Fish Fry – Page 43

February 2, 2018

In this week’s episode of Fish Fry, we’re headed hundreds of kilometers above the earth and we’re bringing commercial off-the-shelf parts with us! My guest Doug Patterson (Aitech) and I take a closer look at how radiation affects space-destined designs, we examine the difference between space-grade and space-qualified parts, and we also chat about how COTS products are being used in space applications today. Keeping with our starry-eyed theme this week, we also check out why it snows “sunscreen” on a newly discovered “Hot Jupiter” exoplanet called Kepler 13Ab.

Why Blank Slates Don’t Work

Why Open Systems Architectures are Crucial to Embedded System Design

by Amelia Dalton

January 26, 2018

This week’s episode of Fish Fry covers the world of embedded design open standards and modules, a new security IC, and the science behind swearing. Jerry Gipper (Executive Director at VITA) joins us to discuss how VITA evolved from a simple VMEbus users group to the unique collaboration between suppliers and users it is today. We’ll discuss the future of VME and VPX technology, and why open standards and modules are critical to the health and vitality of the embedded design ecosystem. Additionally, a recent research study at Keele University in Staffordshire, England contends that swearing can … Read More → "Why Blank Slates Don’t Work"

Climbing the PowerTree™

Power Delivery Network Problems and How to Solve Them

by Amelia Dalton

January 19, 2018

From source to sink to the current in-between, this week’s Fish Fry is all about power delivery and how we can solve our power delivery network problems. My guest is Brad Griffin (Cadence Design Systems) and we’re talking about how we can catch the PDN issues earlier in our design cycles and how “shifting left” can make all the difference in your next PCB design. Keeping with our powerful theme this week, we check out new smart window technology coming out of Friedrich-Schiller University Jena in Germany called LaWin (large area fluidic windows). We investigate how this … Read More → "Climbing the PowerTree™"

If I Only Had a Brain-1

Peripherals, Modules, and Crowdfunding

by Amelia Dalton

January 12, 2018

“I shall ask for brains instead of a heart; for a fool would not know what to do with a heart if he had one.” — Scarecrow, The Wizard of Oz

In this week’s episode of Fish Fry, we set our sights on open source hardware design. Jake Janovetz (President – Opal Kelly) introduces us to a brand new crowdfunding campaign called the Brain-1. Jake and I discuss the the details of Brain-1, why they chose crowdfunding to launch this project, and what their new SYZYGY interconnect standard is all about. We also take a closer … Read More → "If I Only Had a Brain-1"

Silicon Stagnation

How Emerging Technologies and Non-Traditional Materials Are Changing the Future of MEMS

by Amelia Dalton

January 5, 2018

In this week’s episode of Fish Fry, MEMS and sensors visionary Alissa Fitzgerald and I chat about emerging technologies in the MEMS and sensors ecosystem. We investigate how research and development is changing the MEMS landscape and why Alissa thinks that silicon sensor technology could be at risk of stagnation due to waning research efforts. Also this week, we check out the details of a new “sweaty” humanoid robot named Kengoro and the future of silicon carbide transistor technology.

… Read More → "Silicon Stagnation"

Heavy Lifting

Standard Compliance, Tool Aggregation, and You

by Amelia Dalton

December 22, 2017

In this week’s episode of Fish Fry, we tackle lifecycle traceability and standard compliance in the world of safety and security electronic design. Jim McElroy (LDRA) and I chat about about why test management can be especially helpful when designing for the functional safety and secure market, and how newly introduced automation in the LDRA tool suite can your software compliance ducks in a row faster than ever before. Also this week, we take a closer look at a new research project being developed at the University of Michigan (funded under DARPA’s System Security Integrated Through Hardware … Read More → "Heavy Lifting"

Enabling A Sixth Sense

Sensor Bots and the Future of the MEMS Ecosystem

by Amelia Dalton

December 15, 2017

In this week’s episode of Fish Fry, we set our sights on the evolving ecosystem of the MEMS and sensors landscape. First up, Marcellino Gemelli (Bosch Sensortec) joins us to discuss how sensor bots can add intelligence to our sensing systems and why the management of artificial intelligence will be crucial to the further development of the MEMS-enhanced technologies. Also this week, we welcome Michelle Bourke (LAM Research) and Steven Breit (Coventor) to Fish Fry. We investigate the changing topography of the MEMS ecosystem and how modeling technologies can help shorten the lifecycle of MEMS process development.

< … Read More →

Let the Formal Be With You

Taking on Software Safety and Reliability with Formal Verification

by Amelia Dalton

December 8, 2017

In a long-forgotten corner of a lab far, far away a bug sits idle. He’s waiting for just the right time to strike. Static analysis and testing will not budge him from his hiding place. Is there anything we can do to root out this software bug from his clever code camouflage? In this week’s episode of Fish Fry we investigate the power of formal verification with Quentin Ochem from AdaCore. With virtual light sabers in hand and the “Formal Force” in our hearts, we investigate why the ever-increasing need for software safety and reliability has made … Read More → "Let the Formal Be With You"

Vampire Power and the Curious Case of the MuxCapacitor

Capacitive Power Conversion and Our Aging Power Grid

by Amelia Dalton

December 1, 2017

There’s an elephant in the room. You know it and I know it too. Whether we start with the trunk or the tail, the truth is clear. Our power grids are overtaxed, transformer technology has hit its limit, and “vampire power” (stand-by power wasted) is becoming a bigger problem than ever before. What can we do about our aging, overtaxed, and under-loved power grid? In this week’s episode of Fish Fry, Harold Blomquist (CEO of Helix Semiconductors) joins us to discuss how capacitive conversion, MuxCapacitors, and less waste can strengthen our peaked power grids.

The House that Makers Built

Maker Faire Founders Sherry Huss and Dale Dougherty Visit Fish Fry

by Amelia Dalton

November 24, 2017

In this week’s episode of Fish Fry, we have a special in-depth interview with the founders of Maker Faire. Fish Fry field reporter Larra Morris sits down with Maker Faire co-founder Dale Dougherty to discuss the intersection between makers and professional engineers and what the engineering community can learn from the maker ecosystem. Also this week, Larra chats with Maker Faire co-founder Sherry Huss about the evolution of Maker Faire and how professional engineers can get involved in the maker movement.