Another episode in the massive process of semi manufacturing concentration, after AD purchasing Linear Technology, it is now time for Maxim to be digested by one of the two giants (AD and TI). Short of the fabless companies relying on silicon foundries like TSMC to manufacture niche products, AD and TI is all what's left out of a once burgeoning and diverse semi manufacturing market in the US.
Never really liked Maxim, their strategy to rather quickly obsolete their products was annoying, plus that they did not have a wide range of high voltage linear products, but some of their power management products were useful in audio. They had a very generous samples policy, which likely will vanish in the usual corporate massacre that will follow the acquisition.
Never really liked Maxim, their strategy to rather quickly obsolete their products was annoying, plus that they did not have a wide range of high voltage linear products, but some of their power management products were useful in audio. They had a very generous samples policy, which likely will vanish in the usual corporate massacre that will follow the acquisition.
I find it disappointing that the set of analog functions available as a chip keeps getting reduced, year after year. I understand if you design something actually pretty great, but no one uses it (because "the money" is all in the digital tsunami) its eventually got to go from the product line.
I'm sure the execs will have some "ZBB" line below which everything gets cut. I hope they have some technical understanding and not so much "it wasnt invented here"...
I'm sure the execs will have some "ZBB" line below which everything gets cut. I hope they have some technical understanding and not so much "it wasnt invented here"...
I was bummed to see LT getting bought... but I'm not quite as bummed to see Maxim getting acquired. They were always a royal PITA.
AD Continutes to sell some nice, bizarre and rather niche ICs... they just charge you an arm and a leg for it.
So how long before THAT gets eaten by one of the giants?
AD Continutes to sell some nice, bizarre and rather niche ICs... they just charge you an arm and a leg for it.
So how long before THAT gets eaten by one of the giants?
ADI seems to have been respectful of LLTC.
If you read some of the bio's of the folks who started these companies in the 1950's and 1960's one can only imagine that it was a real clash of cultures.
TI still maintains the Burr-Brown logos and trademark, but they have vacuumed out references to Nat Semi.
If you read some of the bio's of the folks who started these companies in the 1950's and 1960's one can only imagine that it was a real clash of cultures.
TI still maintains the Burr-Brown logos and trademark, but they have vacuumed out references to Nat Semi.
Intel? AMD? ON Semiconductor? Micron? Microchip?
All of them are American companies who operate semiconductor fabs on American soil.
Intel, AMD, Micron are essentially building chips for computer hardware (CPUs, flash, RAM, controllers, etc...). Nothing to compete with AD and TI. In this space, there is competition, and the resulting innovation driving force.
ON Semi is also not competing with TI and AD. Their focus is on power devices.
Neither does Microchip, as they are focused on cheap microcontrollers, their best fab in US is at the 130nm node, which is about 5-6 years in behind.
All the concentration in the semi industry appears to be toward building monopoly silos. I wonder if the US still has an anti trust legislation.
ON Semi is also not competing with TI and AD. Their focus is on power devices.
Neither does Microchip, as they are focused on cheap microcontrollers, their best fab in US is at the 130nm node, which is about 5-6 years in behind.
All the concentration in the semi industry appears to be toward building monopoly silos. I wonder if the US still has an anti trust legislation.
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The vacuum tube industry was pretty well consolidated when Shockley Semiconductor got started in the early 60s. [fun fact: I bought speakers in their original building on San Antonio Road in Palo Alto; for a few years in the 80s and 90s the Shockley building housed a Pacific Stereo store]. Nobody bemoaned the consolidation of vacuum tube makers for very long.
How many new vacuum tubes have been designed and successfully introduced to the market since 1970? My guess is not many the big scheme of things.
Most of the innovation in semi’s is now in processes and packaging, and less in circuit design (as in analog) or system functions.
Seriously, how many more opamps do we need?
Most of the innovation in semi’s is now in processes and packaging, and less in circuit design (as in analog) or system functions.
Seriously, how many more opamps do we need?
How many new vacuum tubes have been designed and successfully introduced to the market since 1970? My guess is not many the big scheme of things.
Most of the innovation in semi’s is now in processes and packaging, and less in circuit design (as in analog) or system functions.
Seriously, how many more opamps do we need?
Op-amps? Not really any more. Faster, quieter, better, INAs? We could use that. Faster, quieter Iso-Amps? We could seriously use those (well, I could anyway). More and faster op-amps that can run above +/- 15 V? We could use that too.
There's room for USEFUL innovation, but whether it is PROFITABLE is another issue.