PCB Design Rules For Electromagnetic Compatibility


When it comes to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and printed circuit boards (PCBs), rules are not meant to be broken. Following some simple guidelines for electromagnetic compatibility when designing PCBs will save time and costs. Simulation software can help. All high-speed signals on a PCB should be referenced to a solid plane. A current flowing in any trace on a PCB must complete the e... » read more

Improving Industrial Processes


Industrial image processing is one of the most important drivers of manufacturing automation today. The requirements on the cameras differ considerably depending on the application. Different measurement methods (2D, 2.5D, 3D), spatial and temporal resolution and scan rates can be employed. The resolution and dynamic range of the sensor are critical for optical inspection on manufacturing lines... » read more

PCI Express 5.0 Takes Center Stage For Data Centers


The demands on servers at the heart of data centers continue an inexorable rise. Responding to these demands, new platforms keep coming that deliver greater computing performance, have more memory and use faster interconnects. On the way at the end of this year and early 2022 are new server platforms that will take performance to a new level. These new platforms will transition to DDR5 DIMMs fo... » read more

National Security And Artificial Intelligence


The (U.S.) National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence recently published its final report. The report is 756 pages long, so I am not going to claim that I've read it all. I read the introduction and some of the conclusion, and the chapter on microelectronics (basically, semiconductors and advanced packaging). To give you a flavor, here are the opening paragraphs of the "Letter f... » read more

SiC MOSFETs In The Landscape Of Modern Power Devices


Over the years, low losses possible by high breakdown field made silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs extremely popular amongst engineers. At present, they are mostly used in areas where IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) have been the prevailing component of choice before. But which role do SiC MOSFETs play in today’s landscape of power devices? With SiC MOSFETs (Metal-Oxide-Semicond... » read more

Ten Reasons 3D-IC Will Profoundly Change The Way You Design Electronics


The history of electronic design has been defined by repeated waves of major technological change and accompanying business realignment. Many companies have foundered and disappeared when they were unable to anticipate and adjust to these powerful forces of change. Consequently, I am not alone in believing that now is the time to get ready for the next significant change to your electronic desi... » read more

The EV Era Has Begun: Here Are Five Things We Need For It To Succeed


The EV era has officially begun. General Motors says it will eliminate gas and diesel cars and SUVs from its lineup by 2035 while Ford will go all electric in Europe by 2030. The UK issued plans for phasing out diesel and gas cars by 2035 and then moved it forward to 2030. Fleet customers such as UPS and Amazon are ordering zero emissions delivery vehicles by the thousands and investing in s... » read more

Controlling The Reliability Of Silicon Carbide-Based Devices


The development of wide bandgap silicon carbide (SiC) compound semiconductors has proved to be extremely beneficial for power conversion applications. Capable of switching at significantly higher frequencies, and with higher breakdown voltage characteristics, SiC power transistors are quickly becoming an attractive silicon alternative for high power density and/or high-efficiency power conver... » read more

An Integrated Approach To Power Domain And CDC Verification


Reducing power consumption is essential for both mobile and data center applications. Yet it is a challenge to lower power while minimally impacting performance. The solution has been to partition designs into multiple power domains which allow selectively reducing voltage levels or powering off partitions. Traditional low power verification validates only the functional correctness of power... » read more

Addressing IC Hyperconvergence Design Challenges


Recently in an article titled “A Renaissance for Semiconductors,” my colleague Michael Sanie highlighted some of the trends that are driving next-generation product development. He detailed how designs targeting new applications are innovating through a combination of advanced process node technologies and heterogeneous integration of stacked die/3D/2.5D systems. Additionally, advanced vert... » read more

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