Why analog anti-tamper security IP is crucial in the PQC era

The global semiconductor industry is transitioning to the post-quantum cryptography (PQC) era. PQC is changing how digital systems defend against potential mathematical attacks. PQC algorithms are designed to protect against hackers who try…

Add-on beat frequency oscillator (BFO) for shortwave radio

Expensive shortwave radios include beat frequency oscillators, so why not also add one to an inexpensive radio version? Broadcast shortwave (SW) radio use may be declining, but there are still lots of interesting signals to listen to between…

Rapid scale-up in data center: The case for distributed optical circuit switching

AI infrastructure is moving from server-scale acceleration to multi-rack supernodes that must behave like a single, highly available computer. Distributed optical circuit switching offers a practical way to extend scale-up fabrics with lower…

The security imperative for software-defined vehicles

The automotive industry has undergone a major transformation, shifting from traditional hardware-centric vehicles to software-defined vehicles (SDVs). Unlike conventional cars, SDVs continuously evolve through over-the-air (OTA) updates, unlocking…

Blue’s original Snowball: A multi-capsule sonic catch-all

Two capsules. Two consequent pickup-pattern options. Three pickup-setting options. What’s not to like (aside, maybe, from the cosmetics)? In November 2022, EDN published my introductory treatise on standalone microphones. At the time, I mentioned…

Micro power generators: Turning everyday flows into energy

Engineers are redefining energy by looking not at massive grids but at the overlooked flows around us. Rain gutter generators that channel storm runoff, tap-mounted turbines spinning with household water, and balcony-scale wind turbines catching…

Why 4D imaging radar is critical to AV commercialization

The market for commercial autonomous vehicles (AVs) is poised for explosive growth over the coming decade, and 4D imaging radar has a key part to play. 4D radar, which offers a 4D view combining distance, velocity, position, and vertical resolution,…

Guitar Frets

Have you heard of the golden ratio? Well, what about the gold-colored guitar fret ratio? I’ve been listening lately to classical guitar musicians on YouTube. Such skill and artistry is utterly astonishing. After a while, though, I got curious…

Test, debug, and validation of CXL memory expanders

Part 2 of this series covered the user-space tooling stack—cxl, ndctl, daxctl, numactl, lspci, and setpci—and walked the boot path from power-on through DRAM training, DVSEC and HDM reporting, decode programming, CDAT delivery, ACPI table…

USB-C’s lingering incompatibilities and other complexities, part 2: Splitter issues

Yours truly can’t try to do the splits without ending up in the hospital, and suspects many of you would find the maneuver equally complicated-to-impossible…as does, it turns out, USB. In last week’s initial post in this series, I discussed…

Rad-hard GaN converters: Design insights for space hardware

The aerospace industry is undergoing a profound power architecture shift. For decades, radiation-hardened (rad-hard) silicon MOSFETs were the undisputed workhorses of spaceborne DC-DC converters. However, as modern satellite payloads demand…

Rapidus, Cadence partner on agentic SoC AI

Rapidus and Cadence are collaborating to advance agentic AI for advanced SoC design and accelerate design turnaround time. The effort integrates the Cadence InnoStack AI Super Agent with the Rapidus AI-Agentic Design Solution (Raads), combining…