Synopsys and Synaptics Talk About Securing the Connected Home

Synopsys and Synaptics Talk About Securing the Connected Home
by Tom Simon on 07-23-2019 at 10:00 am

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


Synopsys Offers Smooth Sailing for OTP NVM

Synopsys Offers Smooth Sailing for OTP NVM
by Tom Simon on 12-20-2018 at 12:00 pm

Nobody likes drama. Wait, let me narrow that down a bit. Chip designers really hate drama. They live in a world of risk and uncertainty, a world that tool and IP vendors spend considerable resources trying to make safer and more rational. It’s notable just how ironic that Sidense and Kilopass were duking out patent litigation in the… Read More


Implementing IEEE 1149.1-2013 to solve IC counterfeiting, security and quality issues

Implementing IEEE 1149.1-2013 to solve IC counterfeiting, security and quality issues
by Tom Simon on 10-16-2017 at 12:00 pm

As chips for any design are fabricated, it turns out that no two are the exactly the same. This is both a blessing and a curse. Current silicon fabrication technology is amazingly good at controlling factors that affect chip to chip uniformity. Nevertheless, each chip has different characteristics. The most extreme case of happens… Read More


Making Sensors of the World

Making Sensors of the World
by Tom Simon on 08-15-2017 at 12:00 pm

How many sensors do you think you own? Let’s start with your thermostat. It’s simple, right? You might guess one or two, and if you owned a 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] generation Nest you’d be wrong. It comes with a light sensor, heat sensor (in addition to temp), microphone, carbon monoxide sensor, smoke sensor, and occupancy sensor. Also, … Read More


Seeking Autonomy

Seeking Autonomy
by Tom Simon on 07-24-2017 at 12:00 pm

I’d wager that if I mention autonomous vehicles, the first thing that you would think of would be autonomous cars. The truth is that we will see many other kinds autonomous vehicles in the years ahead. Their applications will range from package delivery to saving lives on the battlefield. Of course, to some extent they are already… Read More


IP Vendor Nabs Top Talent from Semiconductor Industry

IP Vendor Nabs Top Talent from Semiconductor Industry
by Tom Simon on 02-07-2016 at 4:00 pm

The growth of mobile and IoT have helped increase the demand for One Time Programmable Non Volatile Memory (OTP NVM) as a solution for on-chip storage. To continue to meet this demand and grow with it, industry leading Sidense has recently brought on board seasoned semiconductor executive Ken Wagner as VP of Engineering. He was … Read More


SIM cards and avoiding stranded IoT assets

SIM cards and avoiding stranded IoT assets
by Don Dingee on 11-24-2014 at 4:00 pm

Since pennants, drums, smoke, and horses fell out of favor to more advanced communication technology, network operators have struggled to find balance. Too few subscribers interested, and infrastructure investments completely fail. Just the right number of paying users, revenue streams provide profit and ability to invest… Read More