AROUND THE CIRCUIT

AROUND THE CIRCUIT

INDUSTRY NEWS

Custom component and subsystem manufacturer Advanced Frequency Products , Andover, MA, has been formed following the acquisition of the Digital Radio Transceiver Business from Alpha Industries , Woburn, MA. In an effort to conduct a smooth transition and to keep production and customer service intact, the company has retained key people within the group.

Raytheon Co ., Lexington, MA, has announced it is selling the home appliance, heating and air conditioning, and commercial cooking segments of the Raytheon Appliance Group to Goodman Holding Co . of Houston, TX. In an effort to maximize shareholder value, Raytheon will retain the group's commercial laundry business as well as the electronic controls segment. The company expects to realize $750 M from transactions negotiated to date, consisting of $550 M in cash from Goodman and $200 M from the sale of the Appliance Group's receivables. The sale is expected to be completed in the third quarter of the year. In related news, Raytheon has completed its acquisition of Texas Instruments' defense business. An agreement was reached with Texas Instruments in January to purchase the assets of the defense operations for $2.95 B.

D subminiature coaxial contact and subminiature coaxial connector manufacturer Retconn Inc ., a subsidiary of Semiconductor Packaging Materials Company Inc . located in Torrington, CT, has completed its acquisition of Rancho Cordova, CA-based ST Electronics Inc. (ST) , a manufacturer of custom cable and cable harness assemblies designed for the communications industry. The company reports this action is part of a strategy to expand its cable assembly operations in the US.

Microwave multifunction module designer REMEC Inc ., San Diego, CA, has completed its merger with C&S Hybrid . According to Ronald Ragland, CEO and chairman at REMEC, C&S Hybrid's technologies and market focus are consistent with the company's own strategy to form a broad microwave and mm-wave technology edge.

Wirewound resistor developer Riedon Inc ., Alhambra, CA, has acquired Imperial Astronics of Northridge, CA, a supplier of quality wirewound precision resistors and networks since 1971. Reidon plans to retain all of Imperial Astronics' employees and will continue to sell the products under the Imperial Astronics name.

Wireless access product designer Wireless Inc . has opened a North American headquarters to deliver interconnect solutions and services to customers. The division is located at 421 N. Northwest Highway, Suite 201, Barrington, IL 60010 (847) 842-8885, fax (847) 842-1789 or e-mail: lgee@wire~less~inc.com.

Focus Microwaves Inc . has moved its offices to 970 Montee de Liesse, Suite 308, Ville St-Laurent, Quebec, Canada H4T 1W7 (514) 335-6227, fax (514) 335-6287 or e-mail: focusmw@compuserve.com.

Direct digital synthesis product manufacturer Sciteq Communications Inc ., a subsidiary of Osicom Technologies , has moved to a new, company-owned, 35,000-square-foot building located at 9990 Mesa Rim Rd., San Diego, CA 92121 (619) 558-3960, fax (609) 558-3978.

Channel Microwave has developed a new facility that will house a space-qualified clean room and an expanded engineering lab for new product development. The facility is located at 402 Constitution Ave., Camarillo, CA.

In an effort to expand product development, Boonton Electronics Corp. has signed a shared-facilities agreement with B&K Precision Inc ., a wholly owned subsidiary of GEM USA Inc . Under the terms of the agreement, B&K Precision will rent space in Boonton's Parsippany, NJ headquarters and pay a monthly management fee of $15 K in addition to the monthly rent.

Korea's Hyundai Electronics Industries Company Ltd. (HEI) and COMSAT RSI Plexsys Wireless Systems , Herndon, VA, have announced a purchase agreement and product-development alliance in an attempt to broaden their market bases. Under the terms of the agreement, HEI will purchase approximately $5 M worth of Plexsys' PlexCell series code-division multiple access (CDMA) switches, which HEI will use with its own small-scale base station controller and transceiver subsystem to penetrate world markets beyond Korea.

PCB manufacturer and electronic assembly service provider General Technology Corp. (GTC) , Albuquerque, NM, has signed a mentor/protégé agreement with McDonnell Douglas Corp . and the US Navy. Ultimately, the program will assist GTC in developing the expertise required to test and troubleshoot complex electronic assemblies so it can become a full fab and test turnkey supplier to McDonnell Douglas. As an added benefit, the program is expected to generate additional jobs in the Albuquerque area. The mentor/protégé program is a federal initiative developed to encourage major US Department of Defense contractors to provide developmental assistance to emerging small businesses.

GaAs IC manufacturer TRW Inc ., Redondo Beach, CA, and optoelectronic component developer Multilink Technology Corp. (MTC) , Santa Monica, CA, have formed a strategic alliance to ensure the flow of advanced IC technology into the transmission and switching equipment that links consumers and businesses with high speed fiber-optic networks. Terms of the agreement call for TRW to purchase a minority interest in privately held MTC, which will use TRW's low cost GaAs IC technology to produce high rate telecommunications and data communications subsystems for transmission and switching equipment used by telecommunications service providers.

Inmet Corp ., Ann Arbor, MI, has named San Jose, CA-based Bayshore Communications Inc . its exclusive distributor in the northern California area. Bayshore will distribute Inmet's line of attenuators, terminations and coaxial adapters with same-day delivery capabilities in the immediate area, and DC blocks, equalizers and power dividers on a special-order basis.

Wireless communications product manufacturer Allen Telecom Inc ., Cleveland, OH, has received type acceptance from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for its model EAC-800 CDMA repeater. The repeater, designed by Allen Telecom's Systems Division , provides reliable service in problematic areas, including tunnels, convention centers and parking garages, and improves coverage in larger buildings such as hospitals and office towers. Reportedly, the unit is the first 800 MHz range repeater to gain FCC approval.

Hughes Aircraft Co ., a division of Hughes Electronics Corp . located in Torrance, CA, has received International Maritime Satellite Organization (INMARSAT) type approval for its new model MX 2464 MAGNAPhone INMARSAT-B ship terminal. The stand-alone satellite communications ship terminal provides worldwide voice, telex, fax and data service between ship and shore. The approval also applies to the company's model MX 0064 INMARSAT-B conversion package, which can be used to upgrade existing model MX 2400 INMARSAT-A systems for use with the digital INMARSAT-B service.

Microwave assembly, component, device and substrate manufacturer Microwave dB Inc ., Newbury Park, CA, has announced it will manufacture commercial catalog amplifiers offered previously by Amplica Inc . The amplifiers feature removable SMA connectors and cover wireless bands from 2 to 20 GHz in various gain and noise figure specifications. In addition, the company is introducing other modular components and antennas for use in very small aperture terminal and wireless local area network applications.

Bonding, welding and reflow-soldering equipment designer and manufacturer Palomar Products Inc ., Carlsbad, CA, has announced that it is acquiring Fremont, CA-based Intelmatec Corp .'s MTTS" 3000/2500 series automated assembly workcells. The base machine can be configured as a dispenser; pick-and-place machine; micro-assembly cell; or mark-, test-, sort-and-tape machine. The acquisition also includes Intelmatec's conveyor and loader/unloader systems.

Digital communication product and system manufacturer Stanford Telecommunications Inc. (Stanford Telecom) has announced that its demonstration local multipoint distribution system (LMDS) delivered to HAITAI Telecommunications in Seoul, South Korea has been integrated successfully into the Korean Internet and telephony infrastructure. HAITAI Telecommunications plans to act as the system integrator and will provide systems to operators that are allocated frequency spectrum by the Korean Ministry on Information and Communication. The frequency spectrum allocation in Korea is expected to occur within the next few months. The LMDS was constructed at Stanford Telecom's manufacturing facility in Sunnyvale, CA. In related news, Stanford Telecom and Nanterre, France-based Alcatel are jointly developing and marketing a system that applies wideband technologies to radio-access solutions. The Alcatel 9900 WW series point-to-multipoint radio technology will be designed for operators of multiservice networks in densely populated areas and will be used in small- and medium-sized enterprise networks and in mobile networks. The system incorporates a central station and up to several hundred terminal stations, which are connected to voice and broadband data networks.

Frequency-control device manufacturer Champion Technologies Inc ., Franklin Park, IL, has been certified to the ISO 9001 quality system standard. The certification covers circuit design, crystal engineering, mechanical/packaging engineering, process engineering, manufacturing, distribution and customer service.

Tracor Inc ., Austin, TX, has announced that several of its companies have achieved ISO 9001 certification, including Tracor Systems Division and Tracor Flight Systems Inc . of Austin, TX, Mojave, CA and Palmdale, CA; Tracor Aerospace Inc . of Austin, TX; and GDE Systems Inc . of Columbus, OH. In addition, Tracor Aerospace's Arkansas Operations , East Camden, AR, has been certified to the ISO 9002 quality system standard.

Power supply product designer Rantec Microwave & Electronics , a subsidiary of ESCO Electronics Corp . located in Calabasas, CA, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. The company, which began operation with only five employees in 1957, became a pioneer in the microwave industry as a leading-edge company in the research, development and manufacture of microwave antenna systems and power-conversion systems. Throughout the past 40 years, Rantec has designed and fabricated sophisticated microwave antennas and high density power supplies for major industrial firms, including Hughes, Raytheon, IBM and Honeywell .

Crystal and surface-acoustic wave-based frequency-generation and control product supplier Vectron Technologies Inc. (VTI) , a Vectron International company located in Hudson, NH, has received a safety commendation from Liberty Mutual for achieving 400,000 work hours without a lost-time injury. The commendation also recognizes excellence in the development and implementation of safety training, routing safety inspection procedures, and employee safety incentives and safety meetings.

FINANCIAL NEWS

Ratheon Co . reports sales of $3.3 B for the second quarter, ended June 29, compared to $3.1 B for the same period last year. Net income was $209.5 M (89¢/share), compared to $209.4 M (88¢/share) for the same period last year.

Northrop Grumman Corp . reports sales of $2.1 B for the second quarter, ended June 30, compared to $2.1 B for the same period last year. Net income was $100 M ($1.72/share), compared to $86 M ($1.69/share) for the same period last year.

SGS-Thomson Microelectronics reports sales of $963.9 M for the second quarter, ended June 28, compared to $1 B for the same period last year. Net income was $92.1 M (66¢/share), compared to $176.1 M ($1.27/share) for the same period last year.

Watkins-Johnson Co . reports sales of $95.7 M for the second quarter, ended June 27, compared to $126.4 M for the same period last year. Net income was $3.1 M (36¢/share), compared to $358 K (4¢/share) for the second quarter last year.

Stanford Telecom reports sales of $35.3 M for the first quarter, ended June 30, compared to $40.8 M for the same period last year. Net income was $1.4 M (11¢/

share), compared to $1.9 M (14¢/share) for the first quarter last year.

ANADIGICS Inc . reports sales of $25 M for the second quarter, ended June 29, compared to $15.9 M for the same period last year. Net income was $3.6 M (24¢/

share), compared to $2.1 M (16¢/share) for the same period last year.

Microwave Power Devices Inc . reports sales of $12.2 M for the second quarter, ended June 30, compared to $11 M for the second quarter last year. Net income was $112 K (1¢/share), compared to a net loss of $1.2 M (11¢/share) for the same period last year.

RF Micro Devices Inc . reports sales of $10.2 M for the first quarter, ended June 30, compared to $3.6 M for the same period last year. Net income was $1.2 M (8¢/share), compared to a net loss of $988 K (7¢/share) for the same period last year.

Merrimac Industries Inc . reports sales of $5 M for the second quarter, ended June 28, compared to $3.9 M for the second quarter last year. Net income was $378 K (24¢/share), compared to $313 K (20¢/share) for the same period last year.

QualMark Corp . reports sales of $2.4 M for the second quarter, ended June 30, compared to $1.3 M for the same period last year. Net loss was $193 K (6¢/share), compared to a net loss of $79 K (3¢/share) for the same period last year.

GEM USA Inc ., a subsidiary of General de Mesure et de Maintenance Electronique SA , has signed a subscription and option agreement with Boonton Electronics Corp . that gives GEM the option of buying 435,984 shares of Boonton common stock at a cost of $3.24 per share. GEM is planning to purchase this option (which is in effect for two years) for $25 K along with 7716 shares of common stock for an additional $25 K.

CONTRACTS

Tracor Aerospace Inc ., a subsidiary of Tracor Inc. , Austin, TX, has received a $26 M contract from the US Air Force for the production of 525 AN/ALE-47 (V) countermeasures dispenser systems. The contract is scheduled to be completed in September 2002. In related news, Tracor Aerospace also has been awarded a $23 M contract modification to upgrade the AN/AVS-7 head-up display system, a flight display for night vision equipment used onboard US Army, Navy and Marine helicopters.

Florida-based Comtech Systems Inc . (CSI), a subsidiary of Comtech Telecommunications Corp . of Melville, NY, has been awarded a contract valued in excess of $1.2 M from a major oil company in the UK for a diffraction, digital microwave system between two offshore oil platforms. Terms of the contract call for Comtech to engineer, furnish and install a system using its state-of-the-art, 7.5 GHz digital microwave radio with adaptive modem, power-control system and performance quality monitor. The microwave system provides a critical communications link that carries both data and voice at rates up to 8 Mbps on four E1 circuits between an offshore oil platform in the UK and another in Norway.

PERSONNEL

Norm Feigenbaum has been appointed president and COO of KMW. Most recently, Feigenbaum was VP and GM of the company.

Mason N. Carter has been elected chairman of Merrimac Industries and a member of the board of directors. Currently, Carter is president and CEO of the company. He will succeed Charles F. Huber II who has resigned after three years.

Carol Lefcourt has been appointed to Wireless Inc.'s board of directors. Currently, Lefcourt is a partner in Capform Venture Capital and is serving on the boards of directors at Cadescent Technology and Open Connect Systems.

Advanced Control Components has appointed David J. London VP, marketing. Prior to joining the company, London was strategic sales manager at Narda.

Jerry Hausner has been appointed VP and GM of Electro Science Applications' (ESA) Electronics Technology Division. Prior to joining ESA and establishing the Electronics Technology Division in 1996, Hausner was a senior scientist and group leader for Logicon R&D Associates for 12 years.

Allen Telecom Inc. has named Alexis Tisza regional sales manager for Peru. Prior to joining the company, Tisza was a project engineer at Sakata Ingenieros SA in Peru. In related news, the company's Site Products Division has appointed Jeff Beckerman applications engineer. Beckerman joined Allen Telecom in 1980 and was most recently a systems engineer for personal communications service products at the company's Systems Engineering Division.

Wiltron Co., a subsidiary of the Anritsu Corp., has appointed Frank A. Tiernan VP and GM of the company's Microwave Measurements Division. Tiernan, who has been with the company for more than 20 years, was most recently director of research and development at the division.

COMSAT RSI Plexsys Wireless Systems has named Jon N. Peterson VP and CFO. Previously, Peterson was VP of finance at Shared Technologies.

Rupert Prince has been named marketing director at TriQuint Semiconductor's Wireless Communications Division. Formerly, Prince was a semiconductor engineer specializing in RF, microwave, optoelectronic and power semiconductors at Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

Kyocera America Inc. has named three new GMs at its production divisions, including RoyWebb , GM of the multilayer division; Kevin Gaughan , GM of the subcontract assembly division; and Nick Huntalas , GM of the metallize div- ision. Formerly, Webb was an assist-ant to the president at the multilayer division, Gaughan was manager of headquarters operations and Huntalas was metallize division manager.

Gordon Cumming has been appointed GM of Merix Corp.'s new Chip Carrier Products division. Most

recently, Cumming was VP of technology at TriQuint Semiconductor.

REP APPOINTMENTS

CTT Inc ., Santa Clara, CA, has appointed Kaytronics Inc . to represent its line of products in India. Kaytronics Inc.'s US office is located in Mesa, AZ.

K&L Microwave Inc . has appointed several new manufacturing representatives, including J&B Engineering Sales Company Inc ., Fishers, IN, for coverage in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and western Pennsylvania; Castle Microwave Ltd ., Twyford, Berks, UK, for coverage in the UK; Electronic Development Sales Pty. Ltd ., Lane Cove, Australia, for coverage in Australia; and Iberica de Componentes SA , Madrid, Spain, for coverage in Spain.

Electronic interconnect manufacturer Merix Corp . has appointed several companies to represent its products, including The Novus Group of Huntsville, AL; L-MAR Associates of Rochester, NY; J.R. Thornberry Company Inc . of Cleveland, OH; and Universal Technology of Burlington, MA. The firms will represent Merix in sales, support, order entry, tracking and daily communications with customers and prospects in their particular regions.

Wafer processor and die distributor Semi Dice Inc ., Los Alamitos, CA, has appointed E.R.M. Mikrowellentechnik of Munich, Germany to market its products in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In addition, Boran Technologies Ltd . of Petah-Tikva, Israel has been appointed to represent Semi Dice's products in Israel.

NEW MARKET ENTRY

C-Wave Inc . is a new manufacturer's representative developed to serve the RF/microwave market. Currently, the company is representing products for Channel Microwave Inc., CPI, Focus Microwaves, G.T. Microwave, JCA, Karl Suss, Micro-Tronics, Millitech, Pacific Wave Systems Inc. and SyntheSys Research . C-Wave is located at 526 N. Paulina Ave., Redondo Beach, CA 90277 (310) 937-3521, fax (310) 937-3581.

NEW WEB SITES

BI Technologies Corp ., Fullerton, CA, has launched a new Web site that includes the company's 580-page data book, a corporate profile and history, a monthly newsletter, news archives, new product releases, employment opportunities and sales network information. A comprehensive on-line product catalog allows customers to access the latest product specifications. The site address is http://www.bitechnologies.com.

Microwave Power Devices Inc ., Hauppauge, NY, has developed a new Web site that provides a brief history of the company; a listing of its officers; an overview of its capabilities, markets and products; and information on the customers it serves. In addition, the site provides detailed product information on the company's wireless, satellite, medical and military products, as well as its corresponding market profiles and information on employment opportunities. The address is http://www.mpdi.com.

3M , Austin, TX, has developed a new electronic interconnects Web site that provides instant access to certain technical information, inventory, order procedures and order status. The site also includes detailed product description, sales contacts, manufacturing plants and locations, and distributor listings. The site address is http://www.mmm.com/interconnects/.

Weinschel Corp ., Frederick, MD, has added downloadable product data sheets to the products information section of its Web site. Once downloaded, these PDF data sheets can be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0. The site address is http://www.weinschel.com.