AROUND THE CIRCUIT
INDUSTRY NEWS
Alpha Industries Inc. , Woburn, MA, has completed the sale of its Digital Radio Transceiver Business to the newly formed company Advanced Frequency Products LLC (AFP) for an undisclosed amount. AFP, a developer and manufacturer of digital radio transceivers, transportation safety and motion-sensor products, states the acquisition will help the company establish a strong presence in the market for digital radio communication products. Alpha hopes the divestiture will allow it to focus on providing high quality GaAs MMICs, silicon semiconductors and ceramic components to the wireless markets.
In an effort to broaden product capabilities from 0.1 to 220 GHz, Quinstar Technology , Torrance, CA, and Cernex Inc. , Cupertino, CA, have merged. The Quinstar location will serve as the merged companies’ main headquarters and the former Cernex location will serve as a division.
RF equipment manufacturer LogiMetrics Inc. , Plainview, NY, has acquired transmitter and peripheral equipment supplier mm-Tech Inc . Under the terms of the merger, mm-Tech will become a wholly owned subsidiary of LogiMetrics. Any outstanding mm-Tech common stock has been converted into an aggregate of 19,247,800 shares of LogiMetrics common stock. Charles S. Brand, founder of mm-Tech, will become chairman and CEO of LogiMetrics and the company’s largest shareholder. Norman Phipps will remain LogiMetrics’ president and COO.
Microwave multifunction module provider REMEC Inc. , San Diego, CA, has acquired automated manufacturing assembly manufacturer Verified Technical Corp. (Veritek) , also of San Diego. Reportedly, the Veritek acquisition accelerates REMEC’s effort to achieve a strategically significant in-house capacity for cost-effective, optimized cycle time manufacture of surface-mount assemblies. In related news, REMEC has reached a definitive agreement to merge for common stock with C&S Hybrid , a private designer and manufacturer of microwave components and multifunction modules. C&S Hybrid shareholders are expected to receive approximately 860,000 shares of REMEC common stock in the transaction. Tao Chow, CEO of C&S Hybrid, will continue as president of the subsidiary and will become a senior VP of REMEC.
RF connector manufacturer Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik & Co. GmbH , Tittmoning, Germany, has acquired a major share of OSI Kommunications and Systemtechnik GmbH of Munich, Germany. OSI’s product range includes turnkey, fiber-optic transmission systems preconnected with indoor and outdoor cables in configurations from four to 48 fibers and cable lengths up to 2000 m.
Xtalonix , a 30-year-old manufacturer of microwave ceramic materials that recently relocated to Hagerstown, MD, has acquired Newco Ceramic of Marly, France. According to Xtalonix, the acquisition broadens the company’s high volume production to the global customer base.
Anritsu Wiltron Co. has opened its first North American manufacturing facility at its Morgan Hill, CA head-quarters to produce wireless test and measurement solutions. Initially, the facility will produce the company’s model MT8801B radio communication analyzer. Additional products will be added as demand warrants.
COMSAT RSI Mark Antennas , Des Plaines, IL, and COMSAT RSI CSA Antenna Systems , Rochester, Kent, UK, have combined to form COMSAT RSI Wireless Antennas . According to the companies, the merger will bring the two complementary businesses together to meet customers’ needs worldwide.
Flip Chip Technologies LLC , Phoenix, AZ, has opened a new flip-chip wafer-bumping facility that reportedly increases worldwide wafer-bumping capacity for flip chips more than five times. According to the company, the facility represents the largest contract wafer-bumping plant in the world with more than 45,000 square feet of production and office space, 55 employees and a capacity of two million flip chips per day.
ITT Cannon , a division of ITT Industries , has moved its world headquarters and commercial connector operations to its North American Military/Aerospace and Commercial/Industrial divisions location. The divisions are located at 666 East Dyer Rd., Santa Ana, CA 92705-5612 (714) 557-4700, fax (714) 754-2142.
High performance microwave product supplier Microphase Corp ., Norwalk, CT, has expanded its Military Products Division to include a Subsystems Group . Reportedly, the expansion represents the company’s effort to streamline its operations for the anticipated needs of the next century. In related news, Microphase attended Lucent Technologies’ Merrimack Valley Works’ first strategic supplier recognition program, which was held in April. The program was developed to recognize suppliers committed to improving product quality and delivery performance and whose participation is considered strategic to the success of Lucent’s Merrimack Valley Works’ business.
Microelectronic and semiconductor specialty materials supplier Semiconductor Packaging Materials Company Inc. , Armonk, NY, has announced that its International Semiconductor Products Pte. Ltd. (ISP) subsidiary has begun reclaiming six- and eight-inch silicon wafers at its new facility in Singapore. During the next few weeks, ISP expects that all of the facility’s production will be focused on completing qualifications for prospective customers in the Far East. When fully equipped, ISP will be able to process approximately $20 M worth of six- and eight-inch silicon wafers per year.
G.T. Microwave Inc. has relocated its corporate headquarters. The company is now located at 10 Orben Dr., Landing, NJ 07850 (201) 770-7300, fax (201) 770-9824 or e-mail: gtmicrowav@AOL.com.
Multimedia telecommunications product manufacturer Alcatel , Richardson, TX, has ratified a three-year general-purchase agreement with AT&T through its Alcatel Network Systems division. The agreement covers equipment, licensed materials and engineering services for network equipment with no geographical limitations. In related news, Alcatel has delivered and installed the first Alcatel model 1630 CSX compact digital cross connector for the personal communications service (PCS) market to PrimeCo Personal Communications LP of Westlake, TX. Alcatel shipped the product recently as part of a January 1996 two-year agreement to install Alcatel cross connects in PrimeCo’s 11 service areas across the US.
Hewlett-Packard Co. , Palo Alto, CA, and Stanford Telecommunications Inc. , Sunnyvale, CA, have successfully completed the first phase of a joint effort to design and implement a new digital wireless broadband system based on local multipoint distribution service (LMDS) technology. The system was developed to help communication service providers deliver new two-way interactive services, such as high speed Internet access, to homes and businesses in a timely and cost-effective manner. The announcement comes on the heals of the Federal Communications Commission’s approval of a plan to establish service and competitive bidding rules for LMDS by allocating 1.3 GHz of bandwidth.
Lockheed Martin Communications and Power Center , Newtown, PA, and Molecular OptoElectonics Corp. (MOEC) , Watervliet, NY, are jointly developing a fiber-optic technology for transmitting high speed microwave signals. Lockheed Martin will use the technology for commercial satellite and defense-related applications and MOEC will engage in commercial markets for terrestrial communications. MOEC will also supply components to Lockheed Martin for its systems. The technology is based on a novel design and features high performance materials that will allow fiber-optic modulators to impart high frequency microwave signals onto a fiber link. In related news, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Lab , Camden, NJ, has completed its work as prime contractor to develop a built-in self-test technology prototype for testing board-level interconnects with LogicVision Inc. of San Jose, CA. The prototype was also supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Rapid Prototyping of Application-specific Signal Processors program.
Remote intelligent communications (RIC) technology developer Micron Communications Inc. , Boise, ID, has signed CrossLink Inc. as an authorized systems integrator. This agreement allows CrossLink to incorporate the developing MicroStamp RIC products into integrated systems solutions for its customers. CrossLink, a development laboratory equipped for communications systems and embedded-processor systems prototyping, intends to offer RIC systems solutions by providing site-specific designs, customized software interface design and development, systems installation and post-installation service.
RF signal transmission product supplier Ortel Corp. is supplying Peirce-Phelps Inc. with its model 5100 L-band fiber-optic link. The Peirce-Phelps Audio/Video Products & Systems unit has ordered 250 units for sale to audio/video product dealers and systems integrators in the Mid-Atlantic region. The system enables companies to offer business television services as an add on to telecommunications systems using one antenna. The link distributes compressed digital video signals directly from the antenna to individual customers, allowing them to place receivers in their offices.
Bonding, welding and reflow soldering equipment manufacturer Palomar Products Inc., Assembly & Test Products of Carlsbad, CA has signed an agreement with flip-chip die-attach supplier Delco Electronics to distribute Delco’s high speed flip-chip placement machines. The machines incorporate new high speed, multi-axis robotics with advanced user interface and control software.
Range-enhancing product supplier Superconducting Core Technologies Inc. (SCT) , Golden, CO, and its partner, Raychem Corp. , have finalized a minimum three-year supply agreement with E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company (DuPont) allowing SCT access to DuPont’s high temperature superconducting materials for telecommunications applications. SCT plans to incorporate DuPont’s materials in the manufacture of advanced microwave devices with low losses that form the basis of SCT’s flagship REACH™ receiver front-end system.
Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite-based navigation, positioning and communication data product supplier Trimble Navigation Ltd. of Sunnyvale, CA has signed an agreement with Xanavi Informatics Corp. of Kanagawa, Japan. Under the terms of the agreement, Xanavi will gain access to Trimble’s GPS chip set for use in its in-vehicle navigation systems for an undisclosed royalty.
Electronic Space Systems Corp. (ESSCO) , Concord, MA, has announced it will design, manufacture and supply a 22-foot (dia) metal space frame radome to protect Singapore’s Changi Airport control tower. The new radome, an enhanced version of ESSCO’s radome in place currently at the airport, is being designed to accommodate the airport’s new approach-control radar system designed by Philips Singapore .
High temperature superconducting technology developer Illinois Superconductor Corp. , Mount Prospect, IL, has successfully completed the first operational field trials of its RangeMaster™ product line, demonstrating significant cell range extension benefits to rural cellular operators. Achieved at the trials were improvements of up to 40 percent in cell coverage area, reductions of up to 45 percent in dropped call rates and improvements of up to 15 percent in network capacity. In related news, Illinois Superconductor has conducted the first customer tests of its new PCS receiver front end for extending PCS uplink cell site range. The results translate into a potential 20 to 30 percent reduction in the number of cell sites required to provide complete coverage in uplink-limited PCS
service areas.
RF, IF and microwave component manufacturer Mini-Circuits has been certified to the ISO 9001 quality system standard. Commenting on the certification, Mini-Circuit president Harvey Kaylie said, “Our implementation of ISO 9001 standards for quality reinforce Mini-Circuits’ quality policy of providing products and services to our internal and external customers that will meet stated requirements, exceed expectations and continuously be improved. ISO 9001 certification enhances our ability to do business with our customers today while providing a sound base for us to continue to meet our obligation to support their future designs and needs. We are very proud to join the club of world-class companies that have selected ISO 9001 for their quality standard.” The certification covers all systems and activities at the company’s Brooklyn, NY headquarters and manufacturing facility, and the Deer Park, Long Island, NY and Branson, MO locations.
RF/microwave filter supplier Lark Engineering Co. , San Juan Capistrano, CA, has been certified to the ISO 9000 quality system standard. The company’s manufacturing center in Tijuana, Mexico has also been certified to the ISO 9001 quality system standard for quality assurance in design, development, production, installation and servicing functions.
RF/microwave product manufacturer The Narda Microwave Corp. , Hauppauge, NY, has been certified to the ISO 9001 quality system standard.
Lightning protection and grounding product supplier PolyPhaser Corp. , Minden, NV, has achieved ISO 9001 quality system certification.
Microwave Power Devices Inc. , Hauppauge, NY, has delivered its 10,000th highly linear, single-channel PCS code-division multiple access amplifier to Lucent Technologies . Lucent incorporates the amplifiers in its PCS-CDMA wireless telecommunications base stations.
Arlon, Materials for Electronics Division , Bear, DE, has been awarded two patents for its multidielectric laminate materials. The new substrates combine different dielectric constant materials on a single polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/metal-clad or polyimide/metal-clad board.
The CDMA Development Group (CDG) has accepted Eatontown, NJ-based test instrument and system provider Telecom Analysis Systems Inc. ’s membership application. CDG is an industry consortium of companies working to develop products and services necessary for the global adoption of CDMA wireless systems.
FINANCIAL NEWS
Raytheon Co. reports sales of $2.9 B for the first quarter, ended March 30, compared to $2.8 B for the same period last year. Net income was $183.4 M (78¢/share), compared to $186.5 M (78¢/share) for the same period last year.
Glenayre Technologies Inc. reports sales of $105.8 M for the first quarter, ended March 31, compared to $89.4 M for the same period last year. Net income was $13.4 M (22¢/share), compared to $17.1 M (27¢/share) for the first quarter last year.
Watkins-Johnson Co. reports sales of $90.9 M for the first quarter, ended March 28, compared to $122.7 M for the same period last year. Net income was $2.5 M (29¢/share), compared to $6.4 M (75¢/share) for the same period last year.
Microwave Power Devices Inc. reports sales of $10 M for the first quarter, ended March 31, compared to $11.3 M for the same period last year. Net income was $3 K (0¢/share), compared to a net loss of $763 K (7¢/share) for the same period last year.
Space Electronics Inc. reports sales of $10.6 M for the year, ended December 31, 1996, compared to $3.8 M last year. Sales were $2.9 M for the fourth quarter, compared to $1.3 M for the same period last year.
CONTRACTS
Raytheon Electronic Systems , Bedford, MA, has won a $44.3 M contract from the National Air and Space (Warfare) Model (NASM) program, which is a computer-based simulation system capable of integrating live and simulated entities on a common virtual battlefield for the full range of US Air Force missions and training requirements. Raytheon’s teammates on the program include Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) , Raytheon E-Systems , Aegis Research , Dynamics Research Corp. , Mystech Associates Inc. , Sparta and WPL Laboratories . The contract calls for deployment of NASM at the Warrior Preparation Center in Germany, the Joint Warfighting Center in Virginia, the Battlestaff Training School in Florida and Air University in Alabama. The program will be developed in Raytheon’s Sudbury, MA facility and at SAIC’s Orlando, FL facility. In related news, Raytheon reports that the contract for the System for the Vigilance of the Amazon (SIVAM) has been signed by the government of Brazil, Raytheon, Embraer and Fundação Aplicações de Technologias Críticas. In addition, financing agreements for the SIVAM program have been finalized among the government of Brazil, Banco do Brasil and the four lending organizations financing the program. Under the terms of the contract, Raytheon is responsible for air traffic control radars, environmental monitors, meteorological radars and stations, communications equipment, flight-inspection aircraft, data processing and displays, and other major system components.
Microwave, electronic and fiber-optic product developer General Microwave Corp. , Amityville, NY, has been awarded two contracts totaling more than $4.5 M for the fabrication of integrated microwave assemblies. The two contracts are from undisclosed customers and call for the design and production of more than 1600 units in a one-year period for installation in electronic warfare simulators used by the US Government.
RF/microwave amplifier, component and subsystem designer and manufacturer Wessex Electronics Ltd. , Downend, Bristol, UK, has been awarded a $2 M contract from Lockheed Martin Electronics & Missiles Corp. The contract calls for the design, development and production of low noise amplifiers and synthesizers for use on Lockheed Martin’s Apache helicopter’s Longbow fire-control radar.
PERSONNEL
Benjamin A. Pontano has been named president of COMSAT Laboratories. Previously, Pontano was VP of COMSAT Laboratories’ Network Technology Division. In related news, Michael Guerin has joined COMSAT RSI Wireless Antennas as VP, marketing. Prior to joining the company, Guerin was a product manager at Motorola’s Wireless Networks Solutions Group.
Trans-Tech, a subsidiary of Alpha Industries, has appointed Richard A. Langman president/GM of the company and corporate VP of Alpha Industries. Prior to this appointment, Langman held several senior executive positions in operations and sales at Coors Ceramic Co.
Broadband Communications Products Inc. has appointed Whit Cotten VP, marketing and Richard Anders director of sales. Formerly, Cotten was VP, marketing and sales at the company and Anders was a senior sales engineer.
Diversified Communications Inc. has appointed Jim Grahne VP and GM. Prior to joining the company, Grahne worked for the US Senate as director of the Senate Television and Multimedia Operations.
Merrimac Industries has appointed Richard E. Dec VP, marketing. Formerly, Dec was global director of market development and strategic planning at AeroJet General’s HR International subsidiary.
Robert A. Riccitelli has been appointed VP, sales and marketing at Illinois Superconductor Corp. Most recently, Riccitelli was VP, sales at Nortel Wireless Networks.
Stanford Telecommunications Inc. has announced two promotions at its Microwave Systems Division. Victor Servello , former GM, will become VP and GM of the division and Frank Floyd, former VP, will become VP of engineering. In related news, Ira Kane has joined the Telecom Component Products Group of Stanford Telecommunications as manager, satellite receiver product marketing. Prior to joining the company, Kane held various marketing and engineering positions at Ford Aerospace, GTE, Litton Industries, Lockheed Martin, Martin Marietta, TCI and COMSAT RSI.
Bruce Kline has joined TACONIC Advanced Dielectric Division as technical sales manager for the Midwest region. Most recently, Kline was employed as a technical marketing specialist at AlliedSignal Laminate Systems.
Fred Moore has been named ceramic products engineering manager at K&L Microwave Inc. Previously, Moore was employed at Trans-Tech Inc. as ceramic components group product development manager.
William F. Glick has joined Diablo Industries Inc. as VP, engineering/mar-keting. Glick founded Spectrum Thin Films Inc. and previously served as that company’s president.
Dan Feng has been appointed to Oak Frequency Control Group’s sales force as field applications engineer. Previously, Feng was a regional sales manager at Raltron Electronics.
Palomar Products Inc.’s Assembly and Test Products Group has appointed Fred Greenberg as welder project manager. Formerly, Greenberg was an engineering manager at Systems Integrated.
Leon Husson has been named GM of Philips Semiconductors’ Discrete Semiconductors Business Group. Previously, Husson was a manager at the company’s Hazel Grove, UK plant.
RF Power Components Inc. has named William Gentile sales manager of the newly created Resistive Components Division. Formerly, Gentile was
director of NEMA Corp.
REP APPOINTMENT
Southern Microwave Inc. , Boynton Beach, FL, has appointed R.L. Engineering Inc. of Davidsonville, MD to represent its products in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC.
NEW MARKET ENTRY
Zettler Magnetics Inc. is a new company formed as a result of Zettler Components Inc. ’s transformer product line expansion. The products are designed for use in the industrial-control, telecom and appliance industries. The new company is located at 75 Columbia, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 (714) 831-5000, fax (714) 831-8642 or e-mail: sales@azettler.com.
NEW WEB SITES
Electronic and electromechanical component manufacturer CTS Corp. , Elkhart, IN, has launched a new Web site featuring technical information on its full line of products, including automotive electronic sensors, connectors and backpanels, crystals and oscillators, dual in-line package switches, hybrid microcircuits, multichip modules and resistor networks. The site also features trade show schedules, technical papers and directories of sales offices and distributors. It can be reached at http://www.ctscorp.com.
Microwave instrumentation manufacturer EIP Microwave Inc. , Milpitas, CA, has designed a new Web site offering a brief description and summary specifications on each product, including CW and pulse/CW microwave counters; and versa module Eurocard computer bus extension for instrumentation synthesizers, pulse/CW counters, four-channel pulse generators, amplifiers and downconverters. The site can be accessed at http://www.eipm.com.
ESSCO has launched a new Web site to provide information about its products, including radomes, accessories, antenna systems, and advanced composite radomes and reflectors. The site also provides a radome selector guide, information on engineering and worldwide services, quality assurance policies and ISO certifications. The Web site address is http://www.esscoradomes.com.
Hewlett-Packard Co. , Palo Alto, CA, has introduced Educator’s Corner, an education Web site. The site includes a free set of interactive tools to teach students the basics of electronics, as well as articles, tutorials, on-line newsletters, slide presentations, and static and interactive lab experiments. The site address is http://www.hp.com/info/college_lab.
Southern Microwave Inc. has developed a new Web site containing information about the company and its products. The Web address is http://www.southernmw.com. The e-mail address is circulators@southernmw.com.
High reliability chip resistor manufacturer State of the Art Inc. , State College, PA, has designed a new Web site featuring an overview of manufacturing facilities and access to specific product and application data. The product section of the Web site provides information, specifications and technical drawings of the company’s resistive products. Also included are a listing of national and international sales locations, and an e-mail form for contacting the company. The site address is http://www.resistor.com.
Copper-clad, PTFE/woven-glass laminate manufacturer TACONIC Advanced Dielectric Division , Petersburg, NY, has developed a new Web site to provide customers with company news, product and technical information, and data sheets. The site can be accessed at http://www.taconic-add.com.