Running On Star Power


What can generate four times more energy than a nuclear power plant and nearly four million times more energy than burning oil or coal? Fusion energy, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. A fusion reaction happens as the result of a collision between two light atomic nuclei to form a heavier one. All of this occurs within plasma: a hot, charged gas of positive ions and free-mov... » read more

Photonics: Harnessing The Power of Light


All around us, light is at work. The cameras on our phones, the parking sensors in our cars, the monitors on our desks — all are using the power of light to improve our daily lives thanks to a field of study called “photonics.” What is photonics? Photonics is a multidisciplinary domain that involves the generation, control, manipulation, and detection of light. Light, a form of elect... » read more

Exploring The Facets Of Stray Light With Simulation


Seems like everywhere you look, there’s someone snapping a memorable group photo or perfect selfie with their phones. As the line between traditional and cellphone cameras continues to blur, manufacturers of these handheld devices are pressed to find the best combination of software and hardware to achieve image quality that was previously unthinkable. Of course, mobile photography has com... » read more

Imagining A Hydrogen-Powered Future Thanks To Simulation


Our world leaders have set ambitious goals for global decarbonization by 2050, with good reason. While the planet continues to heat up, global energy consumption is still rising, and most of this energy consumption is currently derived from fossil fuels. This bitter truth has inspired a wave of decarbonization trends in response — including green hydrogen, which is generated using renewable ... » read more

Is Your Voltage Drop Flow Obsolete?


Voltage drop at advanced nodes is a deadly serious problem that has become unmanageable with the methodologies used by most chip designers today. This article will cover the reasons why power integrity has risen to a top-of-mind concern and why it has become almost impossible for today’s EDA tools to measure and fix it. We will then look at some radical methodology rethinking that is needed t... » read more

Automating Antenna Placement Workflow With PyAEDT


Antenna designs can reach daunting levels of complexity, and nowhere is that truer than in advanced 5G and 6G systems. One of the most difficult problems in this design space is signal degradation stemming from electromagnetic (EM) interaction between the phased array antenna and the host structure itself, such as a base station or satellites. It is a pernicious issue that takes several advance... » read more

Jumping Over Thermal Cycles Accelerates Thermomechanical Fatigue Simulations


Although you are probably not aware of them, dozens of electronic control units (ECUs) — printed circuit boards (PCBs) in metal or plastic housings — exist in your car to control and monitor the operation and safety of your vehicle’s many control systems. These units must work for the lifetime of your car, during which time they are subjected to many heating and cooling cycles. The most o... » read more

What Is An Integrated Circuit?


In our modern world, just about everything is woven together by electronics. From microwaves to satellites, electronics-powered devices are infused into our every waking moment. Today, even our sleep includes digital acoustics, haptics, and analytics. But while the systems that light, connect, and move our lives can vary greatly, nearly every electronic device has one or more of the same fundam... » read more

Mitigating Electromigration In Chip Design


From smartphones to laptops, we use a variety of devices every day that rely on integrated circuits (ICs), or chips, to function. These chips are made up of thousands of transistors and interconnects, which transmit electrical signals from one part of the chip to another. But as demand for speed and complexity forces more energy through ever-smaller devices, this concentrated current flow can t... » read more

4 Ways To Design More Reliable Automotive Electronics


From engine management systems (fuel injection rate, emissions control, cooling systems) and autonomous controls (lane, speed, park assist, adaptive cruise control) to infotainment systems and comfort systems (climate control, electronic seat adjustment, automatic wipers, etc.), the modern-day gas-powered and electric vehicles have more electronic devices than ever. Indeed, the microprocessors ... » read more

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