Four-channel USB-UART IC boosts server management
A high-speed USB-to-UART bridge, MaxLinear’s Carmel MxL81434 supports console access and infrastructure management in AI data centers and hyperscale cloud environments. The highly integrated device includes USB 2.0 High-Speed (480 Mbps) connectivity,…
eFuse speeds overcurrent detection
The KTS1630 5-A eFuse from Kinetic Technologies protects sensitive electronics against overcurrent, short circuits, and thermal faults. It is designed for consumer and industrial systems operating from 5-V and 12-V power rails, helping improve…
Memory platform tackles AI bottlenecks
NEO.AI is a memory platform from NEO Semiconductor that overcomes SRAM and DRAM scaling limitations in AI memory systems. As part of the platform launch, NEO Semiconductor is introducing its X-SRAM technology for on-chip memory in GPUs and AI…
Cheap and cheerful LMC555 RC PWM pulse generator
This circuit enables you to generate remote control PWM test signals with a (very) generic (and cheap) chip.
A recent Design Idea illustrated the application of an interesting chip (the LTC6992) to remote control (RC) PWM test signal generation. Being…
Record high wafer shipments. Can fabs keep pace?
AI has transformed the semiconductor industry’s pressure points. The conversation is no longer focused solely on designing faster chips. Instead, manufacturers are racing to ensure every part of the supply chain—from silicon wafer production…
Analog uncertainty-aware design: How it replaces Monte Carlo with certifiable yield intelligence
Analog and mixed-signal design at sub-5 nm nodes has reached a threshold where deterministic corner-based signoff and brute-force Monte Carlo can no longer simultaneously satisfy convergence speed, tail-yield condense, and engineering interpretability.
This…
Automotive low side output switch architecture suitable for 8 to 48 volt buses and beyond
A novel switch architecture caters to extended battery range coupled with robust protection and diagnostic strategies.
For automotive control units, the smart output switches operating contactor coils, lamps, solenoids, PTC (positive temperature…
Inference 2.0: How enterprise AI is reshaping AI system architectures
Predictive, generative, and agentic AI are not successive generations. They coexist inside enterprise systems, each placing fundamentally different demands on the underlying compute infrastructure.
Predictive AI classifies, forecasts, and detects…
Dissecting third-party camera batteries, part 2: Swelling
It’s not uncommon for a midsection to become soft and distended with advancing age. That said, when it happens to a battery, it’s potentially quite problematic.
In last week’s part 1, I took apart a third-party BLX-1 battery which had…
Component and layout rules for USB-C, PD, and CMTI
Over the last two months, we mapped out how USB-C, Power Delivery (PD), vehicle-to-load (V2L), and high common-mode transit immunity (CMTI) are reshaping the landscapes of test and measurement and electric vehicles (EVs). The next challenge…
Bear on a power pole
Live wire power poles present obvious danger to wildlife, but emergency response plans for such events unfortunately seem to be inadequate.
The following screenshot image (Figure 1) shows a black bear that actually managed to climb to the top…
Why software-defined systems require a dynamic data layer
Every embedded project eventually needs to address similar challenges around how much storage should be allocated to the operating system, how much should be reserved for applications, how much capacity should be allocated for system and diagnostic…
