astronomy

MStar

MStar is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand MStar rather than just read about it. In short: MStar Semiconductor, Inc. (Chinese: 晨星半導體股份有限公司; pinyin: Chénxīng Bàndǎotǐ Gǔfèn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī) was a Taiwanese fabless semiconductor company specializing in mixed-mode integrated circuit technologies, based in Hsinchu Hsien.

Key takeaways

MStar belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect MStar to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of MStar from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

MStar Semiconductor, Inc. (Chinese: 晨星半導體股份有限公司; pinyin: Chénxīng Bàndǎotǐ Gǔfèn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī) was a Taiwanese fabless semiconductor company specializing in mixed-mode integrated circuit technologies, based in Hsinchu Hsien. MStar made hardware for multimedia and wireless communications, in the form of display ICs and mixed-mode (i.e. combining analog and digital functions) ASIC/IPs, in addition to chip sets for GSM mobile handsets. MStar employed approx. 1300 in more than 10 branches worldwide. The company's revenue was around US$1067 million in 2010. The growth has been substantial, their revenue in 2005 was US$175 million. MStar is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under the code 3697. MStar was often referred as "Little-M" or "Morning Star" in Chinese community, as a contrary part of the bigger semiconductor company "Big-M", a.k.a. MediaTek. MStar was a spin-off (2-1 stock split) from System General Technology in May 2002, where the power IC product line stayed in System General Technology while the employees with the display and RFID product lines transferred to the new spin-off. After the spin-off, System General Technology regretted the decision, and a 1-2 stock swap was taken to exchange the two companies back to their corresponding shareholders. Chairman and CEO of MStar was Wayne Liang (梁公偉), while Dr. Steve Yang (楊偉毅) was the executive vice president and co-founder. In 2004, after being involved in a court case where in a ruling by the International Trade Commission (ITC), MStar Semiconductor were found guilty over infringing on a patent held by Genesis Microchip for a method to improve images on liquid-crystal-display (LCD) monitors and flat screen TVs. On October 14, 2020, MStar came under investigation by the US International Trade Commission for allegedly infringing patents held by DIVX LLC of San Diego, California, US.

Merger with MediaTek On 22 June 2012 MediaTek Inc. (TWSE: 2454) announced it purchased 212 million to 254 million shares of MStar (TWSE: 3697 - 40% to 48% of its outstanding shares) for 0.794 MediaTek shares and NT$1 in cash per MStar share.

Comparison table

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with MStar

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what MStar claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to MStar before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about MStar ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of MStar

In research: MStar appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses MStar in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: MStar is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics ARM architecture, Companies based in Hsinchu, Electronics companies established in 2002, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for MStar outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study MStar in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what MStar means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain MStar out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is MStar in simple terms?

Why does MStar matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study MStar?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on MStar.