What Digital Blocks does

Digital Blocks, Inc. is a privately-held semiconductor intellectual property company founded in 1997 and headquartered in Glen Rock, New Jersey. The company develops silicon-proven, synthesizable RTL Verilog and SystemVerilog IP cores for SoC, ASSP, ASIC, and FPGA design teams. Its portfolio spans display controllers (DB9000 family supporting QVGA through 8K resolutions), 2D graphics hardware accelerators (DB9100 BitBLT and DB9200 rendering engines), AMBA multi-channel scatter-gather DMA controllers, video signal and image processing IP (sync separators, color space converters, BT.656/1120 codecs), low-latency RTP and UDP/IP hardware protocol stacks (1GbE to 100GbE), MIPI I3C and DSI-2 controllers, I2C/SPI/eSPI peripheral controller families, and industry-standard 82xx peripheral replacements. The company emphasizes deep system-level architecture expertise combining system architects and ASIC/FPGA designers, with IP cores that integrate across AMBA AXI4/AXI3/AHB/APB and Altera Avalon bus fabrics and support multiple FPGA platforms including Xilinx, Intel/Altera, Lattice, Microsemi, and Quicklogic.

Digital Blocks generates revenue primarily through one-time perpetual IP core licensing fees with optional support and maintenance contracts, supplemented by custom IP core development and reference design services. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; prospective customers engage through direct sales via website inquiries and email. The company offers evaluation programs including simulation test suites, encrypted Altera OpenCore Plus evaluation files, and time-limited FPGA programming models to support pre-purchase assessment. Its go-to-market relies on direct enterprise sales, participation in major industry conferences (SID Display Week, DAC), and listings on IP marketplace platforms (ChipEstimate, Design & Reuse, AnySilicon). The company maintains memberships in standards and ecosystem bodies including ARM Connected Community, RISC-V, MIPI Alliance, OCP-IP, SPIRIT Consortium, Accellera, and the Society for Information Displays.

Digital Blocks serves a globally distributed customer base of 100+ named enterprise accounts across semiconductor (Analog Devices, Qualcomm, Broadcom, Intel, STMicroelectronics, Microchip, Renesas, SiFive), defense and aerospace (Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Rockwell Collins), industrial (GE, Bosch, Siemens), medical devices (Draeger Medical), and consumer technology (Microsoft, Meta). End applications include medical imaging displays, industrial automation and HMIs, automotive instrument clusters and infotainment, avionics, AR/VR headsets, IoT devices, wearables, signage, cinema displays, high-frequency trading systems, and datacenter networking equipment.

Name

Digital Blocks

Legal name

Digital Blocks, Inc.

Website

https://digitalblocks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Digital Blocks is a privately-held semiconductor IP company founded in 1997 that develops silicon-proven RTL Verilog IP cores for SoC, ASIC, and FPGA design teams, spanning display controllers, graphics accelerators, DMA, networking stacks, and peripheral controllers licensed to global enterprise customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Glen Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Semiconductor IP Core Licensing: Digital Blocks licenses synthesizable Verilog/SystemVerilog IP cores to SoC, ASIC, and FPGA design teams. Revenue is generated through one-time licensing fees with optional support and maintenance. IP cores are available in various configurations with different feature sets and pricing tiers.
2. Design Services: Custom IP core development and customization services to adapt IP cores to customer unique requirements. Services include specification development, RTL redesign, verification, and documentation.
3. Reference Design Services: LCD display and graphics hardware design services including turnkey PCB design, FPGA design, ASIC/ASSP design, and associated software development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Digital Blocks designs, verifies, and licenses silicon-proven semiconductor IP cores written in synthesizable RTL Verilog and SystemVerilog. The portfolio covers TFT LCD/OLED display controllers (QVGA to 8K), 2D graphics accelerators (BitBLT and geometry engines), multi-channel DMA controllers, video signal and image processing IPs, RTP/UDP/IP networking protocol stacks, MIPI I3C/DSI-2 controllers, I2C/SPI/eSPI peripheral controllers, and 82xx industry-standard peripheral replacements for SoC, ASIC, ASSP, and FPGA designers.

Product overview

Digital Blocks is a developer of silicon-proven semiconductor Intellectual Property (IP) cores for ASIC, ASSP, and FPGA designers. The product portfolio is a comprehensive library of synthesizable RTL Verilog and SystemVerilog IP cores organized into distinct product families: DB9000 Display Controllers (TFT LCD/OLED controllers supporting QVGA to 8K resolutions with AXI/AHB/Avalon interfaces), DB9100/DB9200 2D Graphics Hardware Accelerators (BitBLT and geometry rendering engines), Multi-Channel DMA Controllers (AXI4/AHB Scatter-Gather DMA for 1-256 channels), Video Signal & Image Processing IPs (sync separators, color space converters, BT.656 encoders/decoders), RTP/UDP/IP Networking Protocol Stacks (1GbE to 100GbE for video streaming and data transport), MIPI I3C & DSI-2 Controllers (sensor and display interfaces), I2C/SPI/eSPI Controller families (Master/Slave peripherals with multiple bus interface options), and 82xx Industry Standard Peripheral Replacements (8259, 8255, 8279 equivalents). All products are available as synthesizable RTL with comprehensive simulation test suites, datasheets, and user manuals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DB9000 Display Controller IP Core Family Silicon-proven TFT LCD/OLED Display Controller IP cores supporting resolutions from 320x240 QVGA up to 7680x4320 8K, with AXI4/AXI3/AHB/AHB-Lite/Avalon bus interfaces and optional overlay windows, hardware cursor, HDR, alpha blending, and color space conversion for SoC/ASIC/FPGA design teams.
• DB9100 / DB9200 2D Graphics Hardware Accelerator IP Cores BitBLT 2D Graphics Engine IP cores (DB9100) and 2nd generation rendering engine (DB9200) that accelerate 2D graphics display operations with up to 256 raster operations, monochrome bitmap color expansion, alpha blending, and geometry drawing features for SoC/ASIC/FPGA designers.
• AMBA Multi-Channel DMA Controller IP Core Family Scatter-gather Multi-Channel DMA Controller IP cores supporting 1-256 channels with AXI4/AXI3/AHB5/AHB-Lite interconnects, up to 1024-bit data width, QoS capabilities, and AXI4-Stream to/from Memory Map variants for memory-to-memory, peripheral-to-memory, and streaming transfers in SoC designs.
• Video Signal & Image Processing IP Core Family Video processing IP cores including NTSC/PAL/SECAM Video Sync Separator, Color Space Converter, Chroma Resampler, BT.656/BT.1120 Encoders and Decoders, RGB to CCIR601/656 Encoder, and Camera Interface IP for embedded video and image processing applications in SoC/ASIC/FPGA designs.
• RTP & UDP/IP Networking Protocol Stack IP Cores Low-latency RTP/UDP/IP hardware protocol stack IP cores supporting Ethernet speeds from 1 GbE to 100 GbE, targeting uncompressed and H.264/H.265 compressed video streaming, audio/video networking, and high-frequency trading systems in SoC/ASIC/FPGA designs.
• MIPI I3C Controller IP Core Family MIPI I3C Master/Slave, Master-only, and Slave-only controller IP cores supporting I3C v1.0 and I3C Basic specifications with SDR, HDR, Dynamic Address Assignment, In-band Interrupts, and Hot-Join capability, plus MIPI DSI-2 Host Controller IP for display serial interface integration.
• I2C Controller IP Core Family I2C Master/Slave, Master-only, Slave-only, High-Speed, SMBus, SCL-only clock, and APB-bridge controller IP cores with parameterized FIFOs and AMBA AXI/AHB/APB/Avalon bus interfaces for off-loading I2C transfers in SoC/ASIC/FPGA designs.
• SPI & eSPI Controller IP Core Family SPI Master/Slave, Master-only, Slave-only, SPI XIP Flash, and eSPI Controller/Target IP cores with parameterized FIFOs, AMBA bus interfaces, and Octal/Quad/Dual/Single SPI Flash support including Execute-in-Place for SoC/ASIC/FPGA designs.
• 82xx Industry-Standard Peripheral Replacement IP Cores Functional equivalent IP core replacements for Intel 8259A Programmable Interrupt Controller, 8255A/82C55A Programmable Peripheral Interface, and 8279 Programmable Keyboard/Display Interface, delivered as VHDL or Verilog soft cores for CPLDs, FPGAs, ASICs, and ASSP devices.
• Custom IP Core Design Services Custom IP core development and customization services adapting standard IP cores to unique customer requirements, including specification development, RTL redesign, verification, and documentation for SoC/ASIC/FPGA design teams.
• Reference Design Services Turnkey LCD display and graphics hardware design services including PCB design, FPGA design, ASIC/ASSP design, and associated software development for customers building reference platforms around Digital Blocks IP cores.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces development costs by providing pre-verified IP cores vs. designing from scratch
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ARM Connected CommunitycoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital Blocks is a member of the ARM Connected Community, supporting the ARM architecture with TFT LCD Controller, 2D Graphics, Networking, and Peripheral IP Cores for Silicon SoC design teams.
• RISC-VcoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital Blocks licenses high performance and low cost peripherals to computer architectures with the RISC-V CPU Core, enabling DMA, I2C, SPI, and other peripherals for RISC-V based systems.
• MIPI AlliancecoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital Blocks membership in MIPI has resulted in MIPI standard I3C for sensors and DSI-2 for Display Interface, with unique system-level integration features.
• Altera Megafunction Partners Program (AMPP)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital Blocks offers IP cores in VHDL/Verilog and technology-specific netlist formats targeting Altera devices including all Cyclone, Arria, and Stratix FPGAs, MAX CPLDs, and Hardcopy structured ASICs.
• Altera OpenCore Plus ProgramcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThrough the OpenCore Plus Program, prospective customers can generate programming files and test Digital Blocks IP cores in Altera hardware for evaluation before purchase.
• Microsemi CompanionCore PartnerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital Blocks is an approved Microsemi CompanionCore Partner offering optimized IP cores for Microsemi FPGAs and SoC FPGAs.
• Society for Information Displays (SID)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital Blocks is a member of SID which brings together professionals in all technical and business disciplines relating to Display Technologies, enabling Digital Blocks to maintain Display leadership.
• SignOnce IP License ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital Blocks is a member offering common IP license agreements that streamline the licensing of IP cores through Project License and Site License agreements.
• Design & Reuse (D&R) Partner ProgramminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThrough the D&R Partner Program, Digital Blocks provides global companies with updated information on IP Core and Design Services offerings.
• ChipEstimate IP PartnerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThrough the ChipEstimate IP Partner Program, Digital Blocks provides global companies with updated information on IP Core offerings.
• AnySilicon ProgramminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThrough AnySilicon, Digital Blocks provides global ASIC design teams updated information on IP Core and Design Services offerings.
• AccelleraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital Blocks is a member of Accellera to stay up-to-date with the latest design and verification standards impacting the global SoC development industry.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mobiveil: Mobiveil specializes in semiconductor IP for SSDs, storage controllers, and interconnect (PCIe, NAND, DDR). Comparable in being a small, focused IP vendor selling synthesizable cores to SoC and storage design teams.
• CAST, Inc. CAST is a longstanding independent semiconductor IP vendor offering processor and peripheral IP cores (I2C, SPI, UART, DMA, display) targeting FPGA/ASIC designers. Closest direct peer in scale and go-to-market to Digital Blocks.
• Arasan Chip Systems: Arasan provides semiconductor IP for MIPI standards (CSI, DSI, I3C), storage (SD, UFS), and connectivity. Highly comparable in targeting mobile, automotive, and IoT SoC designers with focused IP families.
• Silicon Creations: Silicon Creations is a merchant IP vendor specializing in high-speed SerDes, PLLs, and interface IP, serving similar ASIC/FPGA/SoC customers with foundry-grade IP cores comparable in scale and licensing model to Digital Blocks.

Broad incumbents

• VeriSilicon: VeriSilicon is a fabless semiconductor IP and design services vendor offering GPU, video, display, connectivity, and IoT IP. Comparable in offering IP cores plus ASIC design services to global semiconductor customers.
• Imagination Technologies: Imagination offers GPU, display, and connectivity IP cores used in SoCs across automotive, mobile, and consumer. Overlaps with Digital Blocks in graphics and display IP, though Imagination is more focused on GPU compute and visuals.
• Synopsys (DesignWare IP): Synopsys is the largest merchant semiconductor IP vendor, offering a broad portfolio that directly overlaps Digital Blocks' DMA, display, networking, and peripheral IP categories. Comparable in serving ASIC/SoC design teams with synthesizable RTL IP cores under licensing models.
• Cadence (IP Group, formerly Tensilica/ChipIdea): Cadence sells merchant semiconductor IP including interface, memory, and connectivity cores alongside its EDA tools. Cadence competes head-on with Digital Blocks in DMA, peripheral, and connectivity IP for ASIC/FPGA designers.
• Arm (IP products): Arm offers processor cores plus a suite of peripheral and interconnect IP through AMBA. Digital Blocks explicitly is a member of the ARM Connected Community offering complementary I3C, I2C, SPI, display, and networking IP for ARM-based SoCs.

Emerging players

• Algoltek: Algoltek provides USB, MIPI, and connectivity semiconductor IP for ASIC/SoC designers. Smaller peer with partial overlap in peripheral and interface IP for display and connectivity use cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DigitalBlocksIP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/digitalblocks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Digital Blocks