Author's Latest Posts


System Bits: Aug. 25


Quantum computer building block In a finding that could ultimately be used to produce key components of quantum computers in the future, a team of researchers led by MIT have analyzed an exotic kind of magnetic behavior, driven by the mere proximity of two materials, using a technique called spin-polarized neutron reflectometry. This discovery could also be used to probe a variety of exotic... » read more

Who’s Calling The Shots


As discussed in part one of this report, OEMs are making more of the decisions about what goes into a system design. A large part of this shift involves software, which falls on many plates throughout the ecosystem. Making sure all of the layers of software interoperate and integrate well together is no small feat, and it is growing in complexity at every turn as systems becomes more sophist... » read more

System Bits: Aug. 18


Optical computing for big data Given the potential for optical electronics to be applied to big data processing tasks, alumni of the University of Cambridge, including from the Department of Engineering, have gone on to found Optalysys, a company with the goal of making computer processors that use light instead of electricity. The Cambridge spinout’s latest achievement is a functioning p... » read more

Thermal Issues Getting Worse


Making sure that smartphone you’re holding doesn’t burn your face when you make a call requires a tremendous amount of engineering effort at all levels of the design - the case, the chips, the packaging. The developers of the IP subsystems in that smartphone must adhere to very strict power and energy thresholds so the OEM putting it all together can stick to some semblance of a product des... » read more

How Long Will FinFETs Last?


Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss how long FinFETs will last and where we will we go next with Vassilios Gerousis, Distinguished Engineer at [getentity id="22032" e_name="Cadence"]; Juan Rey, Sr. Director of Engineering for Calibre R&D at [getentity id="22017" e_name="Mentor Graphics"]; Kelvin Low, Senior Director Foundry Marketing at [getentity id="22865" e_name="Samsung"]; and Vic... » read more

What To Do With Power Models


Ask any design engineer if they want a power model, and you can guess the answer. As far as what they want to use it for, the answer will vary. When I asked Jem Davies, ARM Fellow, if OEM engineering teams want a comprehensive power model, he said, “Ideally, yes. Perfectly ideally, what they would like to have from us is a model of each individual block of our IP which plugs together in a ... » read more

System Bits: Aug. 11


Fundamental physics discovery The study of correlated electrons — a branch of fundamental physics research — focuses on interactions between the electrons in metals, which now are understood a bit better, according to Caltech researchers. Understanding these interactions and the unique properties they produce could lead to the development of novel materials and technologies, but they mu... » read more

Comparing The Internet’s Arrival To Cars


In the course of interviewing technologists for my articles, I am lucky to frequently speak with fascinating people. Recently, one of those people was Cees Links, CEO of GreenPeak Technologies, who was kind enough to speak with me even though he had just been released from hospital where he’d spent two weeks following a bad bicycle crash. He piqued my interest when he compared the arrival ... » read more

Taking Stock Of IoT Standards


Trying to make sense of [getkc id="76" comment="Internet of Things"] standards today is like opening a can of worms. Definitions are still shaking out, consortia are popping up quickly, and everyone is in a mad scramble to capture their piece of the much lauded potential of an intimately connected world of devices. With so many points to consider, security is a good place to start. It is ... » read more

Speeding Up Analog


Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss analog design and how to speed up analog circuits with Kurt Shuler, vice president of marketing at Arteris; Bernard Murphy, CTO at Atrenta; Wilbur Luo, senior group director, product management for custom IC and PCB at Cadence; Brad Hoskins, director, IC design, microcontrollers at Freescale; and Jeff Miller, product manager at Tanner EDA. What foll... » read more

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