Imagination teams up with Orca, gains equity stake

Graphics and communications IP licensor Imagination Technologies Group plc is partnering with Orca Systems Inc. on developing technology for broadcast television reception. Under the terms of the deal, Imagination will receive an equity stake in Orca, although the size of the stake was not disclosed. Imagination's CEO, Hossein Yassaie, will also join Orca's board of directors.

Orca, a developer of wireless chips implemented in digital CMOS, was founded in 2004 and has its research center in Bangalore, India. Under the terms of the deal Orca will license Imagination's Engsigma UCCP320 digital communications demodulator core and the two companies will collaborate to combine RF and baseband circuits for digital and connected TV.

Orca will use its digital RF technology alongside the Ensigma multistandard baseband circuit to create a single chip, integrated multistandard RF-to-baseband digital TV receiver system chip that is software configurable to address worldwide regional TV market requirements. As part of the partnership Orca has agreed to offer its digital RF technology as intellectual property to licensees of Imagination's Ensigma cores.

"Our partnership with Imagination is driving digital TV reception to the next level of integration, and is a significant and exciting step for the industry," said Guruswami Sridharan, CEO and founder of Orca Systems, in a statement issued by Imagination.

- Peter Clarke
??EE Times