Bernard V. Vonderschmitt

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Bernard V. Vonderschmitt (October 14, 1923 – June 9, 2004) was an electrical engineer, most noted as a co-founder of leading FPGA producer Xilinx.

Vonderschmitt graduated with a BSEE from Rose Polytechnic Institute in 1944. He also received an MSEE degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and later an honorary doctorate from Rider University.

Vonderschmitt began his career with RCA, and worked with them for 34 years, taking a short time during World War II to serve in the US Navy as an electronics officer. He holds 13 patents that cover color television and solid state electronics.

After leaving RCA, he worked briefly for Zilog, before co-founding Xilinx together with Ross Freeman and Jim Barnett in 1984. With Xilinx, he pioneered the fabless business model which is now used by a large number of semiconductor companies around the world.

In 2002, he retired from Xilinx, with the company entrenched as the worldwide leader in FPGA marketshare.

On June 9, 2004 Vonderschmitt died in his hometown of Jasper, Indiana. ^[1]

[edit] References

^ "Bernard Vonderschmitt, 80, Semiconductor Designer, Dies", New York Times, June 19, 2004. Retrieved on 2007-07-21. "Bernard V. Vonderschmitt, an electrical engineer who led early semiconductor research efforts and who later pioneered the business of separating chip design and manufacturing, died on June 9 at his home in Jasper, Indiana, from complications from a stroke, according to a spokesman for Xilinx Inc. He was 80 years old."