Texas Instruments has acquirted ARM Cortex-M3-based microcontroller supplier Luminary Micro.
The move will see a significant expansion of TI's ARM-based microcontroller product lines.
In particular, the acquisition of the Austin, Texas-based ARM specialist will strengthen TI's offerings for mainstream 32-bit MCU markets where the Cortex-M3 processor is gaining wide market acceptance.
“The MCU market is consolidating around standards, and it is clear that the ARM Cortex-M3 processor is rapidly gaining traction,” said Reinhard Keil, Director MCU tools at ARM.
TI has its own 16-bit MSP430 and 32-bit C2000 MCU families and a range of ARM-based CPUs aimed at the automtove market. The acquisiton of Luminary's large family of Cortex-M3 based MCUs takes it into a much wider range of 32-bit MCU applications.
"Combining Luminary Micro's design experience in Cortex-M3 processors with TI's expertise in ultra-low power MSP430 MCUs and high-performance C2000 real-time controllers now gives TI customers one MCU source for almost any application," said Brian Crutcher, v-p of TI's advanced embedded control (AEC) business.
“TI and Luminary are both significant players in the MCU market with complementary strengths and this acquisition will take the Cortex-M3 processor into a broader range of markets,” said Keil.
TI will rely on Luminary's experience of the standalone MCU market and CEO Jim Reinhart will head-up its catalog ARM MCU business within AEC.
"Moving forward, our customers not only benefit from the award-winning Stellaris family, but also enjoy the technology and manufacturing strength of TI, an experienced analog and embedded processing leader with a global footprint," said Reinhart.
The Cortex-M3 microcontroller business will continue to operate from its site in Austin, Texas, which will be known as TI AEC Austin.
See Interview with Jean Anne Booth of Luminary Micro