Contracts
- CSR and Nam Tai Electronic & Electrical Products (NTEEP) Announced that CSR's RadioPro reference design has been selected by NTEEP for its Internet radio module. With full hardware and software components included, NTEEP's module features an embedded microstrip antenna and an integrated power amplifier and low-noise amplifier and allows designers to add an external antenna. The RadioPro features a chip-scale package (CSP) that measures 5.8 x 6.4 mm. RadioPro has up to 25 hours of active streaming time based on a 1500-mAh battery. It houses a 2.4-GHz radio, baseband processor, and media access controller (MAC) as well as hardware drivers and a software development kit.
- M/A-ComHas been awarded a $13.9 million contract by Kentucky's Madison County Emergency Management Agency (EMA). The nine-site, Project 25 to the power of Internet Protocol (P25IP) simulcast system will be customized to meet the requirements of Madison County's police, fire, and EMS departments as well as the county's school bus fleet.
- VerigyAnnounced that Pulse~LINK has selected the Verigy V93000 as the preferred test platform for its CWave Ultra Wideband (UWB) devices. Verigy worked with DA-Test, a semiconductor-test service provider, to propose and implement the solution for Pulse~LINK's CWave UWB chipset.
- MotorolaAnnounced a contract with Wateen Telecom-Pakistan for the supply of 198,000 end-user WiMAX customerpremise- equipment (CPE) devices for indoor and outdoor use. The CPE units will complement Wateen Telecom's nationwide WiMAX network, which is built using Motorola's IEEE 802.16e WiMAX and IMS solutions. In doing so, they will give subscribers in Pakistan access to agile and affordable data and voice-over-IP (VoIP) services.
- Anritsu Co.Announced the appointment of East Coast Microwave (ECM) as an authorized distributor for Anritsu's connector and component product lines. The appointment of ECM, which has offices in Massachusetts and Florida, will allow Anritsu to better serve its customers and is expected to help Anritsu increase its market share in components.
- Agere SystemsReported that revenues for the first quarter of fiscal 2006, ended Dec. 31, 2005, were $403 million. Kulicke & Soffa Industries, Inc. (K&S)Plan to tighten its focus on semiconductor assembly equipment and materials and create value for its shareholders.
- K&S has signed a definitive agreement to sell its wafer test assets to SV Probe, PTE Ltd.
Fresh Starts
- Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded ComputingAcquired the business and assets of UK-based Pentland Systems Ltd., a supplier of rugged signal-acquisition solutions. This purchase enhances Curtiss-Wright's sensor-processing product portfolio by adding RF/IF signal acquisition, analog, digital I/O, and synchro/resolver products for radar, software-defined radio (SDR), and signal-intelligence applications. The acquisition of Pentland's business and assets adds to the company's video and integration business unit in Letchworth, UK. This expanded presence will increase Curtiss-Wright's profile and accessibility as a supplier of rugged deployed boards and subsystems for UK and European customers. Pentland's products and technology will be organized under Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing's Modular Solutions group. They will be managed by Rob Hoyecki, director of the Digital Signal Processing Division.
- SDR ForumAnnounced that four radio technology providers Agilent, Datron, EF Johnson, and STMicroelectronics have joined as new members.
- Pendulum InstrumentsAcquired UK-based Rapco Electronics Ltd. Pendulum Instruments acquired all assets and operation of the privately owned Rapco company by purchasing all outstanding shares. Rapco Electronics Ltd. develops and produces precision time and frequency products. Its product portfolio comprises high-accuracy GPS-controlled master clocks, portable GPS-controlled frequency standards, time-code generators, and frequency and time-code distribution systems.
- Aeroflex and AT4 WirelessAnnounced that the WiMAX Forum has selected the Aeroflex/AT4 wireless MINT223X protocol conformance test (PCT) system and the AT4 wireless MINT T2110 radio conformance test (RCT) system to be the official test equipment for WiMAX certification (IEEE 802.16-2005). AT4 wireless' WiMAX Forum Accredited Lead Test Lab will use Anite's AS8140 Mobile WiMAX Protocol Conformance Test (PCT) System for the PCT testing of WiMAX mobile devices and base stations. The WiMAX Forum, which recently welcomed Keithley Instruments as a member, announced that 28 Mobile WiMAX products in the 2.3- and 2.5-GHz frequency bands have been submitted for WiMAX Forum certification since forum labs began accepting applications in late 2007. The organization also decided to expand the WiMAX Forum productdevelopment roadmap for Mobile WiMAX certification in the 700-MHz frequency band.
- Com Dev USAReached an agreement to acquire the Passive Microwave Devices product line of L-3 Communications Electron Technologies (ETI-PMD) for $12.2 million. The ETI-PMD group has a 35-year history as a supplier to the US space market. Its contract backlog includes legacy contracts on major ongoing US government and commercial satellite programs. ETI-PMD's 65 employees and its assets and equipment will be transferred from Torrance, CA to COM DEV's production facility in El Segundo, CA.
- Laird TechnologiesAnnounced its acquisition of EZURiO Ltd., a privately held supplier of short-range-wireless machineto- machine (M2M) solutions. EZURiO supplies Bluetooth and WiFi embedded RF modules as well as M2M solutions for wireless-data-communication applications serving the retail, automotive, healthcare, and other market segments.
- Redline Communications GroupLaunched a Broadband Wireless Infrastructure (BWI) business unit to support the growth of global sales channels for its wireless backhaul and access products.