TI announces plan to acquire Chipcon

Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) disclosed that it will acquire Chipcon, a designer and provider of short-range, low-power wireless RF transceiver devices. According to the press release, TI has agreed to pay approximately $200 million for Chipcon. The transaction is expected to be complete in January 2006.

Combining Chipcon's design experience in RF transceiver and SoC devices with TI's advanced analog silicon technologies and broad systems expertise will enhance TI's ability to offer customers complete short-range wireless solutions for consumer, home and building automation applications, said the press release.

"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 RF ICs will complement TI's existing low-power wireless product line and strengthen our high-performance analog portfolio," said Gregg Lowe, SVP for TI's high performance analog division.