Athens Technical Specialists, Inc. (ATSI), was incorporated in 1982 by Dr. James C. Gilfert, Professor of Electrical Engineering at Ohio University, as a professional corporation. The company was originally engaged in sponsored research for the development of electronic systems for use by divisions of the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).

One of these projects was the development of an automated NEMA conflict monitor tester, which was completed in 1986. The prototype tester received favorable comments from traffic professionals from all across Ohio. One traffic products distributor in particular, Steve Hartmann, approached Dr. Gilfert with the idea that the tester would not only benefit public safety, but could help prevent successful litigation against the agencies that use the tester to confirm the operation of their conflict monitors. The protection from liability would more than justify the cost of the tester.

An outside firm assembled the first production units. Then the distribution network was established (with the help of Mr. Hartmann) and the first 26 testers, Model NCMT-500, were sold and shipped. ATSI then added a light electronics assembly operation to the design and development activities. The first assembly plant was literally a "garage operation", but through tight-fisted cost control (i.e., no payroll), the company became self-sufficient. ATSI moved into the Ohio University Innovation Center (OUIC) in January of 1988. From the original two employees in 1988, ATSI's payroll had grown to 6 in 1993, then to 15 in 1999.

In-house design and development of new products is key to the existence and operations of ATSI. The next development was an expansion of the capabilities of the original tester to include System 170 conflict monitors. The new tester was called the DCMT-700 and was added to the product line in 1989. Hundreds of 500s and 700s were built and sold across the US and Canada between 1986 and 1993. During the production life of these popular testers, ATSI offered their recalibration services that include hardware and firmware updates. Any design changes made during the product's lifetime are then retrofitted to a customer's tester, extending the unit's service life and providing new features as they are developed.

In 1991, the PCMT-2000 conflict monitor tester was added to the product line. The PCMT is a PC-based tester that can be used to test NEMA, System 170, and several other conflict monitor types by the purchase of the basic tester and the appropriate software packages and cables. This design breakthrough gives the customer the advantage of a tester that can be upgraded by the user to meet their changing needs.

ATSI introduced the ALSA-1200 Automated Loop System Analyzer in 1992 as a result of our customers asking for a tester to address the problems they were having with inductive loops used to detect vehicles at the intersection. The ALSA was the first comprehensive loop and detector tester available to the signal technician to diagnose failed loop systems, and helped establish ATSI as a source for all types of test equipment for the signal technician.

As the PCMT-2000 became dominant the marketplace, sales of the original two testers diminished. In 1993, production was ended for the NCMT and the DCMT. Over 200 units of the first generation conflict monitor had been sold. Also in 1993, the company moved to its third location, still a part of the OUIC, to accommodate the need for more space.

At the new location, design and development efforts produced the QC-300 detector testers and the ATRT-1600 Automated Traffic Recorder Tester. The ATRT-1600 was the result of another development contract with ODOT to build a tester for the counters and classifiers used by the state to count vehicular traffic. The ATRT-1600 was the only one of its kind on the marketplace and generated a lot of interest in the highway planning industry.

The next product developed was the SST-400 Surge Suppressor Tester. It was the first battery-operated tester to be designed and built by ATSI. This tester was popular with traffic signal and telecom technicians around the world. Once again, it was a first of its kind on the market.

Feedback from the traffic counting market resulted in the development of the ATCT-1100 Automated Traffic Counter Tester in 1998, which is a lower-priced tester for road-tube traffic counting equipment. This product was marketed and sold exclusively by PEEK Corporation.

Continuing development led to the introduction of the PCMT-2200 and ATRT-1700, which are advanced versions of the PCMT-2000 and the ATRT-1600 respectively.

In 1999, ATSI moved to our current facility and implemented new administrative tools on the company-wide computer network. This has allowed more efficient handling of routine duties and better communication within the company and with our customers.

Shortly after the move, the engineering group released the BIUT-800 BUI Tester. This development was the result of many requests from traffic signal customers experienced difficulties with the interchanging of various makes of BIUs in a NEMA TS2 signal cabinet. The objective was to measure the responses of BIUs to a uniform set of test conditions and present the results to the user for evaluation. The initial response from users to this approach was that the tester should tell the user the status of the BIU. This turned out to be a fine line to tread, since the manufacturers of BIUs had a lot to say about the judgment of their products.

The PCMT-2000/2200 was due for an update, since Microsoft was abandoning the Win 95/98 operating system which these testers relied on in 2001. ATSI developed a new tester called the PCMT-2500 conflict monitor tester and released it in November 2001. The new tester eliminated a lot of PC-to-tester compatibility issues and would run under Windows 2000/XP. At the same time, ATSI added true-RMS voltage measuring capability to the tester to reduce issues caused by poor power quality at the testing location. The traffic signal industry was making some changes, adding new features and standards that define the conflict monitors and MMUs. The new PCMT model provided a clean slate for writing new test routines to accommodate the needs of our customers.

Also in 2001 ATSI tried to gain a foothold in the railroad equipment market by designing and manufacturing the control system for a prototype locomotive-mounted rail lubrication systems for a rail industry OEM. The benefit to the railroad was to reduce fuel consumption and track wear. After 2 years of work, the idea was scrapped, due to railroad company politics. The primary benefit was for the rail maintenance department, but the rolling equipment department had to pay for and maintain the system. This was too big a problem to resolve.

Following the PCMT-2500, ATSI developed the SST-450 (improvement of the SST-400), the Quick Check 330 (improvement of the QC-300), and the MMT-900, and manual monitor tester for repair shops.

Around this time, ATSI secured the authority to distribute AEMC products through our North American distribution system for the traffic signal market. AEMC products are high-quality measurement instruments for the electrical trades. The products of greatest interest to the traffic signal technicians are the "instant" ground rod resistance tester and the insulation resistance megohm-meter. The AEMC line includes a wide variety of electrical property measuring instruments.

One of the most popular ATSI designs was the HILT-9000 (Handheld Inductive Loop Tester) released in 2003. This is a sturdy handheld tester that measures and displays all the important properties of an installed inductive loop. Unlike other devices on the market, the HILT-9000 uses a very precise and repeatable measurement system, using state-of-the-art microprocessors. Another popular feature are the use of standard 9-volt batteries, available anywhere.

In 2004, ATSI released the PCMT-2600 conflict monitor tester. This design used PCMT-2500 technology, but consolidated all the functions onto one PC board and made the change to surface-mount components. This results in a more reliable circuit board assembly and reduces the possibility of obsolete component supply problems. The software and firmware were revised to improve the flexibility to the user and reduce the time required for testing.

In 2005 ATSI released their first consumer product: the original BuckEye Cam (RC-5000). The BuckEye Cam (BEC) is an automatic digital still camera designed for continuous outdoor use. It competes in the marketplace with trail cameras. The BEC is unique due to the ability to transmit a digital image file via wireless radio link to a dedicated base receiver (similar to a cordless phone transmitting an audio signal to a dedicated base receiver).

The BEC was intended to occupy the premium position in the marketplace, and that has been achieved by providing the best product performance in every aspect that is desired by the hunting and wildlife research industries. We also strive to provide the best customer service in the industry, by answering the phone one call at a time, and finding answers to each customer issue that develops.

In order to retain our market position, the BEC features are being improved and optimized regularly, to improve the value of our offering. Many of these improved features can be obtained by existing customers at no additional charge, by downloading new firmware and installing it in their camera. This ability is a unique proposition in the consumer marketplace.

In 2006 the MST-600 and MST-700 were released. Both are testers are for load switches, flash transfer relays, and flashers, which are standard components found in every signal cabinet.

ATSI released the TS2 Frame Grabber in 2007. The Frame Grabber monitors the NEMA TS2 SDLC data communication network that sends command and response frames between the controller and all the other components in the cabinet. When the technician needs to review what was happening in the cabinet, the record of frames is downloaded to a memory token and read into the user.s PC like a memory card from a digital camera. This helps diagnose problems and is valuable data to prove a cabinet was operating properly at the time of an accident.

The second generation of BEC cameras was released in 2008 with a new smaller enclosure, repeater capability, and totally invisible flash. The customer base has expanded into the human surveillance market and we have had significant sales to the US and Canadian Border Patrol agencies, as well as other government agencies performing human surveillance.

Also in 2008 ATSI released the SLNK-3000 (SDLC Link) that is an accessory for the PCMT-2600 conflict monitor tester which allows the tester to verify proper operation of the TS2 MMU Port 1 communication port. That may sound like a lot of industry jargon to most people, and it is exactly that. There really is no better way to explain this product, except as follows:

The MMU is a conflict monitor for use in a NEMA TS2 spec traffic signal system. Each MMU has a high-speed serial port for communication with the signal controller. The SLNK-3000 now provides the means to test this port along with all the other tests performed by the PCMT-2600.

ATSI's presence and stature in the traffic industry has grown to the point where the company is looked upon by our customers as a resource for information on testing and the devices being tested. This status has resulted from the unwavering commitment to test devices to the published standards, without prejudice or preference to any of the manufacturers of the tested devices.

ATSI values the confidence placed in the company by our customers and strives to continue to be worthy of their trust. All this .striving. is done by a small but dedicated group of experts that are the heart and soul of this company. You are invited to call us up today and talk directly to one of our experts about traffic signal technology, wildlife cameras, or your ideas on how to improve anything related to our business.