Articles – Page 86

July 20, 2020

“It is easier to write an incorrect program than to understand a correct one.” – programmers’ adage

My first real job was repairing hard disk drives. I’d open up the drives, clean the platters with an alcohol pad, and align the read/write heads using a screwdriver and an oscilloscope. The guy at the bench next to mine had the same job, but he smoked all day and liked to rest his cigarettes on the edge of the drive while he worked. He was careful to blow any … Read More → "Tales from the Debugging Crypt"

Digital Twins Promote Predictive Maintenance

by Max Maxfield

July 16, 2020

Industrial facilities are jam-packed with expensive machines of all shapes and sizes. If something goes pear-shaped with one of these little scamps, it can bring a production line to its metaphorical knees. Fortunately, the folks at MathWorks have the 21st century equivalent of a crystal ball that can help predict when the machines might fail.

I love the smell of fresh machine oil in the morning. It may sound strange, but I really enjoy wandering around an industrial facility heeding the sounds, observing the machines in action, and having a … Read More → "Digital Twins Promote Predictive Maintenance"

The Supercomputing Monoculture

All the Fastest Computers Speak the Same Language

by Jim Turley

July 15, 2020

“The benchmark of quality I go for is pretty high.” – Jimmy Page

By now it will have escaped no one’s attention that the fastest computer in the entire world is powered by… ARM processors.

Yup, the little Acorn that could is all growed up now and playing with the big boys. The biggest, in fact. The same CPU architecture that powered your old iPod is now plotting global takeover. Or making weather predictions. Or curing cancer, or whatever it is the … Read More → "The Supercomputing Monoculture"

Intel Announces Stratix 10 NX

AI-specific FPGAs Target Inference

by Kevin Morris

July 14, 2020

Intel has announced what they call their “First Intel AI-Optimized FPGA,” the Stratix 10 NX family. The company says these FPGAs “will offer customers customizable, reconfigurable and scalable AI acceleration for compute-demanding applications such as natural language processing and fraud detection.” Intel has bet on all the horses in the AI race, adding “Deep Learning Boost (DL Boost) to their flagship Xeon processors to dramatically accelerate AI inference in conventional data center processors, but also investing heavily in acceleration strategies such as FPGAs, acquisition of Habana Labs, Nervana (whose technology has now been reportedly dropped in favor … Read More → "Intel Announces Stratix 10 NX"

What’s Inside Apple Silicon Processors?

x86 Emulation Speed Hints at Hidden Hardware Assists

by Jim Turley

July 13, 2020

“My strength is translating emotion because I’m such a feeler.” – Selena Gomez

Apple’s upcoming ARM-based Macs will run existing x86 software alongside ARM native code. How does that work, how good is it, and what magic tricks is Apple using? We asked around to find out.

I spoke with some current and former Apple employees and microprocessor designers, who shall remain anonymous. They hinted at certain hardware/software tradeoffs that hold the secret to Apple’s remarkably good performance in … Read More → "What’s Inside Apple Silicon Processors?"

When Genetic Algorithms Meet Artificial Intelligence

by Max Maxfield

July 9, 2020

I just heard from those clever chaps and chapesses at Algolux, who tell me they are using an evolutionary algorithm approach in their Atlas Camera Optimization Suite, which — they say — is the industry’s first set of machine-learning tools and workflows that can automatically optimize camera architectures intended for computer vision applications.

As we will see, this is exciting on many levels, not the least that it prompted me to start cogitating, ruminating, and musing on the possibilities that might ensue from combining … Read More → "When Genetic Algorithms Meet Artificial Intelligence"

Startup Introduces MEMS Speaker

xMEMS Says it’s Made the First All-MEMS Speaker for Wearables

by Jim Turley

July 8, 2020

“Happy is the hearing man; unhappy the speaking man.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

There’s something about MEMS that seems almost magical, like tiny machines forged by elves. We think nothing of a 7nm CMOS die with billions of transistors, but a wee electromechanical accelerometer with moving parts seems otherworldly.

So, it’s no small feat when a startup company produces a tiny MEMS speaker, suitable for your next set of AirPods, hearing aid, or Bluetooth headset. We’ve had MEMS microphones for … Read More → "Startup Introduces MEMS Speaker"

Lattice Launches Certus-NX

Lights-up Low-End FPGA Market

by Kevin Morris

July 7, 2020

Lattice Semiconductor has a knack for finding and exploiting holes in the programmable logic market. Years ago, they gave up chest beating their way into a distant third place in the FPGA market and decided instead to concentrate on the areas that the two dominant players (Xilinx and Intel/Altera) were ignoring. In a broad sense, that meant low-end FPGAs – devices with small form factors, small price tags, and very low power consumption. In support of that strategy, they launched lines of well-focused low- and mid-range FPGAs and acquired SiliconBlue – a startup that was making extra-tiny … Read More → "Lattice Launches Certus-NX"

DLC for BMW

You’ll Subscribe to Your Own Car

by Jim Turley

July 5, 2020

“Instagram… is like doing a photo shoot for no money, which is cool.” — Goapele Mohlabane

The city of Munich, Germany, is famous for two things: the annual Oktoberfest party (which is really in September) and as the headquarters of carmaker BMW. It also has large and leafy parks (with clothing-optional areas), views of the Alps, a 38-hour work week, seven huge breweries, and lots of museums and cafes, and it’s a hub of high-tech electronics companies. Okay, make that eight things.

… Read More → "DLC for BMW"

DSP Group Dives into the Hearables Market

by Max Maxfield

July 2, 2020

The term hearables (some call them smart headphones) refers to technically advanced electronic in-ear-devices. Most people think in terms of wireless earbuds or hearing aids that fit in the ear canal and use a processor to implement digital signal processing (DSP) techniques to enhance the wearer’s listening experience.

In fact, hearables may feature additional capabilities. If “the eyes are the window to the soul,” as the old saying goes, then the ears can provide a window to all sorts of other things, including temperature, skin resistance, heart rate monitoring, … Read More → "DSP Group Dives into the Hearables Market"