RS-485: Imported from Wikipedia (overwrite)

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{{Short description|American semiconductor manufacturer (1971–2017)}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Exar
| logo = Logo of Exar Corporation.svg
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| trade_name = Exar Corporation
| traded_as = {{NYSE was|EXAR}}<ref name=nyse-exar>{{cite web |url=https://www.nyse.com/site-search?q=EXAR&page=1 |title=Exar Corporation (EXAR) Admitted to Trading on the NYSE |date=29 July 2013}}</ref>
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| type = [[Subsidiary]]
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| industry = [[Electronics]]<br>[[Semiconductor]]
| genre =
| fate = Acquired by [[MaxLinear Inc.|MaxLinear]]
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| founded = {{start date and age|1971}} in [[California, United States]]
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| defunct = {{End date|2017}}
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| hq_location_country = United States
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| num_employees = 269<ref>{{Cite web |title= Form 10K: Annual Report for the fiscal year ended March 27, 2016 |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/753568/000143774916032955/exar20160331_10k.htm |publisher= United States Securities and Exchange Commission |date= May 25, 2016 |access-date= September 2, 2016 }}</ref>
| num_employees_year = 2016
| parent = [[Rohm]] (1971–1990)
| divisions =
| subsid =
| website = {{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160229190547/http://www.exar.com/|title=exar.com}}
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}}
[[File:Locale_RS6_XR-2206 Monolithic Function Generator.png|thumb|Function generator integrated circuit XR-2206 by Exar]]

'''Exar Corporation''' was an American semiconductor manufacturer active from 1971 to 2017 as a subsidiary of the Japanese firm [[Rohm]]. It was acquired by [[MaxLinear Inc.|MaxLinear]] in May 2017 and maintained as a wholly owned subsidiary for a short while.

==History==
[[File:Logo of Exar Corporation (old).svg|Earlier logo of Exar Corporation|thumb]]
The Japanese [[semiconductor company]] [[Rohm]] established Exar as a California-based American subsidiary in 1971.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/exar-corp-history/|title=International Directory of Company Histories|publisher=St. James Press|year=1996|volume=14|via=FundingUniverse}}</ref> At that time, the [[Integrated circuit|integrated circuit boards]] [[Integrated circuit design|designed]] and manufactured by Rohm were [[Integrated circuit development|developed]] in the United States, and establishing an American subsidiary provided closer ties to the design process and provided a marketing foothold.<ref name=":0" />

In the early 1980s, when Exar was running sales figures of around {{US$|25 million}} annually, only about one-third of sales were through its parent, Rohm.<ref name=":0" /> Part of the success of Exar and Rohm in the early 1980s stemmed from proprietary technologies developed between the two.<ref name=":0" />

As a result of pressure from the U.S. Government for Japan to reduce its involvement in American industry, in particular in the semiconductor industry, Rohm began slowly divesting itself of Exar.<ref name=":0" /> Following Exar's [[initial public offering]] in 1985, Rohm's share of ownership had dropped to under 70%.<ref name=":0" />

Exar's acquisition of Exel Microelectronics in the mid-1980s contributed heavily to a financial downturn in the company.<ref name=":0" /> Exar purchased Exel for its technology, but also for its chip fabrication facilities; however, unbeknownst to Exar at the time of purchase, those plants were not run-ready and required large amounts of capital investment, which ate into Exar profits through the end of the decade.<ref name=":0" /> In response to these problems, Rohm reversed its position on Exar by purchasing outstanding stock, leading to its again fully owning the company.<ref name=":0" /> Reacquisition by Rohm freed Exar to fully capitalize assets acquired from Exel and turn up the investment in research and development, leading again to profitability based in large part of new introductions in the [[EEPROM]] and [[Application-specific integrated circuit|ASIC]] product spaces.<ref name=":0" />

After Rohm had rescued the company and supported its return to profitability, it changed course and began divesting again, leading in 1990 to holding less than 50 percent of Exar.<ref name=":0" /> From its inception, Exar's top executive staff and board had been picked by Rohm, and consisted largely of Japanese [[expatriate]]s.<ref name=":0" /> This changed in 1992 when Rohm removed Exar's [[chief executive officer]], Nabuo Hatta, who had served in an executive post since at least 1985, when he was [[President (corporate title)|president]] of the company.<ref name=":0" /> Exar's board subsequently hired George Wells, a Scotsman educated at the [[University of Glasgow]], as the company's new chief executive; Wells had previously held positions at [[General Electric]] and [[Lsi logic|LSI Logic]].<ref name=":0" />

Wells oversaw a reorganization and re-prioritization of product offerings and introduced a culture of quality, leading to major increases in sales and income.<ref name=":0" /> Armed with a large cash surplus, and following Rohm's final divestment of Exar assets in 1994, Wells went on an acquisition spree in 1994 and 1995 which led to the purchases of Origin Technology, Micro Power Systems, Startech Semiconductor and Silicon Microstructures; all in all, these purchases enriched the technologies available to Exar.<ref name=":0" /> Acquiring so many companies in such a short period had consequences for the company, and Exar lost its profitability by early 1995.<ref name=":0" />

On April 3, 2009, Exar Corporation closed the acquisition of [[Hifn|hi/fn, inc.]], a transaction which included stock and about {{US$|67 million}} in cash.<ref name=exar-pr>{{cite press release |title=Exar Corporation Closes Hifn Acquisition|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/exar-corporation-closes-hifn-acquisition-61730682.html |date= April 3, 2009 |access-date= September 2, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= Form 8K: Changes in Control of Registrant |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1065246/000119312509075549/d8k.htm |publisher= United States Securities and Exchange Commission |date= April 3, 2009 |access-date= September 2, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= Exar Corporation Announces Completion of Exchange |url= http://www.exar.com/Common/Content/News.aspx?id=5004 |archive-date= September 30, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110930091207/http://www.exar.com/Common/Content/News.aspx?id=5004 |date= April 3, 2009 |access-date= September 2, 2016 }}</ref> On August 3, 2011, Exar Corporation rang the opening bell at the [[Nasdaq|NASDAQ]] MarketSite in New York. In honor of the occasion, [[Pete Rodriguez (engineer)|Pete Rodriguez]], President & Chief Executive Officer, rang the Opening Bell.<ref>{{Cite press release |publisher=Nasdaq |date=2011-08-03 |title=Exar Corporation (EXAR) President & CEO to Ring The NASDAQ Stock Market Opening Bell |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/fr/news-release/2011/08/03/452965/6948/en/Exar-Corporation-EXAR-President-CEO-to-Ring-The-NASDAQ-Stock-Market-Opening-Bell.html |access-date=2022-08-26 |via=GlobeNewswire News Room |language=en}}</ref> On March 22, 2013, Exar acquired the assets of Altior in [[Eatontown, New Jersey]]. On July 5, 2013, it acquired Stretch, Inc. On June 3, 2014, it acquired most of Integrated Memory Logic Limited.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}

On March 29, 2017, [[MaxLinear Inc.]] announced it would buy Exar Corporation for about $661.6 million cash.<ref name=wsj-max>{{cite news |last=Jamerson |first=Joshua|date=March 29, 2017 |title=Chip Company MaxLinear to Buy Exar for $661.6 Million |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/chip-company-maxlinear-to-buy-exar-for-661-6-million-1490784785?tesla=y | work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |location=[[New York City, New York]], [[United States]] |access-date=March 30, 2017}}</ref> The acquisition of Exar Corp for $687 million was completed in May 2017.<ref name=sd-buyout>{{cite news |last=Freeman |first=Mike |date=May 12, 2017 |title= MaxLinear wraps up buyout of Exar for $687 million |url= http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/technology/sd-fi-maxlinear-exar-20170512-story.html| work=[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]] |location=[[San Diego, California]] |access-date=August 5, 2017}}</ref>

==Products==
Exar offers [[PMIC]]s that are used in [[System on a chip|SoCs]], [[Digital signal processor|DSPs]], [[FPGA]]s as well as [[video processor]]s,<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2024-05-31 |date=2014-04-02 |title=Exar Releases Intel Node Manager Compatible Programmable PMIC |publisher=eepower.com |url=https://eepower.com/new-industry-products/exar-releases-intel-node-manager-compatible-programmable-pmic/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|access-date=2024-05-31 |date=2016-05-24 |title=Exar Corporation Releases Triple-Channel Universal PMIC |publisher=digitalengineering247.com |url=https://www.digitalengineering247.com/article/exar-corporation-releases-triple-channel-universal-pmic/}}</ref> power distribution switches,<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2024-05-31 |date=2011-06-21 |title=Exar Releases Family of USB 3.0 Power Distribution Switches |publisher=eepower.com |url=https://eepower.com/new-industry-products/exar-releases-family-of-usb-3-0-power-distribution-switches/}}</ref> Analog front end sensor interfaces<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2024-05-31 |date=2016-04-19 |title=Analog Front End Simplifies Sensor Conditioning |publisher=eepower.com |url=https://eepower.com/new-industry-products/analog-front-end-simplifies-sensor-conditioning/}}</ref> and Synchronous Optical Network [[transceiver]].<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2024-05-31 |date=2003-01-03 |title=Exar tips 2.5-Gbit Sonet/SDH transceiver |publisher=eetimes.com |url=https://www.eetimes.com/exar-tips-2-5-gbit-sonet-sdh-transceiver/?utm_source=eetimes&utm_medium=relatedcontent}}</ref> Further products include BITS Framer and LIUs,<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2024-05-31 |date=2008-07-21 |title=Exar Adds Next Generation Single-Channel T1/E1/J1 BITS Framer and Line Interface Unit (LIU) Combo to Industry’s Most Extensive T/E Portfolio |publisher=electronicproducts.com |url=https://www.electronicproducts.com/exar-adds-next-generation-single-channel-t1-e1-j1-bits-framer-and-line-interface-unit-liu-combo-to-industrys-most-extensive-t-e-portfolio/}}</ref> inductive [[Step-down converter]],<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2024-05-31 |date=2008-03-25 |title=Exar Launches 1.5 MHz, 600mA Step-Down Inductive Converter |publisher=eepower.com |url=https://eepower.com/new-industry-products/exar-launches-1-5-mhz-600ma-step-down-inductive-converter/}}</ref> [[UART]] Bridges,<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2024-05-31 |date=2014-11-13 |title=USB To Ethernet And UART Bridge |publisher=electronicdesign.com |url=https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/power/power-supply/pmics/article/21197579/usb-to-ethernet-and-uart-bridge}}</ref> as well as [[GPIO]] Expanders.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2024-05-31 |date= |title=I²C and SPI GPIO Expanders |publisher=digikey.at |url=https://www.digikey.at/en/product-highlight/e/exar-corporation/i2c-spi-gpio-expanders}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Electronics|Companies}}
*[[Fremont, California#Economy|Economy of Fremont, California]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160229190547/http://www.exar.com/|title=Official website}}

[[Category:1971 establishments in California]]
[[Category:2017 disestablishments in California]]
[[Category:2017 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:American companies disestablished in 2017]]
[[Category:American companies established in 1971]]
[[Category:Companies based in California]]
[[Category:Companies formerly listed on the New York Stock Exchange]]
[[Category:Computer companies disestablished in 2017]]
[[Category:Computer companies established in 1971]]
[[Category:Defunct computer companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct computer hardware companies]]
[[Category:Defunct semiconductor companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Electronics companies disestablished in 2017]]
[[Category:Electronics companies established in 1971]]
[[Category:1980s initial public offerings]]
[[Category:Defunct computer companies based in California]]

Exar Corporation - Revision history

RS-485: Imported from Wikipedia (overwrite)