Chip Industry Talent Shortage Drives Academic Partnerships


Universities around the world are forming partnerships with semiconductor companies and governments to help fill open and future positions, to keep curricula current and relevant, and to update and expand skills for working engineers. Talent shortages repeatedly have been cited as the number one challenge for the chip industry. Behind those concerns are several key drivers, and many more dom... » read more

Week In Review: Auto, Security, Pervasive Computing


BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis will create an electric vehicle charging network, installing more than 30,000 high-powered DC charge points accessible to any cars that use Combined Charging System (CCS) or North American Charging Standard (NACS) connectors. Opening summer 2024, the network will leverage Plug & Charge technology and allow easy digital ... » read more

Week In Review: Auto, Security, Pervasive Computing


The Biden-Harris Administration announced the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark, a cybersecurity certification and labeling program to help consumers choose smart devices less vulnerable to cyberattacks. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is applying to register the Cyber Trust Mark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and it would appear on qualifying smart products, including refrigerators,... » read more

Week In Review: Automotive, Security, Pervasive Computing


Stellantis and Foxconn formed a 50/50 joint venture called SiliconAuto, to be headquartered in the Netherlands. The goal is to close the gap between supply and demand for chips used in computer-controlled features and modules, especially for electric vehicles (EVs). The U.S. Department of Justice created a National Security Cyber Section within its National Security Division to increase the ... » read more

Week In Review: Design, Low Power


AMD plans to spend $135 million in Ireland over four years to boost its adaptive computing segment, formerly Xilinx. The investment will fund R&D projects for next generation AI, data center, networking, and 6G communications infrastructure. The company will also add up to 290 engineering and research positions. Argonne National Laboratory installed the final blade of its Aurora supercom... » read more

Week In Review: Design, Low Power


The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) outlined its plan for a National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) to be created using a share of the $11 billion in funds from the CHIPS Act marked for research and development. While a large portion of the CHIPS Act investment is set to boost U.S. fabs and manufacturing capabilities, the NSTC aims to also support the design side, ... » read more

Week In Review: Manufacturing, Test


Global semiconductor sales decreased 5.2% month-to-month in January, according to a new report by the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA). For the year, worldwide chip sales are down 18.5%, with the largest drop in sales by China at 31.6%, followed by the Asia Pacific region at 19.5%, and the Americas at 12.4%. Despite the contraction, companies are increasing investments in manufacturi... » read more

How To Build Resilience Into Chips


Disaggregating chips into specialized processors, memories, and architectures is becoming necessary for continued improvements in performance and power, but it's also contributing to unusual and often unpredictable errors in hardware that are extremely difficult to find. The sources of those errors can include anything from timing errors in a particular sequence, to gaps in bonds between chi... » read more

Research Bits: Feb. 21


High-quality ‘chirps’ for automotive, industrial mmWave radar Imec demonstrated a low-power phase-locked loop (PLL) that generates high-quality frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) signals for mmWave radar, which can be used in short-range automotive and industrial radar applications. The FMCW radars popular in healthcare, automotive, and industrial send out sinusoidal waves that get... » read more

The Good And Bad Of Bi-Directional Charging


Auto OEMs are starting to offer bi-directional charging in EVs, allowing batteries to power homes during outages or wherever else it is needed, and to smooth out any hiccups in the grid. But this technology also can shorten the lifetime of batteries, and it can open the door to more cyberattacks. The idea behind bi-directional charging is simple enough. EVs can store huge amounts of power, a... » read more

← Older posts Newer posts →