Articles – Page 250

November 3, 2011

Apple has been in the news a lot lately. Or, perhaps better to say, a lot more than usual.

There’s no doubt that Apple has done a ton to shape the equipment we use today. They have undoubtedly simplified how many gadgets work. But part of the Apple mystique has been about “intuitive” interfaces, and I’d like to pry more deeply into that issue and even put forth the heresy that Apple is no more intuitive than any other company. In fact, you could argue that some of its thinking might … Read More → "Going Against Your Intuition"

Solar Cell Energy Harvesting System Manager

by Amelia Dalton

November 3, 2011

Helsinki, Finland – 02 November 2011 – Micro Analog Systems Oy today announced the MAS6011 Solar Cell Energy Harvesting System Manager.

MAS6011 monitors the supply voltage and charging of a battery-powered system containing a small solar cell. The current consumption of this IC is extremely low, 110 nA, which means the system can charge from very low light conditions and also stay in power down mode for years and still operate directly from the battery before recharging.

To be able to charge a battery also in conditions with very limited light, a large solar cell is usually used. This … Read More → "Solar Cell Energy Harvesting System Manager"

Automotive Driver Assistance Systems: Using the Processing Power of FPGAs

by Bryon Moyer

November 2, 2011

Automotive electronic content is continuing to grow at a robust pace, due in large part to consumer demand for safety, comfort, convenience, and entertainment. In the wake of that trend, the industry is witnessing a revolution in the design of the automotive instrument panel in step with the exponential increase in the amount of information available for communication to the driver and front-seat passenger. Engineers are leveraging FPGAs to drive these innovations to market faster. FPGAs have reached a tipping point in terms of affordability that has elevated the technology from a … Read More → "Automotive Driver Assistance Systems: Using the Processing Power of FPGAs"

Addressing the Graphics Revolution for Automotive Instrumentation Design Using FPGAs

by Bryon Moyer

November 2, 2011

Since the early 1990s, developers of advanced DA systems have striven to provide a safer, more convenient driving experience. Over the past two decades, DA features such as ultrasonic park assist, adaptive cruise control, and lane departure warning systems in high-end vehicles have been deployed. Recently, automotive manufacturers have added rear-view cameras, blind-spot detection, and surround-vision systems as options. Except for ultrasonic park assist, deployment volumes for DA systems have been limited. However, the research firm Strategy Analytics forecasts that DA system deployment will rise … Read More → "Addressing the Graphics Revolution for Automotive Instrumentation Design Using FPGAs"

When I’m Sixty-Four

ARM’s New 64-bit CPU Architecture Looks Strangely Old

by Jim Turley

November 2, 2011

Will you still need me / Will you still feed me / When I’m 64?

Ah, ARM has finally grown up. Time to join the big kids at the grownups’ table.

Last week ARM began a long striptease by lifting the veil from its newest CPU architecture. The new design doesn’t even have a name yet, it’s just called “ARM version 8,” or ARMv8 for short. The coming months (and perhaps years) will see a series of ever more-revealing announcements as ARM shows us a … Read More → "When I’m Sixty-Four"

Surgical Superpowers

Intuitive Surgical brings Robots into the Operating Room

by Kevin Morris

November 1, 2011

While I’ve never done a survey of engineering superhero preferences, I’d have to guess (based on empirical evidence) that Batman is near the top of the favorites list. It stands to reason. In a field of characters whose unlikely powers stem from various mixtures of laboratory accident, supernatural activity, and pure suspension of disbelief, Batman stands out as a normal human being whose crime-fighting capabilities were boosted purely through the magic of engineering.

How cool is that?

As engineers, we are inspired by the idea that pure technical innovation can … Read More → "Surgical Superpowers"

Where is EDA Going?

by Dick Selwood

October 31, 2011

In 1999, DAC (the Design Automation Conference) was in New Orleans. The industry was at the height of its growth, and, when you got off the plane, it looked as though at least a third of the cabs had illuminated Synopsys advertisements on their roofs. There were almost 250 exhibitors, many of them recent start-ups, and it took forever to get from the show booths to the demo booths. In the evening, DAC vendor parties were everywhere, and, despite the humidity and heat, it was a wonderful time to hear about new ideas.

A week or so ago I … Read More → "Where is EDA Going?"

Smart, Scalable Debugging with ZeBu

by Jim Turley

October 31, 2011

Modern SOC realization requires a development effort beyond that of traditional hardware verification. Creating a complete application-ready SOC platform now includes pre-tapeout software validation and hardware/software co-verification using full-chip RTL models. These billion-cycle scenarios are often beyond the scope of HDL simulation, but are ideal for emulation using EVE’s ZeBu hardware-assisted verification platforms.

… Read More →

Beyond the Hype: MIPS® – the Processor for MCUs

by Amelia Dalton

October 28, 2011

A market leader in the Digital Home and Networking sectors, MIPS has adapted its industry-standard MIPS32® architecture to address the requirements of 32-bit microcontroller (MCU) product development, offering a higher-performance, more feature-rich and lower-power solution than that offered by competing cores based on the ARM® architecture. This paper outlines the design features that are implemented in MIPS® processor cores that contribute to their industry-leading performance. Additionally, we compare and contrast MCU design solutions based on the MIPS and ARM architectures. We will provide you with the substance … Read More → "Beyond the Hype: MIPS® – the Processor for MCUs"

Will Intel Make It In Mobile?

Big Name’s Big Chips Haven’t Made It Big in Little Devices

by Jim Turley

October 26, 2011

If you ask the average person to name the world’s biggest computer chip company they’ll say Intel. In reality, Intel makes only about 2% of the world’s microprocessors and microcontrollers. The rest of the business is scattered among dozens of other CPU and MCU makers. ARM-based chips, for example, are five times more popular than Intel’s x86-based chips, yet few normal people know anything about ARM.

Intel wants to change that. Not the ARM thing—the 2% thing. Intel wants a bigger slice of the embedded-processor pie, and it& … Read More → "Will Intel Make It In Mobile?"