Articles – Page 194

July 14, 2014

Once upon a time, roughly a month ago, there were sensor makers, who made sensors and did some amount of their own sensor fusion software, and there were separate companies (note plural) that made “sensor fusion” software that wasn’t tied to any specific brand of sensor.

Why did we need this? Well, let’s review for anyone that hasn’t been following the scene in detail. You can take, for example, the output of an accelerometer and the output of a gyroscope and “fuse” them together to provide an overall orientation result in terms of Read More → "And Then There Was One"

Wireless Wramblings

Changing the World with Cell Phones?

by Dick Selwood

July 10, 2014

Deciding what to write about for EEJournal is difficult. It is not that there is a lack of stories, but picking just one topic out of the many that are competing for my attention every day is sometimes close to impossible. But occasionally there are signals that just cannot be ignored. In the last few days these signals have all been pointing at wireless.

The biggest single signal was the Cambridge Wireless “Future of Wireless” conference. Cambridge Wireless is a community (its word – not mine) of “nearly 400 companies across the globe interested in the development and … Read More → "Wireless Wramblings"

Tesla, Edison, and the Patent Office

Positive and Negative Poles in the World of Electricity

by Jim Turley

July 9, 2014

Elon Musk is a guy so rich that he builds real-life rocket ships for fun.

He also builds electric cars. Or, more accurately, he built a company, Tesla Motors, that builds electric cars. Before that, he made money by handling other people’s money via PayPal. He grew up in Canada, so he’s also a nice guy.

Evidently Mr. Musk is also something of a philanthropist, because last month he gave away Tesla’s patents. Yup, just gave ’em away. Want to build an electric car that competes with Tesla’s? Knock yourself out; … Read More → "Tesla, Edison, and the Patent Office"

Black Helicopters

The Career-Limiting Blame Trap

by Kevin Morris

July 8, 2014

John had been working for almost six weeks on a single part of the design persistence code. He had made no discernable progress. His original estimate for the project had been “2-3 days.” As John’s manager, and as the engineering manager responsible for the timely delivery of our project, I needed to do something. I stopped by John’s office for a visit.

“They want us to use an OODB,” John stated flatly. “It won’t work.”

I was confused. I knew the project inside and out. Our … Read More → "Black Helicopters"

Analog Breakthrough?

Pulsic Automates Analog Layout

by Bryon Moyer

July 7, 2014

You are now entering the “It can’t be done” zone. But, at least for the moment, I’ll ask that you relax that axiom, even if only slightly, to something less absolute, like “We’re pretty sure it can’t be done.”

That’s because we are approaching the Holy of Holies, Mystery of Mysteries, Most Unapproachable of That Which is Unapproachable: analog design automation.

Before we dive in, let’s set up the contrasts first by revisiting the highly automated world of digital design. Heck, digital designers practically don’t need to know … Read More → "Analog Breakthrough?"

IoT Needs Better B&Bs

by Jim Turley

July 3, 2014

While top-flight bed & breakfasts would no doubt do a world of good for many IoT developers, the “B&B” in the title refers to BANDWIDTH and BATTERIES. Given all the ink spilled on IoT, these are two topics that do not receive the attention they deserve. The third important yet underserved topic is IoT security, and that will get a separate article of its own.

IoT bandwidth falls into the growing category of “challenges that need to be solved, and the sooner the better.” Many IoT devices rely on Bluetooth (BT), which will work until … Read More → "IoT Needs Better B&Bs"

Crossbar RRAM Tweaks Nonvolatile Memory

Unique Resistive Technology Set to Challenge NAND Flash

by Jim Turley

July 2, 2014

I gotta say, memory chips are boring.

And that’s coming from a guy who lives and works in the chip business. Sure, I can get all excited about microprocessor chips. I can generally keep my eyes open through a discussion of interface chips. I’ve even been known to nod occasionally when the topic turns to cryptography chips. But memory? Give me some toothpicks for my eyelids.

But out in the real world of non-technical humanoids, “memory chip” is about the only semiconductor-related phrase that average people know. They pick it up from TV, … Read More → "Crossbar RRAM Tweaks Nonvolatile Memory"

Combatting Complexity

From Intelligent Design to Evolution in Engineering

by Kevin Morris

July 1, 2014

I once had a colleague who defined a “system” as “the thing one level of complexity higher than you can understand.”

I always thought there was a bit of profound insight in that definition.

We humans have a finite capacity for understanding, and that capacity does not benefit from the bounty of Moore’s Law. Our brains don’t magically think twice as fast every two years, or have the capacity to consider exponentially more factors each decade. Our limited brains also don’t compensate well for the layer … Read More → "Combatting Complexity"

Turning Brown Fields to Green

The IIoT Leverages Legacy Plant

by Bryon Moyer

June 30, 2014

There is no such thing as “the Internet of Things (IoT).”

I’m gradually coming around to the conclusion that this entity, as something integral, is an over-simplification. At the very least, there are two IoTs: the consumer one (which I’m starting to refer to as the CIoT) and the industrial IoT (commonly referred to as the IIoT).

This gives me some sympathy for a complaint certain players have had for a while: “The IoT is nothing new; it’s just a new name for M2M (machine-to-machine).” Although this statement, in and of … Read More → "Turning Brown Fields to Green"

Let’s Get Small, v3.0

New MEMS Accelerometers from mCube are World’s Smallest

by Jim Turley

June 25, 2014

Most startups have no product. This one has shipped 60 million products before coming out of stealth mode.

Say hello to mCube, probably the most successful chipmaker you’ve never heard of. In keeping with the company’s low profile, mCube makes little bitty motion sensors. Accelerometers, magnetometers, and even teensy gyroscopes. Most of those little chips have been sold to Chinese cellphone makers, but the company hopes that its fortunes will soon change.

Cellphones are just the beginning, says mCube CEO Ben Lee. The real volume is in the “Internet of Moving Things (IoMT).” (Oh, … Read More → "Let’s Get Small, v3.0"