Author's Latest Posts


System Bits: Jan. 24


Modified carbon nanotubes used to track individual cells Carbon nanotubes come to the forefront of scientific research yet again, this time for serving as the most sensitive molecular sensing platforms available. MIT engineers believe they have designed sensors that, for the first time, can detect single protein molecules as they are secreted by cells or even a single cell. The sensors that... » read more

System Bits: Jan. 17


Turning quantum systems from novelties into useful technologies In what is believed to be a major achievement that could help bring the strange and powerful world of quantum technology closer to reality, University of Sydney researchers have demonstrated the ability to “see” the future of quantum systems, and used that knowledge to preempt their demise. The applications of quantum-enabl... » read more

Choosing Power-Saving Techniques


Engineers have come up with a long list of ways to save power in chip and system designs, but there are few rules to determine which approaches work best for any given design. There is widespread confusion about what techniques should be used where, which IP or subsystem is best, and how everything should be packaged together. The choices include everything from the proper level of clock and... » read more

What’s Missing In Deep Learning?


It is impossible today to be unaware of deep learning/machine learning/neural networks -- even if what it all entails is not even clear yet. Someone who is intimately familiar with this area, and has some thoughts on this is Chris Rowen, founder of Tensilica (now part of Cadence), who is now a self-described hat juggler. He is still active Cadence several days a month, working technically on... » read more

Power State Switching Gets Tougher


Power state switching delay is a key factor in minimizing power, and getting it right frequently means the difference between a successful design and a dead chip. But tradeoffs are intricate, complex and often involve judgment calls, making this a place where designs can go completely awry. For years, traditional, full-swing [gettech id="31093" comment="CMOS"] process technologies were used ... » read more

System Bits: Jan. 10


Speeding up computing tasks by turning memory chips into processors In a development that could lead to data being processed in the same spot where it is stored, for much faster and thinner mobile devices and computers, a team of researchers from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), Germany’s RWTH Aachen University, and interdisciplinary research center Forschungszent... » read more

In-Vehicle Networks Are Safety, Security Dependent


It’s clear that managing, defining and prioritizing data traffic within vehicles is becoming an enormous challenge particularly with the growing number of networks , and underpining it all are safety and security concerns. Rob Knoth, product management director for the DSG group at Cadence observed, “The more you try to integrate traffic onto one bus, the more you are exposing systems th... » read more

Prioritizing Vehicle Data Traffic


It’s no surprise to hear that data complexity is on the rise inside vehicles today, but the scale just might cause you to gag on your coffee. It's expected that a fully connected car will upload as much as 30 gigabytes of data to the cloud every hour. Given the scale of data, it is imperative to make sure every bit of it is classified and tagged properly so that the subsystems, and inf... » read more

System Bits: Jan. 3


Clues to high-temp superconductivity Offering clues about the microscopic origins of high-temperature superconductivity, physicists at Rice University’s Center for Quantum Materials (RCQM) have created a new iron-based material. The material is a formulation of iron, sodium, copper and arsenic created by Rice graduate student Yu Song in the laboratory of physicist Pengcheng Dai. The recip... » read more

Architect Specs Harder To Follow


Interpreting and implementing architects' specifications is getting harder at each new process node, which is creating problems throughout the design flow, into manufacturing, and sometimes even post-production. Rising complexity and difficulties in scaling have pushed much more of the burden onto architects to deal with everything from complex power schemes, new packaging approaches, and to... » read more

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