TI buys Chipcon

Texas Instruments is to acquire Chipcon, a designer of short-range, low-power wireless RF (radio frequency) transceiver devices, for $200 million. The transaction is expected to be complete this month.

Chipcon's products can be found 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.

Chipcon's CC2430 is claimed to be the world's first true System-on-Chip ZigBee solution. Chipcon also provides its customers with a 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.

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