Data I/O, AUTECS Sign Agreement On ProMaster 9500; Major Automotive Supplier Will Use Handling System For Fine-Pitch Programmable ICs.

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 30, 1995--Data I/O Corp. announced today that AUTECS -- or Automotive Electronic Control Systems Inc. -- a major automotive supplies manufacturer, is the first customer for Data I/O's ProMaster 9500, a breakthrough automated system designed for programming and handling large volumes of fine-pitch programmable integrated circuits.

AUTECS, based in Anderson, S.C., will use the ProMaster 9500 on an assembly line to dramatically improve the process of programming, handling, and laser marking programmable integrated circuits (ICs) that are important components for engine management control units.

AUTECS is a joint venture of Robert Bosch Corp., of Broadview, Ill., and UNISIA JECS Corp. of Japan. Robert Bosch Corp. is the North American subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH of Stuttgart, Germany, and is one of the world's largest independent automotive supplies companies. Major shareholders of UNISIA JECS include Nissan Motor Ltd. and Robert Bosch GmbH.

"This system delivery marks an important new phase for industries that use electronic components," said Bruce Rodgers, director of marketing for Data I/O's Programming Systems Business Unit. "There is a large and growing demand in many areas -- including the automotive, telecommunications and computer manufacturing industries -- for increasingly small, programmable ICs that can perform critical functions.

"Until now, however, there has not been an effective, integrated solution for programming, handling, and marking these fine-pitch ICs in the large volumes needed by major manufacturers," Rodgers said. "The ProMaster 9500 answers this need, with a system that can handle thousands of fine-pitch ICs a day with virtually no damage to these extremely delicate devices."

The ProMaster 9500 can handle ICs with pitches -- the space between leads -- as small as 15 mils, or 15/1000 of an inch. It can program, test, sort, and laser mark up to 1,200 fine-pitch ICs an hour while touching the leads only once, during the programming phase. This minimal contact ensures the integrity of ICs that can be easily damaged by even moderate amounts of handling.

The ProMaster 9500 was designed to be a highly reliable, flexible system that can be configured to each customer's needs. It is fully supported by Data I/O, the world leader in engineering and manufacturing programming/handling technologies.

Gary Doyon, senior test equipment engineer for AUTECS, said prior to the arrival of the ProMaster 9500, AUTECS employees handled fine-pitch ICs by hand, a process that was slow and inefficient.

"The ProMaster 9500 satisfied our needs in the areas of throughput, price, and the quality of programming support," Doyon said. He said the ProMaster 9500 will be at the front end of the manufacturing line for the engine management units, which will be supplied to customers at a Subaru facility in Indiana and a Nissan plant in Tennessee. AUTECS is using the ProMaster 9500 for custom microprocessors in 25-mil quad flat packages (QFPs).

"There were other systems that offered high throughput, but they also had high prices," Doyon said. "Additionally, we wanted a complete system from a manufacturer that knew how to program ICs in addition to having a good handler. Data I/O offered that."

Doyon also cited the ProMaster 9500's laser-marking capability, which he said will replace a manual labeling operation. The laser-marking process permanently etches information on an IC package.

In addition to its laser-marking capability, other standard features of the ProMaster 9500 include:

-- An easy-to-use, modular design. Socket adapters can be changed in about 10 minutes. Programming modules and input/output media -- trays, tubes, or tape-and-reel combinations -- can be switched in less than half an hour. The ProMaster 9500's operations can be viewed through a clear cover.

-- Data I/O's industry-leading PSX programming technology for memory and microcontroller devices. There are 16 programming sites -- two banks with eight sites in each -- that work in tandem with extremely precise, state-of-the-art pick-and-place handling, providing fast, uninterrupted flow of ICs. Support for logic programming will be available by the end of 1995. In addition to QFPs, other IC packages supported by the ProMaster 9500 include 20- to 84-pin PLCCs, TSOPs, and SOICs.

-- Data I/O's TaskLink Production Automation Software, which provides an easy-to-use interface covering a wide range of applications. TaskLink provides access to critical information, such as task tracking and yield data, and provides all the information necessary to monitor and analyze every programming session for quality control. Separate supervisor and operator control modes reduce the risk of programming errors.

-- Full support from Data I/O, from the handler and socket modules to regular algorithm support and on-site training and service.

Options for the ProMaster 9500 include:

-- Input: tray transport, tray stacker, tube loader, single tube.

-- Output: tray transport, tray stacker, tube unloader, single

tube, tape and reel.

Availability

Orders are now being taken for the ProMaster 9500. Customers can contact Data I/O for options, pricing and delivery schedules. For more information, call 1-800-3DATAIO (1-800-322-8246).

Founded in 1972, Data I/O Corp., headquartered in Redmond, Wash., is the leading manufacturer of universal solutions for users of programmable integrated circuits. Its products include Microsoft Windows(TM)-based design software for the electronic design automation (EDA) market, and a wide range of logic, memory, and microcontroller device programming and automated handling systems for the engineering and manufacturing environments. Data I/O is publicly traded (NASDAQ:DAIO) and has sales and service offices worldwide.

CONTACT: CorpComm Manager, Data I/O

Susan Kuenster, 206/867-6884

or

Terence Finan, Media Relations, 206/789-9066