Chipidea
Encyclopedia
Chipidea was a Portuguese
analog semiconductor IP design center, headquarterd in Oeiras, Greater Lisbon subregion, which had been founded in 1997 by José Epifânio da Franca. In August of 2007 it was bought by the US-based company MIPS Technologies
for $147 million in cash plus future performance-based stock payments. On May 8th 2009, Synopsys
acquired it as the Analog Business Group from MIPS Technologies for $22 million in cash.
Analog semiconductor IP design center. The company evolved into a broadline, one-stop-shop supplier of high performance Analog and Mixed-Signal IP on leading edge manufacturing processes.
From basic building blocks to complete systems, Chipidea's IP portfolio included ADCs, DACs, PLLs and Synthesizers, Baseband Transmit and Receive Ports, RF front-ends, Analog and Digital Filters, Oversampling Modulators and Codec Analog Front-Ends, DC-DC Converters, Regulators, Digital Transceivers, Line Drivers and other Physical Interfaces. Chipidea's application drivers were in Communications, Multimedia and Consumer Electronics Applications.
Throughout its existence, Chipidea experienced robust growth and continuous profitability making it one of the world's leading, independent suppliers of analog and mixed-signal IP. Chipidea become the working place for 270 people involved in IP research and development, CAD and technology support and test and characterization. They were located at the main building in Oeiras, near Lisbon
, as well as in other sites: Maia
, near Porto
, Portugal; Gdansk
, Poland
; Leuven
, Belgium
; Macau
; Suzhou
, China
; Caen
, France
and Trondheim
, Norway
. Sales and marketing offices were located in the USA, Europe
and Asia
.
In January 2007 Chipidea acquired Nordic Semiconductor ASA's Data Conversion business unit for USD 5mm, thus strengthening the company's offer in Analog IP.
In late August 2007 Chipidea was acquired by US based company MIPS Technologies Inc. for $147 million in cash plus future performance-based stock payments. As a consequence of this, Chipidea became a newly-formed business group inside MIPS Technologies, yet keeping its Portuguese workforce and facilities, as well as its complete product portfolio that continued to be sold under the Chipidea brand.
The brand was eventually discontinued and the remains of the original Portuguese company were fully integrated into MIPS Technologies.
On May 8th 2009, the Analog Business Group of MIPS was acquired by Synopsys for $22 million in cash.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
analog semiconductor IP design center, headquarterd in Oeiras, Greater Lisbon subregion, which had been founded in 1997 by José Epifânio da Franca. In August of 2007 it was bought by the US-based company MIPS Technologies
MIPS Technologies
MIPS Technologies, Inc. , formerly MIPS Computer Systems, Inc., is most widely known for developing the MIPS architecture and a series of pioneering RISC chips. MIPS provides processor architectures and cores for digital home, networking and mobile applications.MIPS Computer Systems Inc. was...
for $147 million in cash plus future performance-based stock payments. On May 8th 2009, Synopsys
Synopsys
Synopsys, Inc. is one of the largest companies in the Electronic Design Automation industry. Synopsys' first and best-known product is Design Compiler, a logic-synthesis tool. Synopsys offers a wide range of other products used in the design of an application-specific integrated circuit...
acquired it as the Analog Business Group from MIPS Technologies for $22 million in cash.
History
In 1997 Chipidea Microelectronica S.A. was founded as the first PortuguesePortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
Analog semiconductor IP design center. The company evolved into a broadline, one-stop-shop supplier of high performance Analog and Mixed-Signal IP on leading edge manufacturing processes.
From basic building blocks to complete systems, Chipidea's IP portfolio included ADCs, DACs, PLLs and Synthesizers, Baseband Transmit and Receive Ports, RF front-ends, Analog and Digital Filters, Oversampling Modulators and Codec Analog Front-Ends, DC-DC Converters, Regulators, Digital Transceivers, Line Drivers and other Physical Interfaces. Chipidea's application drivers were in Communications, Multimedia and Consumer Electronics Applications.
Throughout its existence, Chipidea experienced robust growth and continuous profitability making it one of the world's leading, independent suppliers of analog and mixed-signal IP. Chipidea become the working place for 270 people involved in IP research and development, CAD and technology support and test and characterization. They were located at the main building in Oeiras, near Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, as well as in other sites: Maia
Maia, Portugal
Maia Municipality is located in the Porto Metropolitan Area, Grande Porto subregion, in Norte Region, Portugal. The city of Maia includes the parishes of Gueifães, Maia and Vermoim, and has 39,949 inhabitants. The Maia Municipality comprises 135,049 inhabitants in 17 parishes for a total land...
, near Porto
Porto
Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
, Portugal; Gdansk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
; Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
; Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
; Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
; Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Sales and marketing offices were located in the USA, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
In January 2007 Chipidea acquired Nordic Semiconductor ASA's Data Conversion business unit for USD 5mm, thus strengthening the company's offer in Analog IP.
In late August 2007 Chipidea was acquired by US based company MIPS Technologies Inc. for $147 million in cash plus future performance-based stock payments. As a consequence of this, Chipidea became a newly-formed business group inside MIPS Technologies, yet keeping its Portuguese workforce and facilities, as well as its complete product portfolio that continued to be sold under the Chipidea brand.
The brand was eventually discontinued and the remains of the original Portuguese company were fully integrated into MIPS Technologies.
On May 8th 2009, the Analog Business Group of MIPS was acquired by Synopsys for $22 million in cash.