Samplify Systems compresses data without losing quality in wireless or medical systems

Samplify Systems is announcing today a new design for its technology that compresses data without sacrificing quality.
The Santa Clara, Calif.-based chip design firm designs analog or mixed signal chips. These chips take a lot of real world data, like sound coming in from a radio, and then convert it into a form that computers can process.
That sounds pretty mundane. But Samplify is focusing on chips that can garner prices higher than $20, which is pretty good for a market that sounds like a commodity. It is doing so by focusing on the high-end markets for data compression components used in medical and wireless systems — a $1.5 billion market.
Most of these analog-to-digital converters typically have problems converting data accurately. But Samplify’s Prism 3.0 algorithm simplifies the decompression of data without sacrificing quality; it accomplishes twice as much as its previous generation at half the cost. The company has worked on the technology for two years. It will become the heart of future chips.
Most analog chips simply pass data from one place to another. But Samplify’s chips convert the data into a digital format that can be compressed, so there is less data to pass along. That results in a much more efficient system, with no loss in quality. This is why Samplify can compete against much bigger analog/mixed signal companies such as Texas Instuments, National Semiconductor, Maxim Integrated Products, Linear Technology, and Analog Devices.
The new designs are likely to be used in wireless and medical imaging applications where higher quality is important. That includes things such as next-generation cell phone signal transmission systems (known as 4G wireless) or ultrasound systems that can take more accurate pictures of unborn babes. Customers are trying out chips now and products using them are likely to debut in the fourth quarter or early next year.
In another development, Samplify Systems says it will distribute its chips into the medical system market via a deal with Moog Components Group, a $2 billion company that makes components for a variety of markets.
Samplify Systems has received $11 million in funding from Charles River Ventures and Formative Ventures. The company has 16 employees.