Established in 1984, Cirrus Logic is a fabless semiconductor company that specializes in analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits for a wide range of industrial and consumer markets. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Cirrus has more than 900 patents for a line of approximately 600 products to serve well over 3,000 end-users across the world. Its technologies are relied on by industry-leading names such as Harman International, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung and Sony.
In the early, 1990s, Cirrus was a leading manufacturer of affordable PC graphics chips. Its Microsoft Windows 2D GUI accelerators were highly acclaimed as some of the fastest and most affordable on the market, outperforming VGA-chips from competitors like Western Digital, Trident Microsystems and Oak Technologies. The Cirrus graphics chip, the GD5422, supported hardware acceleration for 8-bit and 16-bit color, making it one of the lowest-priced VGA controllers to offer support for both. In the mid to late 1990s, it was one of a handful of companies to deliver a VGA controller for 3dfx’s Voodoo Rush 3D-accelerator card. To the current day, Cirrus chipsets help to power a number of notebook and desktop PCs.
The Cirrus product line is quite extensive and robust. Aside from a broad range of integrated circuits targeted at industrial and consumer markets, it also features high–precision ICs for automotive entertainment applications and electrical solutions in digital power meters and seismic systems. Cirrus audio processors and converters can be found in a number of professional consumer products including home-theater receivers, portable media players, television sets and set-top hardware. There was a time when the company designed and marketed hard disk controller chips, modem controllers, CD drive controller chips, PC graphics chips and PC soundcard controllers. A highly successful portfolio of Cirrus ICs and processors has made this company one of the most recognizable names in the industry.