Linear Corporation was founded in 1961 by Ted Farrell, who served as President and Chief Executive Officer. William A. Schanbacher joined the Los Angeles-based Company as a co-principal shortly after incorporation. He served as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Originally, Linear was a retail operation that sold and installed automatic garage door operators for residential installations.

However, both principals had made the decision early to create an electronics manufacturing company and soon acquired the rights to manufacture wireless radio controls marketed under the trade name "Tamar." Soon after beginning production of the Tamar products, Messrs. Farrell and Schanbacher established a limited wholesale market for their products in San Diego, California. From 1962 through 1965, distribution expanded throughout the United States.

Concurrently, the Company designed and built an advanced set of controls that were smaller, more reliable, and more attractively packaged than the competitive controls. From 1965 through 1975, Linear marketed a proprietary line of wireless controls based on a Frequency Shift Keyed (FSK) coding and transmission technique developed in-house. The success of this equipment in the door controls marketplace accounted for the Company's rapid growth during that period. FSK also enabled the Company to produce its first home security systems comprised of proprietary components. A new line of digitally coded transmitters and receivers was introduced in 1975. With a large number of discrete codes available, this equipment enabled Linear to move to a commanding position in the industry as a supplier of high-tech home security systems. Linear Corporation  Carlsbad, California

Timeline of key events in the history of Linear Corporation

1961 - Linear Corporation founded.
1962 - Linear Corporation introduces its first transmitter/receiver link for use in the automatic garage door industry.
1968 - Linear introduces the first RF link to the security industry.
1976 - Linear introduces its Standard Digital format that greatly reduces false alarm potential and allows the installer to customize the device code.
1977 - Linear purchases Colorado Electro Optics (CEO). CEO was the foremost development group for the passive infrared detector.
1978 - Linear acquires Colorado Electro Optics (CEO) as a wholly owned subsidiary of Linear Corporation. CEO is located in Boulder, Colorado and is a pioneer in manufacturing passive infrared sensors for motion detection in security systems and light controllers.
1979 - Linear acquires A.E. Moore Company, a well known manufacturer of garage door operators. The company was re-named Moore-O-Matic (MOM).
1979 - Linear forms a new non-corporate division called Linear Laboratories. The laboratory is located in Los Altos, California and is primarily a development R&D center specializing in passive infrared devices.
1979 - Linear installs the "Dyna-Pert" automatic circuit board assembly system in Inglewood, California production facility. Each machine electrically tests each component before automatic insertion into the printed circuit board assembly.
1980 - Linear Laboratories produces a line of passive infrared non-contact temperature measuring equipment. The portable ThermoFlow™ and TherMonitor™ are designed for industrial process control, plant maintenance, and insulation contractors. The ThermoFlow™ measures heat flow without contact and features direct readout of BTU's per square-foot/hour.
1980 - Linear's subsidiary Colorado Electro Optics (CEO) designs and manufacturers the Security Light Control (SLC-1). The SLC-1 is the first passive infrared automatic outdoor light control nationally marketed. The device senses the presence of anyone approaching, and turns on lights, guiding visitors or warning away unwelcome intruders.
1980 - Linear signs contract to begin manufacturing the 4-channel digital Amgard home alarm console for the Amway marketing organization. Substantial quantities of equipment were manufactured and delivered througout the duration of the Amway contract.
1980 - Linear's subsidiary Moore-O-Matic (MOM) in conjunction with Linear's Design and Development department engineer the screw-drive Model 838 Garage Door Operator (GDO). The injection molded bulkhead design weighs only 24 pounds, as compared to previous 60 pound GDO designs.
1980 - Linear designs and installs three computerized test fixtures to test the custom-built microprocessor chips and circuits used in the GDO operator controller board and the Amgard alarm system.
1981 - Linear's wireless security equipment sales surpass Linear's wireless garage door equipment sales for the first time. Residential and commercial security systems become more popular in lieu of increasing crime rates.
1981 - Linear corporation forms the new Linear Electronics Division as part of a corporate program to identify the various operating divisions of the company. The new division is responsible for the development and administration of programs to promote the principal security products which are manufactured by Linear and its subsidiaries.
1982 - Linear develops S1, the industry’s first supervised RF format. S1 transmitted alarm, restore, status, low battery and test reports.
1982 - Amgard wireless home alarm system production reaches 200 units per day.
1983 - Linear Corporation stock goes public July 19, 1983. The stock was listed over-the-counter.
1983 - Linear creates Linear Hong Kong Limited, a sub-assembly manufacturing facility in Hong Kong, China.
1983 - Linear designs and manufactures the first miniature UHF transmitter for medical alert use using Surface Acoustical Wave Resonator (SAWR) technology. The Model ET-1 measures only 1-1/2" x 3/4" and is water-resistant.
1983 - Linear Electronics designs and markets its first Supervised Wireless Security System. The Model SS-32 and its associated supervised transmitters are among the first of their type on the market.
1983 - Linear Corporation merges the Linear Electronics and Colorado Electro Optics security product lines and forms Linear Security Products Group.
1983 - Linear Corporation forms the Linear-McNeese Division. The division's primary product is a fire annunciation system used in hotels, motels, schools, hospitals and nursing homes.
1983 - Linear's CEO division begins design of long-range wireless communications systems designed to transmit emergency fire and intrusion signals without the need for telephone lines

Timeline of key events in the history of Linear Corporation (continued)

1983 - Linear Corporation creates a new division, Linear Plastics Corporation in Inglewood, California. Linear Plastics utilizes four 350-ton and 75-ton injection molding machines to produce a large percentage of the plastic parts required by all of Linear's manufacturing divisions.
1984 - Linear breaks ground for the new corporate and Linear Electronics headquarters in Carlsbad, California.
1984 - Linear Corporation acquires Direct-a-Page and forms the Linear Communications Division. Primary products are mid-range paging transmitters and portable receivers.
1984 - Linear's new 30,000 sq/ft facility in Carlsbad, California opens with 92 employees in August.
1984 - Linear acquires the license from Seaboard Electronics in New Rochelle, New York to manufacture long-range wireless central station equipment and forms Linear/Seaboard.
1984 - Linear acquires controlling interest in Security Sciences Corporation of America (SESCOA) in Scottsdale, Arizona. Primary products include digital communicators, alarm control panels, and central station receivers.
1984 - Linear acquires Gilcom communications in San Leandro, California, and forms Linear/Gilcom. Primary products include 27 MHz mid-range wireless transmitters and receivers.
1985 - Linear aligns itself with Schlage for the development and sale of a do-it-yourself system program. Combined system sales under the Keepsafer banner was in excess of 250,000 units.
1985 - Linear Corporation forms the Linear Door Products Division. The Division represents the merger of Linear's Moore-O-Matic garage door operator subsidiary with the radio access controls portion of the Linear Security Product Group.
1985 - Linear develops the first multi-million code RF format (Megacode).
1987 - Linear expands operations by leasing a new building north of Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, California. The new building housed Linear's warehouse, Marketing Services, Technical Services, Purchasing, and Quality Assurance.
1987 - Linear Corporation co-founders Ted Farrell and Bill Schanbacher sell their interest in the company.
1987 - Nortek Incorporated of Providence, Rhode Island submitted a tender offer to purchase and acquired the remaining public share of Linear Corporation.
1987 - Linear's Niteowl version of the Security Light Control received a Certificate of Merit in the Governor's award for Hong Kong design.
1988 - Linear Corporation welcomes Grant Rummell as president on August 24, 1988.
1988 - Linear/SESCOA opens the We Monitor America (WEMA) UL listed Central Station in Scottsdale, Arizona.
1989 - Linear introduces the first product incorporating the Megacode format. The SilentSignal was developed as an emergency reporting system for the convenience store market.
1990 - The 21st SENTRY package is introduced. The product wins a new product award at the ISC West show.
1994 - Linear introduces the SSD system. With a quantity price of less than $200.00 for the base system, it is perfect for the “zero down” market seller as well as the do-it-yourself market.
1994 - Linear enters the access control market with the AccessMaster product line. AccessMaster incorporates the MegaCode format for its RF needs.
1995 - Linear introduces the DX product line. DX is the first economical RF product designed for add-on to any system with 1,000,000 plus codes and quick learn technology. It replaces Standard Digital.
1997 - Linear purchases NOVI. The acquisition solidifies Linear’s position as a force in the retail security market.
1997 - Linear replaces the SSD with the DVS program. By adding supervision to the program, Linear now has the first supervised security package that can be installed in less than two hours.
1998 - On December 30, 1998 the assets of Moore-O-Matic were sold to the Chamberlain Group.
1999 - Linear purchases the Multi-Code product line solidifying Linear’s position as the major supplier of radios to the remote control market.
1999 - Linear Corporation purchases the assets of Multiplex Technology Incorporated of Brea, California. Multiplex (Channel Plus) provides electronic products used to expand television and telephone capabilities.
1999 - Linear Corporation purchases the assets of Xantech Corporation of Sylmar, California. Xantech is a leading designer and manufacturer of residential infrared remote control music systems.
2001 - Linear introduces its line of garage door operators to the door industry.