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