Integrated Device Technology to Start Operations as Renesas Electronics America:
(Source) March of last year, Integrated Device Technology (IDT) Inc. was acquired by Renesas Electronics Corporation, a leading supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions. On 1.1.2020, IDT began operating under the name Renesas Electronics America Inc. Since the acquisition, all former IDT locations in the United States have changed their names to Renesas. Renaming and rebranding efforts will expand out of the US, as Renesas continues to integrate IDT’s Asian and European subsidiaries. When it comes to their products, new products will have the new Renesas branding, not including products of a simple derivative or a minor revision of an existing product. Products that are presently under development or in mass production will keep their current IDT names.
HiSilicon No Longer Huawei’s Captive Chipmaker:
(Source) Huawei HiSilicon, the largest chip design company in China, has historically only operated as an internal unit of Huawei. However, at the ELEXCON 2019 trade show, HiSilicon launched 4G communication chips on an open market. This announcement marked the first instance of Huawei and HiSilicon revealing that HiSilicon is no longer Huawei’s captive chipmaker, making it official that HiSilicon will now be able to provide full-scale intelligent terminal chip solutions globally. HiSilicon is attempting to bridge the gap between internally-used products and those for the open market. In efforts to achieve that goal, manage global competition and capture new opportunities, HiSilicon is adapting and changing the names for its product lines.
Microchip Technology cutting jobs in Colorado:
(Source) Microchip Technology announced late last month that they will be streamlining their Colorado Springs plant, cutting an estimated 200 - 275 jobs. These job cuts, starting this quarter, will reduce Microchip’s workforce by more than half.
In an email written to The Gazette, Microchip VP Dan Malinaric stated that because companies have shifted to more advanced technologies, products produced at the Colorado Springs plant “have experienced some long-term decline.” Malinaric also said that the plant is not closing. Microchip intends to invest $10M into the plant and will be transferring technologies and products there within the near future.
“These transfers will transform (the Colorado Springs plant) into a specialty or boutique fab focusing on manufacturing automotive, military and aerospace products,” said Malinaric.
Global PC Shipments Grew For The Fourth Quarter and Entire Year:
(Source) According to both Gartner and the IDC, PC shipments rose in 2019 during the last quarter after downturns in the past. This rise was largely attributed to the fact that many businesses upgraded their operating systems and computers last year. This increase in shipments marked 2019 as the first full year of PC growth since 2011. Shipments of laptops and desktops have declined over the past few years but, with Microsoft discontinuing extended support for Windows 7 this month, many companies have been forced to shift to Windows 10, thus creating a need for new PCs. This increasing trend is expected to continue during this year.
Mikako Kitagawa, senior principal analyst at Gartner, said in regards to PC shipment trends, "The PC market experienced growth for the first time since 2011, driven by vibrant business demand for Windows 10 upgrades, particularly in the U.S., EMEA, and Japan. We expect this growth to continue through this year even after Windows 7 support comes to an end this month, as many businesses in emerging regions such as China, Eurasia and the emerging Asia/Pacific have not yet upgraded."
Rohde & Schwarz Selects Benchmark as a Global Manufacturing Partner:
(Source) Earlier this month, Rohde & Schwarz and Benchmark Electronics signed a strategic agreement. Rohde & Schwarz needed additional production capacity in order to continue its recent growth, as some of their European plants are working at max capacity. This partnership will enable Rohde & Schwarz to enhance its manufacturing capacities needed to meet the growing demand for its products.
The Executive VP of Operations of Rohde & Schwarz, Dr. Marc Sesterhenn, said, “As an existing Benchmark engineering services customer, we were very familiar with Benchmark’s capabilities, global footprint and technical expertise. That is why we chose Benchmark, which can manufacture and deliver our complex products quickly and with the customary high quality according to our own and our customers’ requirements.”
New Product Releases:
1. STMicroelectronics- World’s First LoRa® System-on-Chip:
STMicroelectronics announced the world’s first LoRa® system-on-chip (SoC) for connecting smart devices to the Internet of Things (IoT) using long-distance wireless connections, the STM32WLE5 SoC. This new product allows developers to create devices that help manage resources and energy efficiently, such as remote environmental sensors and meters. This new product integrates STM32 microcontroller IP and enhanced Semtech radio onto one chip and can connect to LoRa® and other low-power Wide-Area Networks worldwide. To learn more about SoC technology, click here!
2. Infineon- World’s Smallest 3D Image Sensor:
Infineon Technologies AG, in collaboration with software and 3D Time of Flight system specialist pmdtechnologies ag, has developed the world’s smallest 3D image sensor, the REAL3™. This new sensor was announced at this year’s CES conference, which was held in Las Vegas, Nevada 1.6-1.8.20. The new REAL3™ single-chip solution measures in at 4.4 x 5.1 mm and is the fifth generation of time-of-flight deep sensors created by Infineon. Features of the REAL3™ include, but are not limited to:
- Easy incorporation into the smallest of devices with minimal elements
- High resolution data with low power consumption
- Real-time full-3D mapping for authentic augmented reality experiences
3. Micron- The Most Technologically Advanced DRAM to Date:
On 1.6.20 at the CES 2020 conference, Micron Technology announced that they have begun sampling DDR5 Registered DIMMs (RDIMM). This new product is the most technologically advanced DRAM to date. The DDR5 doubles memory density, improves reliability, and will enable the next generation of server workloads by delivering more than an 85% increase in memory performance.
4. Boréas Technologies- The First Low-Power High-Voltage Piezoelectric Driver IC to Enable HD Haptic Feedback in Automotive HMIs:
At CES 2020, Boréas Technologies introduced and demonstrated the BOS1211, the first low-power high-voltage piezoelectric driver integrated circuit (IC) to enable high-definition (HD) haptic feedback in automotive human machine interfaces (HMIs). In order to meet the automotive market’s needs, Boréas partnered with TDK, the world’s leading supplier of piezoelectric haptic actuators. The BOS1211 was designed to support TDK’s 120V PowerHap™ piezo actuators and is ‘critical to satisfying growing demand for clear tactile feedback in automotive environments.’
5. Texas Instruments- Low-Power, High-Performance Processors:
1.7.20, TI announced the new Jacinto™ 7 processor platform. This new platform solves design challenges in automotive gateway applications and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) with advanced networking and enhanced deep learning capabilities. The first two automotive devices in the platform and the TDA4VM and DRA829V processors. The TDA4VM processors are intended for ADAS and the DRA829V for gateway systems. Both include specialized on-chip accelerators that segment, expedite data-intensive tasks and incorporate a functional safety microcontroller.
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