ARM Welcomes TI Acquisition of Luminary Micro

Executive Vice President and general manager of ARM Processor Division, Mike Inglis, today commented on the acquisition by Texas Instruments of Cortex-M3 microcontroller developer Luminary Micro.

“Luminary Micro was the first licensee of the innovative Cortex-M3 processor and has to date introduced a wide range of Cortex-M3 microcontrollers winning many significant designs. The acquisition by TI is a clear demonstration of the growing momentum behind the Cortex-M3 processor in the MCU market and the strides that Luminary has made.”

“The MCU market is consolidating around standards, and it is clear that the ARM Cortex-M3 processor is rapidly gaining traction,” said Reinhard Keil, Director, MCU Tools, ARM. “TI and Luminary are both significant players in the MCU market with complementary strengths and this acquisition will take the Cortex-M3 processor into a broader range of markets.”

Cortex-M3 processor-based microcontrollers (MCU) are available today in many different product families from an increasing number of chip vendors including Luminary Micro, NXP Semiconductors, STMicroelectronics and Toshiba. In total there are now almost 250 Cortex-M3 processor-based MCUs available running at up to 100MHz. These devices contributed to an increase in ARM processor-based MCUs shipped during 2008 of more than 95% to 255million units.   ARM expects many of its other Cortex-M3 licensees to have devices available during 2009, in a broad range of markets and applications including automotive, MP3, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, motor control and industrial microcontrollers.

The ARM Cortex-M3 processor was specifically developed to provide a high-performance, low-cost platform for a broad range of applications.  From the lowest cost version (at US$1) with basic functions, to devices with a large number of peripherals and a lot more memory, or from devices that are targeted at industrial applications, to products that are focused on consumer electronics.

WHO:
ARM designs the technology that lies at the heart of advanced digital products, from wireless, networking and consumer entertainment solutions to imaging, automotive, security and storage devices. ARM’s comprehensive product offering includes 32-bit RISC microprocessors, graphics processors, video engines, enabling software, cell libraries, embedded memories, high-speed connectivity products, peripherals and development tools. Combined with comprehensive design services, training, support and maintenance, and the company’s broad Partner community, they provide a total system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to market for leading electronics companies. More information on ARM is available at http://www.arm.com.