SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Continuing its buying spree, Intersil Corp. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Quellan Inc., a privately-held supplier in the design of high-performance analog signal processing integrated circuits.

With the deal, analog chip maker Intersil expands its portfolio. Quellan (Santa Clara, Calif.) utilizes a so-called Collaborative Signal Processing (CSP) architecture to apply adaptive noise cancellation and equalization within the analog domain. This approach enables Quellan's ICs to address signal loss, dispersion, skew and noise in high-speed signal processing applications.

In January, Quellan announced its latest RF noise canceller IC, the QHx230. Based on the company's so-called Q:Active Noise Canceling technology, the ultra small CMOS device measures just 1 square millimeter in size and is capable of canceling a broad range of unwanted RF interference to improve receiver sensitivity.

The QHx230 incorporates a new interface that supports preset values for immediate deployment in mobile devices and laptop computers where EMI aggressors like camera buses or display drivers de-sense receivers, causing performance loss and end user dissatisfaction.

"The Quellan products and analog signal processing design expertise in driving high speed signals over long distances are a perfect fit for Intersil," said Dave Bell, Intersil's chief executive, in a statement.

The boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the merger. Intersil expects the acquisition will have an immaterial impact on revenue or earnings for the third quarter 2009 results.

Intersil has been on a buying spree. Last summer, Intersil signed a definitive agreement to acquire D2Audio Corp., a supplier of digital audio power amplifiers.

In September, Intersil signed a definitive agreement to acquire Kenet Inc., a supplier of low-power data converters, for an undisclosed price.

Late last year, Intersil signed a definitive agreement to acquire Zilker Labs Inc., a privately-held, fabless semiconductor company. Zilker Labs' so-called Digital-DC technology is a mixed-signal power conversion and management architecture.