The system architect’s sketchbook: The football has main character energy
Deepak Shankar, founder of Mirabilis Design and developer of VisualSim Architect platform for chip and system designs, has created this cartoon for electronics design engineers.
The post The system architect’s sketchbook: The football has…
What is the EDA problem worth solving with AI?
AI has become EDA’s favorite buzzword, but behind the keynotes and product names the reality is far messier. Cadence, Synopsys, and Siemens EDA are racing to brand incremental heuristics as “platform AI,” while agentic startups promise…
APEC 2026 showcases advances in power electronics
The annual Applied Power Electronics Conference & Exposition (APEC 2026) showcases hundreds of companies that exhibit their latest component and technology advances for system power designers across a wide range of industries. Many of these…
The truth about AI inference costs: Why cost-per-token isn’t what it seems
The AI industry has converged on a deceptively simple metric: cost per token. It’s easy to understand, easy to compare, and easy to market. Every new system promises to drive it lower. Charts show steady declines, sometimes dramatic ones,…
A fully floating BJT-based LED current driver
The circuit in Figure 1 combines a VBE-referenced current source with a current mirror to implement a simple two-terminal, fully floating LED current sink or source. This approach is well-suited for applications in which tight current accuracy…
TP-Link’s Kasa EP25: Energy monitoring for a hoped-for utility bill nose-dive
How easy is it to analyze and optimize how much power the device connected to a smart plug is drawing? The answer depends in part on which hardware and firmware version you’re running.
Next up in my ongoing TP-Link smart home device ecosystem…
FET-based clamp protects 48-V USB PD EPR lines
Semtech’s TDS5311P circuit protection device delivers near-constant clamping voltage for 48-V USB PD EPR applications. A member of the SurgeSwitch family, it protects a single voltage bus or data line operating at up to 53 V in devices and…
Automotive HMI SiP packs MPU and DDR2 memory
The SAM9X75D5M from Microchip is a hybrid SiP for automotive HMI applications, integrating an 800‑MHz ARM926EJ‑S 32‑bit processor with 512 Mbits of DDR2 SDRAM. The package also includes a 24‑bit LCD controller supporting displays up…
SiC modules raise power density for AI servers
QSiC Dual3 1200-V half-bridge MOSFET modules from SemiQ address the efficiency and thermal demands of liquid-cooled AI data centers. Two of the series’ six devices offer an RDS(on) of just 1 mΩ and achieve a power density of 240 W/in.3 in…
HWLLC topology pushes fast charging to 500 W
A half-wave LLC (HWLLC) platform from Renesas includes four controller ICs rated for up to 500 W for high-speed chargers. The HWLLC AC/DC converter topology scales from 100 W to 500 W, enabling chargers for power tools, e-bikes, and other appliances…
Radar transceiver scales for automated driving
NXP’s TEF8388 RF CMOS automotive radar transceiver supports Level 2+ and Level 3 ADAS, with a roadmap toward higher levels of automation. Operating in the 76- to 81-GHz FMCW radar band, it provides 8 transmitters and 8 receivers (8T8R), scalable…
The system architect’s sketchbook: Inside the simulation
Deepak Shankar, founder of Mirabilis Design and developer of VisualSim Architect platform for chip and system designs, has created this cartoon for electronics design engineers.
The post The system architect’s sketchbook: Inside the simulation…
