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Quantum3D is an American computer graphics company. It was founded on 31 March 1997
[Quantum3D, Inc.](_blank)
''BusinessWeek
''Bloomberg Businessweek'', previously known as ''BusinessWeek'', is an American weekly business magazine published fifty times a year. Since 2009, the magazine is owned by New York City-based Bloomberg L.P. The magazine debuted in New York City ...
''. as a spin-off from
3dfx that was created to bring 3dfx's scalable graphics technologies (the Voodoo family of graphics chips) to the game enthusiast,
coin-op
A currency detector or currency validator is a device that determines whether notes or coins are genuine or counterfeit. These devices are used in a wide range of automated machines, such as retail kiosks, supermarket self checkout machines, ...
/
arcade
Arcade most often refers to:
* Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine
** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware
** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board
* Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games
* ...
/LBE and visual simulation and training market. Despite its close relationship with 3dfx in its earlier years, it was founded as an independent, venture-backed company.
Founded by 3dfx, Gemini Technology and
SGI SGI may refer to:
Companies
*Saskatchewan Government Insurance
*Scientific Games International, a gambling company
*Silicon Graphics, Inc., a former manufacturer of high-performance computing products
*Silicon Graphics International, formerly Rac ...
co-founders, along with former
Intel
Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. It is the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturer by revenue, and is one of the developers of the x86 seri ...
and
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Sun for short) was an American technology company that sold computers, computer components, software, and information technology services and created the Java programming language, the Solaris operating system, ZFS, the ...
employees including Ross Q. Smith, John Archdeacon,
Charles "Herb" Kuta, Dan Downum, Phil Huelson, and Dale Stimson, the company has developed a range of 3dfx and now
NVIDIA
Nvidia CorporationOfficially written as NVIDIA and stylized in its logo as VIDIA with the lowercase "n" the same height as the uppercase "VIDIA"; formerly stylized as VIDIA with a large italicized lowercase "n" on products from the mid 1990s to ...
-based board level and system level products for advanced, realtime
3D graphics
3D computer graphics, or “3D graphics,” sometimes called CGI, 3D-CGI or three-dimensional computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data (often Cartesian) that is stored in the computer for the ...
and video intensive applications. Quantum3D was instrumental in bringing advanced graphics products to the
PC-game enthusiast market (first
SLI graphics boards) and for bringing
PC-based,
open architecture
Open architecture is a type of computer architecture or software architecture intended to make adding, upgrading, and swapping components with other computers easy. For example, the IBM PC, Amiga 500 and Apple IIe have an open architecture support ...
systems to both the coin-op/arcade/LBE market (Graphite ArcadePC) and to the visual and sensor simulation and training (VSST) market (AAlchemy PC-IG) for both military and commercial applications. In addition, Quantum3D has also been a pioneer in bringing
commercial off-the-shelf
Commercial off-the-shelf or commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) products are packaged or canned (ready-made) hardware or software, which are adapted aftermarket to the needs of the purchasing organization, rather than the commissioning of ...
(COTS) graphics subsystems into the embedded visual computing (EVC) market for
avionics
Avionics (a blend word, blend of ''aviation'' and ''electronics'') are the Electronics, electronic systems used on aircraft. Avionic systems include communications, Air navigation, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems, ...
,
vetronics
Vetronics, a portmanteau of vehicle and electronics, is a technological designation used extensively in the military domain. The term also has limited usage in other contexts and in company branding, particularly in the veterinary and medical doma ...
and
command and control
Command and control (abbr. C2) is a "set of organizational and technical attributes and processes ... hatemploys human, physical, and information resources to solve problems and accomplish missions" to achieve the goals of an organization or en ...
applications.
Concurrent with the sale of 3dfx assets to NVIDIA in 2000, Quantum3D switched to NVIDIA as its primary graphics technology supplier. Since that date, Quantum3D has introduced a number of VSST and EVC products including the AAlchemy and Independence family of COTS image generators for flight simulation and other training applications as well as the Sentiris
PCI Mezzanine Card
A PCI Mezzanine Card or PMC is a printed circuit board assembly manufactured to the IEEE P1386.1 standard. This standard combines the electrical characteristics of the PCI bus with the mechanical dimensions of the Common Mezzanine Card or CMC for ...
(PMC), ExpeditionDI dismounted infantry training system, Thermite tactical visual computer and Farsight programs that have resulted in COTS technology being placed in numerous commercial and military avionics and vetronics applications. The company also has a dedicated US Federal subsidiary, CG2, which provides visual computing related services and products to the
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secu ...
via
SBIR
The Small Business Innovation Research (or SBIR) program is a U.S. government funding program, coordinated by the Small Business Administration, intended to help certain small businesses conduct research and development (R&D). Funding takes the ...
and BAA programs.
The company is privately held and had approximately 50 employees as of August 2020.
References
External links
Quantum3D website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quantum3d
Companies established in 1997
Computer companies of the United States
Electronics companies of the United States
Software companies based in California
Graphics hardware companies
Companies based in San Jose, California
Nvidia
Software companies of the United States