STURTEVANT, USA: Cree Inc.’s Ruud Lighting subsidiary, based in Racine, Wisc., will hold a groundbreaking ceremony today to highlight a 208,000-square-foot expansion to its manufacturing facility. The company’s $24.5 million investment will focus on manufacturing and assembly of LED lighting and is expected to create 469 new full-time jobs over the next four years.
“Cree’s recent acquisition of Ruud Lighting and its BetaLED products brought together two leading LED lighting companies under one roof,” said Chuck Swoboda, chairman and CEO of Cree. “Last month this facility shipped its 500,000th LED luminaire—further evidence of the market demand for the latest LED technology and a need to expand our facilities to maintain our leadership of the LED lighting revolution.”
The expansion will extend component and product storage capacity and house several new manufacturing lines for new and existing Cree LED lighting products. In addition to the 208,000-square-foot facility, the investment will include equipment needed to expand manufacturing operations. Most of the full-time jobs will be assembly positions, with other opportunities to follow growing demand for LED lighting products.
“This is exciting news for the lighting industry and Racine County,” said Christopher Ruud, president of Cree’s Ruud Lighting subsidiary. “Beyond Cree’s dedication to advancing LED lighting technology, it’s a long-term investment in the people of Racine County and the community’s manufacturing base.”
To help offset the company’s $24.5 million investment, Ruud Lighting will receive funding and incentives related to local job creation from sources, including the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC); Racine County; Racine County Economic Development Corp. (RCEDC); and the Village of Sturtevant, totaling more than $8 million.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Microsemi intros family of DC-DC regulators for enterprise apps
ALISO VIEJO, USA: Microsemi Corp., a leading provider of semiconductor solutions differentiated by power, security, reliability and performance, introduced a family of DC-DC regulators for powering disk drives used in enterprise applications.
The new LX7167 2A, LX7169 3A and LX7165 5A DC-DC regulators are based on a flexible architecture that is unique to Microsemi and includes patent-pending control technology. The cost-effective implementation enables ultra-fast transient response times, while minimizing power dissipation.
"The performance and technical advantages of our new regulators have already been validated by design wins from one of the industry's leading disk drive manufacturers," said Mark Smith, product line manager, DC-DC products for Microsemi.
"As we execute on our product roadmap we plan to leverage the unique flexibility, control technology and ultra-fast response times of this product suite in targeting a number of applications within the growing DC-DC converter market."
According to Darnell Group in its 2011 Worldwide DC-DC Converter IC Forecast, the worldwide DC-DC converter IC market will grow from nearly 20 billion units in 2011 to just under 32 billion units in 2016.
Microsemi's new DC-DC regulators are targeted at 3.3V and 5V applications and are offered in multiple output current ratings. Customers can choose from a variety of space-saving package technologies including dual flat no-lead (DFN) and wafer-level chip-scale packaging (WL-CSP).
Microsemi's patent-pending control technology eliminates the need for a traditional control loop error amplifier and allows immediate response to load and line disturbances. In addition, delays associated with the control network are eliminated, enabling increased speed and lower device bias currents. The resulting speed improvement also facilitates the removal of output capacitors, which lowers component counts and bill-of-material costs.
Microsemi's new regulators provide the speed needed to deliver the transient power larger capacitors would have provided in the past. The increased speed reduces output voltage excursions during transient loads as much as three times compared to competitive solutions. In addition, the lower bias currents ensure the regulators maximize efficiencies at the lowest load currents.
The new LX7167 2A, LX7169 3A and LX7165 5A DC-DC regulators are based on a flexible architecture that is unique to Microsemi and includes patent-pending control technology. The cost-effective implementation enables ultra-fast transient response times, while minimizing power dissipation.
"The performance and technical advantages of our new regulators have already been validated by design wins from one of the industry's leading disk drive manufacturers," said Mark Smith, product line manager, DC-DC products for Microsemi.
"As we execute on our product roadmap we plan to leverage the unique flexibility, control technology and ultra-fast response times of this product suite in targeting a number of applications within the growing DC-DC converter market."
According to Darnell Group in its 2011 Worldwide DC-DC Converter IC Forecast, the worldwide DC-DC converter IC market will grow from nearly 20 billion units in 2011 to just under 32 billion units in 2016.
Microsemi's new DC-DC regulators are targeted at 3.3V and 5V applications and are offered in multiple output current ratings. Customers can choose from a variety of space-saving package technologies including dual flat no-lead (DFN) and wafer-level chip-scale packaging (WL-CSP).
Microsemi's patent-pending control technology eliminates the need for a traditional control loop error amplifier and allows immediate response to load and line disturbances. In addition, delays associated with the control network are eliminated, enabling increased speed and lower device bias currents. The resulting speed improvement also facilitates the removal of output capacitors, which lowers component counts and bill-of-material costs.
Microsemi's new regulators provide the speed needed to deliver the transient power larger capacitors would have provided in the past. The increased speed reduces output voltage excursions during transient loads as much as three times compared to competitive solutions. In addition, the lower bias currents ensure the regulators maximize efficiencies at the lowest load currents.
Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas in deal with energy harvester, Midé
PHOENIX, USA: Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas, a business region of Avnet Inc. announced the addition of vibration energy harvesting manufacturer, Midé to its line card. Avnet will offer customers a broad array of Midé energy harvesting products including its integrated Volture Vibration Harvester power supplies, and raw piezoelectric energy harvesters.
Midé’s proprietary materials exploit the piezoelectric effect to scavenge otherwise wasted energy from mechanical vibration to use as an electrical power source. Vibration energy harvesters can supplant traditional batteries, creating permanently powered and maintenance-free devices for use in wireless sensors, process controls, transportation and aerospace applications. Also available to Avnet customers is the Midé Slam Stick Vibration Recorder, an ultra-portable vibration data logger for characterizing vibration sources.
“We are excited to work with Avnet to bring our full line of energy harvesting solutions to market,” said Chris Ludlow, director of engineering at Midé. “Choosing Avnet as a distribution partner was based as much on Avnet’s ability to support our products through their technical, design-chain specialists, as it was the ability to introduce our products to its more than 100,000 customers. We look forward to working together to help bring more products to market.”
“Energy harvesting is a hot topic in the design community,” said Joe Tillison, technology director for Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas. “The addition of Midé to Avnet’s line card rounds out our portfolio of energy harvesting transducers and enabling technologies for energy harvesting applications. Together, with the expertise of suppliers like Midé and reference designs from best-in-class IC suppliers, Avnet offers our mutual customers an advantage that helps get products to market faster.”
Midé’s proprietary materials exploit the piezoelectric effect to scavenge otherwise wasted energy from mechanical vibration to use as an electrical power source. Vibration energy harvesters can supplant traditional batteries, creating permanently powered and maintenance-free devices for use in wireless sensors, process controls, transportation and aerospace applications. Also available to Avnet customers is the Midé Slam Stick Vibration Recorder, an ultra-portable vibration data logger for characterizing vibration sources.
“We are excited to work with Avnet to bring our full line of energy harvesting solutions to market,” said Chris Ludlow, director of engineering at Midé. “Choosing Avnet as a distribution partner was based as much on Avnet’s ability to support our products through their technical, design-chain specialists, as it was the ability to introduce our products to its more than 100,000 customers. We look forward to working together to help bring more products to market.”
“Energy harvesting is a hot topic in the design community,” said Joe Tillison, technology director for Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas. “The addition of Midé to Avnet’s line card rounds out our portfolio of energy harvesting transducers and enabling technologies for energy harvesting applications. Together, with the expertise of suppliers like Midé and reference designs from best-in-class IC suppliers, Avnet offers our mutual customers an advantage that helps get products to market faster.”
Avago joins United Nations Global Compact
SAN JOSE, USA & SINGAPORE: Avago Technologies, a leading supplier of analog interface components for communications, industrial and consumer applications, has become a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact. As a participating company, Avago agrees to uphold the Compact’s ten principles in the four areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption.
Since its founding in 2000, the UN Global Compact has grown to have more than 8,000 participants, including over 6,000 businesses in 135 countries around the world. In addition to following the ten principles, the Compact calls for participants to promote corporate social responsibilities to foster a sustainable and inclusive global economy, starting with the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
“By committing to the UN Global Compact's ten principles, Avago is reaffirming our corporate citizenship and contributing to the building of a sustainable society,” said Hock Tan, president and CEO of Avago. “We are proud to serve as an example to other high-tech companies in joining and will encourage our existing supply-chain to participate as well.”
Since its founding in 2000, the UN Global Compact has grown to have more than 8,000 participants, including over 6,000 businesses in 135 countries around the world. In addition to following the ten principles, the Compact calls for participants to promote corporate social responsibilities to foster a sustainable and inclusive global economy, starting with the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
“By committing to the UN Global Compact's ten principles, Avago is reaffirming our corporate citizenship and contributing to the building of a sustainable society,” said Hock Tan, president and CEO of Avago. “We are proud to serve as an example to other high-tech companies in joining and will encourage our existing supply-chain to participate as well.”
Molex Impact 100-ohm orthogonal direct connector architecture delivers up to 25 Gbps data rates
LISLE, USA: Molex Inc. recently launched the Impact 100-Ohm orthogonal direct connector system designed for a direct connection of printed circuit boards using the same daughtercard. Featuring options of 3-through 6-pair, the Impact orthogonal direct technology supports high-speed 25 Gbps data rates and substantially eliminates airflow, cross-talk, and capacitance constraints in high-speed channels which are introduced through current backplane/midplane laminates.
“The direct connector solution leverages the density, signal integrity and high-speed advantages of Impact technology, without added cost and press-fit assembly,” explains Pete Soupir, new product development manager, Molex. “The space saving combination of the direct right-angle male connector and daughtercard simplifies component management for our manufacturing customers and enhances performance in data, telecommunications, medical, networking and other high-speed devices.”
Molex Impact orthogonal direct connectors feature two compliant-pin attach options and 18 to 72 differential pairs per orthogonal node. The 3-through 6-pair configurations include a complete range of options for the PCB and mating interface. The system leverages the field-proven Impact mating interface, which offers the lowest mating force in the backplane industry, and patented compliant-pin technology to provide design flexibility and balance for superior mechanical and electrical performance.
Designed to meet IEEE 10GBASE-KR and Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) Stat Eye Compliant channel performance requirements, the Molex Impact orthogonal direct connector system ensures end-to-end compliance. Featuring shorter line cards and switch-module signal paths, the simple 2.15 by 1.35mm grid on both the Impact backplane and daughtercard reduces PCB routing complexity and costs.
“The direct connector solution leverages the density, signal integrity and high-speed advantages of Impact technology, without added cost and press-fit assembly,” explains Pete Soupir, new product development manager, Molex. “The space saving combination of the direct right-angle male connector and daughtercard simplifies component management for our manufacturing customers and enhances performance in data, telecommunications, medical, networking and other high-speed devices.”
Molex Impact orthogonal direct connectors feature two compliant-pin attach options and 18 to 72 differential pairs per orthogonal node. The 3-through 6-pair configurations include a complete range of options for the PCB and mating interface. The system leverages the field-proven Impact mating interface, which offers the lowest mating force in the backplane industry, and patented compliant-pin technology to provide design flexibility and balance for superior mechanical and electrical performance.
Designed to meet IEEE 10GBASE-KR and Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) Stat Eye Compliant channel performance requirements, the Molex Impact orthogonal direct connector system ensures end-to-end compliance. Featuring shorter line cards and switch-module signal paths, the simple 2.15 by 1.35mm grid on both the Impact backplane and daughtercard reduces PCB routing complexity and costs.
Enpirion’s DC-DC converter for power management in SSDs
HAMPTON, USA: Enpirion, the leading innovator of the industry’s smallest point-of-load DC-DC converters, announced a new member of its power IC portfolio targeted at solid-state drives (SSDs) as well as industrial embedded applications.
The Enpirion EN5339 3 Amp power system-on-a-chip (PowerSoC) integrates the controller, power MOSFETs, compensation network and inductor into one highly compact solution that significantly reduces the traditional engineering analysis and design effort associated with discrete DC-DC converter designs. Its slim profile offers Enpirion’s wide base of customers – who offer diverse form factors including SATA, PCIe, mSATA and others – an important new alternative. The EN5339 has already landed more than 20 design wins ahead of its official market release.
“Enpirion’s portfolio of PowerSoCs supports our hardware designers in easing the process of bringing to market numerous platforms, form factors and capacities,” said Jonathan Hinkle, memory system architect, Viking Technology, a leader in SSD, DRAM and hybrid technologies for the enterprise storage market. “The EN5339 is a nice addition to Enpirion’s lineup and helps streamline our power design efforts by eliminating cumbersome steps and needless iterations.”
The EN5339 fits into a 55 mm2 solution area with a 1.1 mm profile – setting the bar for the smallest 3 Amp solution available. Small form-factor SSDs, in particular, require this small area and height. Keeping up with the demands of storage, embedded and industrial applications, the EN5339 enables a 20 percent solution footprint reduction and 40 percent lower profile compared to previous Enpirion 3 Amp products.
The Enpirion EN5339 3 Amp power system-on-a-chip (PowerSoC) integrates the controller, power MOSFETs, compensation network and inductor into one highly compact solution that significantly reduces the traditional engineering analysis and design effort associated with discrete DC-DC converter designs. Its slim profile offers Enpirion’s wide base of customers – who offer diverse form factors including SATA, PCIe, mSATA and others – an important new alternative. The EN5339 has already landed more than 20 design wins ahead of its official market release.
“Enpirion’s portfolio of PowerSoCs supports our hardware designers in easing the process of bringing to market numerous platforms, form factors and capacities,” said Jonathan Hinkle, memory system architect, Viking Technology, a leader in SSD, DRAM and hybrid technologies for the enterprise storage market. “The EN5339 is a nice addition to Enpirion’s lineup and helps streamline our power design efforts by eliminating cumbersome steps and needless iterations.”
The EN5339 fits into a 55 mm2 solution area with a 1.1 mm profile – setting the bar for the smallest 3 Amp solution available. Small form-factor SSDs, in particular, require this small area and height. Keeping up with the demands of storage, embedded and industrial applications, the EN5339 enables a 20 percent solution footprint reduction and 40 percent lower profile compared to previous Enpirion 3 Amp products.
FCI Microconnections becomes Linxens
SINGAPORE: FCI Microconnections, a division of the FCI group and a global leader in the design and manufacture of flexible etched circuits (FECs), has become a standalone company operating under the name Linxens.
The creation of Linxens, which employs 770 people and has the capacity to produce over 10 billion FECs – or smart card tapes – for smart cards per annum, follows the acquisition of FCI Microconnections by Astorg Partners, a leading private equity group.
Announcing the launch of the new company at the CARTES & IDentification trade show in Paris, Christophe Duverne, CEO of Linxens, said: “The creation of Linxens represents the start of an exciting new era in our 30-year history. Our roots as a company go back to the early 1980s, when the FEC for smart card was created to meet the challenge of inter-connecting the first commercial IC cards with electronic readers. Since then, we have become a leader in the FEC market around the world, producing over 37 billion FECs for smart cards and introducing a host of innovative products for applications such as SIMs, dual-interface banking cards, electronic ID. By becoming a standalone company, we will further strengthen our focus on customers’ needs, while maintaining our R&D efforts in developing new products.”
Duverne added: “The name Linxens highlights the key role we play in linking smartcards with readers, users with applications, and our customers with their markets. Along with our new tagline, ‘access to excellence’, it also highlights our unique know-how and passion for quality and innovation that we put at the service of our customers to deliver reliable and robust flexible circuits.”
The new company will benefit from the extensive manufacturing and R&D facilities established by FCI Microconnections. These include fully integrated, automated reel to reel production plants in France and Singapore, and a newly opened inspection unit in China. With a truly global operation, the company has achieved a turnover of €200 million in 2010, with 61 percent of sales generated in Asia.
Under the terms of a sales agreement signed on October 30 2011, 70 percent of shares in Linxens will be held by Astorg Partners and 30 percent by Bain Capital. Welcoming the new ownership structure, Duverne said: “The choice of Astorg Partners was made after a very thorough and careful selection process. They are one of the most active private equity fund management groups in France and have an excellent track record in helping technology companies develop into new markets. Responsible for assets worth more than €2 billion, they also offer a very supportive and entrepreneurial management culture.”
Christian Couturier, partner at Astorg, said: “Linxens represents a very attractive investment. It is already a global leader in its market, thanks to outstanding innovation capabilities and industrial know-how. We are looking forward to working with Christophe Duverne and his management team. We are determined to turn Linxens, as a standalone company, into an even greater success story for its customers and staff.”
Linxens’ key strengths include the ability to produce very high volumes of competitively priced FECs that demonstrate exceptional standards of reliability. Crucially, Linxens produces FECs in a reel to reel format that supports automated manufacturing processes and achieves unrivalled quality levels. The company has been manufacturing FECs at its plant in Mantes la Jolie, France, since 1989 and opened a second manufacturing site in Singapore in 2004. In October 2011, a final inspection unit began operations in Suzhou, China.
Linxens’ product portfolio covers a comprehensive range of FECs, including double-sided circuits that are used in the fast-growing dual-interface payment cards. In 2007 the company introduced the ground-breaking NXT plating technology which has since become the de-facto standard for the smart card industry, as it reduced the reliance on gold while improving resistance to corrosion. The company has also been actively involved in the creation of new SIM form factors, including for the fast growing M2M (Machine to Machine) market, and has recently designed new modules for e-Passport applications.
With a clear strategy to opening new markets, Duverne explained: “Thanks to our R&D efforts, we will strive to maintain our leadership in the smart card market by bringing constant innovation to our customers. In parallel, Linxens has developed beyond the smart card market as it has already started to do several years ago by developing FEC solutions for new markets.”
The creation of Linxens, which employs 770 people and has the capacity to produce over 10 billion FECs – or smart card tapes – for smart cards per annum, follows the acquisition of FCI Microconnections by Astorg Partners, a leading private equity group.
Announcing the launch of the new company at the CARTES & IDentification trade show in Paris, Christophe Duverne, CEO of Linxens, said: “The creation of Linxens represents the start of an exciting new era in our 30-year history. Our roots as a company go back to the early 1980s, when the FEC for smart card was created to meet the challenge of inter-connecting the first commercial IC cards with electronic readers. Since then, we have become a leader in the FEC market around the world, producing over 37 billion FECs for smart cards and introducing a host of innovative products for applications such as SIMs, dual-interface banking cards, electronic ID. By becoming a standalone company, we will further strengthen our focus on customers’ needs, while maintaining our R&D efforts in developing new products.”
Duverne added: “The name Linxens highlights the key role we play in linking smartcards with readers, users with applications, and our customers with their markets. Along with our new tagline, ‘access to excellence’, it also highlights our unique know-how and passion for quality and innovation that we put at the service of our customers to deliver reliable and robust flexible circuits.”
The new company will benefit from the extensive manufacturing and R&D facilities established by FCI Microconnections. These include fully integrated, automated reel to reel production plants in France and Singapore, and a newly opened inspection unit in China. With a truly global operation, the company has achieved a turnover of €200 million in 2010, with 61 percent of sales generated in Asia.
Under the terms of a sales agreement signed on October 30 2011, 70 percent of shares in Linxens will be held by Astorg Partners and 30 percent by Bain Capital. Welcoming the new ownership structure, Duverne said: “The choice of Astorg Partners was made after a very thorough and careful selection process. They are one of the most active private equity fund management groups in France and have an excellent track record in helping technology companies develop into new markets. Responsible for assets worth more than €2 billion, they also offer a very supportive and entrepreneurial management culture.”
Christian Couturier, partner at Astorg, said: “Linxens represents a very attractive investment. It is already a global leader in its market, thanks to outstanding innovation capabilities and industrial know-how. We are looking forward to working with Christophe Duverne and his management team. We are determined to turn Linxens, as a standalone company, into an even greater success story for its customers and staff.”
Linxens’ key strengths include the ability to produce very high volumes of competitively priced FECs that demonstrate exceptional standards of reliability. Crucially, Linxens produces FECs in a reel to reel format that supports automated manufacturing processes and achieves unrivalled quality levels. The company has been manufacturing FECs at its plant in Mantes la Jolie, France, since 1989 and opened a second manufacturing site in Singapore in 2004. In October 2011, a final inspection unit began operations in Suzhou, China.
Linxens’ product portfolio covers a comprehensive range of FECs, including double-sided circuits that are used in the fast-growing dual-interface payment cards. In 2007 the company introduced the ground-breaking NXT plating technology which has since become the de-facto standard for the smart card industry, as it reduced the reliance on gold while improving resistance to corrosion. The company has also been actively involved in the creation of new SIM form factors, including for the fast growing M2M (Machine to Machine) market, and has recently designed new modules for e-Passport applications.
With a clear strategy to opening new markets, Duverne explained: “Thanks to our R&D efforts, we will strive to maintain our leadership in the smart card market by bringing constant innovation to our customers. In parallel, Linxens has developed beyond the smart card market as it has already started to do several years ago by developing FEC solutions for new markets.”
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