Tempe, AZ—Connection One, a National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (NSF I/UCRC) for advanced research in communication circuits and systems in the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, announces the addition of Ridgetop Group, Inc. to its list of industry research collaborators and sponsors.

Based in Tucson, Ridgetop Group, Inc. is a leading provider of electronic prognostics and reliability tools for integrated circuits in high-reliability applications. The company specializes in the design and failure prediction of electronics operating in harsh environments. The company supplies verification products that improve the accuracy of circuit design, Built-In-Self Test (BIST) kits that allow the IC to test itself, and early warning systems for a variety of applications in the automotive, medical, industrial and military industries.

Ridgetop Group, Inc. joins an impressive roster of more than 15 industry partners, including Cisco Systems, Intel, Motorola, Raytheon, and Texas Instruments, who contribute to and participate in a wide range of research and education initiatives at Connection One.

Launched in 2002 at ASU's Fulton School of Engineering, Connection One is a multi-disciplinary consortium supported by an NSF I/UCRC grant, State of Arizona Proposition 301 funds, and faculty collaborators from the University of Arizona, University of Hawaii, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and ASU, which serves as the lead institution.

The mission of Connection One is to enable a higher integration of communication systems with particular focus on developing future generations of portable devices that will handle multiple communication protocols on a small system, capable of connecting to and combining with a variety of devices, such as PDA, cellular, PC, and digital multi-media. A combination of state, industry, federal and university partnerships, coupled with state-of-the art facilities uniquely positions the center to be involved in cutting-edge research with significant potential to make innovative strides in the area of broadband and wireless communications.

Ridgetop Group's small business stature will provide a much valued perspective to Connection One's high-tech communications sector, according to Dr. Hugh Barnaby, ASU faculty collaborator at Connection One and Assistant Professor in ASU's Department of Electrical Engineering. “They bring a strong emphasis on research; and, as a small company, their agility enables them to develop technologies and techniques that may not be a focus of the larger companies.”

Benefits of Connection One membership for industry partners range from gaining direct access to top students trained in specialized fields of radio frequency, integrated circuits, communication circuits and systems, and integrated analog/digital electronics to being able to set the direction of core research projects and utilize the center's extensive collection of published technical literature. Research projects spawn new product development and services and also help students prepare for future employment in the high-tech industry.

Joining the Connection One team has yielded its own benefits for Ridgetop, according to Dr. Bert Vermeire, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. “The Connection One center allows Ridgetop to leverage a larger base of facilities and technologists outside of our firm,” said Vermeire. “Often we require expertise, modeling or test facilities that we do not maintain ourselves. The capabilities available at the Connection One center complement our own.” In addition, Vermeire expects ASU students to be an integral part of the research as they perform tests on electronic circuits and analyze and model the results. 

“We are enthusiastic about the partnership because it involves practical education on real-world problems, which helps the educational process and, at the same time, creates well-grounded engineering graduates, who are able to join industrial firms like Ridgetop after graduation,” stated Vermeire.

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