Company acquisitions inside an HP 3458A Multimeter since 1989 - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: rs20
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2017, 11:34:29 am
content: I came across a list of manufacturers that HP used for components inside their HP 3458A multimeter, page 8 ofthis doc. I thought it would be fun to see how many of the 30 companies still existed today! The following list shows the name of modern companies, with the bullet point being former companies listed in the 3458A doc. Where possible, I've done it based on product portfolio, e.g., Corning Glass Works is still in business of course, but the resistor department (Corning provided resistors for the 3458A) was indeed sold to Vishay.Vishay:- Corning Glass Works- Siliconix Inc- Sprague Electric Co- General Instrument Corp (via General Semiconductor)- Nytronics, Inc.- Mepco/Centralab (via BCcomponents)- Dale Electronics IncTexas Instruments:- National Semiconductor- Harris CorpAavid Thermalloy:- Thermalloy IncAnalog Devices:- Analog Devices Inc- Precision Monolithics IncMicrosemi:- Silicon General Inc (via Linfinity Microelectronics Inc. & Symmetricom Inc.)ON Semi:- MotorolaRockwell Automation:- Allen-Bradley Co IncTT Electronics (hadn't heard of them, but they own the Welwyn brand among others)- Beckman Industrial CorpUS Relays and Technology, Inc.- Electronic Applications Co (Mysterious datasheet hosted by digikey--matching "current" datasheet)And, below are companies that have survived essentially untouched.- 3M- API Delevan- AVX- Analog Devices- Bergquist- Coto Corp- DuPont- Gowanda- Littelfuse- Molex- Solid State Devices Inc (SSDI)- Thomas & BettsI've noticed a correlation between a) me not recognising the names above, and b) their websites featuring pictures of fighter jets on their home page. Clearly the military world is a whole parallel universe.So out of 30 companies listed, 18 got acquired/merged, and 12 survived unscathed over the past 28 years. Oh, and there was one acquisition I forgot to mention:Keysight:- Hewlett Packard (via Agilent)

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2017, 11:43:23 am
content: Quote from: rs20 on January 29, 2017, 11:34:29 amYou forgot "Agilent"

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2017, 06:25:09 pm
content: QuoteHP -> Agilent -> Avago -> Broadcom

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2017, 07:32:42 pm
content: Seems a lot of those small mostly military component companies are all owned by Cobham now, which promptly shuts down the original company after taking whatever is of value. There are at least 3 in my area, including the maker of that nifty US Navy oscilloscope I posted pictures of about a year ago. There's another down in Virginia where my friend lives, they ran for about a year following the takeover and then poof, vanished. Their former space in the business park has been empty for over 2 years now. He also worked for one, that is still operating, out in San Diego, doing high end microwave work. I think they are still operating because the real value there is the guy who owned the company before Cobham bought him out.

author: azer
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2017, 08:16:02 pm
content: "Silicon General was renamed Linfinity Microelectronics Inc. LinFinity Microelectronics Inc, previously a subsidiary of Symmetricom, Inc, was acquired by MicroSemi Corporation in April, 1999"http://www.procureinc.com/manufacturer/Silicon_General_-_Linfinity_-_Microsemi/If it is Nytronic inductors that are used in the HP, then that part of the division was acquired by Vishay in 1990.http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/vishay-intertechnology-inc-history/Mepco/Centralab was part of Phillips, but they spun out their passives in 1999 into BCcomponents which were acquired by Vishay in 2002http://www.procureinc.com/manufacturer/Mepco_-_Philips_-_BCcomponents_-_Vishay/I guess Electronic Applications Co. is now part of US Relays and Technology. They at least produce the same form factor Series 20 reed relay as in the digikey linkhttp://reed-relays.com/1642500.htmlThey also mention EAC herehttp://reed-relays.com/1649194.html

author: artag
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2017, 09:00:25 pm
content: Quote from: Benta on January 29, 2017, 06:25:09 pmDidn't Avago (HP components division) spin off from HP at the same time as Agilent ? I don't recall Agilent owning them.

author: rs20
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2017, 09:56:20 pm
content: Quote from: azer on January 30, 2017, 08:16:02 pmThat is some very impressive Google-Fu! Thanks, I've incorporated that into the original post.Quote from: azer on January 30, 2017, 08:16:02 pmFunnily enough, the full manufacturer name in the doc is "NYTRONICS INCCAPACITORDIV", but the actual corresponding part was "INDUCTOR RF-CH-MLD 680UH +-10% ". So yeah, mixed signals, but clearly an inductor.