- Analog Devices announced the acquisition of the HDMI interface IC business of Invecas.
- This Californian company, based in Santa Clara, specializes in ASIC design, embedded software and system-level solutions.
- With this operation, which follows the Maxim operation announced a few days ago, Analog Devices Inc. (ADI) is acquiring solutions for the transmission of audio and video data streams via an HDMI interface.
- The financial terms of this transaction were not disclosed.
HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) is a standard technology for transmitting video and audio streams to consumer electronic devices. “HDMI technology is a popular technology for corporate, professional, consumer and automotive video applications,” said John Hassett, senior vice president of industrial and consumer operations at Analog Devices. “The acquisition of Invecas’ HDMI business will enable ADI to provide more complete solutions at every stage of the customer journey – from IC to certification to final product. »
Through this acquisition, ADI now offers a wide range of HDMI interface solutions for applications such as high-definition television (HDTV), set-top boxes, A/V receivers, projectors and other multi-input displays. The U.S. company is also strengthening its presence in the organization that standardizes and promotes the HDMI standard.
In addition, ADI will integrate certification and compliance capabilities, supporting customers throughout the development cycle of their HDMI-enabled products, from design through pre-compliance and launch. According to ADI, as this industry segment develops and HDMI 2.1 is deployed, applications such as 8K and 10K video, enhanced audio return (eARC) or variable refresh rates will become more common.
As a reminder, Invecas’ HDMI technology group was part of Silicon Image, a semiconductor manufacturer founded in 1995 and a pioneer in HDMI technology. Its management team will continue to play a role in bringing together ADI’s audio and video entities.
In July 2017, Invecas acquired Lattice Semiconductor Corporation’s HDMI development team and subsidiary Simplay Labs, which oversees standards compliance and interoperability testing solutions. This transaction resulted in the transfer of approximately 150 employees, laboratories and other R&D assets from Lattice’s operations based in San Jose (California), Hillsboro (Oregon), Hyderabad (India), and Shanghai and Shenzhen in China.
In January 2019, Invecas announced the first set of three integrated circuits supporting the HDMI 2.1 interface combined with IP solutions for TVs, audio/video receivers (AVRs), sound bars and set-top boxes. All three ICs support 8K ultra high-definition video at 60 Hz, as well as 4K UHD video at 120 Hz according to the latest HDMI 2.1 specification.
