Headed to the Skies! High Speed Data Transmission for Aerospace Designs

This week’s podcast is all about high speed data transmission in aerospace applications! My podcast guests this week are Christian Hobmaier and Thomas Mittermeier from ODU connectors. Christian, Thomas and I explore the biggest challenges in this arena, the innovative new connector solutions ODU offers to support these kinds of designs, and the details of ODU’s rigorous testing that includes a technique called the “Arizona Dust Test”. … Read More → "Headed to the Skies! High Speed Data Transmission for Aerospace Designs"

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Meets Networks-on-Chip (NoCs) in More Ways Than One

Way back in the mists of time that we used to call 2023, I wrote (well, waffled) a column about Network-on-Chip (NoC) technology (see Who Needs a Network-on-Chip (NoC)? Everyone!). Suffice it to say that this was in the days before the punctuation police forbade me from using exclamation marks in my titles (thankfully, I’ … Read More → "Artificial Intelligence (AI) Meets Networks-on-Chip (NoCs) in More Ways Than One"

Is the world ready for Platypus, Zero ASIC’s open eFPGA IP? CEO Andreas Olofsson is betting that the answer is “Yes”

Embedded FPGA (eFPGA) IP is not new. Several companies including Achronix, Efinix, Flex Logix, Menta, and QuickLogic have been offering FPGA cores for integration into ASICs and SoCs for a while. ASIC designers use eFPGA cores to help future-proof their designs. The eFPGA can be used to patch bugs or add features as needed. These abilities help to avoid a costly and time-consuming re-spin of the … Read More → "Is the world ready for Platypus, Zero ASIC’s open eFPGA IP? CEO Andreas Olofsson is betting that the answer is “Yes”"

Microchip launches sub-$1, dual-core AVR microcontroller for functional safety applications

Several microcontroller vendors used the time around Embedded World 2025 to introduce some truly interesting devices. I’ve already written about the TI MSPM0 microcontroller family and the WCH CH570 microcontroller (see “TI says its MSPM0 is the world’s most teeny, tiny 32-bit microcontroller. It’s smaller than a grain of white rice and costs 16 cents.” and “A 10-cent RISC-V microcontroller from China? Why not?”), and now … Read More → "Microchip launches sub-$1, dual-core AVR microcontroller for functional safety applications"

A Transition to Software Defined Vehicles: How AMD is Enabling the Next Generation of Smart Cars

My podcast guest this week is Wayne Lyons, Automotive Director at AMD. Wayne and I discuss the trends encouraging the development of software defined vehicles, how AMD is furthering innovation in many different areas within automotive design and the trends Wayne sees sharing the future of automotive technology.

 

Read More → "A Transition to Software Defined Vehicles: How AMD is Enabling the Next Generation of Smart Cars"

AI-Based PCBA Machine Vision Solution Ensures Supply Chain Integrity

I wish you could visit me in Max’s World, where everything is bigger, brighter, and more colorful. The birds sing sweeter (and in harmony), the flowers are more fragrant, the butterflies are more brillacious—a neologism of brilliant and bodacious that I just invented—and the beer flows plentifully and cold. Most importantly, everyone is nice, kind, honorable, and trustworthy. No one would even dream … Read More → "AI-Based PCBA Machine Vision Solution Ensures Supply Chain Integrity"

May 8, 2025
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featured chalk talk

SiC-Based High-Density Industrial Charger Solutions
Sponsored by Mouser Electronics and onsemi
In this episode of Chalk Talk, Amelia Dalton and Prasad Paruchuri from onsemi explore the benefits of silicon carbide based high density industrial charging solutions. They investigate the topologies of Totem Pole PFC and Half Bridge LLC circuits, the challenges that bidirectional CLLC resonant DC-DC converters are solving today, and how you can take advantage of onsemi’s silicon carbide charging solutions for your next design.
May 21, 2024
37,701 views

featured paper

How Google and Intel use Calibre DesignEnhancer to reduce IR drop and improve reliability

Sponsored by Siemens Digital Industries Software

Through real-world examples from Intel and Google, we highlight how Calibre’s DesignEnhancer maximizes layout modifications while ensuring DRC compliance.

Click here for more information

discussion
Posted on May 9 at 8:29am by Hakkı Göçeoğlu
Hi, Gemini 2.5 got the correct answer, I think it cheated and found the solution somewhere (that is what I want believe in). The answer starts with NOT(M)=NOT((A AND B) OR (B AND C) OR (C AND A)) NOT(P)=NOT(((A OR B OR C) AND NOT(...
Posted on May 8 at 7:28am by Steven Leibson
That is indeed where the magic resides, Kent.
Posted on May 8 at 7:27am by Steven Leibson
Honestly, I wish Andreas well Max. His excellent track record notwithstanding, FPGA IP companies have a poor track record for the reasons Kent lists below. I've worked at two FPGA companies, Xilinx and Intel/Altera and neither was inclined to enter the eFPGA arena, where support costs could not easily ...
Posted on May 7 at 10:03am by Kent
The problem with every new FPGA startup (and why they have failed) is that FPGA vendors are: 1) The tools 2) The IP ecosystem FPGA's, from a hardware standpoint, very simple devices. The magic is in the software.
Posted on May 7 at 8:11am by Max Maxfield
Hi Steve -- if this came from anyone else, I'd be saying "hmmm," but I know Andreas of old, and he has a history of succeeding at anything he sets his mind to. I first met him back in 2010 when he'd just single-handedly designed and developed his own 40-million transistor ...
Posted on May 6 at 4:50am by Steven Leibson
Glad to help, RedBarnDesigner. If the CCL accommodates a 74-chip TTL design, I'd be interested in knowing that. It would indicate just how much logic capacity the CCL can handle. As for how Microchip can afford to sell an eval kit for $14.95, I suggest you simply take the gift of ...
Posted on May 5 at 8:08am by RedBarnDesigner
Hi Steve, Thanks for this article - I saw an advertisement for this device in a hardcopy journal that I receive and it got my interest. I was going to check it out on the Microchip website but your article has filled in the detail that I was wanting to ...
Posted on May 1 at 6:36am by Max Maxfield
ROFLOL
Posted on Apr 30 at 2:19pm by Steven Leibson
Memory is the second thing to go, Max.
Posted on Apr 30 at 8:14am by Max Maxfield
Someone just reminded me that I wrote a 3-part series of articles on LFSRs way back in the mists of time. I just found them on EETimes. Eeeek, I wrote these almost 20 years ago. I'd completely forgotten about using LFSRs as pointers into FIFOs and stuff like that. Here are ...
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featured blogs
May 2, 2025
I can safely say that I've never seen a wheeled-legged robot that can handle rugged terrains, muddy wetlands, and debris-strewn ruins like this...
Power Inductor Considerations for AI Computing and High-Powered Processors
Sponsored by Mouser Electronics and Vishay
In this episode of Chalk Talk, Mariyah Sachak from Vishay and Amelia Dalton explore how various inductor solutions can supply near-instant power to demanding loads at low, core-level voltages for high power computing applications. They also investigate the benefits of Trans-Inductor voltage regulators and what you will need to consider when choosing the right inductor solution for your next design.
May 5, 2025
3,465 views
Intelligent Factory Automation Power Solutions
Energy efficiency will be a critical concern for Industry 5.0. In this episode of Chalk Talk, Alessandro Maggioni from onsemi, Simon Reuning from the YAGEO Group and Amelia Dalton explore the implementation of the various stages of power conversion, the steps we can take to make power factor correction more effective, and how you can take advantage of onsemi and YAGEO group solutions for your next industrial design.
May 2, 2025
7,605 views
Motor Control Innovation with PSOC™ Control C3
Sponsored by Mouser Electronics and Infineon
PSOC™ Control is Infineon’s newest family of MCUs developed for motor control applications. This family of high-performance Arm® Cortex®- M33 MCUs enables designers to innovate and solve complex design problems for applications like HVAC, home appliances, robotics, telecom and server power supplies, light electric vehicle chargers, solar inverters, and industrial drives. In this episode of Chalk Talk, Perfecto Martinez from Infineon and Amelia Dalton explore how Infineon’s PSOC™ Control C3 is ??enabling developers to create highly efficient and secured motor control and power systems.
May 2, 2025
7,652 views
Speakers in Audio Design
Sponsored by Mouser Electronics and Same Sky
In this episode of Chalk Talk, Nick Grillone from Same Sky and Amelia Dalton explore the characteristics of speakers in audio design and the parameters you should consider when choosing a speaker. They also investigate the roles that sound pressure levels and frequency response play in the selection of a speaker and how Same Sky can help you find the best speaker for your next design.
Apr 30, 2025
9,892 views
How to Choose the Right Battery Charger
Sponsored by Mouser Electronics and MEAN WELL
In this episode of Chalk Talk, Thrax Cui from MEAN WELL and Amelia Dalton explore how you can choose the right battery charger for your next design. They investigate the battery charging principles of lithium ion and lead acid batteries, the steps involved in choosing a battery charger, and how MEAN WELL battery charging solutions support the charging needs of a wide variety of applications.
Apr 29, 2025
11,930 views
AC-DC Introduction
In this episode of Chalk Talk, Mitch Van Ochten from ROHM Semiconductor and Amelia explore the what, where and how of AC/DC controllers and converter ICs. They investigate the benefits of ROHM’s non-isolated AC/DC buck converters, AC/DC control ICs and AC/DC flyback converters and how you can utilize these solutions in your next design.
Apr 25, 2025
12,367 views