Silicon Labs公司日前表示，以1.15億美元現(xiàn)金外加額外5500萬(wàn)美元激勵(lì)措施，收購(gòu)低功耗單片機(jī)及射頻芯片供應(yīng)商Energy Micro。
Energy Micro在2007年由現(xiàn)任公司總裁暨CEO Geir Forre建立。他還曾創(chuàng)建混合信號(hào)與無(wú)線芯片公司Chipcon ASA，在2006年以2億美元賣(mài)給了德州儀器（TI）。
Energy Micro是最早開(kāi)發(fā)基于ARM Cortex-M3 32位MCU的公司之一，強(qiáng)調(diào)低功耗與電池管理應(yīng)用。公司此前也進(jìn)行了大力度的資金募集，但并未對(duì)外公布2010年3月時(shí)曾經(jīng)獲得1300萬(wàn)美元風(fēng)投的事。2013年初，Atmel的Alf-Egil Bogen加入Energy Micro并擔(dān)任首席市場(chǎng)官（CMO），主導(dǎo)了一項(xiàng)200萬(wàn)美元的投資，對(duì)象是一家Fabless的MCU公司，目前該投資還未完成，預(yù)計(jì)后續(xù)將由收購(gòu)者Silicon Labs接手。
Energy Micro為物聯(lián)網(wǎng)（IoT）、智能能源、家庭自動(dòng)化、安防以及便攜電子產(chǎn)品開(kāi)發(fā)基于Cortex-M架構(gòu)的多協(xié)議射頻解決方案，融合了低功耗MCU與無(wú)線電功能。
但Energy Micro為其壁虎系列（Gecko Range）低功耗MCU增添無(wú)線電功能卻是一個(gè)畫(huà)蛇添足的敗筆。Energy Micro的Draco系列無(wú)線電產(chǎn)品最早在2011年3月2日的德國(guó)紐倫堡嵌入式世界展上展出，當(dāng)時(shí)他們承諾，包括基于Cortex-M0的SoC芯片在內(nèi)，所有部件都可以在2011年Q4送樣，而現(xiàn)在這個(gè)日子因?yàn)闊o(wú)線功能搞不定，被延期到了2013年Q4。
Silicon Labs在基于ARM架構(gòu)的MCU上有自己的產(chǎn)品路線，但他們表示收購(gòu)Energy Micro對(duì)他們的32位MCU、 Ember ZigBee以及sub-GHz無(wú)線等嵌入式產(chǎn)品組合是一個(gè)很好補(bǔ)充。此次收購(gòu)將把Silicon Labs的MCU產(chǎn)品組合擴(kuò)大到250種，范圍從基于Cortex-M0的低功耗產(chǎn)品，到滿(mǎn)足DSP應(yīng)用和浮點(diǎn)運(yùn)算的Cortex-M4產(chǎn)品。
簽署收購(gòu)協(xié)議的Energy Micro董事長(zhǎng)Torleif Ahlsand，Silicon Labs的CEO Tyson Tuttle，Energy Micro的CEO Geir Forrey以及Energy Micro的董事Steinar Fossen
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“此次收購(gòu)可以使Silicon Labs獲得兩方面的成熟技術(shù)，無(wú)論是低功耗MCU還是射頻SoC，都會(huì)幫助Silicon Labs加快部署面向互聯(lián)網(wǎng)、物聯(lián)網(wǎng)以及智能能源等產(chǎn)業(yè)的解決方案。”Silicon Labs CEO Tyson Tuttle表示。
本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載
編譯：Luffy Liu
參考英文原文：Silicon Labs makes IoT play with Energy Micro buy,by Peter Clarke
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• Energy Micro被ARM選為MCU大學(xué)計(jì)劃的合作伙伴
• Silicon Labs取得ZigBee IP黃金單元認(rèn)證JQUesmc
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Silicon Labs makes IoT play with Energy Micro buy
Peter Clarke
LONDON – Fabless mixed-signal chip company Silicon Laboratories Inc. (Austin, Texas) is set to acquire fabless low-power microcontroller startup Energy Micro AS (Oslo, Norway), in a move that attempts to create critical mass in the pursuit of the wireless embedded market and the Internet of Things.
The deal is said to be worth $115 million in cash up front with an additional $55 million payable over time in deferred and earn-out payments and if the acquired company meets certain performance goals.
Energy Micro, a late stage privately-held company, was co-founded in 2007 by Geir Forre, president and CEO, who had previously founded Chipcon ASA, a mixed-signal and wireless chip company, which he sold to Texas Instruments in January 2006 for $200 million.
Energy Micro was one of the first companies to develop 32-bit microcontrollers based on a licensed ARM Cortex-M3 core with an emphasis on low-power and battery operated applications. Energy Micro has been largely self-funded although the company did announce a venture capital round of $13 million in March 2010. At the beginning of 2013 Alf-Egil Bogen joined Energy Micro as chief marketing officer (CMO) from Atmel Corp. and made an investment of $2 million into the fabless microcontroller company. However, it remains unclear if any, Silicon Labs purchase would represent.
Energy Micro is developing multi-protocol wireless RF solutions based on the Cortex-M architecture and the combination of low-power MCUs and radios are designed to enable applications for the Internet of Things (IoT), smart energy, home automation, security and portable electronics markets.
However, Energy Micro did make a mis-step as it tried to add a radio capability to its Gecko range of low-power MCUs. Energy Micro's Draco radio product family was originally announced on March 2, 2011 at the Embedded World exhibition in Nuremberg, Germany with the claim that parts, including a Cortex-M0 based system-chip, would sample in the fourth quarter of 2011.announced that it would. That now overdue line of radio-enabled microcontrollers is now due in the fourth quarter of 2013.
Silicon Labs has its own line of ARM-based microcontrollers but the company said that Energy Micro's portfolio complements Silicon Labs' 32-bit MCU, Ember ZigBee and sub-GHz wireless products and targets a growing embedded market. The acquisition will expands Silicon Labs’ MCU portfolio, adding nearly 250 products ranging from low-power Cortex-M0+ based devices to up Cortex-M4 based MCUs' capable of DSP and floating-point operations.
Click on image to enlarge.
At the signing of the agreement for Silicon Labs to acquire Energy Micro are Torleif Ahlsand, chairman of Energy Micro, Northzone VC, Tyson Tuttle, CEO of Silicon Labs, Geir Forre, CEO of Energy Micro and board director Steinar Fossen of Investinor VC.
責(zé)編：Quentin
