Founded in 2000, Ridgetop Group, Inc. was established to develop advanced tools, IP libraries, and design services for mission-critical applications operating in harsh environments. Achieving functionality and reliability under adverse conditions — whether the stresses stem from extreme temperatures or intense radiation exposure — requires “best of class” solutions. These solutions may involve “radiation hardening” or shielding for microelectronics, and/or “prognostic-enabling” critical systems.
As the firm has grown, commercial firms have realized the value of engaging Ridgetop design capabilities for less-severe environmental conditions as well. Ridgetop has completed many diverse design projects, from high-speed CMOS and SiGe ICs, and digital-to-analog converters (DACs) for MP3 players, to laser rangefinders.
Beginning in 2011, Ridgetop successfully entered the test and measurement marketplace and now provides precision instrumentation to engineering laboratories and production facilities around the world. Ridgetop has leveraged that investment further by developing tools for semiconductor design and manufacturing organizations to characterize the very fabrication processes that they use to create incredibly powerful and complex integrated circuits. In 2013 Ridgetop created a hand-held avionics power bus troubleshooting system, and Ridgetop is developing advanced tools and methodologies to dramatically reduce the incidence rate of “no fault found” (NFF) conditions when testing suspect boards and modules.
Ridgetop is very fortunate to have a powerful technical staff with impressive credentials and experience. Our staff members hail from leading firms such Intel, IBM, Honeywell, and Burr-Brown (now Texas Instruments).
Over the years, Ridgetop has maintained strong linkages with leading universities that add depth and leverage to our internal capabilities in research. This relationship provides a true “win-win” situation for developing new and advanced techniques in dealing with difficult problems.
The Future
Ridgetop continues to grow and prosper. Our mantra of “Engineering Innovation” will continue to propel the company forward!
Ridgetop is certified as category 1A under the Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA) as part of the Trusted Supplier Program. Ridgetop has history of designing analog and mixed signal ICs for demanding applications in space satellites that are subjected to extreme temperatures and radiation. Our designs have utilized bulk CMOS, CMOS-SOI, and SiGe at process geometries down to 28 nm channel lengths. Radiation hardness is also a concern, and Ridgetop has addressed those requirements as well. A recent Ridgetop design was delivered to ON Semiconductor for the U.S. Air Force STELLAR Star Tracker.
Under contract to NASA, Ridgetop designed an effective 3-axis wireless acceleration and temperature sensor for use in a helicopter gearbox system. The initial implementation was designed to detect wear and damage in the helicopter gearbox. This innovative smart sensor design was later commercialized under the Sentinel Motion product line, and is packaged as an Internet-of-Things (IoT) smart sensor, RotoSense™.