Freescale Semiconductor Inc. has acquired fabless semiconductor firm Zenverge in order to boost its high definition media streaming content for the Internet of Things (IoT).
Zenverge’s technology allows for one media stream to be converted into multiple streams that can then be formatted and optimized for Internet connected devices or platforms. One of the formats that is planned include Ultra HD (HEVC) for 4K resolution that will deliver up to 50 percent bandwidth savings from high data compression, Freescale said. The technology also allows for secure sharing of HD video and other content distributed across the cloud and global networks.
As a result, the addition of Zenverge’s products into Freescale’s portfolio will enhance its content processing, storage and interoperability capabilities for a range of video IoT applications, Freescale said.
Geoff Lees, senior VP and GM for Freescale’s Microcontroller Product Group, said in a statement the deal expands Freescale’s reach into “both display- and media-centric processing at a time when both the volume and density of Internet content is growing rapidly.” The acquisition of Zenverge also presents new growth opportunities for Freescale for “future generations” of its product portfolios, Lees said.
While terms of the agreement were not disclosed, Freescale said that some key members of Zenverge will join the semiconductor company post-acquisition.
In other Freescale news, the company has rolled out a new gallium nitride (GaN)-based transistor designed to work with multi-octave wideband RF amplifiers in military and industrial applications.
Dubbed the MMRF5014F, the transistor features a performance of 100W power over 200-2500 MHz bandwidth with greater than 12 dB gain across the band, Freescale said. The transistor is designed to deliver 58 percent efficiency with power levels in excess of 125 W in narrower band applications, the company said.
These features allow it to be used in industrial and military applications such as jammers, radar implementations and electronic warfare systems.
Freescale said the transistor is just one of several GaN products it plans to introduce in the future to help address weight, size and power issues in the defense industry and other markets.
Paul Hart, senior VP and GM of Freescale’s RF group, said in a different statement that radios typically need multiple RF amplifiers to cover a wide frequency spectrum, but with this transistor “only one is needed.” With size, weight and power being critical in the military and industrial segment, the ability to replace several amplifiers with a single device “helps across all three of these factors,” Hart said.
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