Acapella – Semtech

Acapella designed complex mixed-signal integrated circuits for fiber optic communications. The company offered highly integrated solutions designed to ease the transition from copper to fiber-based communications. Acapella’s ICs were designed for complex power management, protection, interface, and communications applications.

Acapella has developed and integrated a proprietary implementation of time-division multiplexing called Ping Pong. Its fiber optic ICs offer full duplex synchronous communication over single-fiber systems with link lengths up to 25 kilometers.

Founded in 1990, Acapella has three primary activities. Acapella is a designer and fabless manufacturer of ICs for fiber optic communication applications. Additionally, Acapella provides IC design consultancy services, (resulting from 1992 acquisition of Analogue Design Consultants – ADC), and serves as Tanner Research, Inc.’s (Pasadena, CA) European distributor for IC CAD tools.

Acapella’s IC division focuses on the design and manufacture of ICs for Fiber Optic Communications. Their particular expertise is the merging of high performance analogue circuitry with intelligent digital interface and control technologies. Acapella claims this has made them the leading supplier of Ping Pong single fibre communications ICs. Acapella positions their Ping Pong ICs as providing full duplex links without the need for expensive WDM optics. Acapella also offers a single LED IC for both transmission and reception (low cost, normal link budgets), and single wavelength Laser Duplex Devices (for higher link budgets).

4/29/1998 : Semtech Acquired Acapella, a mixed-signal integrated circuit maker. Semtech Corporation is a leading supplier of high performance analog and mixed-signal semiconductors and advanced algorithms for high-end consumer, enterprise computing, communications, and industrial equipment. Semtech’s ICs are designed for complex power management, protection, interface, and communications applications.