Silicon Systems

Silicon Systems Inc., commonly abbreviated SSi, was an American semiconductor company headquartered in Tustin, California. It should be distinguished from SiliconSystems, Inc., a later company founded in 2003 that made solid-state drives and was eventually acquired by Western Digital. The earlier Silicon Systems was founded and incorporated in California on May 17, 1972, by Gene B. Potter, Ronald H. Reeder, and William E. Drobish. The founders had previously worked at Scientific Data Systems, and the company initially operated as a design and manufacturing business serving a broad range of electronic applications. SSi's principal technical focus was mixed-signal integrated circuits and related semiconductor products. Its work combined analog signal processing with digital logic and interface functions, allowing its devices to be used in telecommunications, computer peripherals, industrial controls, transportation systems, consumer equipment, and data-storage hardware. Early work included memory and logic designs, interface circuits, counter and latch devices, and second-source transistor-transistor logic products. The company also supplied custom or application-specific circuits for customers such as Hughes Aircraft, Digital Equipment Corporation, Telesensory Systems, Votrax, and other equipment makers. Among its notable application areas were hard-disk-drive electronics, telephone tone reception, traffic and vehicle loop detection, speech synthesis, video and time-code processing, garage-door controls, satellite-broadcast descrambling, and electronic systems for computer terminals. Its proprietary storage-related designs included servo preamplifier and read/write-head interface products for disk drives. In telecommunications, SSi developed a dual-tone multi-frequency receiver using switched-capacitor filters, an early example of integrating a function that had traditionally required multiple components. These products made the company a supplier of enabling components rather than a consumer-facing electronics brand. The company expanded during the late 1970s and early 1980s. It moved its principal operations to Tustin in 1979, reached 146 employees and reported revenue of $10.5 million in 1980, and completed an initial public offering on January 29, 1981. In 1984, MicroSim Corporation was spun off from Silicon Systems; MicroSim later became associated with OrCAD through a 1998 acquisition. Silicon Systems continued to broaden its manufacturing and engineering footprint, eventually operating wafer-fabrication plants in Tustin and Santa Cruz, California, an assembly and test facility in Singapore, and design facilities in San Jose and Grass Valley. TDK Corporation acquired Silicon Systems on May 15, 1989. By 1996, the business was reported to have annual revenue of approximately $400 million. That year, Texas Instruments acquired Silicon Systems' storage-products business in a transaction reported at $575 million, while TDK retained the communications-products operation and operated it as TDK Semiconductor Corporation. The communications business later changed ownership: Golden Gate Capital Partners acquired TDK Semiconductor in 2005 and renamed it Teridian Semiconductor. Maxim Integrated Products acquired Teridian in 2010 for $315 million in cash, and Teridian's energy-measurement products group was sold to Silergy on March 18, 2016. Silicon Systems therefore ceased to exist as an independent company, but its technology and product lines continued through successor businesses. Its historical importance lies in the way it applied mixed-signal semiconductor design to practical equipment markets, particularly disk drives, telecommunications, industrial detection, speech systems, and electronic controls.

Silicon Systems was established in California on May 17, 1972, by Gene B. Potter, Ronald H. Reeder, and William E. Drobish, all of whom had connections to Scientific Data Systems. The company began as a semiconductor design and manufacturing specialist, producing integrated circuits for both external customers and its own product families. Its early portfolio included memory, logic, interface, and control devices, while customer projects covered aerospace, computing, transportation, industrial equipment, accessibility technology, and consumer controls. During its early years, SSi developed circuits for computer terminals, disk drives, telephone systems, speech synthesis, video processing, garage-door openers, traffic detectors, and satellite-broadcast equipment. The company was particularly active in mixed-signal applications, where analog filtering or sensing had to be combined with digital control. Its SSi 201 dual-tone multi-frequency receiver used switched-capacitor filters and represented an early highly integrated telecommunications device. Its SSi 101, 104, and 105 products addressed the demanding interface and servo requirements of hard-disk drives. The company occupied several Southern California locations before establishing its principal base at 14351 Myford Road in Tustin in 1979. It grew to 146 employees and $10.5 million in revenue in 1980, followed by a public offering on January 29, 1981. In 1984, MicroSim was spun off from Silicon Systems; the business later became part of OrCAD through a 1998 acquisition. SSi expanded its manufacturing and engineering capacity as its customer base grew. By 1996, it had wafer-fabrication facilities in Tustin and Santa Cruz, an assembly and test operation in Singapore, and design facilities in San Jose and Grass Valley. The company was reported to have approximately $400 million in annual revenue that year. TDK acquired Silicon Systems in 1989. In 1996, Texas Instruments bought the storage-products operation for a reported $575 million, while TDK retained the communications business under the TDK Semiconductor Corporation name. Golden Gate Capital Partners acquired that communications operation in 2005 and renamed it Teridian Semiconductor. Maxim Integrated acquired Teridian in 2010 for $315 million in cash. In 2016, Silergy acquired Teridian's energy-measurement products group. These transactions distributed Silicon Systems' former businesses among successor companies, ending the independent Silicon Systems corporate identity.

• 1996

  Business separation under TDK and Texas Instruments

  [1]Silicon Systemsen.wikipedia.org

  Texas Instruments acquired the storage-products portion, while TDK retained the communications operation as TDK Semiconductor Corporation.

• 1989

  Acquisition by TDK

  [1]Silicon Systemsen.wikipedia.org

  TDK Corporation acquired Silicon Systems on May 15.

• 1984

  MicroSim is spun off

  [1]Silicon Systemsen.wikipedia.org

  MicroSim Corporation separated from Silicon Systems and later became associated with OrCAD.

• 1981

  Initial public offering

  [1]Silicon Systemsen.wikipedia.org

  The company completed its initial public offering on January 29.

• 1980

  Early scale milestone

  [1]Silicon Systemsen.wikipedia.org

  Silicon Systems reached 146 employees and reported $10.5 million in revenue.

• 1979

  Operations move to Tustin

  [1]Silicon Systemsen.wikipedia.org

  The company established its principal operations at 14351 Myford Road in Tustin, California.

• 1972

  Silicon Systems is founded

  [1]Silicon Systemsen.wikipedia.org

  Gene B. Potter, Ronald H. Reeder, and William E. Drobish founded and incorporated Silicon Systems in California on May 17.

A specialized semiconductor supplier focused on mixed-signal, interface, storage, telecommunications, and application-specific integrated circuits for original-equipment manufacturers and industrial customers.

• Data-storage semiconductors

  Hard-disk-drive electronics

  Silicon Systems developed proprietary circuits for disk-drive electronics, including the SSi 101 servo preamplifier and the SSi 104 and SSi 105 four-channel read/write-head interface devices. These products supported the sensing, positioning, and data-transfer functions required in magnetic storage systems and became part of the company's storage-focused business.

• Telecommunications integrated circuit

  SSi 201 DTMF receiver

  The SSi 201 was a dual-tone multi-frequency signaling receiver for telephony applications. It used switched-capacitor filters to integrate tone-detection functions into a semiconductor device, reducing the need for separate filtering components in telephone equipment.

• Traffic and vehicle-detection semiconductor

  Digital loop detectors

  Silicon Systems supplied digital loop-detector circuits for vehicle and traffic sensing. The company produced early and later-generation versions for external customers, helping convert inductive-loop signals into usable digital detection outputs for control systems.

• Speech and audio semiconductor

  Speech-synthesis integrated circuits

  The company's speech-related designs included the S14001A speech-synthesis chip used in the Speech+ Calculator and the SC-01 device associated with Votrax. These circuits implemented electronic speech generation and vocal-tract modeling for specialized equipment.

• Logic and interface integrated circuits

  Logic and interface devices

  SSi's early design work included ECL RAM, transistor-transistor logic second-source designs, an eight-bit addressable latch, shift registers, counters, and interface circuits. The company also supplied devices for computer terminals, including integrated electronics used in Digital Equipment Corporation's VT100 terminal.

• 2016

  Sale of Teridian energy-measurement productsM&A

  Background

  The energy-measurement product group remained within the successor structure descended from Silicon Systems' communications business.

  Action taken

  Silergy acquired the Teridian energy-measurement products group on March 18, 2016.

  Aftermath

  Another portion of the former Silicon Systems technology portfolio moved to a subsequent semiconductor owner.

  Source

• 2010

  Maxim Integrated acquisition of TeridianM&A

  Background

  Teridian carried forward part of the communications semiconductor heritage of Silicon Systems.

  Action taken

  Maxim Integrated Products acquired Teridian for $315 million in cash.

  Aftermath

  Teridian's products became part of Maxim Integrated's semiconductor portfolio.

  Cash acquisition price. $315 million (2010)

  Source

• 2005

  Sale and renaming of TDK SemiconductorM&A

  Background

  TDK retained Silicon Systems' communications-products business after the 1996 storage-business transaction.

  Action taken

  Golden Gate Capital Partners purchased TDK Semiconductor Corporation and renamed it Teridian Semiconductor.

  Aftermath

  The communications-related business continued independently under the Teridian name.

  Source

• 1996

  Sale of the storage-products business to Texas InstrumentsM&A

  Background

  Silicon Systems' operations had expanded to include significant data-storage semiconductor products alongside communications devices.

  Action taken

  Texas Instruments acquired the storage-products portion of the business in a transaction reported at $575 million, while TDK retained the communications operation.

  Aftermath

  The former Silicon Systems activities were divided between Texas Instruments' storage business and TDK Semiconductor's communications business.

  Reported transaction value. $575 million (1996)

  Source

• 1989

  TDK acquisition of Silicon SystemsM&A

  Background

  Silicon Systems had developed a broad semiconductor business spanning storage, communications, and specialized application circuits.

  Action taken

  TDK Corporation acquired the company on May 15, 1989.

  Aftermath

  The business continued within TDK, with its communications operation later known as TDK Semiconductor Corporation.

  Source

1. 1Silicon Systemsen.wikipedia.org