Linear Technology Corporation engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of linear integrated circuits. The company's products have applications in telecommunications, cellular telephones, networking products, notebook computers, computer peripherals, video/multimedia, industrial instrumentation, security monitoring devices, high-end consumer products such as digital cameras and MP3 players, complex medical devices, automotive electronics, factory automation, process control, and military and space systems.
Products and Markets
The company produces products for a variety of customers and markets. It targets the high performance segment of the analog integrated circuit market. The company focuses all of its design efforts on proprietary products, which at the time of introduction are original designs by the company offering unique characteristics. The principal product categories are as follows:
Amplifiers - These circuits amplify the output voltage or current of a device. The amplification represents the ratio of the output voltage or current to the input voltage or current. The widely used device is the operational amplifier due to its versatility and precision.
High Speed Amplifiers - These amplifiers are used to amplify signals from 5 megahertz to several hundred megahertz for applications such as video, fast data acquisition and communications.
Voltage Regulators - Voltage regulators deliver a tightly controlled voltage to power electronic systems. This category of product consists primarily of two types, the linear regulator and the switch-mode regulator. Switch-mode regulators are also used to convert voltage up or down within an electronic system for power management and battery charging.
Voltage References - These circuits serve as electronic benchmarks providing a constant voltage for measurement systems usage. Precision references have a constant output independent of input, temperature changes or time.
Interface - Interface circuits act as an intermediary to transfer digital signals between or within electronic systems. These circuits are used in computers, modems, instruments and remote data acquisition systems.
Data Converters - These circuits change linear (analog) signals into digital signals, or visa versa, and are often referred to as data acquisition subsystems, A/D converters and D/A converters. The accuracy and speed with which the analog signal is converted to its digital counterpart (and visa versa) is considered a key characteristic for these devices. Low speed data converters may have resolution up to 24 bits, while high speed converters may operate in the region of 100 megahertz sample rate.
Radio Frequency Circuits - These circuits include mixers, modulators, demodulators, amplifiers, drivers, and power detectors and controllers. They are used in wireless and cable infrastructure, cellphones, and wireless data communications infrastructure.
Other - Other linear circuits include buffers, battery monitors, motor controllers, hot swap circuits, comparators, sample-and-hold devices, drivers and filters (both switched capacitor and continuous time,) which are used to limit and/or manipulate signals in such applications as cellular telephones, base stations, navigation systems and industrial applications.
Linear circuits are used in various applications including telecommunications, cellular telephones, networking products such as power over Ethernet switches, notebook computers, computer peripherals, video/multimedia, industrial instrumentation, security monitoring devices, high-end consumer products such as digital cameras and MP3 players, complex medical devices, automotive electronics, factory automation, process control, and military and space systems.
Sales Offices
The company's sales offices are located in the United States in the following metropolitan areas: Seattle, Boston, Baltimore, Denver, Philadelphia, Raleigh, Chicago, Dallas, Austin, Houston, San Jose, Los Angeles, Irvine, San Diego, Huntsville, Minneapolis, Cleveland and Portland. Internationally, the company has sales offices in: London, Stockholm, Ascheberg, Munich, Stuttgart, Paris, Milan, Helsinki, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Taipei, Singapore, Seoul, Hong Kong, Bejing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
Customers
The company sells to approximately 15,000 Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) customers directly and/or through the sales distributor channel. The company's major customers include Arrow Electronics.
Competition
The company's competitors include Analog Devices, Inc.; Intersil; Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.; National Semiconductor Corporation; and Texas Instruments, Inc.
History
Linear Technology Corporation was incorporated in 1981.
