Analysts expect that it recovered to pre-recession levels in the just-ended quarter, as manufacturers ramp up production of electronics that use TI chips and build inventories.

Japan's Sanyo Electric is to sell its loss-making chip unit to ON Semiconductor for about 33 billion yen (US$373 million), turning its focus to environmentally friendly technology.

Germany's LFoundry, an analog and mixed-signal foundry, has completed its previously-announced acquisition of Atmel's wafer fabrication operation in Rousset, France.

GTronix' proprietary technology provides very low power solutions for noise cancellation in mobile applications such as wireless handsets and audio accessories, National Semi said in a statement. The analog chipmaker has acquired GTronix for an undisclosed sum.

TI now expects profits of US$0.60-0.64 per share in the current quarter. Revenue should be US$3.45-3.59 billion.

STMicroelectronics could make some analog ICs on 300mm wafers at its Crolles-2 wafer fab near Grenoble, France, according to CEO Carlo Bozotti.

The demand for medical instrumentation - combined with new and lower-cost transducers - means that analog-circuit design and interface for this market segment a growth area with lots of innovation and interesting work.

South Korea plans to invest 60 billion won (US$54 million) until 2015 to build up its analog chip industry to help local companies expand their presence in the global semiconductor market, according to the government.

The IC industry is recovering, but there are also signs of growing chip inventories in the channels. VLSI Research said IC inventories reached US$24.38 billion worldwide in February, a 46% increase from the same month in 2009.

Intersil and Techwell have entered into a definitive agreement for Intersil to acquire Techwell through a cash tender offer at US$18.50 per share. "The addition of Techwell's mixed signal video products will help our customers build solutions that improve performance, reduce overall cost and shorten time-to-market," said Dave Bell, Intersil's president and CEO.

In addition to Intel acquiring an FPGA vendor, other acquisitions could be possible including Analog Devices buying a power management IC company and Microchip Technology buying a company to expand its presence in the microcontroller market.

Mixed-signal foundry LFoundry (Landshut, Germany) plans to acquire Atmel's fab in Rousset, France, the site of recent worker unrest. CEO Michael Lehnert said the proposed acquisition will make LFoundry the largest analog foundry in Europe.

Don't bet on it. The retiring chairman and CEO of National Semiconductor may be taking a break but the industry will still be hearing from him.

Like many other chip makers, TI discovered that the cost of Moore's Law–industry shorthand for the race to shrink transistors on digital chips–is too costly for the payoff it brings. It began placing greater emphasis on manufacturing analog chips.

MagnaChip Semiconductor is poised to exit from Chapter 11 with the successful conclusion of its financial restructuring which was executed under the supervision of the US Bankruptcy Court.

National Semiconductor's fiscal first-quarter profits dropped 63% as revenues fell by a third, but the analog chip maker indicated demand was rebounding.

Texas Instruments has placed a bid of US$172.5 million on used 300mm equipment from the now-shuttered Qimonda fab near Richmond, Va. The Dallas-based company plans to use the equipment for 300mm analog production.

Infineon Technologies and Golden Gate Capital have announced that Infineon's wireline communications division will become Lantiq after the closing of the recently announced transaction.

MIPS Technologies on May 8 announced Synopsys has acquired its Analog Business Group in an all-cash transaction for US$22 million.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has unveiled the foundry industry's first mixed-signal/radio-frequency reference design kit (MS/RF RDK) at its North American Technology Symposium in San Jose. The RDK initially targets 65nm process technology and aims to accelerate analog, mixed-signal, and RF designs and RF SoC verification and integration.

Analog Devices Inc. (ADI) cut its fiscal first-quarter guidance because of weak demand from consumers and customers' cuts in their inventories.

Texas Instruments expects its profit margin levels for analog chips to hold steady even as sales volumes decline, CEO Rich Templeton said on Thursday. "The key difference is that you don't have pricing moving down" for analog chips compared with other chip segments even as the entire chip industry sees volumes decline in the weak global economy."

Almost all the battery-powered televisions stashed in drawers, closets and garages in case of emergency will be rendered useless when broadcasters switch to digital-only signals....nobody manufactures a battery-powered converter box. And the few battery-powered digital TV models on the market start at about US$200 –a costly option for replacing portable sets that have become increasingly inexpensive in recent years.

Melbourne, Fla-based IDS designs integrated high-speed analog products for applications such as test and measurement, communications, and medical electronics. TI’s existing portfolio of high-speed signal chain products includes amplifiers, data converters, and clocking devices.