Articles – EEJournal

This Is Going to Be the Best FPGA Conference in the USA Ever! (Said Max, Excitedly)

January 29, 2026

Just in case it has escaped your attention, I want to make sure you are aware of the forthcoming FPGA Horizons US East Conference and Exhibition, which will take place April 29-30, 2026. If you want to learn more about this auspicious event, which costs a modest $200 for the entire 2-day extravaganza, then read on…

…but first, as an aside (I thought I’d better get this out of the way early on), Tom Swift is the main character in a long-running series of 100+ science fiction … Read More → "This Is Going to Be the Best FPGA Conference in the USA Ever! (Said Max, Excitedly)"

AI-Powered PCB Layout Tool Delivers a Working SBC

by Max Maxfield

January 27, 2026

I cannot believe how fast things are progressing in AI-powered Electronic Design Automation (EDA) space (where no one can hear you scream). AI-enabled EDA tools are popping up like mushrooms for a wide range of design, analysis, and verification tasks. One area that’s seen significant development—and attracted significant skepticism—is the use of AI to place and route printed circuit boards (PCBs).

Following each of my previous AI-powered PCB layout-related columns, I received a lot of pushback from layout designers in the trenches. The two main arguments I’ve heard are that (a) AI tools … Read More → "AI-Powered PCB Layout Tool Delivers a Working SBC"

Want to Invest in Humanoid Robots (Or Have Your Humanoid Robots Invested In)?

by Max Maxfield

January 22, 2026

As usual, I find (what I laughingly call) my mind to be well and truly boggled. When I was a young lad, AI-powered autonomous humanoid robots were the stuff of science fiction. Although I longed for them to become reality, I never really hoped to see them in my lifetime. Now, even though we’re still in the early era of humanoid robotics, these machines are already being deployed in real-world commercial and industrial settings such as warehouses, logistics facilities, and even select retail environments.

When I was a kid in the 1960s, the kinds of robots … Read More → "Want to Invest in Humanoid Robots (Or Have Your Humanoid Robots Invested In)?"

Making Materials Smart with Nanoscale Sensors

by Max Maxfield

January 20, 2026

Suppose you were creating a sensor intended to measure one phenomenon we’ll call A, and you spent years ensuring that its readings weren’t affected by another phenomenon we’ll call B. Now suppose you finally achieve your goal, only for your customers to tell you, “We love your A sensor… but we’d really like one that can measure B.”

Funnily enough, this is just what happened to the folks at a company I’m poised to pontificate about, but first…

As I’ve mentioned on occasion, my degree is in Control Engineering ( … Read More → "Making Materials Smart with Nanoscale Sensors"

How Optical Switches Can Cut AI Hyperscale Data Center Power by 40%

by Max Maxfield

January 15, 2026

I’m about to wax eloquent on a new generation of optical switches that are poised to revolutionize the communication capacity and performance of data centers—especially the AI and hyperscale flavors (ooh, tasty—and very real, as operators like Google have already proven)—while also cutting power by 40%, but first…

The phrase “It’s a funny old world, and no mistake” is an informal, colloquial British English expression used to comment on life’s unexpected, unusual, or contradictory events. I remember the ancient ones muttering this mantra to themselves when I was a lad. I wish … Read More → "How Optical Switches Can Cut AI Hyperscale Data Center Power by 40%"

Monetizing Stranded Megawatts in AI Data Centers

by Max Maxfield

January 13, 2026

I must admit that my head is “all over the place” today. I’m trying to juggle too many things at once, and the problem is that I can’t juggle. Well, that’s not strictly true. I can juggle 10 fine porcelain plates, but only for a very short period of time.

Speaking of porcelain (did you see what I just did there), my mum was born in 1930. She insists that her family wasn’t poor (“It’s just that we didn’t have a lot of money”). She also tells me they had only one cold-water … Read More → "Monetizing Stranded Megawatts in AI Data Centers"

Efficient Computer’s Efficient Computer is 100X More Energy Efficient than Other General-Purpose Processors

by Max Maxfield

January 8, 2026

I remember the heady days of the 1970s, when new and exciting 8-bit processor architectures were sprouting like metaphorical mushrooms. I’m sure that, like me, you are thinking of little beauties like the 8008 (1972), 8080 (1974), and 8085 (1976) from Intel, the 6800 (1974) from Motorola, the 6502 (1975) from MOS Technology, and the Z80 (1976) from Zilog.

However, there were many other contenders that deserve mention, such as the 8-bit PPS-8 (1974) from Rockwell International, which succeeded the 4-bit PPS-4 (1972). As an aside, Rockwell Automation, which spun off from Rockwell International in 1985, will forever be associated with its Read More → "Efficient Computer’s Efficient Computer is 100X More Energy Efficient than Other General-Purpose Processors"

A 4-Bit CPU for the 21st Century

by Max Maxfield

January 6, 2026

Hello there. Welcome to 2Q 21C. We hope you’ll enjoy your stay. (2Q 21C is the
notation I’ve invented to indicate the second quarter of the 21st century—you’re welcome.)

Over the past few years, we’ve been introduced to a cornucopia of new processor designs, many of which target artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) applications.

Most of these machines feature one or more 32-bit central processing units (CPUs) augmented with neural processing accelerators. I think it’s fair to say we’ll be seeing more of these in … Read More → "A 4-Bit CPU for the 21st Century"

Resurrecting Dead Grandmothers (Again)

by Max Maxfield

December 30, 2025

As I’ve mentioned before (and as I will no doubt mention again), I was at the front of the queue when the first commercial version of the Oculus Rift made its debut in 2016 with an orchestral flourish of ophicleides (and you don’t forget one of those in a hurry).

To be honest, I was never a big gamer before the introduction of virtual reality (VR) and later augmented reality (AR). This isn’t to say I had no interest in games as such. I did, but mainly as an observer whose primary fascination lay in … Read More → "Resurrecting Dead Grandmothers (Again)"

A Blob No More

by Max Maxfield

December 23, 2025

My head hurts. As usual, I’ve been floundering around in embedded space (where no one can hear you scream). And as a result, I’ve been introduced to something with so many possibilities and potentialities that I don’t know whether I’m coming or going or doing something else entirely.

I was just chatting with Rolf Segger, the Founder, Owner, and Chief Strategist, and Dirk Akemann, the Partnership Marketing Manager at SEGGER Microcontroller Systems.. Rolf and Dirk were bringing me up to date on their latest and greatest … Read More → "A Blob No More"