The Degradation of Li-ion Batteries: A Review


A technical paper titled "Battery Degradation in Electric and Hybrid Electric Vehicles: A Survey Study" was published by researchers at Clemson University and Operation Technology Inc. Abstract (partial) "This paper explains the detailed degradation mechanism inside the battery first. Then, the major factors responsible for the degradation and their effects on the battery during the operati... » read more

Traction Inverters Are A Key Application For Electrified Vehicle Designs


High efficiency increases range and reduces cooling efforts while optimized power density assists with space and weight. As sales volumes increase, the focus is shifting to automated manufacturing with increasing quality requirements. The most fundamental system in all electric vehicles is the powertrain and, at the heart of this is the traction inverter that converts energy stored in the ba... » read more

Virtual Prototyping For Electric Vehicles: From System To Software


Road vehicles have long been considered one of the most challenging types of development projects. The tight interaction between electrical and mechanical components and the inherent safety requirements of high-speed/high-power operation are just the baseline issues. Layered on top of that are the many challenges of the physical environment: wide temperature and humidity range, noise, vibration... » read more

Week In Review: Auto, Security, Pervasive Computing


Security The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) selected Synopsys as the main contractor to provide SoC design tools and security IP for its Automatic Implementation of Secure Silicon (AISS) program. The four-year program’s goal to develop a design tool and IP ecosystem to automate adding security into integrated circuits. Synopsys will be working on a research team with ... » read more

Startup Funding: January 2020


A dozen tech startup companies started 2020 with new funding, raising +$500 million between them. Three companies received an impressive amount of investment. Stanford spinout Skylo launched from stealth with $116M in total funding and a bold plan to connect IoT devices, particularly sensors in remote or difficult-to-access environments, with hubs that link them to a network of satellites. ... » read more