Following the takeover of AMI Semiconductor by ON Semiconductor, ON is developing the AMI product line and finding product synergies. 

At the Globalpress Electronics Summit in San Francisco this week ON launched an audio processor developed as part of the AMI BelaSigma range which will, claims Michel De Mey, senior director of ON's hearing and audio solutions group, “maintain clear audio communication in any situation.”

The chip is part of the BelaSigma line of audio processors developed by AMI which was bought by ON in a share swap deal valuing AMI at $915m.

The audio processor is aimed at mobile phones and hands-free kits but could be used widely. “It’s a flexible chip, you can write software to it. People come to us with applications,“ De Mey told EW.

The device incorporates two processor cores, a 24-bit programmable DSP core and configurable accelerator signal processor which allows, for instance,  echo cancellation and noise reduction to run simultaneously.

The AMI acquisition is bringing added depth to ON’s customer relationships. “ON’s products are more commodities whereas AMI’s are more Asic type products which require closer customer relationships,” said De Mey.

AMI also brings high power technologies, 50V and 80V, which ON did not have and adds a formidable automotive business to ON’s automotive activity.

29 per cent of AMI’s sales came from automotive sales. Total combined sales of the two companies are $2.2bn.