CEO Outlook: 2016


Semiconductor Engineering talked with 10 CEOs from all sides of the Semiconductor Industry for a high-level view of what to expect this year—good and bad. What follows are excerpts of those conversations, which were compiled over the past month. Scott McGregor, president and CEO of Broadcom "We're going to see more M&A. In the past, you only did deals that made sense strategically or ... » read more

Drive, Fix, Park


Autonomous cars are coming. So are cars that can fix themselves. And this is just the beginning. The idea of a connected car is all about making data available, both within the car and with the external world. Car manufacturers will be able to improve automobile quality by getting real-time data from individual vehicles and providing corrective updates when problems are identified. In additi... » read more

The Challenge Of Updating Cars


News stories about automotive hacking are becoming more common, and so is the concern about how to curb this problem. Security has become a new layer of system design complexity, and it's being taken increasingly seriously in a market that until very recently largely ignored it. That attitude is changing rapidly though, particularly with the advent of autonomous and connected vehicles. Secu... » read more

Automotive Electronic Power


Nick Hendricks: I was drag racing. I'm a drag racer. Detective Samson: You were drag racing. Nick Hendricks: [nods] Detective Samson: In a Prius. Nick Hendricks: I don't win a lot. —Horrible Bosses (2011) Automobiles are now a platform for multiple electronic devices. From controllers for complex hybrid drive systems like those found in the Toyota Prius to all types of entertainment s... » read more

Obsolescence Isn’t Always Good


One of the main reasons smartphones are pervasive around the globe is that their cost is subsidized. They can be replaced every couple of years with minimal pain as designs get slicker, more energy-efficient, and new features are added such as better screens or better performance. That works particularly well when a consumer's out-of-pocket expenses after trading in an older model are basically... » read more

Blog Review: Oct. 22


What is UX? The User Experience, of course. Rambus' Aharon Etengoff notes that the IoT UX is now the subject of a Harvard Business Review article. A long list of hurdles are expected at the 10nm process node, including multiple levels of local interconnects, more complex layout rules, timing problems, and a slew of others. Cadence's Richard Goering puts it all in perspective. Mentor's R... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing


Tesla Motors plans to build a new 35-GWh, lithium-ion cell production facility for its electric vehicles. It sounds like a good idea. But the factory will bring about only a modest reduction in battery costs, and could create significant overcapacity in the arena, according to Lux Research. “The Gigafactory will only reduce the Tesla Model 3’s cost by $2,800, not enough to sway the success ... » read more

The Week In Review: Design


Tools Mentor Graphics uncorked a tool for IC, package and board optimization, assembly and visualization. Of particular note is a “virtual die model” capability, which can be used across multiple domains in the design process. Deals Rambus inked a patent licensing agreement with Qualcomm Global Trading, a subsidiary of Qualcomm, for memory, interface and security technologies. The secu... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing


Samsung Electronics announced that its memory fabrication line in Xi’an China has begun full-scale manufacturing operations. The new facility will manufacture Samsung’s advanced NAND flash memory chips, dubbed 3D V-NAND. A recent chemical leak at Intel’s fab in Arizona was contained and two workers were taken to a hospital for observation, according to reports. Apparently, Intel was i... » read more

Where’s The Juice?


Driving to work in an electric car is cool. Finding an available plug these days is not. A year ago, before the surge (no pun intended) in electric vehicle popularity, it used to be relatively easy to find a parking spot and a plug at most high-tech companies. In fact, sometimes it was the only available spot. In recent months that’s changed. It’s getting harder and much more stressful. ... » read more

← Older posts Newer posts →