Realationship between R&S and Advantest? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: videobruce
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 10:26:22 pm
content: I stumbled across this and was puzzled, since I didn't know there was any connection. I did a search and couldn't find any reading through both companies history;http://www.rohde-schwarz.com/en/product/u3741-and-u3751-productstartpage_63493-8328.htmlSo why is a Advantest SA on a R&S web site page??

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 10:31:48 pm
content: R&S are "Co-operation Partners" with Advantest. They joined forces many years ago. Separate companies working together to achieve mutual benefit.There is mention of it here:http://www.rohde-schwarz.pl/pl/news_events/news_from_rohde_and_schwarz/?issue=164&type=130&downfileid=5155I am biased as I like Advantest equipment, but IMHO such a partnership shows Advantest to be a high quality manufacturer as R&S are unlikely to form an alliance with anyone less.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 10:32:34 pm
content: RS acts as 'distributor' for certain advantest machines.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 10:43:12 pm
content: Is there any "re-branding" in their relationship?

author: videobruce
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 10:55:13 pm
content: Odd bedfellows. One would think R&S would not want the competition. I knew of the Hameg relationship, but of no other.Advantest doesn't seem to be that big of a player here in the States. Larger than R&S, but still taking a back seat to the others.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2014, 08:08:13 am
content: Quote from: videobruce on June 27, 2014, 10:55:13 pmR&S owns Hameg since years, and has recently started to eliminate the Hameg brand.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2014, 10:37:45 am
content: Quote from: tautech on June 27, 2014, 10:43:12 pmI think so. A while ago I used an R&S spectrum analyser and the user interface has Advantest written all over it.

author: jpb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2014, 10:46:02 am
content: I have an Advantest 7451A 5 1/2 digit meter I bought of e-bay and when searching for information a lot of R S references came up.It is a very nice meter, large easy to read VFD display (much easier to see than say the Keithley 2000 or 2015 which I have now acquired so can do a direct comparison) and as it wasn't a particularly well known make in the UK it was only £170 on ebay. It has some nice features like a second channel so you can measure two voltages or voltage and current to do device characterisation - OK it is not quite as flexible as the more modern meters but if another came up on ebay in the UK I'd probably go for it.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2014, 11:28:57 am
content: I don't know anything about any relationship with R&S but Advantest was originally known as Takeda Riken in Japan. I assume they changed the name to Advantest to make the brand more marketable.The big old 1980s spectrum analyser I have here was originally sold as a Takeda Riken TR4172 in about 1982. Mine was made in the late 1980s and is badged as an Advantest even though it appears to be an identical model. It was arguably the most powerful (and expensive?) 1800MHz analyser on the planet at the time. Sadly, I don't think Advantest ever tried to produce a top notch spectrum analyser after this one. Their newer offerings appear to be fairly modest in terms of performance. But I'd be interested to hear if anyone knows different. i.e. if they ever produced another 'flagship' analyser to surpass the TR4172.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2014, 12:13:12 pm
content: There's some history about Takeda Riken => Advantest here:https://www.advantest.com/US/AboutAdvantest/History/index.htmIt looks like the name change to Advantest happened in about 1985. There's nothing mentioned about a relationship with Rohde and Schwarz on that page though. So if there is a link with R&S it may be fairly minor?The mighty Takeda Riken (Advantest) TR4172 does get a mention though in 1981. This was a truly fabulous spectrum analyser in its day. It was as if Takeda Riken let their best engineers off the leash in the late 1970s and the aim was (at any cost in terms of size/power/weight/$$$) to match/outclass the legendary and gamechanging HP8568 spectrum analyser that was introduced by HP in 1978.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2014, 01:15:55 pm
content: In the UK if you wish to purchase a new Advantest SA, or get it repaired......you go to R&S, so a pretty significant relationship for UK buyers

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2014, 02:22:08 pm
content: I did a few google searches for press release info on this subject and this appears to date back to 1993 when various alliances were set up between Advantest and Tektronix and R&S.It looks like they set up agreements to sell/market each other's products either in Japan or the USA.

author: videobruce
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2014, 03:51:01 pm
content: QuoteThat I buy (no pun intended). Just seemed kinda strange at first.The histories I originally looked through were these;https://www.advantest.com/US/AboutAdvantest/History/index.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohde_%26_SchwarzOther than a reference to Hameg and a few much smaller companies, I didn't see Advantage mentioned.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2014, 08:02:25 pm
content: Quote from: videobruce on June 28, 2014, 03:51:01 pmI did a quick online search to see if Advantest release their annual reports or statements and they do...In one of them (2002) they describe briefly how the alliance works. Advantest agreed to buy R&S products in bulk at a reduced/wholesale price and then they sell them in Japan. This accounted for 15% of Advantest's total sales in 2001!R&S do the reverse and sell Advantest gear in the UK/USA. Presumably this arrangement is financially viable for both parties.In one report there was also a hint that Advantest and R&S were also sharing some R&D expertise but it isn't clear how significant the sharing is.note:in the 2004 report it stated this:Quote

author: videobruce
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2014, 10:01:56 pm
content: Like I said, strange bedfellows.