Hello there. Welcome to 2Q 21C. We hope you’ll enjoy your stay. (2Q 21C is the
notation I’ve invented to indicate the second quarter of the 21st century—you’re welcome.)
Over the past few years, we’ve been introduced to a cornucopia of new processor designs, many of which target artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) applications.
Most of these … Read More → "A 4-Bit CPU for the 21st Century"
Ray Holt, inventor of the first microprocessor chip set, which was used as the digital flight computer in the US Navy’s F-14 Tomcat fighter jet, is ill and needs our help. I first wrote about Ray in 2022 (see “Ray Holt and the CADC – The World’s First Military Digital Flight Computer”). That article … Read More → "Ray Holt, inventor of the first microprocessor chip set, needs our help."
I remember “ye olden days” when we (humans) designed electronic products by hand—conceiving circuits, selecting components, drawing schematics, laying out printed circuit boards (PCBs)… Can you imagine instead just telling an AI, “Make me a [your product here] for consumer use,” and it actually does it? Well, that day has arrived.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll doubtless say it … Read More → "Make It So: Agentic AI Comes to Flux"
As usual, my poor old noggin is spinning like a top. I’ve just learned more than I ever wanted to know about the problems with the existing PC/104 and VITA 74 (VNX) standards, along with the advantages promised by the recent introduction of the VITA 90 (VNX+) offering.
Before we plunge into the fray with gusto and abandon (and aplomb, of course), let’s … Read More → "Migrating SWaP-C-Constrained Aerospace & Defense Apps to VNX+"
I’m always impressed by engineers who possess the ability to identify a market need and then create a tailored solution that elegantly addresses the situation. I’m not that sort of engineer (it’s a wise man who knows his own limitations).
In my case, I have the almost uncanny ability to misidentify a market need (to identify a non-need if you … Read More → "Meet the ManT1S: Computing, Comms, and Power Over Single Pair Ethernet"
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 … Read More → "The Radio Shack at the Other End of the Universe"
