Microchip Technology Incorporated has acquired Hampshire Company, Inc. Hampshire is in the large-format (typically with screen diameters greater than 5 inches) touch screen controller market. Hampshire provides customers with high-quality universal touch screen controllers, along with best-of-class application support and driver-interface software.

“Hampshire has used its leading edge technology and know-how to achieve a leadership position for touch screen controllers,” says Steve Sanghi, Microchip’s President and CEO. “Microchip has already achieved very strong momentum with its mTouch™ sensing solution portfolio. Hampshire’s portfolio of products will extend Microchip’s leadership in universal touch screen controllers. Microchip intends to capitalize on Hampshire’s leading technology to accelerate touch screen R&D for the next generation of touch screen controllers.”

“The combined capabilities of Hampshire and Microchip are expected to create unique opportunities in the growing touch screen market with the goal of creating a global standard for the touch screen interface,” says Carl Bauman, president of the Hampshire Company. “We are very excited that Microchip has added Hampshire’s products to the Microchip mTouch™ portfolio of user-interface products.”

The terms of the deal are confidential, and the deal is expected to be immediately accretive to Microchip’s earnings.