Smart Home Device Communication In The Era Of Hyperconnectivity


In our increasingly hyperconnected world, a fascinating area to watch is what I would call "the last 100 feet, give or take." There are many standards like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, or Thread used for IoT device connectivity. There are very active discussions about how our smart devices should be allowed to talk to other resources, like our neighbor's Wi-Fi. In the IoT's municipal and industria... » read more

Hybrid System-Level Test For RF SiP


In recent years, the proliferation of the IoT has focused attention on low-power-wireless applications. IoT modules incorporating functions such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) transceivers, MCUs, and power-management circuitry are becoming system-in-package (SiP) and even one-chip devices. Such devices increase the demand for a mass-production test environment that can measure them in a short ti... » read more

Potential For 5G In Daily Life


The excitement around the rollout of 5G technology could not be more palpable. We see this next-generation technology in news headlines and commercials, with promises to usher in the next wave of internet capabilities, speeds, and frictionless internet access. Let’s look at what 5G is and how semiconductor advancements are driving this new technology. What is 5G? 5G technology can be su... » read more

Technology Access Discriminates


I try not to get on a soap box in my blogs, but I hope you will allow me to express a concern that I see building and the projection of an unintended outcome. I am talking about who does and does not have access to technology. Over time, this divide can cause a further division based on geography, income level, or some other factor. The ramifications of it are not realized until it is too late.... » read more

Hyperconnectivity And The Path To 6G


Some may view the recent uptick in the news about next-generation wireless networking, specifically 6G, with some healthy skepticism as 5G is “just rolling out.” But when looking at the timelines, it becomes clear why 6G is critical and is also excellent news for electronics, and by extension, the design of semiconductors and systems. The same key elements that transformed the data center t... » read more

A RISC-V ISA Extension For Ultra-Low Power IoT Wireless Signal Processing


This work presents an instruction-set extension to the open-source RISC-V ISA (RV32IM) dedicated to ultra-low power (ULP) software-defined wireless IoT transceivers. The custom instructions are tailored to the needs of 8/16/32-bit integer complex arithmetic typically required by quadrature modulations. The proposed extension occupies only 2 major opcodes and most instructions are designed to co... » read more

Demand Grows For Reducing PCB Defects


Board manufacturers are boosting their investment in inspection, test and analytics to meet the increasingly stringent demands for reliability in safety-critical sectors like automotive. This represents a significant shift from the past, where concerns about reliability primarily targeted the devices connected to printed circuit boards. But as SoCs become disaggregated into advanced packages... » read more

Huawei: 5G Is About Capacity, Not Speed


Paul Scanlan, CTO of the Huawei Carrier Business Group in Huawei Technologies, sat down with Semiconductor Engineering to talk about 5G, which use cases are attractive and why, and how that compares with previous wireless technologies. SE: Where are you seeing 5G, and how do you see this rolling out both for sub-6GHz and millimeter wave? Scanlan: 5G is a platform for transformation. The f... » read more

5G Brings New Testing Challenges


As 5G nears commercial reality, makers of chips and systems that will support 5G will need to take on the standard burden of characterizing and testing their systems to ensure both performance and regulatory adherence. Millimeter-wave (mmWave) and beamforming capabilities present the biggest testing challenges. “5G is expected to have the extended coverage plus the bandwidth to harness ... » read more

WiFi Evolves For The IoT


WiFi is everywhere, and it’s the most prevalent of the communication protocols that use unlicensed spectrum. But as a common protocol for the Internet of Things (IoT), it faces challenges both because of congestion and the amount of energy it consumes. Two new approaches aim to address those concerns. One is to use multiple channels at once. The second involves the new 802.11ah HaLow stand... » read more

← Older posts Newer posts →