A sneak peek at HBM cold war between Samsung and SK hynix
As high-bandwidth memory (HBM) moves from HBM3 to its extended version HBM3e, a fierce competition kicks off between Samsung and SK hynix. Micron, the third largest memory maker, has also tagged along to claim stakes in this memory nirvana that…
The Godox V1 camera flash: Well-“rounded” with multiple-identity panache
As regular readers already know, “for parts only” discount-priced eBay postings suggestive of devices that are (for one reason or another) no longer functional, are often fruitful teardown candidates as supplements to products that have…
FPGA integrates hard RISC-V cores
Enabling high compute performance at the edge, the Titanium Ti375 FPGA from Efinix packs a quad-core hardened RISC-V block and 370,000 logic elements. It employs the company’s high-density, low-power Quantum compute fabric wrapped with an…
Bluetooth module taps Cortex-M33 processor
A Bluetooth LE 5.4 module, the HCM511S from Quectel, leverages the power of an Arm Cortex-M33 core, along with 352 or 512 kbytes of flash memory. The module, which also provides 32 kbytes of RAM, brings efficient performance to compact connected…
Hi-rel GaN load switch ships off-the-shelf
The first entry in Teledyne’s 650-V power module family, the TDGM650LS60 integrates a 650-V, 60-A GaN transistor and isolated driver in a single package. The module, which is now available off-the-shelf, acts as a load switch or solid-state…
Renesas expands general-purpose MCU choices
RA0 microcontrollers from Renesas are low-cost devices that offer low power consumption and a feature set optimized for cost-sensitive applications. The MCUs can be used in such applications as consumer electronics, system control for small…
8-bit MCUs tout 15-W USB power delivery
Microchip’s AVR DU 8-bit MCUs integrate a USB 2.0 full-speed interface that supports power delivery up to 15 W, enabling USB-C charging at up to 3 A at 5 V. According to the manufacturer, this capability, not commonly found in other USB microcontrollers…
Adaptable pullup
It’s common for I2C systems to have both standard and fast devices on the same bus.
For I2C systems, the speed and power consumption both depend on the values of pullup resistors: the values of them should be low enough to secure the fast…
GaN vs SiC: A look at two popular WBG semiconductors in power
Wide bandgap semiconductors have taken both power electronics and high frequency circuits by storm, replacing so many applications that were previously dominated by silicon-based devices, e.g., LDMOS HPAs in base stations, IGBTs in high voltage…
Samsung’s advanced packaging pivot with Nvidia production win
The news about Samsung snapping an advanced packaging order for Nvidia’s AI chips paired with high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips underscores the strategic importance of next-generation packaging solutions. According to a report published in…
Driving CMOS totem poles with logic signals, AC coupling, and grounded gates
Despite massive, large-scale integration being ubiquitous in contemporary electronic design, discrete MOSFETs in the classic CMOS totem pole topology are still sometimes indispensable. This makes tips and tricks for driving them efficiently…
Fairly evaluating HDD reliability
A few months back, LA Computer Company (whose website is still up as I write these words, although it may no longer be when you read them), a retailer from whom I’d purchased a number of products over the years, announced that it was closing…
