Industry News
The Fordahl Group based in Switzerland and FOQ Piezo Technik GmbH based in Germany have signed a Management, Commercial and Technical agreement that will lead to the creation of the largest European crystal and oscillator manufacturing group. This initiative is not only aimed at strengthening Fordahl-FOQ’s activities in the crystal and oscillator market worldwide, but will also enable customers to benefit from a wider product range through one single commercial channel. It is claimed that the combination of the merged group’s three factories, engineering and commercial teams will enable it to provide the best technical and cost-effective solutions to any requirements under one single umbrella. Nils Engdahl has been appointed as the new CEO of FOQ Piezo Technik GmbH.
Following the purchase by Cobham Defense Electronic Systems of M/A-COM Inc. on 26 September, M/A-COM Technology Solutions Inc. (M/A-COM Tech) has been formed. The company will continue to focus on commercial, industrial and government markets, specializing in RF, microwave and millimeter-wave component and technology solutions that are utilized around the globe in some of the most challenging applications. These include wireless infrastructure, handsets, WLAN, WiMAX, CATV, VSAT, automotive, test and measurement, radar and government solutions and applications. Headquartered in Lowell, MA, M/A-COM Tech will build on some 60 years of experience to develop and manufacture active and passive products, including Si- and GaAs-based semiconductors from facilities in Lowell, MA and Torrance, CA. Infrastructure products will continue to be provided by the company’s facility in Cork, Ireland and Laser Diode products in Edison, NJ.
Skyworks Solutions Inc. and Ember, a leader in ZigBee® technology, announced that they are partnering to develop a portfolio of ZigBee front-end modules (FEM) targeting applications such as smart meters in energy management, home area networks (HAN) and industrial automation. ZigBee is a wireless network standard that solves the unique needs of remote monitoring and control, and sensor-network applications.
The Micromanipulator Co., a supplier of analytical probing solutions for semiconductor wafer testing, announced that it has entered into a collaborative business development alliance with Presto Engineering, San Jose, CA. Presto provides product engineering services to the semiconductor industry. The primary objective of this alliance is to enhance access to Presto’s wafer-level advanced in-silicon analysis services for customers needing 300 millimeter wafer probing support. Micromanipulator and Presto can now offer probing support services to integrated device manufacturers (IDM) and fabless semiconductor manufacturers, which are broadly represented in Silicon Valley. Under this agreement, the Presto facilities in San Jose, CA will also serve as a product demonstration site for Micromanipulator.
Agilent Technologies Inc. and Altair Semiconductor announced they will collaborate to accelerate the development of Mobile WiMAX devices. The companies plan to optimize the calibration and verification of Altair’s Mobile WiMAX chipset using Agilent’s Wireless Networking Test Set. As a result, handheld-device manufacturers implementing Altair’s Mobile WiMAX chipset will be able to quickly and efficiently test and verify their Mobile WiMAX devices.
TECOM Industries, a Smiths Interconnect company that is part of the global technology business Smiths Group, and German antenna developer QEST Quantenelektronische Systeme GmbH announced a teaming agreement to jointly produce and market airborne broadband antennas for in-flight connectivity. In response to the growing market demand, the partnership between the two companies aims to deliver antenna products that are technologically superior within shortest time-to-market.
RMI Corp., a provider of high performance processors for communication and media, has increased its partner alliance members to include CSR and SiGe Semiconductor. These new partners were selected to work with RMI to deliver a low cost GPS implementation in RMI’s mPND reference solution.
AWR, a leader in high frequency EDA, and Mentor Graphics® Corp., a market and technology leader in printed circuit board (PCB) design solutions, announced AWR Connected™ for Mentor Graphics. This new synergy of design flow between AWR and Mentor Graphics obsoletes file translation between Mentor Graphics’ Expedition Enterprise design environment and AWR’s Microwave Office® microwave and RF design environment. The resulting design and simulation solution is easy to learn and use and its operation is fully transparent to the user.
7 layers upgraded its Irvine, CA, test and service center with High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) test capabilities from Rohde & Schwarz. 7 layers operates independent laboratories for wireless technologies, accredited in accordance to ISO 17025. By adding these new services to its already extensive test capabilities for the mobile industry, it will become the first independent laboratory in North America that can run the required HSUPA test cases locally.
Tektronix Inc., a provider of test, measurement and monitoring instrumentation, announced plans to open a series of Test and Measurement Centers of Excellence around the world equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Each center will be staffed by application engineers to consult with customers and demonstrate testing solutions for high speed serial data technologies like Serial ATA and DisplayPort. Initially, centers are planned for Santa Clara, CA, Shanghai, China, Taipei, Taiwan, and Tokyo, Japan.
EMS Technologies Inc. held a groundbreaking celebration for a new, 30,000-square-foot expansion of its Defense & Space Systems Division (D&SS) facilities, located in Gwinnett’s Technology Park, Norcross, GA. More than 300 employees and special guests attended the event on September 29. The expanded facility is scheduled to be completed in March 2009 and will serve as the new home for much larger labs and facilities for the division’s machine shop, B-2 lab, environmental lab and integration and test lab, among others.
RF Micro Devices Inc. (RFMD®), a leader in the design and manufacture of high performance semiconductor components, announced it has captured design wins on more than 10 upcoming Samsung 3G handsets, supporting Samsung’s anticipated growth in 3G handset sales. Based upon current customer forecasts, RFMD anticipates volume shipments to commence in the December 2008 quarter and accelerate into calendar 2009.
Jacket Micro Devices Inc. (JMD), a leader in embedded passive technology, announced that it has been awarded patent number 7,439,840 from the US Patent and Trademark Office. The patent, entitled “Methods and Apparatus for High-performing Multi-layer Inductors,” is JMD’s seventh patent related to organic embedded component design and technology.
Rogers Corp.’s Bisco® Silicones quality management system has been accredited by Underwriters Laboratories for AS9100, the quality management system standard for the aerospace industry for the design and manufacture of high performance silicone elastomer materials.
IMI Inc., a provider of technologically-advanced commercial, military and RF/microwave (Teflon) printed circuit boards, has received the AS 9100B:2004/ISO 9001:2000 registration for its Haverhill, MA facility. AS9100 is an internationally recognized aerospace industry standard for quality assurance in design, development, production and service.
Contracts
Elcom Technologies Inc. announced receipt of orders totaling $2.8 M from two major US military contractors for Elcom’s Ultra Fast Switching series of direct analog synthesizers. The application demands exceptionally fast switching speeds and low phase noise, technologies where Elcom is an industry leader.
OEwaves Inc. has been awarded a contract by UCLA to develop a wideband, high dynamic range EO resonator modulator prototype that is highly sensitive and small in size, weight and power (SWAP), ideal for high performance receiver front-end applications. OEwaves will prototype the EO resonator modulator and integrate it with an all-dielectric antenna for the radio front-end. The UCLA ADNERF effort is part of the DARPA Electro-Magnetic Pulse Tolerant Microwave Receiver Front-end (EMPIRE) program.
DragonWave Inc., a supplier of next-generation point-to-point microwave radio systems, announced that Altitude Infrastructure, a subsidiary of Altitude Group, has selected DragonWave products to provide high capacity Ethernet backhaul as part of its rollout of WiMAX broadband services across France. Altitude has pioneered WiMAX service introduction in France. Its first deployments took place in 2004. To date, DragonWave’s Ethernet backhaul solution has been selected for four regional deployments in the Département de la Haute Garonne, Département des Deux Sèvres, Département du Jura and Département des Pyrénées Atlantiques.
New Market Entries
Incyte Inc. announced complete digital IC design support for analog/RF design groups. Incorporated in 1996 with focus on IC physical design services and consulting, Incyte has expanded its capabilities to offer full digital design and integration support. With extensive experience in custom analog, custom digital and ASIC-based design flows, Incyte is well positioned to assist analog design groups with their digital needs. A strong CAD engineering background ensures well thought out and proven design flows. Whatever the approach, analog on top, digital on top or mixed signal on top, Incyte offers the experience to successfully implement RTL through verified IC layout. To learn more, e-mail: info@incyte-inc.com or visit www.incyte-inc.com.
RFCONNEXT Inc. has been established to provide new interconnect products and services for high speed digital and RF/microwave/optical communication systems. The company has developed PMTL™, a new patent pending, transmission line technology, for high speed interconnect and packaging of devices and systems. The initial PMTL uflex cables provide stable phase, group delay and impedance, with low insertion loss and extremely low cross talk, under bending, twisting, and mechanical distress, from DC to 50 GHz, and scalable to work to 220 GHz and beyond. For more information, visit www.rfconnext.com, e-mail: info@rfconnext.com or call (408) 981-3700.
Nuvotronics announced that its PolyStrata™ Microfabrication process is now available for use in commercial markets including RF electronics, medical and biomedical, and sensing. This process, originally developed under DARPA grant funding, has never before been released for commercial availability. Nuvotronics is a small business that was established by a group of seasoned high-tech entrepreneurs in June of 2008. Nuvotronics acquired the Rohm and Haas Microfabrication business in Blacksburg, VA this past July. For more information on PolyStrata multi-user runs, visit www.nuvotronics.com or e-mail: sales@nuvotronics.com.
NuSil Technology is a manufacturer of silicone-based materials for the aerospace, electronics, photonics and healthcare industries. NuSil’s offerings include dispersions, gels, adhesives, sealants, coatings, resins, fluids, fluorosilicones, high-consistency elastomers, electrically and thermally conductive elastomers, liquid silicone rubbers and controlled volatility materials. ISO-9001-certified since 1994, NuSil operates state-of-the-art laboratories and processing facilities in North America and Europe and provides on-site, in-person application engineering support worldwide.
Personnel
ProVision Communications, a wireless video and RF network planning company, has announced the appoint-ment of former Lucent EMEA chief executive David C W Rogers as its new chairman. The appointment comes at a strategic time for Bristol, UK-based ProVision as it is rapidly developing its business to take advantage of new market opportunities for wireless video. Rogers has held a number of senior positions in the broadcast and consumer electronics industry, including those of CEO of Amstrad, vice president, Philips Consumer Communications, and president and CEO EMEA of Lucent Technologies. He was the founding chairman and CEO of BluArc Inc., and is also chairman of Mirifice Ltd.
Park Electrochemical Corp. announced the appointment of Patrick Crowley as president of Nelco Products Pte. Ltd., Park’s high technology electronics circuitry materials and advanced composite materials subsidiary located in Singapore. Crowley will also serve as president of Nelco Technology Ltd., Park’s electronics circuitry materials subsidiary located in Zhuhai, China. Crowley will be located in Singapore.
Quantum Leap Packaging Inc., a provider of high performance semiconductor packaging, announced the appointment of Byoung Lee as chief financial officer. Lee has over 15 years of experience in RF/microwave, semiconductor, and defense & space electronics industries. He served as executive/senior finance positions in both publicly-held and private research, engineering and manufacturing companies. He was most recently the chief financial officer/VP special projects at REMEC Defense & Space.
Mimix Broadband Inc., a supplier of microwave and millimeter-wave gallium arsenide (GaAs) semiconductors, announced that it has appointed Guy Krevet as vice president special projects. Krevet will focus on establishing strategic practices to maintain operational excellence across manufacturing, engineering and quality functions as Mimix continues to grow. Most recently with RFMD and Sirenza Microdevices, Krevet brings to Mimix more than 35 years experience at leading RF manufacturing companies. By providing expertise in the areas of new product line development, off-shore manufacturing, operational integration, acquisition outsourcing and product line optimization, Krevet has enabled growth oriented organizations to achieve operational excellence.
ClearComm Technologies LLC, a custom designer of custom designed filter products for the commercial, military and wireless markets located in Fruitland, MD, announced the appointment of Joe Bartholomew to the role of VP of engineering. In his role, he will be responsible for managing the engineering department, designing and prototyping cavity comb-line and ceramic waveguide filter products, and assisting manufacturing for ClearComm Technologies LLC. In addition, he is tasked with maintaining excellent relations with ClearComm’s existing clients as well as introducing new products and services to their clients and to prospective customers. Most recently, Bartholomew was employed at Powerwave Technologies in Salisbury, MD as a senior principal design engineer. Prior to Powerwave, he was employed at FSY Microwave in Columbia, MD as a design engineer.
Tahoe RF Semiconductor Inc., a growing RF semiconductor company, announced that Hans Dropmann has joined as VP of marketing and business development to help guide the company in its next phase of growth. Dropmann brings to Tahoe RF a wealth of experience as a proven executive in RF semiconductor business. He previously worked for Maxim Integrated Products Inc. as a director and business manager of wireless products where he grew the handset and cellular component business to an aggregate reaching well into the triple digit million dollars.
Analog Devices Inc. has appointed Shalini Palmer as Northern Europe sales director and Kevin Carlin as Central Europe sales director. Both appointments bring a wealth of experience into the European sales operation as the company looks to expand its coverage in the region. Palmer joins from Intersil where she served as regional sales director for Northern Europe and played a major role in engaging with key customers, understanding customer needs, and recommending sustainable solutions. Carlin most recently served as regional sales manager for Central Europe at Texas Instruments, a role he held for four years. With 10 years’ experience in technical sales, he has a strong understanding of the European semiconductor market.
Crane Aerospace & Electronics, a segment of Crane Co., has announced the appointment of Dominic Chow as director of custom power solutions. In this capacity, Chow will be responsible for program management, new business development, strategic planning, management of business relationships with key customers, as well as Custom Power Solutions profit and loss. Chow joined Crane in 1984 as a mechanical engineer and has held a series of suc-cessively more responsible positions in the company since that time. Most recently, he led the business development and business management functions for Custom Power.
Renaissance Electronics Corp. announced the appointment of Frank Balsamo as the new manager of ferrite products. The North American sales manager for ferrite products, Balsamo will manage and develop the ferrite product line throughout the US and Canada. Balsamo is a degreed engineer with over 10 years of professional B2B sales experience (both financial and technical).
Labtech Microwave, a UK designer and manufacturer of microwave solutions and microwave component technology, has appointed Stephen Melvin as its new principal engineer, with the aim of developing the company’s monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC) packaging and liquid crystal polymer (LCP) offering. Prior to joining Labtech Microwave, Melvin was the senior design engineer for RFMD (formerly Filtronic Compound Semiconductors), where he designed MMICs for power amplifiers as well as microwave radio components and broadband microwave integrated circuit (MIC) amplifiers for electronic warfare applications.
Rep Appointments
Richardson Electronics Ltd., a specialized international distributor of RF and microwave components, announced that Avago Technologies has selected Richardson to distribute its wireless products in the European market. Effective immediately, this is an expansion of Avago’s existing distribution agreement with Richardson, which previously covered Southeast Asia, Japan and the entire western hemisphere.
IET Labs Inc., a manufacturer of manual and programmable standards, substituters and instruments for calibration, test, measurement and metrology applications, announced a new exclusive government services partnership with Technical Communities, a service provider for technical organizations that sell to US government agencies, military organizations and prime federal contractors. The agreement authorizes Technical Communities to provide IET Lab products.
C&K Components, an international supplier of tact switches, toggle, rocker and push button switches, and smart card interconnect devices, announced that it has signed a distribution agreement with TTI Inc., a passive, connector and electromechanical specialist distributor in the electronics industry.
MITEQ Inc. announced the appointment of Beacon Technical Sales Inc. as the company’s exclusive sales representative in Connecticut (excluding Fairfield County), Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Beacon Technical Sales Inc. will represent MITEQ’s Component division of products that includes amplifiers, mixers, frequency multipliers, passive power components, switches, attenuators, limiters, phase shifters, IF signal processing components, oscillators, synthesizers, integrated multifunction assemblies and fiber optic products. Beacon Technical Sales Inc. can be contacted at (603) 880-0092 or e-mail: sales@beacon-tech.com.
Florida RF Labs and EMC Technology announced the appointment of Mechtronics Sales Inc. to cover the territory of Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and Washington, DC. Mechtronics Sales is located in Columbia, MD. For more information, visit www.mechtronics.net.
Vaunix Technology Corp. has announced that National Test Equipment Inc. is now an authorized distributor of its Lab Brick® family of USB test equipment. The Lab Brick family presently consists of low cost signal generators and digital attenuators covering RF and microwave frequencies up to 6 GHz. National Test Equipment offers an extensive inventory of electronic test and measurement equipment including the Lab Brick attenuators and signal generators. For more information, contact Vaunix Technology at (978) 662-7839, or visit www.labrick.com or contact National Test Equipment at (888) 683-2872 or visit www.nationaltestequipment.com.
CAP Wireless Inc., a supplier of high performance microwave and RF amplifiers and amplifier-based subsystems, announced that in order to provide dedicated service and support to customers in the southern region of the United States, the company has signed McBride Scientific Sales Inc. as a manufacturer’s representative for Texas (except El Paso), Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. McBride specializes in providing technical services and support for many of the top communications companies in the military, commercial and industrial markets. McBride can be reached by phone at (800) 322-5788 or e-mail: mssi1997@aol.com. For more information, visit the company’s web site at: www.mcbridescientificsales.com.
KOR Electronics announced it has signed a marketing partnership agreement with HyTech Associates, Westlake Village, CA, to enhance its coverage to valued customers in the Southern California region. Headquartered in Westlake Village, CA, HyTech Associates is the exclusive worldwide applications/representative for a wide range of manufacturers in the Southern California region, specializing in value added high end RF/microwave components, subsystems and various supporting services. For further information, contact HyTech Associates, 717 Lakefield Road, Suite A, Westlake Village, CA 91361, ph: (818) 991-7491 or visit: www.hyth.com.
International Manufacturing Services Inc. (IMS), a leading manufacturer and supplier of high quality thick film resistors, terminations, attenuators, planar dividers and planar filters to the electronics industry, announces the appointment of CBC Electronics as its Florida representative. Since 1972, CBC Electronics has been addressing the electronic component needs of Florida at both the design and manufacturing levels. CBC has offices in Sorrento, Fort Meyers and Odessa.