Industry News

CommScope Inc. and Andrew Corp. announced that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement, unanimously approved by their respective Boards of Directors, under which CommScope will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Andrew for $15.00 per share, at least 90 percent in cash, creating a global leader in infrastructure solutions for communications networks. The transaction, which is valued at approximately $2.6 B, is expected to be accretive to CommScope’s cash earnings per share, excluding special items, in the first full year after closing.

EMS Technologies Inc. announced that it signed a definitive agreement to acquire DSpace, Adelaide, Australia, for (US) $5.7 M. The acquisition will enable EMS to build on the strength of its SATCOM business, which grew approximately 40 percent last year, and to exploit rising demand for Inmarsat’s BGAN services in new markets.

Ansoft Corp. announced a strategic partnership with ZTE Corp., China’s largest listed telecommunications equipment provider of customized network solutions for telecom carriers worldwide. Using Ansoft signal and power integrity analysis software, ZTE engineers are now able to predict radiated emissions and induced interference from printed circuit boards (PCB) and to examine multiple PCBs within a cabinet to determine trends for system-level emission. The new design methodology has allowed ZTE to eliminate expensive build-test-repeat iterations in its design cycle.


Agilent Technologies Inc. and GCT Semiconductor Inc. announced plans to jointly implement a WiMAX manufacturing test system for GCT’s WiMAX chipsets, which will accelerate manufacturing throughput and allow mass production deployment. Agilent will support GCT chipsets with its E6651A Mobile WiMAX Test Set and MXZ-1000 WiMAX Manufacturing Test System. The initial GCT chipset supported will be for 2.3 GHz wave 1 mobile WiMAX products, consisting of GCT’s GDM7201S baseband chip and the GRF7201 RF chip, and will be followed by mass deployment of 2.5 GHz wave 2 mobile WiMAX chipsets.

Tektronix Inc., a worldwide provider of test, measurement and monitoring instrumentation, announced a partnership with the China Electronics Standardization Institution (CESI) to set up a joint lab for advanced research and assessment of digital RF and digital TV standards in China, key drivers of the New Digital World. The new lab will be a key research facility for the development of China’s new DTV and digital RF standards. Tektronix will provide the newly established joint lab with its latest enhanced video and RF test instruments including the PQA500 picture quality analyzer, WVR7120 waveform rasterizers and RSA6100A Real-time Spectrum Analyzers.

Cree Inc., a market leader in silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors, announced an agreement under which Nihon Inter Electronics Corp. (NIEC) will introduce a line of SiC-based Schottky power rectifier diodes in Japan with die manufactured by Cree Inc.

Keithley Instruments Inc. and CEA Leti have entered into a Joint Development Partnership (JDP) centered on semiconductor device material testing technology. The JDP calls for Keithley and CEA Leti, one of the world’s most sophisticated semiconductor development laboratories, to research methods for characterizing advanced semiconductor materials and devices that support DC, high frequency, and RF-level signals on both micro and nano-level structures.

RF Micro Devices Inc. (RFMD) announced a major expansion at its Beijing, China facility. The expansion includes increased assembly capacity and the addition of new advanced capabilities. The expansion is expected to support RFMD’s POLARIS™ 3 RF solution, which is currently scheduled to ramp production in the current quarter.

ANADIGICS Inc. ceremonially broke ground for construction of a new state-of-the-art 6" gallium arsenide (GaAs) integrated circuit (IC) wafer fabrication facility (fab) in the Kunshan New and Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone (KSND) as part of a city wide celebration in the city of Kunshan in the Jiangsu Province in China. Driven by wireless and wireline broadband markets, in order to support ANADIGICS anticipated growth beyond its primary wafer fabrication located in Warren, NJ, the company and KSND plan to complete construction of the new facility in the first half of 2008, and to bring the fab operational in the latter part of the year.

Sypris Test & Measurement Inc., a subsidiary of Sypris Solutions Inc., relocated its Burlington, MA Testing Laboratory to an existing site in Billerica, MA. The relocation allows Sypris to bring additional value to its customers by offering testing and calibration services in one convenient lab, a central location for pick up and delivery, a comprehensive suite of testing services including electromagnetic compliance and an improved infrastructure for customer support. The lab’s new address is 7 Sterling Road, North Billerica, MA 01862. The new phone number is (978) 663-2137 and the fax number is (978) 663-6275.

Contracts

Anaren Inc. has received a contract valued in excess of $11 M from Northrop Grumman Corp., Baltimore, MD, for integrated ferrite assemblies used in the S-band radar, which is part of the Mission Equipment for the Cobra Judy Replacement Program. The Cobra Judy Replacement Program is for long-loiter foreign ballistic missile data collection in support of international treaty verification. Northrop Grumman is a subcontractor to Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, the prime contractor for the Cobra Judy Replacement Mission Equipment Program. The contract calls for the first full-rate production and deliveries starting in November of 2007 expanding over a 15-month period.

Akon Inc., San Jose, CA, has received contracts totaling over $2 M from the Government of India’s research organizations DARE and DLRL, for microwave integrated subsystems and assemblies such as 0.5 to 18 GHz synthesizers, 6 to 18 GHz downconverters and LO assemblies, and 0.5 to 40 GHz receiver front-ends and amplifiers. These awards are to support developmental EW programs underway in India.

Auriga Measurement Systems LLC announced it has been awarded a research and development contract entitled “Solid-State High-Efficiency Radar Transmit Module” by the Naval Air Warfare Center. Auriga will lead the project with its partner, Raytheon, on this Small Business Innovation Research Award. After successful completion of this project, Auriga will be eligible to win an already identified follow-on award that would include final development, production and commercialization of the transmit module to governmental and non-government customers.

TRAK Microwave Corp. was selected as a key supplier for BAE’s AN\ALR-56M Radar Warning Receiver Program. This program will provide a new fleet of US Air Force and US Marine Corps C-130J radar warning receiver systems. TRAK will supply high performance frequency sources used in the microwave subsystem payload.

Financial News

Credence Systems Corp. reports sales of $121.1 M for the second quarter of fiscal 2007 ended May 5, 2007, compared to $129.9 M for the same period in 2006. Net loss for the quarter was $3.5 M ($0.03/per share), compared to a net loss of $14.2 M (0.14/per share) for the second quarter of last year.

TriQuint Semiconductor Inc. reports sales of $113.8 M for the second quarter ended June 30, 2007, compared to $96.3 M for the same period in 2006. Net income for the quarter was $1.4 M ($0.01/per diluted share), compared to $5.6 M ($0.04/per diluted share) for the second quarter of last year.

RF Monolithics Inc. reports sales of $13.4 M for the third quarter of fiscal 2008 ended May 31, 2007, compared to $14.7 M for the same period in 2007. Net loss for the quarter was $1.4 M ($0.15/per diluted share), compared to a net income of $413,000 ($0.05/per diluted share) for the third quarter of last year.

RF Industries Ltd. reports sales of $3.4 M for the second quarter of fiscal 2007 ended April 30, 2007, compared to $3.8 M for the same period in 2006. Net income for the quarter was $178,000 ($0.05/per diluted share), compared to a net income of $395,000 ($0.11/per diluted share) for the second quarter of last year.

New Market Entries

White Mountain Labs, a leader in test and characterization of advanced technologies, announced the addition of its new Automated Test Equipment (ATE) business segment, ClearTest ATE Services. Offering an experienced, test-engineering staff, along with expert development systems, ClearTest ATE Services will provide semiconductor manufacturers with complete test engineering solutions.

MtronPTI, a producer of frequency control and filter products, has expanded its already broad product portfolio to include ceramic filters. The ceramic filter line will feature products with frequencies from 300 MHz to 6 GHz with a 1 to 40 percent bandwidth. Products are tailored to the customers’ needs and offered in custom packages with RoHS compliance. The ceramic filter products are often used in applications that are already supported by MtronPTI’s broad product portfolio.

SPINNER, a leader in the development and manufacturing of state-of-the-art passive RF components, announced the installation of a newly developed jumper cable assembly line in its Norcross, GA manufacturing location.

Personnel

Rohde & Schwarz announced that Jack Cowper, currently vice president of Rohde & Schwarz Inc., has been appointed president of Rohde & Schwarz Canada Inc. He will continue to hold his current position as well, and reports directly to Wolfgang Schmittseifer, chief executive officer of Rohde & Schwarz Inc. Cowper replaces Peter Foulger, who is retiring but will continue to serve as a member of the Rohde & Schwarz Canada Board of Directors and will pursue special projects for the company. Cowper has more than 15 years of experience in the test and measurement industry. He joined Rohde & Schwarz in 2000, and has served as marketing manager, director of marketing and currently as vice president.

Inphi® Corp. announced that industry veteran Young K. Sohn has been named CEO. Sohn will lend his expertise to drive Inphi’s strategic direction and growth to deliver the industry’s broadest and highest performing portfolio of integrated circuits for processing high speed data. Most recently, he was president of Agilent Technologies’ Semiconductor Group (now known as Avago Technologies) where he led the successful turnaround of the semiconductor operation. Prior to that time he served as chairman and CEO of Oak Technology, a digital media semiconductor company providing solutions for the consumer electronics markets.

Sirific Wireless announced the appointment of Russell K. Johnsen as chairman and chief executive officer. Johnsen has served as an independent director on Sirific’s board for the past three years and will now focus his attention to leading the company’s strategic short- and long-term business strategies. Previously, Johnsen managed the cellular wireless and high speed broadband wireline communications businesses at Analog Devices, where he held the titles vice president and general manager of the Communications Product Division, as well as vice president of corporate business development. Prior to Analog Devices, he was the general manager of the wide area networks division for National Semiconductor and co-founded its wireless communications and PLL synthesizer product line.

AMI Semiconductor announced the appointment of Joseph J. Passarello to senior vice president and chief financial officer. Passarello was chief financial officer of Therma-Wave Inc. from June 2005 to May 2007. Therma-Wave develops, manufactures, markets and services process control metrology systems used in the manufacture of semiconductors, and recently became a KLA-Tencor family of companies.

Nextreme, a manufacturer of advanced thin film thermoelectric components designed and produced to address the thermal management and power generation needs of the electronics, photonics, bio-tech and defense/aerospace industries, has recently appointed Paul A. Magill as vice president of marketing and business development. Magill has more than 20 years of experience in the electronics and optoelectronics industry with expertise in sensors and laser diode applications as well as electronics and MEMS packaging and manufacturing.

Nitronex, a developer and manufacturer of high performance RF power transistors for the commercial and broadband wireless infrastructure markets, has named Ray Crampton as the new director of marketing. Crampton brings more than 10 years of industry experience spanning RF IC amplifier design, technical and marketing management to Nitronex. Before joining Nitronex, Crampton served as a strategic marketing and systems engineering manager for Texas Instruments’ Linear Regulators product line. Prior to that, Crampton held various positions at Sirenza Microdevices including product line manager, engineering manager and senior RF IC design engineer.

James Rowland has been named director, customer service, at MI Technologies. As director, customer service, Rowland is responsible for managing MI Technologies’ global field service network, training and certification programs, warranty and post warranty services, calibration and repair services, equipment refurbishment and customer range verification services. Prior to joining MI Technologies, Rowland was president of Ultra Electronics, EMS Development Corp., Yaphank, NY, where he had overall responsibility for the company’s strategy, operations and business growth.

Quantum Leap Packaging Inc. (QLP), a provider of high performance semiconductor packaging, announced the appointment of Roger Kuroda as senior vice president of manufacturing. Kuroda brings to QLP years of experience in the semiconductor packaging industry as well as other advanced technologies. He has held senior positions in manufacturing, engineering and R&D where he had responsibility for design, assembly and packaging. Prior to QLP, Kuroda was vice president of engineering at XCOM Wireless, responsible for designing RF MEMS devices, foundry management, project management, and developing and qualifying new assembly and packaging.

Pole/Zero Corp., a provider of cosite mitigation products, announced that Robert G. Schumacher, Jr. received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2007 Award in the technology category for South Central Ohio and Kentucky. According to Ernst & Young, the award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic, growing businesses. Schumacher was selected by an independent panel of judges and the award was presented at an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year gala event at the Cincinnati Duke Energy Center on June 28, 2007.

Rep Appointments

EADS North America Defense Test and Services and Tabor Electronics announced that, effective immediately, EADS North America Defense Test and Services is the exclusive distributor of Tabor-branded products in the United States.

Aethercomm, a provider of high power RF amplifiers, is pleased to announce their partnership with Component Distributors Inc. (CDI). This distribution arrangement will allow Aethercomm and CDI to quickly address the military RF market. Under terms of the agreement, a wide selection of standard products will be stocked by CDI.

G.T. Microwave Inc., Randolph, NJ, announced the company’s appointment of domestic representative, Reese Associates Inc., to cover Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. Reese Associates’ headquarters is stationed at 612 Twilight Trail, Richardson, TX 75080 and its web site is www.jayreese.com.

I.F. Engineering Corp., a manufacturer of high performance RF and microwave components and distribution systems, announced the appointment of YGITECH Microwave as its exclusive representative in France. Contact information: YGITECH Microwave, 3ter rue du Pot Francois Mitterand, Longjumeau, France 91160 ph: 01.64.48.45.57; fax: 01.64.48.65.77, www.ygitech.com or e-mail: contact@ygitech.com. In related news, CrossPoint Technologies Inc., a manufacturer of high performance RF and microwave components and distribution systems, announced the appointment of YGITECH Microwave as its exclusive representative in France.