Cirrus Logic Inc. is a fabless semiconductor supplier that specializes in analog, mixed-signal, and audio DSP integrated circuits (ICs). As of 2015 Cirrus Logic has its headquarters in Austin, Texas. The company's audio processors and audio converters feature in many professional audio and consumer entertainment products, including smartphones, tablets, portable media players, automotive entertainment systems, home-theater receivers, televisions and docking stations. Cirrus Logic's analog mixed-signal converter chips are also used in a wide variety of energy-related applications, including its new line of LED controllers for the incandescent light-bulb replacement market, as well as energy-measurement chips for applications such as digital utility meters.
Dr. Suhas Patil founded the company as "Patil Systems, Inc." in Salt Lake City in 1981; it adopted the name "Cirrus Logic" when it moved to Silicon Valley in 1984.
Cirrus Logic has more than 1,000 patents and more than 600 products serving more than 2,500 end-customers globally.
Patil Systems, Inc., was founded in Salt Lake City in 1981 by Dr. Suhas Patil, in 1983 the company was reorganized by Dr. Patil, Kamran Elahian, and venture capitalist Fred Nazem, whose firm, Nazem and Company provided the company's first/start-up round of financing. Later the company was renamed as Cirrus Logic when it moved to Silicon Valley in 1984 to focus on solutions for the growing PC components market. Michael Hackworth was named president and chief executive officer in January 1985, and served as CEO until February 1999. It joined the Nasdaq market listing in 1989 (symbol: CRUS). Cirrus Logic acquired Crystal Semiconductor, a supplier of analog and mixed-signal converter ICs, in 1991. In the early 1990s, Cirrus Logic became a supplier of PC graphics chips, audio converters and chips for magnetic storage products. David D. French joined Cirrus Logic, Inc., as president and chief operating officer in June 1998 and was named chief executive officer in February 1999. Soon after joining the company, through an acquisition strategy Mr. French repositioned the company into a premier supplier of high-performance analog and digital processing chip solutions for consumer entertainment electronics and soon afterwards, Mr. M. Yousuf Palla joined as Vice President of Operations and Manufacturing, contributing further to its success. In June 2005, Cirrus Logic sold its video products operation to an investment firm, creating privately owned Magnum Semiconductor. After French resigned in March 2007, Jason Rhode, formerly the vice president and general manager of Cirrus Logic's Mixed Signal Audio Division, was named president and CEO in May 2007. Today, Cirrus Logic is focused on its high-precision technologies for digital signal processing components for audio and energy markets. In 2014 Cirrus Logic bought Wolfson Microelectronics for £291 million
