Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - Features

WASHINGTON -- The sudden unintended acceleration problems in Toyota's vehicles have touched off a firestorm of controversy over the cause. Now, a professor of automotive technology at Southern Illinois University has entered the fray, testifying before Congress that the trouble locating the problem's source could stem from a missing defect code in the affected fleet's diagnostic computer.

STAMFORD, CT -- Worldwide semiconductor revenue will increase by nearly 20% this year on higher average selling prices and PC demand, says research firm Gartner Inc.

LAGUNA, PHILIPPINES --Integrated Microelectronics Inc. swung to a net profit in 2009 despite a 10% drop in revenues.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – A clear positive shift can be seen in the North American EMS industry’s intentions for capacity expansion and new equipment purchase compared to one year ago, says IPC.

One-third of 58 companies participating in IPC’s North American EMS statistical program indicated they will “very likely” or “definitely” add assembly capacity in 2010. In 2009, only 17% of the participating companies indicated intent to expand.

Thirty-five percent of the respondents anticipate the need to buy new inspection equipment this year, while 20% are likely to buy new pick-and-place equipment and ovens.

BERKELEY — The National Science Foundation has awarded a $24.5 million five-year grant to the University of California, Berkeley to fund electronics power-reduction research.

According to published reports, the grant will underwrite a new center that could eventually lead to a million-fold reduction in electronics power consumption.

Researchers will focus on the basic logic switch in computer chips, which demands about 1 V to function well. Electronic circuit wires could operate well on a few millivolts, say the researchers. The goal is to find a lower voltage alternative to modern-day transistors.

The Center for Energy Efficient Electronics Science, or E3S, is one of five multi-institutional science and technology centers to be established in 2010.

UC Berkeley researchers will partner with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Contra Costa College, Los Angeles Trade Technical College and the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.

ST. LOUIS – Viasystems Group today announced fourth-quarter net sales fell 11.1% year-over-year, but increased 8.5% sequentially to $131.4 million on stronger demand in automotive, telecommunications and computer/datacom.