Articles – Page 7

High-Precision Positioning in the World’s Deepest Mines and on the Moon

August 28, 2025

I’ve just been introduced to a new technological concept and capability I’d never even contemplated before, and now my poor old noggin is buzzing with ideas. Let me set the scene. Suppose you were to wake up in a huge cavern at the bottom of the world’s deepest mine (I hate it when that happens). Also, suppose there are multiple tunnels leading off in all directions, but there are no signs indicating which one you should take to escape.

Fortunately, a kindly soul has taken the time to leave a … Read More → "High-Precision Positioning in the World’s Deepest Mines and on the Moon"

Will New Ultra-High-Performance AI Inference Chips Make AI Data Centers Cost-Effective?

by Max Maxfield

August 26, 2025

My head is currently spinning like a top. I foolishly wondered how much power AI-heavy data centers are currently consuming, and how much they are expected to consume in the coming years, and now I’m sorry I asked.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that global electricity demand from data centers will more than double to approximately 945 TWh by 2030, primarily driven by AI-optimized facilities. That’s about the current annual electricity use of Japan. A Deloitte estimate predicts that worldwide AI data center consumption will reach ~90 TWh by 2026, which would account for … Read More → "Will New Ultra-High-Performance AI Inference Chips Make AI Data Centers Cost-Effective?"

Exceptional Multi-Mode Antennas for Your Inimitable Connected Devices

by Max Maxfield

August 21, 2025

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I’m a digital logic design engineer by trade. I bask in the certainty of the digital 0 and 1 domain, my mind lurches on its gimbals when faced with the wibbly-wobbly world of analog, and it cowers at the thought of radio frequency (RF) design, which—in my humble opinion—is best left to those who are already unhinged to start with.

For reasons that will be made apparent shortly, what I laughingly call “my mind” is currently filled with thoughts pertaining to … Read More → "Exceptional Multi-Mode Antennas for Your Inimitable Connected Devices"

Flash Memory with a Secure Twist

by Max Maxfield

August 19, 2025

In many ways, I wish we lived in a simpler world. I’m not talking about regressing to an Arcadian lifestyle, as tempting as that may be. What I’m contemplating is a world in which everyone is kind and honest, and the thought of taking anything that wasn’t theirs simply would not cross their minds. A world, in short, in which we didn’t need to worry about cybersecurity because there were no cybercriminals.

As an aside, just mentioning an Arcadian lifestyle reminded me of when Frodo Baggins first visits Read More → "Flash Memory with a Secure Twist"

Reinventing the Wheel… and the Motor… and the Powertrain

by Max Maxfield

August 14, 2025

There are lots of things I know nothing about. If I were to create a list, electric motors would likely appear near the top. I do remember one of my lecturers at university droning on and on about electric motors and generators. Unfortunately, I don’t actually recall anything he said. All I vaguely remember is him sounding a bit like the muted, mwah-wah-WAH-wah trombone noises you hear when the adults are talking in Charlie Brown cartoons.

I wish I’d paid more attention when I had the chance because it … Read More → "Reinventing the Wheel… and the Motor… and the Powertrain"

New FPGA Conference and Exhibition Coming to the UK and USA

by Max Maxfield

August 12, 2025

If you have anything to do with the design and deployment of FPGA-based products and systems, then this is your lucky day because I’m poised to tell you about a new FPGA-centric conference and exhibition that’s heading your way. With events scheduled in both the UK and the US, this bodacious beauty will focus solely on FPGA designers and developers. No executive daydreaming, corporate fairy dust, unicorn metrics, brochureware, or “marketing poetry”—just nitty-gritty engineering know-how.

I’m starting to feel like an old fool (but where are we going to … Read More → "New FPGA Conference and Exhibition Coming to the UK and USA"

The Wizard of Oz and Mozart Meet Generative and Agentic AI

by Max Maxfield

August 7, 2025

I’ve barely managed to wrap (what I laughingly call) my mind around the concept of generative AI (gen AI), only to find that the current buzz on the street is increasingly turning to the topic of agentic AI, but first…

Apropos of nothing at all, I just read an interesting article on TechCrunch about how The Wizard of Oz has been blown up by AI. This is in relation to the Read More → "The Wizard of Oz and Mozart Meet Generative and Agentic AI"

Plug-in Replacement APDs Dramatically Boost the Performance of Optical Systems

by Max Maxfield

August 5, 2025

On the off chance you were wondering, the city of Sheffield in England boasts two main seats of learning: Sheffield University (a.k.a. the University of Sheffield) and Sheffield Hallam University. The latter was formerly known as Sheffield Polytechnic. This was deep in the mists of time when I wore a younger man’s clothes and studied for my degree at that august establishment.

Both these institutions have storied histories. The origins of the University of Sheffield date back to the Sheffield School of Medicine (established in 1828), Firth College (established in 1879), and … Read More → "Plug-in Replacement APDs Dramatically Boost the Performance of Optical Systems"

The Radio Shack at the Other End of the Universe

by Steven Leibson

August 4, 2025

When I wrote “The Radio Shack at the End of the Universe” for EEJournal back in 2018, I assumed it described my last visit to a Radio Shack. The number of Radio Shack stores had crashed following two corporate bankruptcies. All the corporate-owned stores had been closed and the real estate sold off. What remained was a dwindling collection of dealers and affiliate stores, like the TV and radio repair shop named Crystal TV, located in Hollister, Colorado, which my wife and I had visited … Read More → "The Radio Shack at the Other End of the Universe"

Powering the Ambient IoT with Over-the-Air Wireless Power Networks

by Max Maxfield

July 31, 2025

The older I get, the more I recall how new technologies made their way onto the market and into the collective consciousness when I wore a younger man’s clothes. Paradoxically, it also seems that the older I get, the more I forget, but since I don’t remember what I’ve forgotten, this really doesn’t prey, play, or weigh on my mind.

In the case of technologies that impinge on the unwashed masses (of which I’m a proud card-carrying member), a technological introduction is invariably accompanied by lots of messaging. … Read More → "Powering the Ambient IoT with Over-the-Air Wireless Power Networks"