CONTRACTS
APIC Corp.Has won an SBIR Phase 1 contract from Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). The goal of the project is to design an integrated optical codedivision- multiple-access (OCDMA) system that addresses multi-level security. APIC's OCDMA system takes the basic ideas of CDMA and implements it on top of the traditional wave-division-multiplexing (WDM) system used in optics. The contract is potentially worth $150,000.
TriQuint SemiconductorHas been awarded a Defense Production Act Title III gallium-nitride (GaN) manufacturing development contract by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The overall goal of the contract is to increase yield, lower costs, and improve time-to-market cycles for defense and commercial GaN integrated circuits (ICs). The primary first phase goal is to make a baseline assessment of manufacturing readiness.
Giga-tronics, Inc.Has received orders in excess of $4.8 million to supply microwave test equipment for production automation at contract manufacturers in China. The products supplied are part of Giga-tronics' microwave signalswitching family.
Anaren, Inc.Has received a contract exceeding $20 million from Thales-Alenia-Space (France) for the development and production of integrated beamforming assemblies that will be deployed on the IridiumNEXT satellite payload. The contract award covers design services and manufacturing for up to 81 beamforming networks. Work has been authorized to begin immediately with production deliveries starting in October 2012.
TECOM Industries, Inc.Will supply its KuStream 1500 antenna system to ViaSat for integration into a communications system on board a Boeing C-17 aircraft. ViaSat is providing the system to the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) as part of its YONDER broadband-data service.
Harris Corp.Received a $14.6-million order from the US Army for use in an artillery command and control application. The Army will use the Harris RF-3134 high-frequency (HF) full-loop antenna systems as part of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, which is widely used in operations in Iraq. The full-loop antennas, which link to existing Harris Falcon II AN/PRC-150 radios, will enable field personnel to deliver targeting commands to the missiles via long-distance HF voice and data radio links.
FRESH STARTS
AT&T and ElsterHave signed an agreement that will enable end-toend wireless solutions for utilities. The combined offering enables utilities to integrate distribution-area networking from AT&T's cellular data network with Elster's EnergyAxis advanced-meteringinfrastructure (AMI) solution. Based on open standards and high-security protocols, information on the end user's energy consumption and usage is collected and managed in real time by Elster's EnergyAxis-enabled smart meters and two-way, standards-based communications network. This information is then aggregated and transported over AT&T's networks.
AT4 wirelessOffers a new testing service for the certification of devices built to NFC Forum global standards at its laboratories in Taipei (Taiwan), Herndon (US), and Malaga (Spain).
Computer Simulation Technology (CST)Has signed a joint marketing agreement with Cadence Design Systems. Cadence and CST are collaborating to offer an effective workflow for printed-circuit-board (PCB) and package layout co-design in both high-speed and mixed-RF systems.
austriamicrosystemsThe firm's fullservice- foundry business unit has released its expanded application-specific- integrated-circuit (ASIC) prototyping service. Known as Multi-Project Wafer (MPW) or shuttle run, the service combines several designs from different customers onto one wafer. As a result, the costs for wafer and masks are shared among a number of different shuttle participants. Detailed start dates per process are available at asic.austriamicrosystems.com/MPW.
Renaissance Electronics Corp./HXIHXI has moved to the firm's corporate headquarters in Harvard, MA. The new address is 12 Lancaster County Rd., Harvard, MA 01451.
Plexus Corp.Has entered into an agreement to purchase land for the construction of a manufacturing facility in the Xiamen Xiangyu Free Trade Zone, which is adjacent to its current facility. The new facility, which will operate under the existing management team, will add about 180,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing capacity. The firm also will lease an approximately 15,000-sq.- ft. space in the Europa Arkaden building in Darmstadt, Germany. The space will house a design center including engineering offices and product-development facilities.
LitePoint Corp. Is offering a singlebox solution that tests Bluetooth Low-Energy technology in combination with classic Bluetooth and WiFi. The LitePoint IQ2010 software allows users to test transmit and receive performance including output power, modulation characteristics, and carrier frequency offset.
Raytheon Co.Completed a series of flight trials on its latest Active Electronically Scanned Array radar on a US Air Force F-16 at California's Edwards Air Force Base. The radar demonstration flights were conducted in partnership with the US Air Force and Lockheed Martin. The RACR team highlighted the multirole capabilities RACR could bring to the F-16 Fighting Falcon, which included executing a range of air-to-air and air-to-ground modes.