Actel

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Defunct American technology company

title: "Actel" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["defunct-semiconductor-companies-of-the-united-states", "electronic-design-automation-companies", "fabless-semiconductor-companies", "technology-companies-based-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area", "companies-based-in-mountain-view,-california", "american-companies-established-in-1985", "electronics-companies-established-in-1985", "electronics-companies-disestablished-in-2010", "1985-establishments-in-california", "2010-disestablishments-in-california", "companies-formerly-listed-on-the-nasdaq", "defunct-manufacturing-companies-based-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area", "2010-mergers-and-acquisitions", "defunct-computer-companies-of-the-united-states", "defunct-computer-hardware-companies", "defunct-computer-companies-based-in-california"] description: "Defunct American technology company" topic_path: "engineering" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actel" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Defunct American technology company ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox company"]

FieldValue
nameActel Corporation
logoActel logo.svg
typePublic
traded_as
homepage
foundation
location_citySan Jose, California
location_countryUnited States
industryIntegrated Circuits
productsFPGAs, Embedded Processors
successorMicrosemi
revenueUS$191 Million (FY 2009)
operating_incomeUS$-21.3 Million (FY 2009)
net_incomeUS$-46.2 Million (FY 2009)
assetsUS$307 Million (FY 2009)
equityUS$233 Million (FY 2009)
num_employees500+
::

| name = Actel Corporation | logo = Actel logo.svg | type = Public | traded_as = | homepage = | foundation = | key_people = | location_city = San Jose, California | location_country = United States | industry = Integrated Circuits | products = FPGAs, Embedded Processors | successor = Microsemi | revenue = US$191 Million (FY 2009) | operating_income = US$-21.3 Million (FY 2009) | net_income = US$-46.2 Million (FY 2009) | assets = US$307 Million (FY 2009) | equity = US$233 Million (FY 2009) | num_employees = 500+

Actel Corporation was an American manufacturer of nonvolatile, low-power field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), mixed-signal FPGAs, and programmable logic solutions. It had its headquarters in Mountain View, California, with offices worldwide. In November 2010, Microsemi acquired Actel for $430 million. In May 2018, Microchip Technology acquired Microsemi.

History and competition

Actel was founded in 1985 and became known for its high-reliability and anti-fuse-based FPGAs, used in the military and aerospace markets.

Actel acquired GateField in 2000, which expanded Actel's anti-fuse FPGA offering to include flash-based FPGAs. Actel announced in 2004 that it had shipped the one-millionth unit of its flash-based ProASICPLUS FPGA.

In 2005, Actel introduced a new technology known as Fusion to bring FPGA programmability to mixed-signal solutions. Fusion was the first technology to integrate mixed-signal analogue capabilities with flash memory and FPGA fabric in a monolithic device.

In 2006, to address the tight power budgets of the portable market, Actel introduced the IGLOO FPGA. The IGLOO family of FPGAs was based on Actel's nonvolatile flash technology and the ProASIC 3 FPGA architecture. Two new IGLOO derivatives were added in 2008: IGLOO PLUS FPGAs with enhanced I/O capabilities, and IGLOO nano FPGAs, a low power solution at 2 μW. A nano version of ProASIC3 also became available in 2008.

In 2010, Actel introduced the SmartFusion line of FPGAs. SmartFusion includes both analogue components and a programmable flash-based logic fabric within the same chip. SmartFusion was the first FPGA product to additionally include a hard ARM processor core.

Altera and Xilinx are the other key players in the market, however, their main focus is on SRAM FPGAs. Lattice Semiconductor is another competitor.

Technologies

Actel's portfolio of FPGAs is based on two types of technologies: anti-fuse-based FPGAs (Axcelerator, SX-A, eX, and MX families) and flash-based FPGAs (Fusion, PolarFire, IGLOO, and ProASIC3 families).

Actel's anti-fuse FPGAs have been known for their nonvolatility, live-at power-up operation, single-chip form factor, and security. Actel's flash-based FPGA families include these same characteristics and are also reprogrammable and low power.

Actel also develops system-critical FPGAs (RTAX and ProASIC3 families), including extended temperature automotive, military, and aerospace FPGAs, plus a wide variety of space-class radiation-tolerant devices. These flash and anti-fuse FPGAs have high levels of reliability and firm-error immunity.

Controversy

In March 2012, researchers from the University of Cambridge discovered a backdoor in the JTAG interface of the ProASIC3 family of low-powered FPGAs. They defended their theory at a cryptography workshop held in Belgium in September 2012.

References

References

  1. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110316100722/http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Actel_(ACTL)/Data/Income_Statement Actel (ACTL) annual SEC income statement filing via Wikinvest]
  2. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110316100657/http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Actel_(ACTL)/Data/Balance_Sheet Actel (ACTL) annual SEC balance sheet filing via Wikinvest]
  3. (August 2009). "Corporate Factsheet". Actel Corporation.
  4. Dylan McGrath, EETimes. "[http://www.eetindia.co.in/ART_8800431775_1800001_NP_494f6750.HTM Actel FPGAs cut power drain to target mobile market] {{Webarchive. link. (2015-05-10 ." Aug 30, 2006. Retrieved June 12, 2012.)
  5. link. (2013-07-03 ." March 8, 2010. Retrieved June 12, 2012.)
  6. EETimes India. "[http://www.eetindia.co.in/ART_8800411544_1800000_NP_a6b71dcb.HTM Actel designs IP core for nonvalatile FPGAs] {{Webarchive. link. (2015-05-10 ." Mar 23, 2006. Retrieved June 12, 2012.)
  7. EETimes Asia. "[http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800555824_499486_NT_0c1d0de2.HTM Seiko Epson goes with Actel FPGAs for multimedia viewers] {{Webarchive. link. (2013-05-28 ." Dec 10, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2012.)
  8. EETimes Asia. "[http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800452409_499485_NP_209609f1.HTM Free controller cores roll for Actel FPGAs] {{Webarchive. link. (2013-05-28 ." Feb 8, 2007. Retrieved June 12, 2012.)
  9. link. (March 5, 2011 ")
  10. Mark Lapedus, EE Times. "[http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4209259/Microsemi-buys-Actel-for--430-million-Semiconductor Microsemi buys Actel for $430 million]." Oct 4, 2010. Retrieved Jan 10, 2013.
  11. MELISSA KORN, Wall Street Journal. "[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704631504575531922167169384 Microsemi to Buy Rival Actel for $430 Million]." Oct 4, 2010. Retrieved Jan 10, 2013.
  12. "Microsemi buys Actel for $430 million".
  13. (2018-05-29). "Microchip Technology Announces Completion of Microsemi Acquisition".
  14. Andrew Hamm, SJ Business Journal. "[http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2003/08/04/smallb3.html The sky's the limit for Actel chips in planned European satellites]." August 1, 2003. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
  15. Company Release. "[http://www.actel.com/company/press/2004/3/29/ Actel Achieves Key Milestone with its Cost-Effective, Flash-Based FPGAs; Company Ships More Than 1 Million Units] {{webarchive. link. (August 29, 2008 ." March 29, 2004. Retrieved January 11, 2010.)
  16. EETimes. "[http://www.informationweek.com/news/global-cio/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=166400480 Actel Claims To Usher In Era Of 'Programmable System Chip']." July 18, 2005. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
  17. Company Release. "[http://www.actel.com/company/press/2006/8/28/ Actel Brings Portable Market In from the Cold With Industry's Lowest Power FPGA Family] {{webarchive. link. (July 7, 2011 ." August 28, 2006. Retrieved January 11, 2010.)
  18. EETimes. "[http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=223101108 Actel rolls mixed-signal FPGA with hard ARM core]." March 2, 2010. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  19. Electronics Weekly. "[http://www.electronicsweekly.com/products/clist.aspx?sID=127&NavigationID=65&SlotPageID=42 FPGA / PLD]." Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  20. John Edwards, EDN. "[http://www.edn.com/electronics-news/4320763/No-room-for-Second-Place No room for Second Place]." Jun 1, 2006. Retrieved Jan 10, 2013.
  21. "Introduction To Actel FPGA Architecture PDF {{!}} PDF {{!}} Logic Gate {{!}} Field Programmable Gate Array".
  22. Sergei Skorobogatov. "[http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~sps32/Silicon_scan_draft.pdf Breakthrough silicon scanning discovers backdoor in military chip]"
  23. CHES 2012 "[https://www.cosic.esat.kuleuven.be/ches2012/papers.shtml Workshop on Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems]"

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defunct-semiconductor-companies-of-the-united-stateselectronic-design-automation-companiesfabless-semiconductor-companiestechnology-companies-based-in-the-san-francisco-bay-areacompanies-based-in-mountain-view,-californiaamerican-companies-established-in-1985electronics-companies-established-in-1985electronics-companies-disestablished-in-20101985-establishments-in-california2010-disestablishments-in-californiacompanies-formerly-listed-on-the-nasdaqdefunct-manufacturing-companies-based-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area2010-mergers-and-acquisitionsdefunct-computer-companies-of-the-united-statesdefunct-computer-hardware-companiesdefunct-computer-companies-based-in-california