Tag Archives: RF

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

MaxLinear Technology Enables Hybrid Satellite-Terrestrial Set-Top Boxes in Latin America

Leave a comment

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

MaxLinear Technology Enables Hybrid Satellite-Terrestrial Set-Top Boxes in Latin America

  • MxL683 single-chip silicon tuner-demodulator enables HD local channel reception; reduces satellite operator re-transmission and delivery costs

CARLSBAD, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– MaxLinear Inc. (NYS: MXL) , a leading provider of integrated radio frequency (RF) and mixed-signal integrated circuits for broadband communications applications, today announced that leading OEMs have selected its MxL683 silicon tuner-demodulator device for new, hybrid satellite + terrestrial set-top boxes (STB) for the Latin America pay TV market.

Pay TV operators in Latin America are increasingly adding ISDB-T 13-segment broadcast receivers into existing satellite STB platforms to capture the growing number of high quality, high definition television (HDTV) channels that are broadcast free-to-air in many cities.

The infrastructure and licensing costs associated with combining and re-transmitting these channels over the existing satellite network can be prohibitively expensive. By integrating the ISDB-T receiver in the STB, satellite operators can free up valuable satellite bandwidth for additional pay TV channels and still offer packages with the “must have” local HD content.

“MxL683 has the best performance of any ISDB-T demod tested to date,” stated Dr. Gunnar Bedicks, Head of Research, Digital TV Laboratory at Mackenzie Presbyterian University. The Mackenzie DTV Lab is considered to be the leading authority on ISDB-T receiver testing in Brazil.

“As the market demand heats up in Latin America, we are pleased to deliver world-class solutions that help the satellite pay TV operators drive the adoption of HD services,” said Brian Sprague, Vice President of Marketing & General Manager at MaxLinear. “The MxL683 has significantly reduced the engineering effort required by our customers to develop hybrid STB solutions.”

Technical Highlights

The MxL683 is a highly integrated, single-chip ISDB-T compliant receiver with best-in-class RF tuner and demodulator performance. The MxL683 offers the highest level of integration and the lowest power consumption of any ISDB-T solution in the market. Unlike other competitive devices, MxL683 has been extensively field-tested and optimized to ensure robust over-the-air TV reception in the difficult terrestrial reception environments commonly found throughout Brazil and other Latin American countries.

In particular, the MxL683 delivers excellent linearity and adjacent channel performance, even in the presence of strong interference signals from satellite harmonics, 4G/LTE mobile, multimedia over coax (MoCA) and …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

TRADE NEWS: Agilent Technologies Integrates Device Modeling Flow with Shipment of Newest SPICE Model

Leave a comment

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

TRADE NEWS: Agilent Technologies Integrates Device Modeling Flow with Shipment of Newest SPICE Model Extraction and Qualification Software

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYS: A) today announced shipment of the latest release of its industry-leading SPICE model extraction tool, Model Builder Program, and SPICE qualification tool, Model Quality Assurance.

MBP and MQA 2013 feature major enhancements designed to enable device modeling engineers to deliver higher-quality models to their customers. Chief among them are a fully integrated data flow across Agilent’s device modeling platform and the ability to establish and enforce standard operating procedures for modeling in team environments.

“With our acquisition of Accelicon last year, we continue to expand our expertise in device modeling,” said Charles Plott, director of product planning at Agilent EEsof EDA. “This expertise uniquely positions Agilent to deliver a seamless data flow from measurement to model extraction to qualification.”

Key MBP Capabilities

One of MBP‘s new components, Model Reviewer, allows users to standardize various aspects of device modeling in team environments. Model Reviewer enables teams to standardize model extraction policies, setup of the extraction environment, data usage, parameter-range enforcement and review procedures, among other things.

“Device modeling teams are mostly concerned with model quality and team efficiency,” said Xisheng Zhang, device modeling marketing manager at Agilent. “Being able to establish and enforce standard operating procedures through MBP is critical to minimizing human errors from the onset of model extraction, which significantly improves team efficiency.”

Other new MBP capabilities include model extraction based on circuit-level figures of merit, built-in principal component analysis, and a GUI-based custom model extraction environment.

New MQA Features

MQA now offers full support for Agilent’s GoldenGate, the industry premium RF circuit simulator, and Synopsys’ FineSim tool. It also gives users the ability to benchmark SPICE libraries with various versions of a simulator, making it a breeze for simulator upgrade qualification. Additionally, a parallel-run mechanism enables MQA to deliver considerably faster performance.

“The numerous and diverse set of new capabilities in MBP and MQA reflect the latest device modeling challenges in methodology and productivity that our customers now face,” said Brian Chen, device modeling product manager at Agilent. “Having these solutions in MBP and MQA 2013, …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Cree Announces Volume Production of Second Generation SiC MOSFET Bringing Significant Cost Savings t

Leave a comment

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Cree Announces Volume Production of Second Generation SiC MOSFET Bringing Significant Cost Savings to Power Conversion Systems

New Devices Deliver Twice the Amps-Per-Dollar

DURHAM, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Cree, Inc. (NAS: CREE) announces the release of its second generation SiC MOSFET enabling systems to have higher efficiency and smaller size at cost parity with silicon-based solutions. These new 1200V MOSFETs deliver industry-leading power density and switching efficiency at half the cost per amp of Cree’s previous generation MOSFETs. At this price-performance point, they enable lower system costs for OEMs and provide additional savings to the end-user through increased efficiency and lower installation costs due to the lower size and weight of SiC-based systems.

“We have evaluated Cree’s second generation SiC MOSFET in our advanced solar circuits,” stated Prof. Dr. Bruno Burger, renowned industry expert at the Fraunhofer-Institute in Freiburg, Germany. “They have state-of-the-art efficiency and enable system operation at higher switching frequencies that result in smaller passive components, especially smaller inductors. This substantially improves the cost-performance tradeoff in solar inverters in favor of smaller, lighter and more efficient systems.”

The superior performance of these new SiC MOSFETs enables the reduction of required current rating by 50-70 percent in some high power applications. When properly optimized, customers can now get the performance benefits of SiC with the same or lower systems cost as with previous silicon solutions. For solar inverters and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, the efficiency improvement is accompanied by size and weight reductions. In motor drive applications the power density can be more than doubled while increasing efficiency and providing up to twice the maximum torque of similarly rated silicon solutions. The product offering range has been extended to include a much larger 25 mOhm die aimed at the higher power module market for power levels above 30 kW. The 80 mOhm device is intended as a lower cost, higher performance upgrade to the first generation MOSFET.

“With our new MOSFET platform, we already have design wins in multiple segments,” explained Cengiz Balkas, vice president and general manager, Cree Power and RF. “Due to the rapid acceptance of this second generation of SiC MOSFETs, we are shipping pre-production volumes to several customers ahead of schedule and we are ramping volume production in-line with customer demand.”

Die are available with ratings of 25 mOhms, intended as a 50 Amp building block for high power modules, and 80 mOhm. The 80 mOhm …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Flat-Panel TV Supplier CVT To Launch Product Shipments in Europe Using MaxLinear's MxL601 Global Hyb

Leave a comment

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Flat-Panel TV Supplier CVT To Launch Product Shipments in Europe Using MaxLinear’s MxL601 Global Hybrid TV Tuner

CARLSBAD, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– MaxLinear Inc. (NYS: MXL) , a leading provider of integrated radio frequency (RF) and mixed-signal integrated circuits for broadband communications applications, announced today that its customer CVT Electronics Group, one of the world’s largest TV solutions providers, will debut several new MaxLinear tuner-based solutions for European countries.

MaxLinear has commenced volume production shipments of the MxL601 hybrid TV tuner to CVT to support these ramps.

MaxLinear’s proprietary digital CMOS technology helps CVT compete in a cost-sensitive market with tuners that offer high performance, high integration and low cost.

MaxLinear’s ‘super radio’ sets a new benchmark for overall reception performance, silicon integration and power consumption. It provides market-leading low power consumption of 300 milliwatts (mW) – 400mW. The combination of the MxL601’s ultra-low power consumption and extremely small 4 mm x 4 mm footprint enables CVT to further innovate its TV board designs for next-generation flat-panel televisions.

“CVT‘s new product launch is great news for MaxLinear, and it’s made much easier through the use of our global tuner which allows the company to customize boards for different European markets with a minimum of design changes,” said Brian Sprague, MaxLinear’s Vice President and General Manager for Broadband and Consumer Products. “We’re glad to team with a company that is driven to innovate in TV features while maintaining leading edge reception quality, low power consumption and competitive price points.”

The MxL601 device is software configurable, allowing manufacturers to design a common front end for all global broadcast standards. Supported standards include: PAL, SECAM, NTSC, DVB-T/T2, ISDB-T, ISDB-Tmm, ATSC, ATSC M/H, DTMB, ITU-T J.83 Annex A (DVB-C) / B (US Cable) / C (Japan), DOCSIS and EURODOCSIS.

About MaxLinear, Inc.

MaxLinear, Inc. is a leading provider of radio-frequency and mixed-signal semiconductor solutions for broadband communications applications. MaxLinear is located in Carlsbad, California, and its address on the Internet is www.maxlinear.com.

MxL and the MaxLinear logo are trademarks of MaxLinear, Inc. Other trademarks appearing herein are the property of their respective owners.

Cautionary Note About Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, among others, statements concerning or implying future financial performance …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. Announces $1.2 Million Award for Commercal Mobile Satellite Service

Leave a comment

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. Announces $1.2 Million Award for Commercal Mobile Satellite Services

MELVILLE, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– March 11, 2013—Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (NAS: CMTL) announced today that its Germantown, Maryland-based subsidiary, Comtech Mobile Datacom Corporation, received a $1.2 million order for satellite services to support security vehicles operating in the Middle East. The mobile satellite service provided by Comtech Mobile Datacom continues to prove itself essential for the safe and efficient operation of commercial security teams operating in some of the most dangerous regions in the world.

Fred Kornberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of Comtech Telecommunications Corp., stated, “We are pleased to see that our highly dependable, low latency, mobile satellite service continues to be selected for these important commercial security operations in addition to its longstanding and continued use for U.S. Army missions.”

Comtech Mobile Datacom Corporation, a Germantown, Maryland-based company, is engaged in the provision of satellite-based packet data communication systems and location and messaging services through the use of advanced communication and network technology. To learn more about Comtech Mobile Datacom, please visit the company’s website at www.comtechmobile.com.

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. designs, develops, produces and markets innovative products, systems and services for advanced communications solutions. The Company believes many of its solutions play a vital role in providing or enhancing communication capabilities when terrestrial communications infrastructure is unavailable, inefficient or too expensive. The Company conducts business through three complementary segments: telecommunications transmission, RF microwave amplifiers and mobile data communications. The Company sells products to a diverse customer base in the global commercial and government communications markets. The Company believes it is a market leader in the market segments that it serves.

Certain information in this press release contains statements that are forward-looking in nature and involve certain significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from such forward-looking information. The Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings identify many such risks and uncertainties. Any forward-looking information in this press release is qualified in its entirety by the risks and uncertainties described in such Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

PCMTL

Media Contact:
Michael D. Porcelain, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(631) 962-7000
Info@comtechtel.com

KEYWORDS:   United States  North America  New York

INDUSTRY …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

3 Stocks to Get on Your Watchlist

Leave a comment

By Sean Williams, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

I follow quite a lot of companies, so the usefulness of a watchlist to me cannot be overstated. Without my watchlist, I’d be unable to keep up on my favorite sectors and see what’s really moving the market. Even worse, I’d be lost when the time came to choose which stock I’m buying or shorting next.

Today is Watchlist Wednesday, so I’m discussing three companies that have crossed my radar in the past week — and at what point I may consider taking action on these calls with my own money. Keep in mind that these aren’t concrete buy or sell recommendations, nor do I guarantee I’ll take action on the companies being discussed. What I can promise is that you can follow my real-life transactions through my profile and that I, like everyone else here at The Motley Fool, will continue to hold the integrity of our disclosure policy in the highest regard.

Skyworks Solutions
I freely admit to pounding the table on Skyworks Solutions every couple of months. But, given its dominance in power-amplifying modules and RF components in mobile devices, I don’t see how this company isn’t a staple on everyone’s watchlist.

Last month the RF supplier market (of which Skyworks is also a member) received quite the scare when Qualcomm unveiled its next-generation all-in-one RF360, which is capable of dealing with band fragmentation on the front-end and would make the current RF components mostly dead weight. This is terrible news for weaker-positioned RF suppliers like RF Micro Devices, which have been scrambling to produce 4G LTE-capable components. RF Micro, for instance, has been reducing its reliance on Nokia, but still counts quite a bit of revenue from 2G and 3G RF sales to the company. 

Skyworks, on the other hand, has a tight-knit relationship with Apple and that isn’t likely to change anytime soon. Skyworks’ most recent quarter — which saw it report revenue of $454 million, up 15% from the year-ago period, and EPS of $0.55 — handily surpassed analysts’ expectations. As icing on the cake, Skyworks ended the quarter with nearly $2 in cash and no debt. With ample R&D funds on hand and a bare-bones forward P/E of just 8, I feel Skyworks could be primed for a big move this year.

Endeavour Silver
Since making Endeavour a stock near a 52-week low worth buying in late January, it’s done nothing but make me look foolish and head lower. Endeavour’s problems are pretty simple to understand, with lower production at its newly purchased El Cubo mine and lower spot silver prices holding back its bottom-line profits. However, my opinion is that’s about to change in a big way.

Just last week Endeavour delivered its ninth straight increase in proven, probable, indicated, and inferred resources on the heels of its eighth straight year of rising production. Silver equivalent proven and probable reserves now sit at 34.2 million ounces, up 67% from …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Checkpoint Systems, Inc. at Sidoti & Company, LLC Institutional Investor Forum

Leave a comment

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Checkpoint Systems, Inc. at Sidoti & Company, LLC Institutional Investor Forum

THOROFARE, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Checkpoint Systems, Inc. (NYSE: CKP) announced today that George Babich, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Ray Andrews, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer are scheduled to present at Sidoti & Company’s Seventeenth Annual Institutional Investor Forum in New York City on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 9:20 a.m. Eastern Time. The Company’s presentation will be available on Checkpoint Systems‘ Investor Relations Web site at http://ir.checkpointsystems.com.


Checkpoint Systems, Inc.

Checkpoint Systems is a global leader in shrink management, merchandise visibility and apparel labeling solutions. Checkpoint enables retailers and their suppliers to reduce shrink, improve shelf availability and leverage real-time data to achieve operational excellence. Checkpoint solutions are built upon more than 40 years of RF technology expertise, diverse shrink management offerings, a broad portfolio of apparel labeling solutions, market-leading RFID applications, innovative high-theft solutions and its Web-based Check-Net® data management platform. As a result, Checkpoint customers enjoy increased sales and profits by improving supply-chain efficiencies, by facilitating on-demand label printing and by providing a secure open-merchandising environment enhancing the consumer’s shopping experience. For more information, visit www.checkpointsystems.com.

Checkpoint Systems, Inc.
Annette Geraghty
856-251-2174

KEYWORDS:   United States  North America  New Jersey  Pennsylvania

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:

The article Checkpoint Systems, Inc. at Sidoti & Company, LLC Institutional Investor Forum originally appeared on Fool.com.

Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

(function(c,a){window.mixpanel=a;var b,d,h,e;b=c.createElement(“script”);
b.type=”text/javascript”;b.async=!0;b.src=(“https:”===c.location.protocol?”https:”:”http:”)+
‘//cdn.mxpnl.com/libs/mixpanel-2.2.min.js’;d=c.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0];
d.parentNode.insertBefore(b,d);a._i=[];a.init=function(b,c,f){function d(a,b){
var c=b.split(“.”);2==c.length&&(a=a[c[0]],b=c[1]);a[b]=function(){a.push([b].concat(
Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments,0)))}}var g=a;”undefined”!==typeof f?g=a[f]=[]:
f=”mixpanel”;g.people=g.people||[];h=[‘disable’,’track’,’track_pageview’,’track_links’,
‘track_forms’,’register’,’register_once’,’unregister’,’identify’,’alias’,’name_tag’,
‘set_config’,’people.set’,’people.increment’];for(e=0;e<h.length;e++)d(g,h[e]);
a._i.push([b,c,f])};a.__SV=1.2;})(document,window.mixpanel||[]);
mixpanel.init("9659875b92ba8fa639ba476aedbb73b9");
…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Skyworks Supports Automotive Infotainment Systems for Global Car Manufacturers

Leave a comment

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Skyworks Supports Automotive Infotainment Systems for Global Car Manufacturers

Captures Silicon-on-Insulator Analog IC Design Wins with Leading Provider of Revolutionary Touch-Sensitive Automotive Applications

WOBURN, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (NAS: SWKS) , an innovator of high performance analog semiconductors enabling a broad range of end markets, announced that its industry-leading Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) switching technology is now being utilized by European, Japanese, Korean and North American car manufacturers for advanced infotainment systems. Specifically, Skyworks’ solid state technology is enabling seamless low noise and broadband switching between audio, Blu-ray/DVD, navigation, cell phone and vehicle security display inputs as well as a variety of other high bandwidth media sources in automobiles. Skyworks’ ultra-broadband RF switches, the first targeted for AEC-Q100 automotive qualification, offer increased reliability at a lower cost structure than more problematic electromechanical switches.

“Skyworks is once again demonstrating its commitment to leverage our analog semiconductor technology across broad market applications,” said David Stasey, general manager of analog solutions at Skyworks. “We are delighted to be supporting the automotive industry with high performance wireless semiconductor technology that is enhancing safety and the overall driving experience.”

RF semiconductor integration is one of the fastest growing trends in automotive-interior electronics. Globally, automotive semiconductor revenues are estimated at over $25 billion, according to IHS iSuppli. Automotive and transportation user interface solutions are being driven to the next level by superior interior and exterior human-to-machine interfaces. Using innovative technologies such as high speed solid state switching, automotive companies are enhancing the driving experience with reliable, interactive controls that combine style, performance, reliability and innovative technology.

About Skyworks’ Automotive Solutions

Skyworks offers a broad range of high-performance analog and mixed signal semiconductors that are key components to the design of wireless automotive systems and transportation infrastructure. For a full list of automotive solutions, please visit our Web site at www.skyworksinc.com. For more information on Skyworks quality standards for automotive customers, please refer to the following Skyworks Quality Standards for Automotive Customers.

About Skyworks

Skyworks Solutions, Inc. is an innovator of high performance analog semiconductors. Leveraging core technologies, Skyworks supports automotive, broadband, cellular infrastructure, …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

ON Semiconductor Launches Tunable RF Components for Smaller, Thinner Smartphones with Reliable Anten

Leave a comment

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

ON Semiconductor Launches Tunable RF Components for Smaller, Thinner Smartphones with Reliable Antenna Performance

Tunable RF Components allow smaller volume antennas, reduced power consumption and support increasing mobile data demands in the latest generation of smartphones

PHOENIX–(BUSINESS WIRE)– ON Semiconductor (Nasdaq: ONNN), driving energy efficient innovations, has introduced a new family of Tunable RF Components (TRFC) that address the design challenges faced by engineers developing the latest generation smartphones. The new devices optimally combine tuning range, RF quality factor (Q) and frequency operation, providing a superior solution to existing fixed approaches.

End-user demand for smaller, thinner handsets challenges designers to reduce antenna volume without impacting performance. At the same time, the rapid increase in demand for mobile data means that carriers worldwide are increasing the number of bands that a smartphone must cover. ON Semiconductor’s new TCP-30xx family of low insertion loss Passive Tunable Integrated Circuits (PTICs) and TCC-103 PTIC Controller IC allow performance to be tuned and optimized to counter lower antenna volume and increased frequency coverage requirements. They also help overcome head- and hand-effect problems.

With a 4:1 tuning range and capacitance values from 1.2 picofarad (pF) to 8.2 pF, the TCP-30xx PTIC series is offered in WLCSP and QFN package styles and can be used to replace traditional “fixed-match” devices. ON Semiconductor’s PTICs also allow for a more efficient use of the smartphone’s power amplifier to reduce the current drain and help extend handset battery life. A three-times improvement in data rates in marginal coverage areas can be achieved with a significant reduction in dropped or missed calls.

Designed to work in conjunction with the company’s PTICs, a new PTIC Control IC is also available. The TCC-103 is a high-voltage digital-to-analog IC that provides control and bias in a tunable solution and is fully compliant with the timing needs of cellular and other wireless system requirements. The low-power IC features an integrated boost converter with three programmable outputs (up to 24 V) and an interface that allows independent control of multiple tuning elements from a single MIPI/SPI bus element. It is housed in a WLCSP package for stand-alone or module integration.

ON Semiconductor’s proven expertise and technology in TRFCs are underlined by over 10 million units shipped to date, a worldwide field application team to support customer designs, and design tools that help speed and simplify the optimization of antenna circuits.

“Significant design challenges exist in the …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

TRADE NEWS: Agilent Technologies Announces Second Edition LTE and LTE-Advanced Book

Leave a comment

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

TRADE NEWS: Agilent Technologies Announces Second Edition LTE and LTE-Advanced Book

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYS: A) today announced the second edition of its book “LTE and the Evolution to 4G Wireless: Design and Measurement Challenges,” adding LTE-Advanced and more to its in-depth examination of the 3GPP LTE cellular technology and the challenges it poses to engineering design and test teams. Agilent introduced the new edition at Mobile World Congress, Feb. 25, in Barcelona, Spain.

With more than 40 authors and now at 648 pages, this edition (published by Wiley) provides technical and practical knowledge about the complex LTE and LTE-Advanced technology. The content comes from Agilent engineers working with the technology on a daily basis, both in the lab and on the committees that are defining the LTE standards.

This edition is updated with the latest 3GPP standards, including Release 11, and provides insights looking forward to Release 12. It has more detail on physical and upper layer signaling, MIMO and advanced performance testing on receivers and transmitters. It covers new material on functional testing and the latest on RF and signaling conformance testing. It also has a new section on non-signaling manufacturing test.

Moray Rumney, the technical editor, joined Hewlett-Packard/Agilent Technologies in 1984, after completing a bachelor’s degree in electronics from Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University. Rumney joined the European Telecommunications Standards Institute in 1991 and 3GPP in 1999, where he was a significant contributor to the development of type approval tests for GSM and UMTS. He currently represents Agilent at 3GPP RAN WG4, where the air interface for HSPA+ and LTE-Advanced is being developed. Rumney’s current focus is in MIMO over-the-air test methods. Rumney has published many technical articles in the field of cellular communications and is a regular speaker and chairman at industry conferences. He is a member of IET and a chartered engineer.

“LTE and the Evolution to 4G Wireless: Design and Measurement Challenges, Second Edition” can be ordered at www.agilent.com/find/ltebook.

For more information on Agilent LTE tools, refer to www.agilent.com/find/lte and www.agilent.com/find/lte-advanced.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYS: A) is the world’s premier measurement company and a technology leader in chemical analysis, life sciences, diagnostics, electronics and communications. The company’s 20,500 employees serve customers in more than 100 countries. Agilent had …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Banks Hopeful for Dividend Hikes and Stocks Buybacks

Leave a comment

By 24/7 Wall St.

bank vault

Filed under: , , ,

In the coming weeks, the financial sector may move from worrying about the spending sequestration to the coming stress tests of the 19 major banks in the United States. We recently covered the Seven Safest Banks in America for 2013 and that list may get to be expanded handily in 2014 after the result of the stress tests.

At issue is that the banks are expected to pass these tests. If so, there is going to be one serious advantage that has not been there in years. That will come from returning capital to the shareholders. Companies like Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) and Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) have such low dividend yields that they might as well not be counted as dividend payers at all. Some of the banks likely will be freed up to begin returning capital via higher dividends and common stock buybacks.

Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) has a yield of only 0.36% and Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) yields only 0.1%. Our take is that Bank of America may get to increase its payout before Citigroup, but that may be solely due to management remaining the same. There are still many pending legal cases against Bank of America from borrowers and from various government agencies and trading partners. If these banks are not allowed to lift their dividends this year, then we almost certainly would expect that to take place in 2014.

Here are some other banks that may have a shot at dividend hikes or resuming some share repurchase programs:

  • Regions Financial Corp. (NYSE: RF) has a $10.8 billion market cap and only a 0.52% dividend yield. Regions cut the payout from $0.38 to $0.10 in 2008, and then in 2009 it cut that payout from $0.10 all the way down to only $0.01 per share per quarter.
  • SunTrust Banks Inc. (NYSE: STI) has a $14.7 billion market cap and only a 0.72% dividend yield. This bank raised its payout to $0.05 per share quarter from $0.01 in mid-2011, but that has been static ever since at the one-penny level.
  • Zions Bancorp. (NASDAQ: ZION) has a $4.4 billion market cap and only a 0.17% dividend yield. This dividend fell from $0.43 to $0.32 per share per quarter very briefly in 2008 and then down to $0.04 for two quarters before the dividend fell down to $0.01 per share quarter, where it has been since mid-2009.

The good news is that most banks are expected to pass the stress tests. The bad news is that merely passing a stress test does not come with assurances that the Federal Reserve will allow these banks to automatically hike dividends and begin repurchasing common stock.

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Banking & Finance, Corporate Governance, Dividends & Buybacks, Regulation Tagged: BAC, C, RF, STI, ZION

Read | Permalink | <a target=_blank href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/forward/20485070/" title="Send …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

TRADE NEWS: Agilent Technologies Announces Three-Year Warranty as Standard Coverage for All Electron

Leave a comment

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

TRADE NEWS: Agilent Technologies Announces Three-Year Warranty as Standard Coverage for All Electronic Test Instruments Worldwide

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYS: A) today announced that all new Agilent electronic test instruments sold after this date will be covered by a “bumper-to-bumper” three-year repair warranty. The increase from one year to three years is the result of ongoing quality initiatives that, from 2002 to 2012, yielded unprecedented improvements in product reliability and earned top marks in an independent customer survey rating RF and microwave product quality.

For customers, Agilent’s industry-leading combination of reliability and coverage provides three important benefits. First is increased confidence in instrument uptime on the production line, during design projects and in other critical operations. Second is reduced cost of ownership with fewer budgetary surprises due to unexpected repair costs. Third is greater convenience in the unlikely event service is ever required.

“Our customers have come to expect the highest quality from Agilent,” said Eric Taylor, Agilent vice president, Electronic Measurement Group. “The three-year standard warranty is yet another way we’re helping them achieve their business, project and production goals.”

In a short video, Taylor discusses the steps Agilent took to achieve the best quality metrics in its history and in the industry: www.agilent.com/find/quality_video.

Depending on the industry and application, a typical Agilent instrument is in service for eight years and sometimes much longer. To help customers sustain ongoing confidence in instrument performance and measurement accuracy, Agilent offers Assurance Plans for repair and calibration services. When included with a new instrument, these plans are available at a lower cost than when purchased later.

The Agilent Warranty Assurance Plan is the lowest-priced, most convenient way to minimize disruption of instrument availability for five years. Beyond the extended coverage, this enhanced plan offers additional benefits such as calibration after repair, priority service, six-month warranty extension if a repair is needed, and electrostatic discharge (ESD) and electrical overload stress (EOS) coverage. The Agilent Calibration Assurance Plans offer OEM-quality calibrations at the lowest price and ensure that instruments will function at their original specifications, giving customers ongoing confidence in the accuracy of measurements.

More information about Agilent Assurance Plans is available at www.agilent.com/find/AssurancePlans. Country- and region-specific information about the Agilent warranty program can be found online at www.agilent.com/find/ThreeYearWarranty.

About Agilent Technologies

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Science & Technology

New 2-D optical phased array technology to enable advanced LADAR, other defense applications

Leave a comment

Most people are familiar with the concept of RADAR. Radio frequency (RF) waves travel through the atmosphere, reflect off of a target, and return to the RADAR system to be processed. The amount of time it takes to return correlates to the object’s distance. In recent decades, this technology has been revolutionized by electronically scanned (phased) arrays (ESAs), which transmit the RF waves in a particular direction without mechanical movement. Each emitter varies its phase and amplitude to form a RADAR beam in a particular direction through constructive and destructive interference with other emitters.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Phys.org