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Microchip Technology Inc. today is launching a business unit that will focus on strengthening the company's position in appliances.
Many microcontroller and DSP makers have been targeting appliances, which include traditional white goods and personal care and industrial devices, to meet rising demand for products with intelligent computer control. The appliance market is transitioning from traditional mechanical switches and motors to equipment that combines mechanical and electronic components, a technology called mechatronics.
"Consumers simply want more features on appliances," said Stephen Caldwell, who has been named director of Microchip's Appliance Market Products Group in Chandler, Ariz. "That's requiring input and output features that didn't exist. In...