In-System/In-Field Testing Using High-Quality Deterministic Test Patterns


The amount of electronic content in passenger cars is growing rapidly, primarily due to the integration of advanced safety features. The shift towards fully autonomous vehicles, which must comply with stringent safety standards, will further increase the number of electronic components required. Testing efforts must be of exceptional quality. The target test time is often limited to less than 1... » read more

Challenges In Using Sub-7nm ICs In Automotive


The automotive industry is producing vehicles with increasing levels of real-time decision-making, enabled by thousands of ICs, sensors, and multi-chip packages, but making sure these systems work flawlessly throughout their expected lifetimes is a growing challenge. Automotive chips traditionally were developed at mature process nodes in five- to seven-year cycles, but much has changed over... » read more

Rethinking Chip Reliability For Harsh Conditions


As semiconductors push into environments once considered untenable, reliability expectations are being redefined. From the vacuum of space and the inside of jet engines to deep industrial automation and electrified drivetrains, chips now must endure extreme temperature swings, corrosive atmospheres, mechanical vibration, radiation, and unpredictable power cycles, all while delivering increasing... » read more

Chip Industry Week in Review


Qualcomm announced plans to buy Alphawave Semi for ~$2.4 billion in a deal expected to close in Q1 2026. Qualcomm plans to leverage Alphawave Semi's connectivity products, including chiplets, to develop high-performance, low-power solutions for AI inferencing and customized CPUs in data centers. Qualcomm's traditional targets were mobile phones and edge computing. [Updated 6/9.] Global semic... » read more

Accelerated Assurance For Functional Safety


Today’s electronic systems face unprecedented challenges in ensuring functional safety. As autonomous vehicles navigate our streets, medical devices sustain lives, and industrial automation systems control critical processes, the need for robust safety processes and supporting automation has never been more crucial. The complexity of modern electronic systems, coupled with stringent safety st... » read more

Mobile Chip Challenges In The AI Era


Leading smart phone vendors are struggling to keep pace with the rising compute and power demands of localized generative AI, standard phone functions, and the need to move more data back and forth between handsets and the cloud. In addition to edge functions, such as facial recognition and other on-device apps, phones must accommodate a continuous stream of new communications protocols, and... » read more

AR/VR Glasses Taking Shape With New Chips


More augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) wearables are coming, but how they are connected, and where image and other data is processed, are still in flux. Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses, for example, look like classic eyeglasses, but they rely on a tethered smart phone for such functions as taking pictures, AI voice assistance, and object identification. In contrast... » read more

Blog Review: June 4


In a podcast, Siemens’ Conor Peick, Dale Tutt, and Mike Ellow chat about the implications of the software-defined transition, how it affects semiconductor development, and why it seems to be leading more companies towards developing their own silicon. Cadence’s Vinod Khera shows off a Linux-based audio development platform for prototyping AI audio applications with support for real-time ... » read more

Connecting AI Accelerators


Experts At The Table: Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss the various ways that AI accelerators are being applied today with Marc Meunier, director of ecosystem development at Arm; Jason Lawley, director of product marketing for AI IP at Cadence; Paul Karazuba, vice president of marketing at Expedera; Alexander Petr, senior director at Keysight; Steve Roddy, chief marketing office... » read more

Chip Industry Week in Review


The U.S. Commerce Department is tightening controls on EDA software sold to China by imposing additional license requirements. EDA companies are assessing the impact. Details on how broad the restrictions will be are still pending. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will require Synopsys and Ansys to divest key software assets — including optical, photonic, and RTL power analysis tool... » read more

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