Windows 10: Support hasn’t yet ended after all, but Microsoft’s still a fickle-at-best friend

Bowing to user backlash, Microsoft eventually relented and implemented a one-year Windows 10 support-extension scheme. But (limited duration) lifelines are meaningless if they’re DOA. Back in November, within my yearly “Holiday Shopping…

Handheld enclosures target harsh environments

Rolec’s handCASE (IP 66/IP 67) handheld enclosures for machine control, robotics, and defense electronics can now be specified with a choice of lids and battery options. These rugged diecast aluminum enclosures are ideal for industrial and…

AI’s insatiable appetite for memory

The term “memory wall” was first coined in the mid-1990s when researchers from the University of Virginia, William Wulf and Sally McKee, co-authored “Hitting the Memory Wall: Implications of the Obvious.” The research presented the critical…

Zero maintenance asset tracking via energy harvesting

Real-time tracking of assets has enabled both supply chain digitalization and operational efficiency leaps. These benefits, driven by IoT advances, have proved transformational. As a result, the market for asset-tracking systems for transportation…

AI workloads demand smarter SoC interconnect design

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the semiconductor industry from the inside out, redefining not only what chips can do but how they are created. This impacts designs from data centers to the edge, including endpoint devices such…

Controllers simplify USB-C dual-role power delivery

Diodes’ AP53781 and AP53782 are USB Type-C Power Delivery 3.1 dual-role power (DRP) controllers for battery-powered systems. They manage USB PD power negotiation for USB-C ports that can operate as either a power sink or power source, supporting…

Plastic TVS devices meet MIL-grade requirements

Microchip’s JANPTX transient voltage suppressors (TVS) are among the first to achieve MIL-PRF-19500 qualification in a plastic package. With a working voltage range from 5 V to 175 V, the JANPTX family provides a lightweight, cost-effective…

Snap-in capacitors handle higher voltages

Vishay has added 550‑V and 600‑V options to its 193 PUR‑SI line of miniature snap‑in aluminum electrolytic capacitors. According to the manufacturer, the capacitors deliver up to 30% higher ripple current than standard components of…

Low-power TMR switches boost magnetic sensitivity

Two omnipolar magnetic switches, the LF21173TMR and LF21177TMR from Littelfuse, combine tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) and CMOS technologies in a compact LGA4 package. Compared with conventional Hall-effect switches, these TMR devices offer…

Samsung achieves live single-server vRAN

Samsung has completed the industry’s first commercial call using its virtualized RAN (vRAN) on a Tier 1 U.S. operator’s live network. Powered by an Intel Xeon 6 SoC with up to 72 cores, the vRAN is designed to accelerate AI-native, 6G-ready…

Sonic excellence: Music (and other audio sources) in the office, part 2

Last time, our engineer covered the audio equipment stacks on either side of his laptop. But what do they connect to, and what connects to them? Read on for the remaining details. I wrapped up the initial entry in this two-part series with the…

Extend the LM358 op-amp family’s output voltage range

The LM358 family of dual op amps is among those hoary industry work-horse devices that are inexpensive and still have their uses. These parts’ outputs can approach (and for the inputs even include) their negative supply rail voltage. Unfortunately,…