Blockchain May Be Overkill for Most IIoT Security


Blockchain crops up in many of the pitches for security software aimed at the industrial IoT. However, IIoT project owners, chipmakers and OEMs should stick with security options that address the low-level, device- and data-centered security of the IIoT itself, rather than the effort to promote blockchain as a security option as well as an audit tool. Only about 6% of Industrial IoT (IIoT) p... » read more

Where Electronics Begins, And So Much More


When the Electronic Design Automation Consortium (EDAC) first coined the phrase “Where Electronics Begins” 20 years ago, little did we know how true it is, especially today as we move further into the system-centric era. In those days, EDA tools and methodologies were must-haves for chip designers. The system was only a minor consideration for the EDA community as was the semiconductor supp... » read more

Meltdown And Spectre, One Year Later


About this time last year, reports surfaced about security attacks on today’s most popular microprocessors (μPs). Researchers called them Meltdown, Spectre gaining widespread attention. Today, however, the industry and especially μP vendors have made some progress toward stemming these vulnerabilities. Here is my analysis as we enter into 2019. When it comes to these vulnerabilities, we ... » read more

Design Infrastructure Alley at DAC 2019


2018 marked the first year of the Design Infrastructure Alley (DIA) at DAC. It was the first time that DAC devoted floorspace to discussing the unique IT needs of the semiconductor industry. Some of the big issues we are looking to address at DAC include: Increased Focus on Data/IP Security Semiconductor companies have traditionally had a very open, collegial way of working. The emphasis... » read more

Collaborative IC Design Mandates Integrated Data Management


Over the last decade, design teams have encountered increased competition due to globalization (requiring the best available engineers irrespective of location), an exponential increase in design complexity, and shrinking market windows. This results in teams of engineers with different skill sets (for example analog, digital, MEMS, and RF), spread across multiple sites, managing complex flows,... » read more

Week in Review: IoT, Security, Auto


Internet of Things McKinsey & Company identified 10 top trends in the Internet of Things. They include: IoT is a business opportunity, not just a tech opportunity; disciplined execution across multiple use cases is the path to value; and IoT is gradually enabling more subscription business models, but consumers are resistant. Louis Columbus of IQMS provides some IoT data points and id... » read more

MEMS & Sensors Technical Congress Focuses on Automotive, Emerging MEMS


This year’s MEMS & Sensors Technical Congress (MSTC), February 19-20, 2019, features a deep dive into the changing automotive sensor landscape, a look at emerging MEMS technologies, and an exploration of integration standards. The more technically focused of SEMI’s annual MEMS events, MSTC returns to Monterey, California, in conjunction with FLEX, the conference that highlights new form... » read more

Miles Wide And High Security


Talk about security in autonomous vehicles seems to have subsided. It shouldn't, because the problem is far from solved. In fact, it's not just one problem. It's layers upon layers of problems spread out across all roadways, technology design houses, IP developers, network infrastructure, and the entire supply chain. And even though one vehicle's security may be bulletproof, it may be no... » read more

ISO 26262:2018, 2nd Edition: What Changes?


If you’re involved somehow in design for automotive electronics, you probably have more than a cursory understanding of the ISO 26262 standard. What your organization is working from is most likely the 2011 definition. The most recent update is formally known as ISO 26262:2018, less formally as ISO 26262 2nd Edition. Figure 1. Overview of the ISO 26262:2018 series of standards (Source IS... » read more

VCSEL Technology Takes Off


By Kevin Fogarty and Ed Sperling Vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) technology, a proven but mostly niche technology until recently, is suddenly a very hot commodity thanks to the introduction of facial recognition in phones and other mobile devices. VCELS primarily have been used as a low-cost way of tracking movement and transfering data in computer mice, laser printers and ... » read more

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