We all know that cars are using processors for many tasks, but it is easy to fail to comprehend just how many there are in a typical modern car. Browsing through the Infineon AURIX automotive processor application guide, you can start to see just how pervasive processors are. The AURIX processors are specifically designed for automotive… Read More
Synopsys is First IP Provider with a Complete CXL Implementation Available
Synopsys just announced the availability of their IP solution supporting CXL (Compute Express Link). This new protocol is going to be an important component for several applications expected to be shipping starting in 2021. CXL is an alternate protocol that runs on the same physical layer as PCI Express (PCIe). Among other usages,… Read More
Synopsys and Synaptics Talk About Securing the Connected Home
Like many people, I have been adding automation to my home, and the number of connected devices I use has slowly but steadily increased. These include light bulbs, cameras, switches, a thermostat, a voice assistant, etc. Between them, they know when I am home or away, and have the ability to record images and sound. In addition to … Read More
Integrated SIMs Will Unlock IoT Growth
I’m a believer that connectivity for the IoT at scale (the trillions of devices that the industry predicts) has to be cellular. This is partly based on reach, particularly outside urban areas, but is mostly based on the financial implications of that scale. Yes, you can build infrastructure for say local Wi-Fi support with backhaul… Read More
Tortuga Crosses a Chasm
I assume you know the Geoffrey Moore “crossing the chasm” concept, jumping from early stage enthusiasts trying your product because they’ll try anything new, to expanding to a mainstream and intrinsically more critical audience – a much tougher proposition. I’d argue there may be more than one of these transitions in the… Read More
The IoT will meet 5G soon, but not with the old SIM cards
By now you have probably realized that 5G is a lot more than an incremental change from previous 3G and 4G cellular technology. For instance, 5G will be used to connect our phones in completely new ways, such as with microcells in urban areas using mm-wavelength signals. 5G will also include two low power protocols that are intended… Read More
Using ML to Build Efficient Low Power Platforms for Augmented Vision
We are all pretty familiar with augmented reality, where real world images are overlaid with computer generated images, graphics and even audio. Of course, our first exposure to augmented reality might have been images of heads up displays in fighter jets or perhaps in the movie The Terminator. Augmented reality is moving rapidly… Read More
ARM, NXP Share Usage, Challenges at Synopsys Lunch
Synopsys runs a “Industry verifies with Synopsys” lunch at each DVCon, which isn’t as cheesy as the title might suggest. The bulk of the lunch covers user presentations on their use of Synopsys tools which I find informative and quite open, sharing problems as much as successes. This year, Eamonn Quiqley, FPGA engineering manager… Read More
Accelerating SOC Development for Automobile Applications
No area of electronics is moving faster than automotive semiconductors. Everyone has been talking about the increasing electronics content of automobiles for decades. With Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) and autonomous driving becoming a reality the pace has picked up even more. These new designs combine just about… Read More
PCIe 5.0 Jumps to the Fore in 2019
2019 will be a big year for PCIe. With the approval of version 0.9 of the Base Layer for PCIe 5.0, implementers have a solid foundation to begin working on designs. PCIe 4.0 was introduced in 2017, before that the previous PCIe 3.0 was introduced in 2010 – ages ago in this industry. In fact, 5.0 is so close on the heels of 4.0, many products… Read More