Symmetricom selects Kyocera America for high-volume production of QUANTUM chip scale atomic clock

SAN JOSE, USA: Symmetricom Inc. has selected Kyocera America, Inc. to help produce its QUANTUM SA.45s Chip Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC). Since its market introduction in January 2011, the CSAC has built strong momentum which has created the need for additional manufacturing support and scale to meet global demand.

A world recognized leader in ceramic packaging and hermetic assembly, Kyocera America Inc.'s Assembly Technology Division of San Diego was selected following an exhaustive search of more than two dozen domestic and international assembly houses. Kyocera was selected based on its ability to produce the advanced physics package required by the SA.45s CSAC and rapidly increase production capacity. Additionally, Kyocera is expanding its facilities to accommodate Symmetricom's demand forecast at its San Diego facility which is ISO-9001 and 14001 registered, and certified to work on U.S. government contracts.

Kyocera America president, Bob Whisler, congratulated the Symmetricom team on achieving the world's first commercial volume production of a chip scale atomic clock. He said: "In communications, navigation, instrumentation and many other vital fields, new technologies increasingly depend on ultra-accurate time reference. Symmetricom's mass-produced CSAC represents a breakthrough in miniaturization while maintaining atomic clock accuracy and stability. Kyocera is delighted to serve as Symmetricom's partner by supplying ceramic packaging and assembly services for this device."

The SA.45s CSAC has received high industry accolades for its technology breakthroughs in low-power consumption, accuracy, size, and weight. This powerful combination makes it ideal for small form-factor applications that require precise synchronization and time keeping such as geophysical sensors and secure communications radios. The SA.45s CSAC also provides time accuracy two orders of magnitude better than higher-power quartz-based solutions, such as Oven-Controlled Crystal Oscillators (OCXOs) and Temperature Compensated Crystal Oscillators (TCXOs).

"The CSAC SA.45s set a very high bar when it was introduced earlier this year and we feel that Kyocera's manufacturing expertise and ability to scale production ensure that we are quickly able to meet the growing demand for the product," said Dan Scharre, executive VP and GM, government and enterprise business unit, Symmetricom.

The CSAC product is available in standard and Mil-Spec temperature-range configurations, and multiple frequency options.