Company
has provided to counsel for the Underwriters true, accurate and complete copies
of all of the Lock-up Agreements presently in effect or effected hereby. The
Company hereby represents and warrants


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that it will not release any of its officers, directors or any security holders
from any Lock-up Agreements currently existing or hereafter effected without the
prior written consent of BancBoston Robertson Stephens Inc.

        (ee) Related Party Transactions. There are no business relationships or
related-party transactions involving the Company or any subsidiary or any other
person required to be described in the Prospectus which have not been described
as required.

               Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered
to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed to be
a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the
matters set forth therein.

        (ff) Environmental Laws. (i) The Company is in compliance with all
rules, laws and regulations relating to the use, treatment, storage and disposal
of toxic substances and protection of health or the environment ("Environmental
Laws") which are applicable to its business, except where the failure to comply
would not result in a Material Adverse Change; (ii) the Company has received no
notice from any governmental authority or third party of an asserted claim under
Environmental Laws, which claim is required to be disclosed in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus; (iii) to the best of its knowledge, the Company
will not be required to make future material capital expenditures to comply with
Environmental Laws and (iv) no property which is owned, leased or occupied by
the Company has been designated as a Superfund site pursuant to the
Comprehensive Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (42
U.S.C. Section 9601, et seq.), or otherwise designated as a contaminated site
under applicable state or local law.

        (gg) ERISA Compliance. The Company and its significant subsidiaries and
any "employee benefit plan" (as defined under the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations and published
interpretations thereunder (collectively, "ERISA")) established or maintained by
the Company, its significant subsidiaries or their "ERISA Affiliates" (as
defined below) are in compliance in all material respects with ERISA. "ERISA
Affiliate" means, with respect to the Company or a subsidiary, any member of any
group of organizations described in Sections 414(b),(c),(m) or (o) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published
interpretations thereunder (the "Code") of which the Company or such subsidiary
is a member. No "reportable event" (as defined under ERISA) has occurred or is
reasonably expected to occur with respect to any "employee benefit plan"
established or maintained by the Company, its significant subsidiaries or any of
their ERISA Affiliates. No "employee benefit plan" established or maintained by
the Company, its significant subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates, if
such "employee benefit plan" were terminated, would have any "amount of
unfounded benefit liabilities" (as defined under ERISA). Neither the Company,
its significant subsidiaries nor any of their ERISA Affiliates has incurred or
reasonably expects to incur any liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with
respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any "employee benefit plan" or
(ii) Sections 412, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the Code. Each "employee benefit plan"
established or maintained by the Company, its significant subsidiaries or any of
their ERISA Affiliates that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of
the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or failure
to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification.

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        SECTION 2. PURCHASE, SALE AND DELIVERY OF THE SHARES.

        (a) The Firm Shares. The Company agrees to issue and sell to the several
Underwriters the Firm Shares upon the terms herein set forth. On the basis of
the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the
terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Underwriters agree,
severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective number of
Firm Shares set forth opposite their names on Schedule A. The purchase price per
Firm Share to be paid by the several Underwriters to the Company shall be $[___]
per share.

        (b) The First Closing Date. Delivery of the Firm Shares to be purchased
by the Underwriters and payment therefor shall be made by the Company and the
Representatives at 6:00 a.m. San Francisco time, at the offices of Cooley
Godward LLP, 5200 Carillon Point, Kirkland, WA 98033-7356 (or at such other
place as may be agreed upon among the Representatives and the Company), (i) on
the third (3rd) full business day following the first day that Shares are
traded, (ii) if this Agreement is executed and delivered after 1:30 P.M., San
Francisco time, the fourth (4th) full business day following the day that this
Agreement is executed and delivered or (iii) at such other time and date not
later that seven (7) full business days following the first day that Shares are
traded as the Representatives and the Company may determine (or at such time and
date to which payment and delivery shall have been postponed pursuant to Section
8 hereof), such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called the
"Closing Date;" provided, however, that if the Company has not made available to
the Representatives copies of the Prospectus within the time provided in
Sections 2(g) and 3(e) hereof, the Representatives may, in their sole
discretion, postpone the Closing Date until no later than two (2) full business
days following delivery of copies of the Prospectus to the Representatives.

        (c) The Option Shares; the Second Closing Date. In addition, on the
basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and
upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Company
hereby grants an option to the several Underwriters to purchase, severally and
not jointly, up to an aggregate of [___] Option Shares from the Company at the
purchase price per share to be paid by the Underwriters for the Firm Shares. The
option granted hereunder is for use by the Underwriters solely in covering any
over-allotments in connection with the sale and distribution of the Firm Shares.
The option granted hereunder may be exercised at any time upon notice by the
Representatives to the Company, which notice may be given at any time within 30
days from the date of this Agreement. The time and date of delivery of the
Option Shares, if subsequent to the First Closing Date, is called the "Second
Closing Date" and shall be determined by the Representatives and shall not be
earlier than three nor later than five full business days after delivery of such
notice of exercise. If any Option Shares are to be purchased, each Underwriter
agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Option Shares
(subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the
Representatives may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total
number of Option Shares to be purchased as the number of Firm Shares set forth
on Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of
Firm Shares. The Representatives may cancel the option at any time prior to its
expiration by giving written notice of such cancellation to the Company.

        (d) Public Offering of the Shares. The Representatives hereby advise the
Company that the Underwriters intend to offer for sale to the public, as
described in the


                                       10
<PAGE>   11
Prospectus, their respective portions of the Shares as soon after this Agreement
has been executed and the Registration Statement has been declared effective as
the Representatives, in their sole judgment, have determined is advisable and
practicable.

        (e) Payment for the Shares. Payment for the Shares shall be made at the
First Closing Date (and, if applicable, at the Second Closing Date) by wire
transfer in immediately available-funds to the order of the Company.

               It is understood that the Representatives have been authorized,
for their own accounts and the accounts of the several Underwriters, to accept
delivery of and receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the
Firm Shares and any Option Shares the Underwriters have agreed to purchase.
BancBoston Robertson Stephens Inc., individually and not as a Representative of
the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment for any
Shares to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds shall not have been
received by the Representatives by the First Closing Date or the Second Closing
Date, as the case may be, for the account of such Underwriter, but any such
payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from any of its obligations under
this Agreement.

        (f) Delivery of the Shares. The Company shall deliver, or cause to be
delivered, a credit representing the Firm Shares to an account or accounts at
The Depository Trust Company, as designated by the Representatives for the
accounts of the Representatives and the several Underwriters at the First
Closing Date, against the irrevocable release of a wire transfer of immediately
available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. The Company shall
also deliver, or cause to be delivered a credit representing the Option Shares
the Underwriters have agreed to purchase at the First Closing Date (or the
Second Closing Date, as the case may be), to an account or accounts at The
Depository Trust Company as designated by the Representatives for the accounts
of the Representatives and the several Underwriters, against the irrevocable
release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the
purchase price therefor. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time
and place specified in this Agreement is a further condition to the obligations
of the Underwriters.

        (g) Delivery of Prospectus to the Underwriters. Not later than 12:00
noon on the second business day following the date the Shares are released by
the Underwriters for sale to the public, the Company shall deliver or cause to
be delivered copies of the Prospectus in such quantities and at such places as
the Representatives shall request.

        SECTION 3. COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY.

        A. COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY. The Company further covenants and agrees
with each Underwriter as follows:

        (a) Registration Statement Matters. The Company will (i) use its best
efforts to cause a registration statement on Form 8-A (the "Form 8-A
Registration Statement") as required by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
"Exchange Act") to become effective simultaneously with the Registration
Statement, (ii) use its best efforts to cause the Registration Statement to
become effective or, if the procedure in Rule 430A of the Securities Act is
followed, to prepare and timely file with the Commission under Rule 424(b) under
the Securities Act a Prospectus in a form approved by the


                                       11
<PAGE>   12

Representatives containing information previously omitted at the time of
effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance on Rule 430A of the
Securities Act and (iii) not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or
supplement to the Prospectus of which the Representatives shall not previously
have been advised and furnished with a copy or to which the Representatives
shall have reasonably objected in writing or which is not in compliance with the
Securities Act. If the Company elects to rely on Rule 462(b) under the
Securities Act, the Company shall file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with
the Commission in compliance with Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act prior to
the time confirmations are sent or given, as specified by Rule 462(b)(2) under
the Securities Act, and shall pay the applicable fees in accordance with Rule
111 under the Securities Act.

        (b) Securities Act Compliance. The Company will advise the
Representatives promptly (i) when the Registration Statement or any
post-effective amendment thereto shall have become effective, (ii) of receipt of
any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request of the Commission for
amendment of the Registration Statement or for supplement to the Prospectus or
for any additional information and (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any
stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use
of the Prospectus or of the institution of any proceedings for that purpose. The
Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order
preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus and to obtain as soon as
possible the lifting thereof, if issued.

        (c) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will cooperate with the
Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters in endeavoring to qualify the
Shares for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions (both national
and foreign) as the Representatives may reasonably have designated in writing
and will make such applications, file such documents, and furnish such
information as may be reasonably required for that purpose, provided the Company
shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general
consent to service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so
qualified or required to file such a consent. The Company will, from time to
time, prepare and file such statements, reports and other documents, as are or
may be required to continue such qualifications in effect for so long a period
as the Representatives may reasonably request for distribution of the Shares.

        (d) Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus and Other Securities
Act Matters. The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange
Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, so as to permit
the completion of the distribution of the Shares as contemplated in this
Agreement and the Prospectus. If during the period in which a prospectus is
required by law to be delivered by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall
occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable
opinion of the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters, it becomes
necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at the time the Prospectus
is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or, if it is necessary at any time
to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with any law, the Company
promptly will prepare and file with the Commission, and furnish at its own
expense to the Underwriters and to dealers, an appropriate amendment to the
Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus so that the Prospectus as
so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when it
is so delivered, be misleading, or so that the Prospectus will comply with the
law.



                                       12
<PAGE>   13

        (e) Copies of any Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus. The
Company agrees to furnish the Representatives, without charge, during the period
beginning on the date hereof and ending on the later of the First Closing Date
or such date, as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, the Prospectus
is no longer required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an
Underwriter or dealer (the "Prospectus Delivery Period"), as many copies of the
Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto (including any documents
incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein) as the Representatives
may request.

        (f) Insurance. The Company shall (i) obtain Directors and Officers
liability insurance in the minimum amount of $10 million which shall apply to
the offering contemplated hereby and (ii) shall cause BancBoston Robertson
Stephens Inc. to be added as an additional insured to such policy in respect of
the offering contemplated hereby.

        (g) Notice of Subsequent Events. If at any time during the ninety (90)
day period after the Registration Statement becomes effective, any rumor,
publication or event relating to or affecting the Company shall occur as a
result of which in your opinion the market price of the Company Shares has been
or is likely to be materially affected (regardless of whether such rumor,
publication or event necessitates a supplement to or amendment of the
Prospectus), the Company will, after written notice from you advising the
Company to the effect set forth above, forthwith prepare, consult with you
concerning the substance of and disseminate a press release or other public
statement, reasonably satisfactory to you, responding to or commenting on such
rumor, publication or event.

        (h) Use of Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the
sale of the Shares sold by it in the manner described under the caption "Use of
Proceeds" in the Prospectus.

        (i) Transfer Agent. The Company shall engage and maintain, at its
expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Company Shares.

        (j) Earnings Statement. As soon as practicable, the Company will make
generally available to its security holders and to the Representatives an
earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering the twelve-month period
ending [October ___, 2000] that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the
Securities Act.

        (k) Periodic Reporting Obligations. During the Prospectus Delivery
Period the Company shall file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and the
Nasdaq National Market all reports and documents required to be filed under the
Exchange Act.

        (l) Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Securities. The Company
will not, without the prior written consent of BancBoston Robertson Stephens
Inc., for a period of 180 days following the date of the Prospectus, offer, sell
or contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of or enter into any transaction which
is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the disposition (whether by
actual disposition or effective economic disposition due to cash settlement or
otherwise by the Company or any affiliate of the Company or any person in
privity with the Company or any affiliate of the Company) directly or
indirectly, or announce the offering of, any other Common Shares or any
securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, Common Shares; provided,
however, that the Company may (i) issue and sell Common Shares pursuant to any
director or


                                       13
<PAGE>   14

employee stock option plan, stock ownership plan or dividend reinvestment plan
of the Company in effect at the date of the Prospectus and described in the
Prospectus so long as none of those shares may be transferred on during the
period of 180 days from the date that the Registration Statement is declared
effective (the "Lock-Up Period") and the Company shall enter stop transfer
instructions with its transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of any
such Common Shares and (ii) the Company may issue Common Shares issuable upon
the conversion of securities or the exercise of warrants outstanding at the date
of the Prospectus and described in the Prospectus.

        (m) Future Reports to the Representatives. During the period of four
years hereafter the Company will furnish to the Representatives (i) as soon as
practicable after the end of each fiscal year, copies of the Annual Report of
the Company containing the balance sheet of the Company as of the close of such
fiscal year and statements of income, stockholders' equity and cash flows for
the year then ended and the opinion thereon of the Company's independent public
or certified public accountants; (ii) as soon as practicable after the filing
thereof, copies of each proxy statement, Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q, Current Report on Form 8-K or other report filed by the
Company with the Commission, the National Association of Securities Dealers, LLC
or any securities exchange; and (iii) as soon as available, copies of any report
or communication of the Company mailed generally to holders of its capital
stock.

        (n) Exchange Act Compliance. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the
Company will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission
pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15 of the Exchange Act in the manner and within
the time periods required by the Exchange Act.

        SECTION 4. CONDITIONS OF THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE UNDERWRITERS. The
obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Shares as
provided herein on the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Option
Shares, the Second Closing Date, shall be subject to the accuracy of the
representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in Section
1(A) hereof as of the date hereof and as of the First Closing Date as though
then made and, with respect to the Option Shares, as of the Second Closing Date
as though then made, to the timely performance by the Company of its covenants
and other obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional
conditions:

        (a) Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No
Objection from the National Association of Securities Dealers, LLC. The
Registration Statement shall have become effective prior to the execution of
this Agreement, or at such later date as shall be consented to in writing by
you; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness thereof shall have been
issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been initiated or, to the
knowledge of the Company or any Underwriter, threatened by the Commission, and
any request of the Commission for additional information (to be included in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus or otherwise) shall have been complied
with to the satisfaction of Underwriters' Counsel; and the National Association
of Securities Dealers, LLC shall have raised no objection to the fairness and
reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.

        (b) Corporate Proceedings. All corporate proceedings and other legal
matters in connection with this Agreement, the form of Registration Statement
and the Prospectus, and the registration, authorization, issue, sale and
delivery of the Shares,


                                       14
<PAGE>   15

shall have been reasonably satisfactory to Underwriters' Counsel, and such
counsel shall have been furnished with such papers and information as they may
reasonably have requested to enable them to pass upon the matters referred to in
this Section.

        (c) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the execution and delivery
of this Agreement and prior to the First Closing Date, or the Second Closing
Date, as the case may be, there shall not have been any Material Adverse Change
from that set forth in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, which, in your
sole judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in your sole judgment,
impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering of the Shares
as contemplated by the Prospectus.

        (d) Opinion of Counsel for the Company. You shall have received on the
First Closing Date, or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion
of Cooley Godward LLP, counsel for the Company, substantially in the form of
Exhibit B attached hereto, with such exceptions and qualifications as are
customary in opinions of the type contemplated by Exhibit B, dated the First
Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as appropriate, addressed to the
Underwriters and with reproduced copies or signed counterparts thereof for each
of the Underwriters.

               Counsel rendering the opinion contained in Exhibit B may rely as
to questions of law not involving the laws of the United States or the State of
Washington and Delaware upon opinions of local counsel, and as to questions of
fact upon representations or certificates of officers of the Company and of
government officials, in which case their opinion is to state that they are so
relying and that they have no knowledge of any material misstatement or
inaccuracy in any such opinion, representation or certificate. In addition, for
purposes of rendering any opinion regarding this Underwriting Agreement, such
counsel may assume that the laws of the State of Washington are substantially
the same as the laws of the State of New York. Copies of any opinion,
representation or certificate so relied upon shall be delivered to you, as
Representatives of the Underwriters, and to Underwriters' Counsel.

        (e) Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters. You shall have received on
the First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, an
opinion of Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich LLP, substantially in the form of
Exhibit C hereto with such exceptions and qualifications as are customary in
opinions of the type contemplated by Exhibit C. The Company shall have furnished
to such counsel such documents as they may have requested for the purpose of
enabling them to pass upon such matters.

        (f) Accountants' Comfort Letter. You shall have received on the First
Closing Date and on the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, a letter from
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP addressed to the Underwriters, dated the First
Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, confirming that
they are independent certified public accountants with respect to the Company
within the meaning of the Act and the applicable published Rules and Regulations
and based upon the procedures described in such letter delivered to you
concurrently with the execution of this Agreement (herein called the "Original
Letter"), but carried out to a date not more than four (4) business days prior
to the First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, (i)
confirming, to the extent true, that the statements and conclusions set forth in
the Original Letter are accurate as of the First Closing Date or the Second
Closing Date, as the case may be, and (ii) setting forth any revisions and
additions to the statements and conclusions set forth in the Original Letter
which are




                                       15
<PAGE>   16

necessary to reflect any changes in the facts described in the Original Letter
since the date of such letter, or to reflect the availability of more recent
financial statements, data or information. The letter shall not disclose any
change in the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, operations, business
or business prospects of the Company and its significant subsidiaries considered
as one enterprise from that set forth in the Registration Statement or
Prospectus, which, in your sole judgment, is material and adverse and that makes
it, in your sole judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the
public offering of the Shares as contemplated by the Prospectus. The Original
Letter from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP shall be addressed to or for the use of
the Underwriters in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters and
shall (i) represent, to the extent true, that they are independent certified
public accountants with respect to the Company within the meaning of the
Securities Act and the applicable published Rules and Regulations, (ii) set
forth their opinion with respect to their examination of the balance sheet of
the Company as of December 28, 1997 and January 3, 1999 and related statements
of operations, stockholders' equity, and cash flows for the three-year period
ended January 3, 1999, (iii) set forth their opinion with respect to their
examination of the balance sheet of Arcxel Technologies, Inc. as of December 31,
1997 and related statements of operations, shareholders' equity and cash flows
for the year then ended, (iv) state that PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has
performed the procedures set out in Statement on Auditing Standards No. 71 ("SAS
71") for a review of interim financial information and providing the report of
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as described in SAS 71 on the financial statements
for each of the quarters in the two-quarter period ended July ___, 1999 (the
"Quarterly Financial Statements"), (v) state that in the course of such review,
nothing came to their attention that leads them to believe that any material
modifications need to be made to any of the Quarterly Financial Statements in
order for them to be in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles
consistently applied across the periods presented, and address other matters
agreed upon by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and you. In addition, you shall have
received from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP a letter addressed to the Company and
made available to you for the use of the Underwriters stating that their review
of the Company's system of internal accounting controls, to the extent they
deemed necessary in establishing the scope of their examination of the Company's
financial statements as of January 3, 1999, did not disclose any weaknesses in
internal controls that they considered to be material weaknesses.

        (g) Officers' Certificate. You shall have received on the First Closing
Date and the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate of the
Company, dated the First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case
may be, signed by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the
Company, to the effect that, and you shall be satisfied that:

        (i) The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement
        are true and correct, as if made on and as of the First Closing Date or
        the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, and the Company has
        complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its
        part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the First Closing Date
        or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be;

        (ii) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
        Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been
        instituted or are pending or threatened under the Act;



                                       16
<PAGE>   17

        (iii) When the Registration Statement became effective and at all times
        subsequent thereto up to the delivery of such certificate, the
        Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and any amendments or
        supplements thereto contained all material information required to be
        included therein by the Securities Act and the applicable rules and
        regulations of the Commission thereunder, as the case may be, and in all
        material respects conformed to the requirements of the Securities Act
        and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder,
        as the case may be; the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and
        any amendments or supplements thereto, did not and does not include any
        untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
        required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
        therein not misleading; and, since the effective date of the
        Registration Statement, there has occurred no event required to be set
        forth in an amended or supplemented Prospectus which has not been so set
        forth; and

        (iv) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given
        in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, there has not been (a) any
        Material Adverse Change, (b) any transaction that is material to the
        Company and its significant subsidiaries considered as one enterprise,
        except transactions entered into in the ordinary course of business and
        which did not and are reasonably not expected to result in a Material
        Adverse Change, (c) any obligation, direct or contingent, that is
        material to the Company and its significant subsidiaries considered as
        one enterprise, incurred by the Company or its significant subsidiaries,
        except obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business and which
        did not and are reasonably not expected to result in a Material Adverse
        Change, (d) any change in the capital stock or outstanding indebtedness
        of the Company or any of its significant subsidiaries that is material
        to the Company and its significant subsidiaries considered as one
        enterprise, (e) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid
        or made on the capital stock of the Company or any of its significant
        subsidiaries, or (f) any loss or damage (whether or not insured) to the
        property of the Company or any of its significant subsidiaries which has
        been sustained or will have been sustained which has resulted or is
        reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.

        (h) Lock-up Agreement from Certain Security Holders of the Company. The
Company shall have obtained and delivered to you an agreement substantially in
the form of Exhibit A attached hereto from each officer and director of the
Company, each beneficial owner of the outstanding issued share capital of the
Company and each holder of options, warrants or other rights to purchase or
acquire shares of capital stock of the Company.

        (i) Stock Exchange Listing. The Shares shall have been approved for
listing on the Nasdaq National Market, subject only to official notice of
issuance.

        (j) Compliance with Prospectus Delivery Requirements. The Company shall
have complied with the provisions of Sections 2(g) and 3(e) hereof with respect
to the furnishing of Prospectuses.

        (k) Additional Documents. On or before each of the First Closing Date
and the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, the Representatives and counsel
for the




                                       17
<PAGE>   18

Underwriters shall have received such information, documents and opinions as
they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the
legality of the issuance and sale of the Shares as contemplated herein, or in
order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or
the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.

        If any condition specified in this Section 4 is not satisfied when and
as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the
Representatives by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to the First
Closing Date and, with respect to the Option Shares, at any time prior to the
Second Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of
any party to any other party, except that Section 5 (Payment of Expenses),
Section 6 (Reimbursement of Underwriters' Expenses), Section 7 (Indemnification
and Contribution) and Section 10 (Representations and Indemnities to Survive
Delivery) shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

        SECTION 5. PAYMENT OF EXPENSES. The Company agrees to pay all costs,
fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations
hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including
without limitation (i) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the
Common Shares (including all printing and engraving costs), (ii) all fees and
expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Common Stock, (iii) all
necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance
and sale of the Shares to the Underwriters, (iv) all fees and expenses of the
Company's counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other
advisors, (v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the
preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration
Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and
certificates of experts), each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus, and
all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement, (vi) all filing
fees, attorneys' fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Underwriters
in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the
qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Shares for offer and
sale under the state securities or blue sky laws or the provincial securities
laws of Canada or any other country, and, if requested by the Representatives,
preparing and printing a "Blue Sky Survey", an "International Blue Sky Survey"
or other memorandum, and any supplements thereto, advising the Underwriters of
such qualifications, registrations and exemptions, (vii) the filing fees
incident to, and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the
Underwriters in connection with, the National Association of Securities Dealers,
LLC review and approval of the Underwriters' participation in the offering and
distribution of the Common Shares, (viii) the fees and expenses associated with
listing the Common Shares on the Nasdaq National Market, (ix) all costs and
expenses incident to the preparation and undertaking of "road show" preparations
to be made to prospective investors, and (x) all other fees, costs and expenses
referred to in Item 13 of Part II of the Registration Statement. Except as
provided in this Section 5, Section 6, and Section 7 hereof, the Underwriters
shall pay their own expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their
counsel.

        SECTION 6. REIMBURSEMENT OF UNDERWRITERS' EXPENSES. If this Agreement is
terminated by the Representatives pursuant to Section 4, Section 8 or Section 9,
or if the sale to the Underwriters of the Shares on the First Closing Date is
not consummated because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the
Company to perform any agreement herein or to comply with any provision hereof,
the Company agrees to reimburse the Representatives and the other Underwriters
(or such Underwriters as



                                       18
<PAGE>   19

have terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves), severally, upon
demand for all out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been reasonably incurred
by the Representatives and the Underwriters in connection with the proposed
purchase and the offering and sale of the Shares, including but not limited to
fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage,
facsimile and telephone charges.

     SECTION 7. INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION.

        (a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify
and hold harmless each Underwriter, its officers and employees, and each person,
if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or
the Exchange Act, against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as
incurred, to which such Underwriter or such controlling person may become
subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state
statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in
settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written
consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld),
insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect
thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based (i) upon any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, including any information
deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430A or Rule 434 under the
Securities Act, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading; or (ii) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any
amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom
of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or (iii)
in whole or in part upon any inaccuracy in the representations and warranties of
the Company contained herein; or (iv) in whole or in part upon any failure of
the Company to perform its obligations hereunder or under law; or (v) any act or
failure to act or any alleged act or failure to act by any Underwriter in
connection with, or relating in any manner to, the Shares or the offering
contemplated hereby, and which is included as part of or referred to in any
loss, claim, damage, liability or action arising out of or based upon any matter
covered by clause (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) above, provided that the Company
shall not be liable under this clause (v) to the extent that a court of
competent jurisdiction shall have determined by a final judgment that such loss,
claim, damage, liability or action resulted directly from any such acts or
failures to act undertaken or omitted to be taken by such Underwriter through
its bad faith or willful misconduct; and to reimburse each Underwriter and each
such controlling person for any and all expenses (including the fees and
disbursements of counsel chosen by BancBoston Robertson Stephens Inc.) as such
expenses are reasonably incurred by such Underwriter or such controlling person
in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying
any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action; provided, however,
that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, claim,
damage, liability or expense to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out
of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or
alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written
information furnished to the Company by the Representatives expressly for use in
the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any
amendment or supplement thereto); and provided, further, that with respect to
any preliminary prospectus, the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not inure to
the benefit of any


                                       19
<PAGE>   20

Underwriter from whom the person asserting any loss, claim, damage, liability or
expense purchased Shares, or any person controlling such Underwriter, if copies
of the Prospectus were timely delivered to the Underwriter pursuant to Section 2
and a copy of the Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented if the Company
shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto) was not sent or
given by or on behalf of such Underwriter to such person, if required by law so
to have been delivered, at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of
the Shares to such person, and if the Prospectus (as so amended or supplemented)
would have cured the defect giving rise to such loss, claim, damage, liability
or expense. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 7(a) shall be in
addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have.

        (b) Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers. Each
Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless
the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signed the
Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within
the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any loss, claim,
damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Company, or any such
director, officer or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities
Act, the Exchange Act, or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or
at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such
settlement is effected with the written consent of such Underwriter), insofar as
such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as
contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon any untrue or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any
preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement
thereto), or arises out of or is based upon the omission or alleged omission to
state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to
the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission
or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary
prospectus, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), in reliance
upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the
Representatives expressly for use therein; and to reimburse the Company, or any
such director, officer or controlling person for any legal and other expense
reasonably incurred by the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling
person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or
paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action. The indemnity
agreement set forth in this Section 7(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities
that each Underwriter may otherwise have.

        (c) Information Provided by the Underwriters. The Company hereby
acknowledges that the only information that the Underwriters have furnished to
the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary
prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) are the
statements set forth in the table in the first paragraph and the second
paragraph under the caption "Underwriting" in the Prospectus; and the
Underwriters confirm that such statements are correct.

        (d) Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures. Promptly after
receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 7 of notice of the
commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect
thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 7, notify
the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission
so to notify the indemnifying party will not


                                       20
<PAGE>   21

relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party for
contribution or otherwise than under the indemnity agreement contained in this
Section 7 or to the extent it is not prejudiced as a proximate result of such
failure. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and
such indemnified party seeks or intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying
party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in, and, to the
extent that it shall elect, jointly with all other indemnifying parties
similarly notified, by written notice delivered to the indemnified party
promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to
assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such
indemnified party; provided, however, if the defendants in any such action
include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the
indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that a conflict may arise
between the positions of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in
conducting the defense of any such action or that there may be legal defenses
available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or
additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the indemnified party
or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to assume such legal
defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such action on behalf of
such indemnified party or parties. Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying
party to such indemnified party of such indemnifying party's election so to
assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified party of
counsel, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party
under this Section 7 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by
such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof unless (i) the
indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the
proviso to the next preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the
indemnifying party shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one
separate counsel (together with local counsel), approved by the indemnifying
party (BancBoston Robertson Stephens Inc. in the case of Section 7(b) and
Section 8), representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such
action), (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel
satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within
a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action, or (iii) the
indemnifying party has authorized the employment of counsel for the indemnified
party at the expense of the indemnifying party, in each of which cases the fees
and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party.

        (e) Settlements. The indemnifying party under this Section 7 shall not
be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written
consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, but if settled with
such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying
party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party against any loss, claim, damage,
liability or expense by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding
the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested
an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses
of counsel as contemplated by Section 7(d) hereof, the indemnifying party agrees
that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without
its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days
after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such
indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance
with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party
shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any
settlement, compromise or consent to the entry of judgment in any pending or
threatened action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party
is or could have been a party and indemnity was or could have been sought
hereunder by


                                       21
<PAGE>   22

such indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes
(i) an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on
claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding and (ii)
does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a
failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

        (f) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Section 7
is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under
Section 7(a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) then each
indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by
such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the
relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters
on the other from the offering of the Shares. If, however, the allocation
provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable
law then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable
by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not
only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the
one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or
omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, (or
actions or proceedings in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant
equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the
one hand and the Underwriter on the other shall be deemed to be in the same
proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting
expenses) received by the Company bears to the total underwriting discounts and
commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table
on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by
reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact
relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or the
Underwriters on the other and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to
information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

        The Company and Underwriters agree that it would not be just and
equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 7(f) were determined by pro
rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such
purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the
equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7(f). The amount paid
or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to above in
this Section 7(f) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating
or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this
subsection (f), (i) no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in
excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions applicable to the Shares
purchased by such Underwriter and (ii) no person guilty of fraudulent
misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act)
shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such
fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters' obligations in this Section 7(f)
to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting
obligations and not joint.

        (g) Timing of Any Payments of Indemnification. Any losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or expenses for which an indemnified party is entitled to
indemnification or contribution under this Section 7 shall be paid by the
indemnifying


                                       22
<PAGE>   23

party to the indemnified party as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or
expenses are incurred, but in all cases, no later than thirty (30) days of
invoice to the indemnifying party.

        (h) Survival. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in
this Section 7 and the representation and warranties of the Company set forth in
this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless
of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any person
controlling any Underwriter, the Company, its directors or officers or any
persons controlling the Company, (ii) acceptance of any Shares and payment
therefor hereunder, and (iii) any termination of this Agreement. A successor to
any Underwriter, or to the Company, its directors or officers, or any person
controlling the Company, shall be entitled to the benefits of the indemnity,
contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in this Section 7.

        (i) Acknowledgements of Parties. The parties to this Agreement hereby
acknowledge that they are sophisticated business persons who were represented by
counsel during the negotiations regarding the provisions hereof including,
without limitation, the provisions of this Section 7, and are fully informed
regarding said provisions. They further acknowledge that the provisions of this
Section 7 fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to
investigate the Company and its business in order to assure that adequate
disclosure is made in the Registration Statement and Prospectus as required by
the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

        SECTION 8. DEFAULT OF ONE OR MORE OF THE SEVERAL UNDERWRITERS. If, on
the First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, any one
or more of the several Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Shares that
it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate
number of Common Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed
but failed or refused to purchase does not exceed 10% of the aggregate number of
the Shares to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be
obligated, severally, in the proportions that the number of Firm Common Shares
set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A bears to the aggregate
number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting
Underwriters, or in such other proportions as may be specified by the
Representatives with the consent of the non-defaulting Underwriters, to purchase
the Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed
or refused to purchase on such date. If, on the First Closing Date or the Second
Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail
or refuse to purchase Shares and the aggregate number of Shares with respect to
which such default occurs exceeds 10% of the aggregate number of Shares to be
purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives and
the Company for the purchase of such Shares are not made within 48 hours after
such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability of any party to
any other party except that the provisions of Section 4, and Section 7 shall at
all times be effective and shall survive such termination. In any such case
either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the
First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, but in no
event for longer than seven days in order that the required changes, if any, to
the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or any other documents or
arrangements may be effected.

                                       23
<PAGE>   24

               As used in this Agreement, the term "Underwriter" shall be deemed
to include any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter under this
Section 8. Any action taken under this Section 8 shall not relieve any
defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such
Underwriter under this Agreement.

        SECTION 9. TERMINATION OF THIS AGREEMENT. Prior to the First Closing
Date, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice given to
the Company if at any time (i) trading or quotation in any of the Company's
securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by the
Nasdaq Stock Market, or trading in securities generally on either the Nasdaq
Stock Market or the New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended or
limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on
any of such stock exchanges by the Commission or the National Association of
Securities Dealers, LLC; (ii) a general banking moratorium shall have been
declared by any of federal, New York, Delaware or California authorities; (iii)
there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of national or
international hostilities or any crisis or calamity, or any change in the United
States or international financial markets, or any substantial change or
development involving a prospective change in United States' or international
political, financial or economic conditions, as in the judgment of the
Representatives is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or
inadvisable to market the Common Shares in the manner and on the terms described
in the Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities; (iv) in
the judgment of the Representatives there shall have occurred any Material
Adverse Change; or (v) the Company shall have sustained a loss by strike, fire,
flood, earthquake, accident or other calamity of such character as in the
judgment of the Representatives may interfere materially with the conduct of the
business and operations of the Company regardless of whether or not such loss
shall have been insured. Any termination pursuant to this Section 9 shall be
without liability on the part of (a) the Company to any Underwriter, except that
the Company shall be obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Representatives
and the Underwriters pursuant to Sections 5 and 6 hereof, (b) any Underwriter to
the Company, or (c) of any party hereto to any other party except that the
provisions of Section 7 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such
termination.

        SECTION 10. REPRESENTATIONS AND INDEMNITIES TO SURVIVE DELIVERY. The
respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other
statements of the Company, of its officers and of the several Underwriters set
forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and
effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter
or the Company or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any
controlling person, as the case may be, and will survive delivery of and payment
for the Shares sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.

        SECTION 11. NOTICES. All communications hereunder shall be in writing
and shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties
hereto as follows:

If to the Representatives:

          BANCBOSTON ROBERTSON STEPHENS INC.
          555 California Street
          San Francisco, California  94104



                                       24
<PAGE>   25

          Facsimile:  (415) 676-2696
          Attention:  General Counsel

If to the Company:

          Vixel Corporation
          11911 Northcreek Parkway South
          Bothell, Washington  98011
          Facsimile:
          Attention:  James M. McCluney

Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving
written notice to the others.

        SECTION 12. SUCCESSORS. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and
be binding upon the parties hereto, including any substitute Underwriters
pursuant to Section 9 hereof, and to the benefit of the employees, officers and
directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 7, and to their
respective successors, [and personal representatives], and no other person will
have any right or obligation hereunder. The term "successors" shall not include
any purchaser of the Shares as such from any of the Underwriters merely by
reason of such purchase.

        SECTION 13. PARTIAL UNENFORCEABILITY. The invalidity or unenforceability
of any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the
validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof.
If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason
determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such
minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid
and enforceable.

SECTION 14.    GOVERNING LAW PROVISIONS.

        (a) Governing Law. This agreement shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the internal laws of the state of New York applicable to
agreements made and to be performed in such state.

        (b) Consent to Jurisdiction. Any legal suit, action or proceeding
arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated
hereby ("Related Proceedings") may be instituted in the federal courts of the
United States of America located in the City and County of San Francisco or the
courts of the State of California in each case located in the City and County of
San Francisco (collectively, the "Specified Courts"), and each party irrevocably
submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in
regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any such court (a "Related
Judgment"), as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in
any such suit, action or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or
document by mail to such party's address set forth above shall be effective
service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such
court. The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the
laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts
and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any
such court that any such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such
court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. Each party not located in the
United States irrevocably appoints CT Corporation System, which


                                       25
<PAGE>   26

currently maintains a San Francisco office at 49 Stevenson Street, San
Francisco, California 94105, United States of America, as its agent to receive
service of process or other legal summons for purposes of any such suit, action
or proceeding that may be instituted in any state or federal court in the City
and County of San Francisco.

        (c) Waiver of Immunity. With respect to any Related Proceeding, each
party irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, all
immunity (whether on the basis of sovereignty or otherwise) from jurisdiction,
service of process, attachment (both before and after judgment) and execution to
which it might otherwise be entitled in the Specified Courts, and with respect
to any Related Judgment, each party waives any such immunity in the Specified
Courts or any other court of competent jurisdiction, and will not raise or claim
or cause to be pleaded any such immunity at or in respect of any such Related
Proceeding or Related Judgment, including, without limitation, any immunity
pursuant to the United States Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976, as
amended.

        SECTION 15. GENERAL PROVISIONS. This Agreement constitutes the entire
agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or
oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations
with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be executed in two
or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same
effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.
This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the
parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived
unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit.
The Table of Contents and the Section headings herein are for the convenience of
the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this
Agreement.

         [The remainder of this page has been intentionally left blank.]


                                       26
<PAGE>   27

        If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our
agreement, please sign and return to the Company the enclosed copies hereof,
whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a
binding agreement in accordance with its terms.

                                               Very truly yours,

                                               VIXEL CORPORATION

                                                By:__________________________
                                                            [Title]

         The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted
by the Representatives as of the date first above written.

BANCBOSTON ROBERTSON STEPHENS INC.
BEAR, STEARNS & CO. INC.
NEEDHAM & COMPANY, INC.

On their behalf and on behalf of each of the several underwriters named in
Schedule A hereto.

BY BANCBOSTON ROBERTSON STEPHENS INC.

 By:_________________________________
      Authorized Signatory


                                       27
<PAGE>   28
                                   SCHEDULE A
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                    Number of
                                                    Firm Common Shares
 Underwriters                                       To be Purchased

<S>                                                 <C>
 BANCBOSTON ROBERTSON STEPHENS INC. [AND            [___]
 BANCBOSTON ROBERTSON STEPHENS INTERNATIONAL
 LIMITED] .......................................
 BEAR, STEARNS & CO. INC. .......................   [___]
 NEEDHAM & COMPANY, INC. ........................   [___]
 [___] ..........................................   [___]
 [___] ..........................................   [___]

         Total...................................   [___]
</TABLE>

                                      S-A
<PAGE>   29
                                    EXHIBIT A

                                LOCK-UP AGREEMENT

BancBoston Robertson Stephens Inc.
Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.
Needham & Company
c/o BancBoston Robertson Stephens Inc.
555 California Street, Suite 2600
San Francisco, California 94104

RE:  Vixel Corporation (the "Company")

Ladies & Gentlemen:

        The undersigned is an owner of record or beneficially of certain shares
of Common Stock of the Company ("Common Stock") or securities convertible into
or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock. The Company proposes to carry
out a public offering of Common Stock (the "Offering") for which you will act as
the representatives (the "Representatives") of the underwriters. The undersigned
recognizes that the Offering will be of benefit to the undersigned and will
benefit the Company by, among other things, raising additional capital for its
operations. The undersigned acknowledges that you and the other underwriters are
relying on the representations and agreements of the undersigned contained in
this letter in carrying out the Offering and in entering into underwriting
arrangements with the Company with respect to the Offering.

        In consideration of the foregoing, the undersigned hereby agrees that
the undersigned will not offer to sell, contract to sell, or otherwise sell,
dispose of, loan, pledge or grant any rights with respect to (collectively, a
"Disposition") any shares of Common Stock, any options or warrants to purchase
any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable
for shares of Common Stock (collectively, "Securities") now owned or hereafter
acquired directly by the undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned
has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition, for a period commencing on
the date hereof and continuing to a date which is 180 days after the
registration statement relating to the Offering (the "Registration Statement")
is declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Lock-up
Period"). This restriction will not apply to (i) a bona fide gift or gifts,
provided the donee or donees thereof agree in writing to be bound by this
restriction, (ii) a distribution to partners or shareholders of the undersigned,
provided that the distributees thereof agree in writing to be bound by the terms
of this restriction, (iii) dispositions of Securities acquired on the open
market or (iv) dispositions made with the prior written consent of BancBoston
Robertson Stephens Inc. The undersigned agrees that the foregoing restriction
precludes the holder of the Securities from engaging in any hedging or other
transaction which is designed to or reasonably expected to lead to or result in
a Disposition of Securities during the Lock-up period, even if such Securities
would be


                                       A-1
<PAGE>   30

disposed of by someone other than the undersigned. Such prohibited hedging or
other transactions would include, without limitation, any short sale (whether or
not against the box) or any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including,
without limitation, any put or call option) with respect to any Securities or
with respect to any security (other than a broad-based market basket or index)
that includes, relates to or derives any significant part of its value from
Securities. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop
transfer instructions with the Company's transfer agent and registrar against
the transfer of Securities held by the undersigned except in compliance with the
foregoing restrictions. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the
foregoing restrictions do not prohibit the sale of shares of Common Stock by the
undersigned to the underwriters in the Offering, if the Representatives, in
their sole discretion, agree to the inclusion of shares of Common Stock in the
Offering. BancBoston Robertson Stephens Inc., acting alone and in its sole
discretion, may waive any provisions of this Lock-Up Agreement without notice to
any third party.

        This agreement is irrevocable and will be binding on the undersigned and
the respective successors, heirs, personal representatives and assigns of the
undersigned. In the event that the Registration Statement shall not have been
declared effective on or before October 31, 1999, this Lock-Up Agreement shall
be of no further force or effect.

                                            Dated:
                                                  ------------------------------

                                            ------------------------------------
                                            Printed Name of Holder

                                            By:
                                               ---------------------------------
                                               Signature

                                            ------------------------------------
                                            Printed Name of Person Signing (and
                                            indicate capacity of person signing
                                            if signing as custodian, trustee, or
                                            on behalf of an entity)

                                      A-2
<PAGE>   31
                                    EXHIBIT B

             MATTERS TO BE COVERED IN THE OPINION OF COMPANY COUNSEL

(i) The Company and each of its significant subsidiaries (as that term is
defined in Regulation S-X of the Securities Act) has been duly incorporated and
is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the
jurisdiction of its incorporation;

(ii) The Company and each of its significant subsidiaries has the corporate
power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its
business as described in the Prospectus;

(iii) The Company and each of its significant subsidiaries is duly qualified to
do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each state of
the United States, if any, in which the ownership or leasing of its properties
or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the
failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a Material
Adverse Effect. To such counsel's knowledge, the Company does not own or
control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity
other than [list significant subsidiaries] [which are significant subsidiaries
as that term is defined in Regulation S-X of the Security Act];

(iv) The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 5,000,000 shares of
Preferred Stock, of which no shares are outstanding, and 65,000,000 shares of
Common Stock, of which there are outstanding ____ shares. The capital stock of
the Company has been duly and validly issued and is fully paid and
nonassessable, and, to such counsel's knowledge, will not have been issued in
violation of any preemptive right, co-sale right, registration right, right of
first refusal or other similar right;

(v) All issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each of significant
subsidiaries of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are
fully paid and nonassessable, and, to such counsel's knowledge, have not been
issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive right, co-sale right,
registration right, right of first refusal or other similar right and are owned
by the Company free and clear of any pledge, lien, security interest or
encumbrance, claim or equitable interest.

(vi) The Firm Shares or the Option Shares, as the case may be, to be issued by
the Company pursuant to the terms of this Agreement have been duly authorized
and, upon issuance and delivery against payment therefor in accordance with the
terms hereof, will be duly and validly issued and fully paid and nonassessable,
and will not have been issued in violation of any preemptive right, co-sale
right, registration right, right of first refusal or other similar right.

                                      B-1

<PAGE>   32

(vii) The Company has the corporate power and authority to enter into this
Agreement and to issue, sell and deliver to the Underwriters the Shares to be
issued and sold by it hereunder;

(viii) This Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action
on the part of the Company and has been duly executed and delivered by the
Company and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by you, is a
valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its
terms, except as rights to indemnification hereunder may be limited by
applicable law and except as enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws relating to or affecting
creditors' rights generally or by general equitable principles;

(ix) The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act
and, to such counsel's knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of
the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose
have been instituted or are pending or threatened under the Securities Act;

(x) The 8-A Registration Statement complied as to form in all material respects
with the requirements of the Exchange Act; the 8-A Registration Statement has
become effective under the Exchange Act; and the Firm Shares or the Option
Shares have been validly registered under the Securities Act and the Rules and
Regulations of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder;

(xi) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and each amendment or
supplement thereto (other than the financial statements, including supporting
schedules, and financial data derived therefrom as to which such counsel need
express no opinion), as of the effective date of the Registration Statement,
complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the
Securities Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations;

(xii) The information in the Prospectus under the caption "Description of
Capital Stock," to the extent that it constitutes matters of law or legal
conclusions, has been reviewed by such counsel and is a fair summary of such
matters and conclusions; and the forms of certificates evidencing the Common
Stock and filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement comply with Delaware
law;

(xiii) The description in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus of the
charter and bylaws of the Company and of statutes are accurate and fairly
present the information required to be presented by the Securities Act;

(xiv) To such counsel's knowledge, there are no agreements, contracts, leases or
documents to which the Company is a party of a character required to be
described or referred to in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or to be
filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement which are not described or
referred to therein or filed as required;


                                      B-2

<PAGE>   33

(xv) The issuance and sale by the Company of the Shares as contemplated by this
Agreement will not result (a) in any violation of the Company's charter or
bylaws, (b) to such counsel's knowledge, result in a material breach or
violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under,
any bond, debenture, note or other evidence of indebtedness, or any lease,
contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, joint venture or
other agreement or instrument known to such counsel to which the Company is a
party or by which its properties are bound, or any applicable statute, rule or
regulation known to such counsel or, (c) to such counsel's knowledge, any order,
writ or decree of any court, government or governmental agency or body having
jurisdiction over the Company or any of its significant subsidiaries, or over
any of their properties or operations;

(xvi) No consent, approval, authorization or order of or qualification with any
court, government or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the
Company or any of its significant subsidiaries, or over any of their properties
or operations is necessary in connection with the consummation by the Company of
the transactions herein contemplated, except (i) such as have been obtained
under the Securities Act, (ii) such as may be required under state or other
securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and the distribution
of the Shares by the Underwriters, (iii) such as may be required by the National
Association of Securities Dealers, LLC and (iv) such as may be required under
the federal or provincial laws of Canada;

(xvii) To such counsel's knowledge, there are no legal or governmental
proceedings pending or threatened against the Company or any of its significant
subsidiaries of a character required to be disclosed in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus by the Securities Act or the applicable rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder, other than those described therein;

(xviii) To such counsel's knowledge, neither the Company nor any of its
significant subsidiaries is presently (a) in material violation of its
respective charter or bylaws, or (b) in material breach of any applicable
statute, rule or regulation known to such counsel or, to such counsel's
knowledge, any order, writ or decree of any court or governmental agency or body
having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its significant subsidiaries, or
over any of their properties or operations; and

(xix) To such counsel's knowledge, except as set forth in the Registration
Statement and Prospectus, no holders of Company Shares or other securities of
the Company have registration rights with respect to securities of the Company
and, except as set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, all
holders of securities of the Company having rights known to such counsel to
registration of such shares of Company Shares or other securities, because of
the filing of the Registration Statement by the Company have, with respect to
the offering contemplated thereby, waived such rights or such rights have
expired by reason of lapse of time following notification of the Company's
intent to file the Registration Statement or have included securities in the
Registration Statement pursuant to the exercise of and in full satisfaction of
such rights.

                                      B-3
<PAGE>   34

      (xx) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and the
      sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as
      described in the Prospectus, will not be, an "investment company" as such
      term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

      (xxi) To such counsel's knowledge, the Company owns or possesses
      sufficient trademarks, trade names, patent rights, copyrights, licenses,
      approvals, trade secrets and other similar rights (collectively,
      "Intellectual Property Rights") reasonably necessary to conduct their
      business as now conducted; and the expected expiration of any such
      Intellectual Property Rights would not result in a Material Adverse
      Effect. The Company has not received any notice of infringement or
      conflict with asserted Intellectual Property Rights of others, which
      infringement or conflict, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, would
      result in a Material Adverse Effect. To such counsel's knowledge, the
      Company's discoveries, inventions, products, or processes referred to in
      the Registration Statement or Prospectus do not infringe or conflict with
      any right or patent which is the subject of a patent application known to
      the Company.

        In addition, such counsel shall state that such counsel has participated
in conferences with officials and other representatives of the Company, the
Representatives, Underwriters' Counsel and the independent certified public
accountants of the Company, at which such conferences the contents of the
Registration Statement and Prospectus and related matters were discussed, and
although they have not verified and are not passing upon the accuracy,
completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus, nothing has come to the attention of such counsel
which leads them to believe that, at the time the Registration Statement became
effective and at all times subsequent thereto up to and on the First Closing
Date or Second Closing Date, as the case may be, the Registration Statement and
any amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents became effective or
were filed with the Commission (other than the financial statements including
supporting schedules and other financial and statistical information derived
therefrom, as to which such counsel need express no comment) contained any
untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of
the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or at the First
Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, the Registration
Statement, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto (except as
aforesaid) contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state
a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

                                      B-4
<PAGE>   35
                                    EXHIBIT C

          MATTERS TO BE COVERED IN THE OPINION OF UNDERWRITERS' COUNSEL

      (i) The Shares to be issued by the Company have been duly authorized and,
      upon issuance and delivery and payment therefor in accordance with the
      terms of the Underwriting Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid
      and non-assessable.

      (ii) The Registration Statement complied as to form in all material
      respects with the requirements of the Securities Act; the Registration
      Statement has become effective under the Act and, to such counsel's
      knowledge, no stop order proceedings with respect thereto have been
      instituted or threatened or are pending under the Securities Act.

      (iii) The 8-A Registration Statement complied as to form in all material
      respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act; the 8-A Registration
      Statement has become effective under the Exchange Act; and the Firm Shares
      or the Option Shares have been validly registered under the Securities Act
      and the Rules and Regulations of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules
      and regulations of the Commission thereunder;

      (iv) The Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
      delivered by the Company.

        Such counsel shall state that such counsel has reviewed the opinions
addressed to the Representatives from Cooley Godward LLP, dated the date hereof,
and furnished to you in accordance with the provisions of the Underwriting
Agreement. Such opinions appear on their face to be appropriately responsive to
the requirements of the Underwriting Agreement.

        In addition, such counsel shall state that such counsel has participated
in conferences with officials and other representatives of the Company, the
Representatives, Underwriters' Counsel and the independent certified public
accountants of the Company, at which such conferences the contents of the
Registration Statement and Prospectus and related matters were discussed, and
although they have not verified the accuracy or completeness of the statements
contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, nothing has come to
the attention of such counsel which leads them to believe that, at the time the
Registration Statement became effective and at all times subsequent thereto up
to and on the First Closing Date or Second Closing Date, as the case may be, the
Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement thereto, when such
documents became effective or were filed with the Commission (other than the
financial statements including supporting schedules and other financial and
statistical information derived therefrom, as to which such counsel need express
no comment) contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading, or at the First Closing Date or the Second
Closing Date, as the case may be, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and
any amendment or supplement thereto (except as aforesaid) contained any untrue
statement

                                      C-1

<PAGE>   36

of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading.



                                      C-2