Articles – Page 37

May the Flux (Copilot) Be with You!

September 7, 2023

I have seen the future of electronic design. It is both awesome and scary. I’m too young for all this excitement. I have much to impart. Before we proceed further, however, let’s first remind ourselves as to the way things were in ye olden days, by which—as terrifying as it seems—I mean prior to 2023.

When I was a young sprout deep in the mists of time that we used to call the early 1970s, I created all my designs using discrete components soldered onto Veroboard (a. … Read More → "May the Flux (Copilot) Be with You!"

In Just Two Days, Intel Foundry Services Falls from Zenith To Nadir, Then Recovers

by Steven Leibson

September 6, 2023

On August 14, Intel announced that Synopsys would develop a portfolio of intellectual property (IP) for the Intel 3 and Intel 18A process nodes, which will broaden and accelerate access to Synopsys silicon IP for Intel Foundry Services (IFS), its customers, and its growing ecosystem. The support of Synopsys, one of the “big three” Electronic Design Automation (EDA) vendors and a significant player in semiconductor IP, is essential for any semiconductor foundry that wants to be taken seriously in the world market.

Just two days later, Intel announced that it was terminating its 18-month effort … Read More → "In Just Two Days, Intel Foundry Services Falls from Zenith To Nadir, Then Recovers"

Are These the Top-Performing Edge AI Processors?

by Max Maxfield

September 5, 2023

I fear I am becoming befuddled, bewildered, and bemused. It seems like every day I get to chat with a new company (well, a company new to me) that’s involved with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in some capacity or other. Some of these companies focus on the cloud, while others target the edge. Some devote themselves to the software side of things, like developing new generative AI tools, while others turn their attentions to creating hardware—chips, modules, and systems—that can execute AI/ML applications at lightning speed.

The Lunar Roving Vehicle: How Earth’s Moon Became the Cadillac Ranch

by Steven Leibson

September 4, 2023

“We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win.” – John F Kennedy, President of the United States, September 12, 1962

“If there’s going to be a vehicle on the moon, it’s going to be a General Motors vehicle, … Read More → "The Lunar Roving Vehicle: How Earth’s Moon Became the Cadillac Ranch"

“Proving Ground”: A biography and history of the six women who invented programming for ENIAC

by Steven Leibson

August 31, 2023

ENIAC, generally and arguably considered to be the world’s first large-scale general purpose electronic computer, was the Big Bang of the computer industry. Credit for ENIAC rightly goes to two men, John Mauchly and Presper Eckert, who conceived of the machine and had major roles in developing its hardware during World War II. However, every good computer scientist knows that a computer, any computer, is not worth much without software. For ENIAC, no software and no software development process existed until six women took on the task of developing a programming process and writing the first … Read More → "“Proving Ground”: A biography and history of the six women who invented programming for ENIAC"

Teradyne’s Tactics to Tackle Twenty-First Century Test

by Max Maxfield

August 30, 2023

When I was a young sprout, I used to work for a pair of sister companies called Cirrus Designs and Cirrus Computers in the UK. While at Cirrus Designs, I learned all* about testing integrated circuits (ICs) and printed circuit boards (PCBs). Meanwhile, at Cirrus Computers, I learned all* about digital logic simulation, automatic test pattern generation (ATPG), and automatic test equipment (ATE). (*When I say “all” in this context, I don’t mean I learned everything there is to know; rather, that I learned everything I could squeeze into my meager mind.)

“The Game Console 2.0” Serves up Images of 123 Home Video Game Consoles Across 9 Generations

by Steven Leibson

August 28, 2023

My engineering career started shortly after video games appeared. The first arcade video game, Computer Space, was developed by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney and released in 1971. Bushnell and Dabney founded Atari the following year. Computer Space was inspired by another computer game, Spacewar!, which MIT students had programmed into a Digital Equipment Corp (DEC) PDP-1 minicomputer in 1962. Bushnell saw a version of Spacewar! running on a DEC PDP-6 minicomputer in 1969.

Atari’s first arcade game, Pong, was a copy of a table tennis game that Bushnell saw running on the first home … Read More → "“The Game Console 2.0” Serves up Images of 123 Home Video Game Consoles Across 9 Generations"

Blinded by the Light

by Max Maxfield

August 24, 2023

Do you remember the song Blinded by the Light? This composition, which was originally written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, first appeared on his 1973 debut album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. Bruce is, of course, a legend. As awesome as his rendition is, however, I will always associate Blinded by the Light with Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, who released their version three years later as a track on their 1976 album, The Roaring Silence.

I was just perusing and Read More → "Blinded by the Light"

Blumind Bodes AI For Everyone, Everywhere

by Max Maxfield

August 22, 2023

As I’ve mentioned several times on previous occasions, when I commenced my degree course in Control Engineering at Sheffield Hallam University in England circa the mid-1970s, the only computer available to the students that physically resided in the engineering department building was a room-sized analog beast. In this case, we implemented our algorithms using plug-in cables to connect the various analog functions. … Read More →

Farewell my beloved x1 x10 Scope Probe

by Steven Leibson

August 21, 2023

In its infinite wisdom, the Test and Measurement Alliance (TMA) has announced that there’s been an “industry-wide decision to retire x1/x10 switchable oscilloscope probes.” What, you’ve never heard of the TMA? Me neither. However, according to the TMA’s Web site, it’s been around since 2016.

The press release that announced this discontinuation said:

“The TMA, an international alliance of Test and Measurement companies, today announces a significant industry-wide decision to retire x1/x10 switchable oscilloscope probes in all new Alliance Member oscilloscope products, effective from … Read More → "Farewell my beloved x1 x10 Scope Probe"