An edge AI processor’s pivot to the open-source world
Edge AI, mired by fragmentation and a lack of broad availability of toolchains, is inching toward open architectures and open-source hardware and software. This shift was apparent at Synaptics Tech Day on 15 October 2025, held at the company’s…
Omnivision expands automotive image sensor portfolio
Omnivision expands its automotive portfolio with two new image sensors. The OX05C global shutter (GS) high dynamic range (HDR) sensor is a new addition to the company’s Nyxel near-infrared (NIR) family for in-cabin monitoring cameras, and…
Illuminated tactile switches withstand reflow soldering
Littelfuse Inc. extends its K5V Series of illuminated tactile switches with the release of new K5V4 models including the gull-wing and 2.1-mm pin-in-paste (PIP) versions compatible with reflow soldering. These switches target a range of applications,…
No more missed steps: Unlocking precision with closed-loop stepper control
Bipolar stepper motors provide precise position control while operating in an open loop. Industrial automation applications—such as robots and processing and packaging machinery—and consumer products—such as 3D printers and office equipment—effectively…
Program sequence monitoring using watchdog timers
WDT in safety standards
With the prevalence of microcontrollers (MCUs) as processing units in safety-related systems (SRS) comes the need for diagnostic measures that will ensure safe operation. IEC 61508-2 specifies self-test supported by hardware…
Gate drivers tackle 220-V GaN designs
Two half-bridge GaN gate drivers from ST integrate a bootstrap diode and linear regulators to generate high- and low-side 6-V gate signals. The STDRIVEG210 and STDRIVEG211 target systems powered from industrial or telecom bus voltages, 72-V…
Optical Tx tests ensure robust in-vehicle networks
Keysight’s AE6980T Optical Automotive Ethernet Transmitter Test Software qualifies optical transmitters in next-gen nGBASE-AU PHYs for IEEE 802.3cz compliance. The standard defines optical automotive Ethernet (2.5–50 Gbps) over multimode…
AOS devices power 800-VDC AI racks
GaN and SiC power semiconductors from AOS support NVIDIA’s 800-VDC power architecture for next-gen AI infrastructure, enabling data centers to deploy megawatt-scale racks for rapidly growing workloads. Moving from conventional 54-V distribution…
Inductive sensors broaden motion-control options
Three magnet-free inductive position sensors from Renesas provide a cost-effective alternative to magnetic and optical encoders. With different coil architectures, the ICs address a wide range of applications in robotics, medical devices, smart…
Fast, compact scopes reveal subtle signal shifts
Covering bandwidths from 100 MHz to 1 GHz, R&S MXO 3 oscilloscopes capture up to 4.5 million waveforms/s with 99% real-time visibility. According to R&S, the 4- and 8-channel models deliver responsive, precise performance in a space-saving…
Apple’s M5: The SoC-and-systems cadence (sorta) continues to thrive
A month and a few days ago, Apple dedicated an in-person event (albeit with the usual pre-recorded presentations) to launching its latest mainstream and Pro A19 SoCs and the various iPhone 17s containing them, along with associated smart watch…
TI launches power management devices for AI computing
Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) announced several power management devices and a reference design to help companies meet AI computing demands and scale power management architectures from 12 V to 48 V to 800 VDC. These products include a dual-phase…
