GRENOBLE, France, and CAIRO, Egypt -- Tronics, a leading global, manufacturer of integrated custom MEMS components, and Si-Ware Systems, an analog and mixed-signal ASIC solutions provider, announced their partnership agreement for the development and commercialization of MEMS gyro sensors based on Tronics' custom gyro transducers and Si-Ware's electronic interfaces solutions.
This non-exclusive agreement follows three years of collaboration. Through this partnership the companies have built expertise in driving and sensing capacitive MEMS vibrating gyro structures produced by Tronics. The collaboration resulted in the creation of a platform for high-performance custom gyros which is also scalable to mid- and lower-end consumer gyros as well as automotive-grade gyros. Both Tronics and Si-Ware will market this platform to develop and produce customized chipsets and fully integrated, packaged MEMS sensor products to inertial sensor and system customers.
As a result of this collaboration, an ASIC is currently being produced by Si-Ware, in conjunction with Tronics. Both companies are already working on a second-generation ASIC for this platform. They are also collaborating on a complete solution for other customers' MEMS gyro principles.
"This partnership with Si-Ware is a major milestone in our strategy to offer custom and semi-custom product solutions to our customers," said Peter Pfluger, CEO of Tronics. "It also marks another step forward in our ability to offer complete solutions to systems companies, which typically do not have internal MEMS expertise but are eager to incorporate MEMS into their products."
"This agreement, which is the result of three years of close collaboration between Tronics and Si-Ware, will enable both companies to expand their customer bases and deliver much higher value to our customers," said Hisham Haddara, CEO of Si-Ware Systems. "Not only does this agreement position Si-Ware to be a major provider of high-performance sensor interfaces for custom MEMS gyros, but it allows us to serve our customers with full MEMS gyro modules based on Tronics' sensors and our dedicated ASICs."
For Tronics, this partnership confirms its value-added service strategy for MEMS product development—from design to manufacturing, packaging, and the electronic interfaces needed to make MEMS devices practical.
Furthermore, the agreement will position Si-Ware as a dominant player in the MEMS electronics interface market, providing a range of ASIC solutions to customers in search of drive and control of inertial microdevices.
About Tronics
Tronics is a global leading manufacturer of integrated custom MEMS components. With operations in the U.S. and Europe and representation in Asia, Tronics provides local support to customers and offers one of the broadest technology portfolios in the industry. The company transforms MEMS concepts into products and builds reliable supply chains for high volume production of integrated components. Tronics services range from R&D prototyping to high-volume MEMS manufacturing, including electronic interface development, assembly and custom packaging, with additional capabilities in medical device development.
About SWS
Si-Ware Systems (SWS) is an independent fabless semiconductor company providing a wide spectrum of product design and development solutions, custom ASIC development and standard products. SWS leverages its highly talented teams in MEMS design and development as well as Analog/Mixed-Signal and Radio Frequency (RF) Integrated Circuits (ICs) to provide highly innovative solutions and products in different areas ranging from PLL based timing circuits, sensor interfaces, frequency synthesis, data converters, RF front-ends, and MEMS-based sensor systems. Based in Cairo, Egypt, SWS employs about 40 engineers in design and development.