Fish Fry – Page 56

April 29, 2015

It’s that time of year again. Ring the bells, sound the alarm, and roll out the red carpet – it’s DAC time! In this week’s Fish Fry, Anne Cirkel (General Chair – DAC 2015) gives us a special sneak peek into the biggest EDA conference of the year – The Design Automation Conference. Anne dishes the details of the conference: the super cool keynotes, the “I Love DAC” program, and the inside info on the best parties at this year’s show. Also this week, we examine a unique Kickstarter campaign that marries nanotechnology with fashion to create this season’ … Read More → "Paint It DAC"

Your IoT or Mine?

Big Ideas, Big Money, and the “Your IoT" Design Competition

by Amelia Dalton

April 24, 2015

You’ve had IoT design swirling around in your head for years. It’s your carpool companion on the way to work, it’s your daydream during the day, and it’s the buzz that keeps you awake at night. Well folks, it’s time to get that IoT dream of yours off the cocktail napkin and into the real world! My guest this week is Kamran Shah (Silicon Labs) and he’s here to introduce us to the “Your IoT” design competition. Kamran breaks down the who, what, when, and where of this new design contest … Read More → "Your IoT or Mine?"

Robotics for You and Me

Element14 Raises the Robot Bar

by Amelia Dalton

April 17, 2015

You scream, I scream, we all scream for…ROBOTS! In this week’s Fish Fry, we take a closer look at the GertBOT, a new robotics add-on board for Raspberry Pi recently released by Element 14. I’ve got Sagar Jethani with me to tell you about the powerful capabilities of this new expansion board. Sagar and I also explore the correlation between guitar playing and engineering, and why Eddie Van Halen is called “the Edison of guitar players.” Then, in keeping with our spirit of innovation and musical invention, I explore a new Etsy product that hopes … Read More → "Robotics for You and Me"

RTL Roundup

Taming the Wild West of EDA Design with OneSpin

by Amelia Dalton

April 9, 2015

This week we’re saddling up and taking a ride into the Wild West, where the days are long and the code is even longer. We’re talking about the rough and tumble, SystemC slingin’, HLS wranglin’ assertion-based formal verification. Dave Kelf (OneSpin Solutions) rides with us across the dusty EDA plains of RTL design where we unveil why RTL (and above) is called the Wild West of Design, who exactly is playing sheriff in these here parts, and how design and verification at the RTL level can be corralled once and for all. … Read More → "RTL Roundup"

Bringing Flexy Back

Molex and the Connectors of Tomorrow

by Amelia Dalton

April 2, 2015

They’re super important, and every design needs them, but let’s face it – connectors have gotten a bad rap for being a bit boring. In this week’s Fish Fry, we explore the multi-faceted world of connectors and cables – where signal integrity rules the roost and multi-gigbit SerDes is king. My guest is Joe Dambach (Molex) and we discuss how Molex is using correlated models to solve today’s signal integrity and high-speed serial design challenges, how datacenters are changing the face of connector and cable technology, and why connectors and cables aren’t as boring … Read More → "Bringing Flexy Back"

All Modules All the Time

Microchip Takes LoRa and Motion Detection by Storm

by Amelia Dalton

March 27, 2015

One of the biggest challenges in IoT communications is distance. In this week’s Fish Fry, we examine a new communications technology called LoRa. Tyler Smith (Microchip Technology) is here to tell us how it can be used, where it is best suited for implementation, and how LoRa could change the future of IoT communications. Also this week, we look into the details of a new motion detection module that packs a big ol’ punch by combining a powerful motion co-processor with 9-axis sensors (including an accelerometer, a magnetometer, and … Read More → "All Modules All the Time"

32 Flavors of PCB Software

Altium Brings the Goods to Makers, Startups, and Engineers Alike

by Amelia Dalton

March 20, 2015

Buying PCB software can be a lot like purchasing a new car. Once you’ve got the full set of amenities that you’ve always wanted (don’t forget the TruCoat!), you’re about ready to take out a second mortgage on your house. PCB design software does not have to break the bank or cause ruffled feathers during your next budget review. In this week’s Fish Fry, we examine the multiple flavors of Altium’s PCB tool suites packages — all the bells and whistles, price points, and more with Sam Sattel, PCB rockstar from Altium. Also this … Read More → "32 Flavors of PCB Software"

If You Build It

Giving a Voice to Your Abode with Conexant’s Smart Home Technology

by Amelia Dalton

March 13, 2015

When you think of a smart home, what comes to mind? The Jetsons? A Ray Bradbury novel? The “Clapper” perhaps? In this week’s Fish Fry, we investigate one of the biggest technological trends in IoT: Smart Home Automation. My guest is Saleel Awsare from Conexant. Saleel and I explore how voice control technology will shape the smart home revolution, and we look into the challenges of creating a voice-controlled Smart Home. We also speculate a bit about the direction voice control software is headed. Also this … Read More → "If You Build It"

The Touchscreen Revolution

Changing the Face of Electronics One Silver Nanowire (and Blue-Rayed Limpet) at a Time

by Amelia Dalton

March 6, 2015

What do the blue-rayed limpet and silver nanowires have to do with advances in touchscreen technology? Absolutely everything! This week’s Fish Fry looks into how silver-coated nanowires are changing the touchscreens and OLEDs of today, and could change the film-based solar cells and flexible displays of tomorrow. My guest is Sri Peruvemba from Cambrios, and we discuss the technology behind silver nanowires, how they can be implemented into a variety of designs, and what The Society for Information Display is all about. Also this week, we check out a groundbreaking new study by a team of researchers from … Read More → "The Touchscreen Revolution"

In It to Win It

Achronix Takes Speedster to Production Prime Time

by Amelia Dalton

February 27, 2015

The green flag dropped long ago. The pole-sitters have put the pedal to the metal on their high-octane beasts and vanished around the bend. Circling the course, the leaders of the pack fly ahead, their eyes fixed on the twists and turns of smaller and smaller geometries, without even a glance into the rearview. Don’t look now! A dark horse is coming up quickly and quietly, stealthily stalking both leaders, attacking their most profitable lines. The programmable logic race has been ruled by a duopoly for years, but now an up-an-comer looks to change the … Read More → "In It to Win It"