NEW YORK-Frequency Electronics Inc., Mitchell Field, N.Y., hopes to lead the way in mass production of competitively priced wireless signal synchronization components using rubidium as a substitute for quartz.
“We are looking to reduce the price of rubidium to make it more competitive with quartz because, for terrestrial wireless, [rubidium] is the most robust system,” said Martin B. Bloch, president, chief scientist and a director of the company.
“We aim to make the manufacture of rubidium much lower-cost. It can be done,” he said Nov. 3 at The Wall Street Forum Inc. conference for institutional investors. Rubidium-based components have a 20-year useful life and age more slowly than those made of quartz, he said.
“For the accuracy of the timing system, rubidium is 30 times better (than quartz) for long-term stability, and it controls the effects of temperature better,” Bloch said.
Rubidium-based components also require recalibration less frequently than do those using quartz. “Quartz can be synchronized to a GPS (global positioning system) link, but if the link [is] lost, quartz goes down in one hour. Rubidium is OK for 24 hours,” Bloch said.
Frequency Electronics is a military contractor that is focused increasingly on commercial applications in several industry sectors. For Fiscal 1999, which began May 1, the company has at least $16 million in signed contracts for terrestrial wireless components, Bloch said. For Fiscal Year 1998, which ended April 30, its wireless business accounted for $8 million, or just under half of its commercial net sales and about a third of its total net sales.
Lucent Technologies Inc. and Motorola Inc. are Frequency Electronics’ major customers in the wireless sector, Bloch said.
“We were late to the market, but we are making up for lost time.”
“Our mission this year is to devote in-house resources to mass manufacturing instead of custom building for one-time revenues because of the opportunities to make quantum leaps in revenues,” said Bloch.
