The company, which began its life as a division of Motorola that was spun off in 2004, focuses on the created of embedded microprocessors, controllers and sensors in a number of applications.

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In the server market, the company is already selling memory interface devices, PCI express switches and timing components, and plans to add to the mix flash memory controllers, temperature sensors, power modules and other chips.

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In 1994 it led a movement to do away with proprietary controls that had prevented customers from, say, mixing and matching its controllers with other manufacturers' peripherals, like sensors, monitors and actuators (powered doohickeys that control valves, levers and conveyors).

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