Circuit Assembly Corp.'s ATAS -- Finalist in the Electronic Packaging & Production Excellence Awards.

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 3, 1999--Circuit Assembly Corp.'s (CA) proprietary ATAS(tm) Interconnect Series was named as a finalist in the 1999 Excellence Awards, co-sponsored by Electronic Packaging & Production magazine and Nepcon.

Responding to the challenge of providing the high-tech industry with a faster, more reliable and cost effective interface solution, CA developed a revolutionary new interconnect, ATAS, that provides protection against signal crosstalk in Ultra ATA/DMA applications. CA's line of ATAS connectors and cable assemblies for PCs and workstations is designed specifically for use with Ultra DMA and Ultra ATA drives. ATAS is essential for those wanting to achieve optimum performance with UDMA 66 systems.

The ATAS cable assembly features a superior 80-conductor cable configuration with three 40-pin connectors for system board, master and secondary device attachments. The patented design of the internal bus bar within the connector significantly reduces signal error rates at high transmission speeds, ultimately increasing read/write speeds and preventing system lock-ups. ATAS technology brings with it a new standard in performance for today's 33 MB/s drives and is a requirement for 66 MB/s drives.

Electronic Packaging & Production and Nepcon seek entries from suppliers that have made significant developments in the advancement of electronics manufacturing, companies that have ventured into areas of advanced packaging and have succeeded in establishing standards that are leading the industry into the future.

The Excellence Awards recognizes significant achievement in the development of equipment and materials to advance the state of the art in electronic packaging and production. Some of the criteria that products are judged on include a significant reduction in manufacturing costs, development of new technology, improved performance and product uniqueness. CA's ATAS was named as a finalist in the Components, Packaging, Hardware Interconnections and Electromechanical Devices category.

Headquartered in Irvine, Circuit Assembly Corp. has three decades of experience as a leading developer of interface connectors and cable assemblies for the electronics industry. The company delivers a host of interconnect products for multiple applications.