Articles – Page 51

Voyagers 1 and 2 Take Embedded Computers into Interstellar Space

July 25, 2022

The July issue of Scientific American magazine has a terrific review of the Voyager space mission that details the trips Voyagers 1 and 2 have made through the Solar System. The article is titled “Record-Breaking Voyager Spacecraft Begin to Power Down.” Both spacecraft have now entered interstellar space and are the first human artifacts to do so. Tim Folger wrote the article for Read More → "Voyagers 1 and 2 Take Embedded Computers into Interstellar Space"

Mixed-Signal Simulation in the 21st Century

by Max Maxfield

July 21, 2022

Sometimes when I’m writing an article, the title doesn’t come to me until after I’ve finished the main body of the piece. Other times—as in the case of this column—the title writes itself and all I have to do is flesh out the words that follow (I make it sound easier than it is LOL).

Now that I’m reading the title, I’m thinking “Wow, rounding up with gusto and abandon, we’re almost a quarter of the way through the 21st Century.” I … Read More → "Mixed-Signal Simulation in the 21st Century"

Tektronix Architects New 2 Series MSO Family Around Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC

by Steven Leibson

July 18, 2022

Saying that Tektronix has a new ‘scope is like saying that Toyota has a new car. These are “dog bites man” stories. They all happen with great regularity. Nevertheless, Tektronix has a new ‘scope. Actually, it’s a family of new ‘scopes: the Tektronix 2 Series Mixed signal Oscilloscope (MSO) family. This new MSO family is worthy of discussion for two main reasons. First, the instruments have been designed from the ground up as portable instruments with optional cordless operation using hot-swappable batteries. The product features alone make the 2 Series MSO family worthy of discussion. Second, the 2 … Read More → "Tektronix Architects New 2 Series MSO Family Around Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC"

Did the Metaverse’s Holy Grail Just Arrive?

by Max Maxfield

July 14, 2022

As is usually the case, my head is currently jam-packed full of thoughts about all sorts of stuff, including consciousness, pain, octopuses, robots, holograms, Monty Python, the metaverse, and whether or not the word “metaverse” should be capitalized (you should consider yourself lucky that you’re not trapped in here with me).

Let’s start with pain. I, for one, don’t like it. This reminds me of the old chestnut that goes: “Beat me,” begged the masochist. “No” replied the sadist (which also reminds me of another oldie but … Read More → "Did the Metaverse’s Holy Grail Just Arrive?"

Samsung Announces 3nm Process Node, the First with Gate-All-Around FETs

by Steven Leibson

July 13, 2022

It appears that Samsung is the – ahem – first out of the gate with a gate-all-around (GAA) FET IC process technology. The company recently announced initial semiconductor production with its 3nm process node. Samsung’s trademarked name for its version of a GAAFET is “MBCFET,” which stands for “Multi-Bridge-Channel FET.” Since a picture is often worth 1000 words, and this is supposed to be a 1000-word article, here’s a picture showing the evolution of FET architecture that presently culminates in GAAFETs. … Read More →

SpinDance Has You Covered From Embedded Firmware to the Cloud

by Max Maxfield

July 12, 2022

As usual, there are so many things going on in my life that I no longer know whether I’m coming or going. A few weeks ago, for example, I presented BeBop RoboSkin, which is a skin-like covering that can provide humanoid robots with tactile awareness that exceeds the capabilities of human beings with respect to spatial resolution and sensitivity. The example that really took my breath away was seeing a robot’s finger reading braille.

Moore’s Law: Not Dead Yet? Nope, Says Intel:, Behold Intel 4… and 3

by Steven Leibson

July 11, 2022

I’ve been writing about the death of Moore’s Law for more than a decade and have published articles on the topic for EEJournal.com several times in the past few years. It seems that I may have been premature and that I may need to eat some of my own words.

Back in 2018, in an EEJournal.com article titled “Racing to the End of Moore’s Law: The New World Semiconductor Order</ … Read More → "Moore’s Law: Not Dead Yet? Nope, Says Intel:, Behold Intel 4… and 3"

Halodi’s Humanoid Robots are Already Amongst Us!

by Max Maxfield

July 7, 2022

I’ve spent the past couple of hours contemplating how wonderful I am. Of course, it probably goes without saying that this is not an unusual activity for me in and of itself, but this time there’s a reason for my cogitations and ruminations because I was comparing my brain (which is right up there as one of my favorite organs) and my body (which represents the current peak in human evolution) with that of a humanoid robot.

When you stop to think about it, our human bodies are … Read More → "Halodi’s Humanoid Robots are Already Amongst Us!"

Autonomous Robot Tank Eradicates Almond Pests with One Silent Shot

by Steven Leibson

July 6, 2022

The autonomous Bolo tank tracked down the tree-lined lane looking for targets. Suddenly the Bolo’s tracks ground to a halt. Targets spotted. The Bolo’s two top-mounted turrets slowly swiveled as the AI system zeroed in. Up there. On those branches. The Bolo aimed and fired. Targets destroyed. The Bolo robot tank is a fictitious, autonomous, nuclear-powered war-fighting machine that first burst from the fevered imagination of Keith Laumer in a short story titled “Combat Unit.” That story appeared in the November 1960 issue of “The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.” Since then, Bolos have … Read More → "Autonomous Robot Tank Eradicates Almond Pests with One Silent Shot"

GlobalFoundries Chases Down a Different Semiconductor Rabbit Hole

by Steven Leibson

July 5, 2022

“My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that!”
– The Red Queen Paradox from Alice in Wonderland

GlobalFoundries (GF) is certainly a different sort of IC foundry. Instead of chasing the lithographic rabbit down a hole towards angstrom world, GF abandoned its quest for a 7 … Read More → "GlobalFoundries Chases Down a Different Semiconductor Rabbit Hole"