Dallas-based semiconductor giant Texas Instruments (TI) Inc. has announced its intension to acquire Oslo, Norway-based short-range, low-power wireless RF transceiver designer and supplier Chipcon AS to enhance its ability to offer customers complete short-range wireless solutions for consumer, home and building automation applications. The acquisition also broadens TI’s offering of RF solutions and strengthens its position in ZigBee, a global standard for wireless monitoring and control applications. TI agreed to pay approximately $200 million for Chipcon. The transaction is expected to be complete in January 2006.

As a result, Chipcon will become a wholly owned subsidiary of TI and will continue to operate from its Oslo, Norway headquarters, according to TI. Its other facilities include a software design center in San Diego, California; and sales offices in New Hampshire, Germany, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. The company employs about 120 people.

“As our customers incorporate more short-range wireless technology into their designs, it is increasingly important for TI to offer a robust range of RF transceiver options. The addition of Chipcon’s technical capabilities and leading RFICs will complement TI’s existing low-power wireless product line and strengthen our high-performance analog portfolio,” said Gregg Lowe, senior vice president for TI’s High Performance Analog division.

Geir Forre, Chipcon president and CEO said, "I am very excited about the synergies of the two companies. TI’s leadership as a supplier of high-performance analog and ultra-low-power microcontrollers opens new opportunities for Chipcon’s low-power wireless product portfolio. In addition, Chipcon will benefit from TI’s leading-edge manufacturing, process and packaging technology."

With a combination of standards-based and proprietary products, Chipcon radio technology is used in consumer applications like wireless keyboards and gaming accessories, as well as in security systems and automatic meter reading systems in the home and building automation market. Its CC2430 is a true SoC ZigBee solution. And, it also provides customers with the ZigBee-compliant protocol stack, the Z-Stack, which was acquired when Chipcon purchased Figure 8 Wireless in January 2005.

Chipcon’s CEO, Geir Forre, will lead TI’s group integrating short-range wireless personnel and products from both Chipcon and TI. Geir and the short-range wireless team will report to Art George, vice president of TI’s High Performance Linear group.