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VANVCOUVER – Design software vendor Capilano Computing and PCB supplier Pad2Pad.com are jointly offering free packages for schematic capture and trace layout.

The packages permit circuits to be designed in the DesignWorks Express environment and then exported to the Pad2Pad.com automatic trace router. The design package reportedly handles up to 500 netlist nodes.

A professional version is available for complex circuits, advanced tools and optional digital simulation.

Links and free download instructions are available at www.capilano.com and www.pad2pad.com.

LAS VEGAS -- Norbert Socolowski, longtime Alpha Metals chemist and inventor, died Feb. 15 in Las Vegas. He was 85.

Socolowski was the first president of the SMTA, and received that organization's Founder's Award in 1998. He was a key member and former chairmen of numerous industry standards task groups, including ones for solder and flux.

OWEGO, NY – The Advanced Research in Electronics Assembly Consortium will gather Feb. 27-28 to review this year’s research plan and to review results of recent investigations.

Attendees from more than 30 companies and institutions are expected to attend the two-day workshop in Owego for an in-depth look at process and reliability-related research in electronics assembly.

During the workshop, Unovis researchers will review their 2007 findings pertaining to the consortium’s research tracks. Progress reports will highlight development in the consortium’s lead-free studies. Reliability issues pertaining to surface finishes, underfilling and repair will also be discussed. Also, recent investigations on TSV stacking will be presented.

WESTLAKE, OH – Nordson Corp., producer of precision dispensing equipment, reported record first quarter sales of $245 million, up 20% year-over-year.

REDMOND, WA – Data I/O Corp., provider of manual and automated device programming systems, announced fourth-quarter 2007 revenues of $7.7 million, up 5.2% sequentially.

Net income was $1,090,000, down 32% sequentially. For the year, revenues were $26.8 million, down 7% from 2006.

"During the fourth quarter, we again experienced large orders from automotive customers, as well as strong wireless customer business," said Fred Hume, president and CEO. "We were very pleased to announce and ship our new Flash Media Duplication system during the quarter."

"We are pleased that our restructuring actions taken in the first half of 2007 were successful in adjusting the expense structure to increase profitability as demonstrated by our third and fourth quarter's results," said Hume.

THE WOODLANDS, TX – Chemical maker Huntsman Corp. said fourth-quarter earnings were $2.2 million, down 97% year-over-year.

Earnings plunged on costs related to several business sales, the company said.

One-time charges included a $143.4 million pretax loss on the sale of Huntsman's U.S. base chemicals business, a $4 million pretax loss on the sale of its U.S. polymers business, and $5.4 million pretax gain on the sale of its European petrochemicals business. In the year-ago period, the company took a $21.6 million pretax loss related to the sale of its European petrochemicals business.

Revenue rose to $2.5 billion, an increase of 17% year-over-year. Huntsman said higher prices and volumes in its polyurethanes, performance products and pigments segments drove sales.

For the full year, the company posted a loss of $172.2 million compared with a year-ago profit of $229.8 million. Revenue rose 11% to $9.65 billion.