Editors' Blog

DSA Update

The focus of the directed self-assembly (DSA) discussion at SPIE Advanced Litho has changed. In past years, it has felt more like the efforts were largely about corralling this interesting new wild thing, or even seeing if it could be corralled.

Well, this year it felt more like it’s in the corral, but there’s lots more training to do to make it a well-behaved showhorse. The focus is now on manufacturability. What are the tweaks and changes needed to turn this into a reliable, predictable process?

We’ve covered the < … Read More → "DSA Update"

Verification Moves to Database

by Kevin Morris

It’s one of those things that I sort of assumed had been done a long time ago: using databases for design information. After all, Magma’s initial claim to fame was the single database for a design, with different tools merely acting as different views into that single database.

Well, it turns out that that only applies to the design itself, along with the tools that allow you to do design. It hasn’t applied to verification.

But now it does: Cadence has recently announced their Incisive vManager tool. It’ … Read More → "Verification Moves to Database"

And the Kits Keep Coming

by Kevin Morris

Not long ago I noted the sudden appearance of various reference designs and platforms and kits intended to take some of the friction out of the process of adopting sensors, especially for the non-sensor-savvy.

Well, it wasn’t an isolated phenomenon: they keep coming.

Since then, I’ve noted the following:

This one isn’t strictly a sensor kit, but it fits into the whole IoT picture: NFC. ST Read More → "And the Kits Keep Coming"

Speed Sensors in Chips

by Kevin Morris

One of the immense challenges of aggressive-node design is coping with all of the variations both in the the silicon, given processing variability, and in the operating conditions. The approach has been to find ways to model the variation and create a design that is robust under all the various combinations. Not easy, since each chip comes out of the fab slightly different from its siblings.

And if you want to operate the chip over a wider range, you’ve just made the problem harder. In particular, for a circuit that will operate under a wide … Read More → "Speed Sensors in Chips"

IoT or M2M or Connected Device?

by Kevin Morris

In various places where people track and discuss progress in the world of interconnected things, there is a surprising amount of debate over the meanings of terms that might otherwise be taken for granted.

Most often, you see a debate over the “internet of things” (IoT) as compared to “machine to machine” (M2M). And, in fact, M2M technology has been around for a long time, so some of the tone can be annoyance: “Hey folks, we’ve been doing this for a long time, there’s nothing new, … Read More → "IoT or M2M or Connected Device?"

“Always On” is for Extroverts

by Amelia Dalton

In one of the early presentations at the Interactive Technology Summit last fall, Sensor Platforms’ Kevin Shaw gave a compelling presentation that wove together the concepts of always-on technology, context, and the disappearance of the interface: it should all happen transparently.

He painted a compelling picture of intelligent, benevolent always-on electronic eyes that watch us and learn who we are, what we want, and, critically, anticipate our next moves, practically laying out our suits for us before we even realize that we need one for an upcoming engagement.

I’ve heard this sort … Read More → "“Always On” is for Extroverts"

Synopsys Does… Software?

by Kevin Morris

Synopsys has gone shopping again, and this time they went to a completely different mall. They came back with Coverity.

Just another acquisition? Nope… This one seems different.

Synopsys has had their nose to the grind working on chip design since… well, since their very beginning. Who knows how many acquisitions they’ve made (I’m sure someone’s kept count, but it’s not something I pay that much attention to), but all of them have had something to do with chip design.

There was possibly … Read More → "Synopsys Does… Software?"

UV Index Sensor

by Kevin Morris

Have you been out in the sun too long?

OK, yeah, not really the right time of year to ask that question north of the equator… Especially around here in the Northwest, under a thick blanket of puffy gray.

So the answer is probably, “No.” But, come springtime, you’re going to want to get all of that flesh exposed to suck up those rays it’s been missing during the Dark Months. So… how do you know how long to stay out? Other than the telltale pink that … Read More → "UV Index Sensor"

The Case for Zigbee

by Amelia Dalton

Not long ago I did a piece on wireless technologies. It was stimulated by the fact that BlueTooth Low Energy (BT-LE) seems to be on everyone’s “new support” list. While I didn’t pan Zigbee per se, it also didn’t figure in my analysis, and, frankly, it came up only with respect to complaints some folks had had about how hard it was to use.

Since then, I’ve had some discussion with the good … Read More → "The Case for Zigbee"

New Hall Effect Sensors Sans Choppers

by Amelia Dalton

My first exposure to the details of sensor design came at ISSCC several years ago. I watched a series of presentations that were, in reality, over my head. I did a series of articles on them, but it took a lot of study afterwards for me to figure out all the things that were going on, and amongst those things, which were most important.

Much of that was due to the circuitry used to amplify, filter, linearize, and stabilize the sensor … Read More → "New Hall Effect Sensors Sans Choppers"