Microelectronics world news

Energy efficiency is a must for India’s manufacturing sector. Increasing energy costs, intermittent grid disruptions, and maintaining operational integrity are being cited as pressure points leading industry to rethink its energy strategies. UPS systems came up as one of the solutions supporting efficiency and sustainability.

According to the India UPS Market Report by Astute Analytica, the Indian UPS market was valued at USD 8.79 billion in 2024 and is purportedly expected to more than double to USD 18.28 billion by 2033, therefore, growing at a CAGR of 8.61%. Growth can be attributed mainly to the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies, which require stable power supply without interruptions for automation, robotics, and real-time data-driven operations.

Mission-Critical Power for Industry 4.0

In modern manufacturing operations, sensors, robots, and smart controllers work in an integrated manner. A slight power interruption can either allow predictive maintenance systems to cease working, delay robotic operations, or even halt production lines altogether. The UPS now offers a good 95 percent or better efficiency reduction in energy wastage and operating costs with lithium-ion batteries.

Backup power is just one of the many interesting ways that today’s UPSs are providing energy-conservation services. Transformer-less designs, modular architectures, and an ECO mode help optimize plant-wide performance by minimizing heat generation, cooling load requirements, and some of the energy wastes in static operations, while also preserving stability and resilience.

Supporting Resilience and Efficiency

Most modern UPS are meant for dynamic industrial loads such as heavy motors and stamping equipment and provide protection against surges, overcurrent fault conditions, and voltage sags. Also, in their modular construction and scalable nature, manufacturers can increase capacity only when needed, so as to reduce wastes and maximize uptime.

IP4X+ UPS systems are also becoming of utmost importance in the aspects of powerifiers in industrial environments that deal with dust, high temperature, and moisture on a daily basis.

UPS as Part of Energy Management Strategy

UPS are starting to play a more active role in broader energy management schemes. Real-time monitoring, predictive fault analysis, load sharing, and peak shaving facilities place UPS manufacturers in a position to integrate the UPS with a smart grid or automation platform.

This is also inline with India’s drive towards intelligent energy infrastructure. The smart grid market of India is forecasted to reach USD 19.33 billion by 2033 with the government providing a 20 billion USD opportunity for grid modernization through a plan of 250 million smart meter rollouts by 2027.

Facilitating Renewable and Sustainable Manufacturing

UPS are crucial for renewable energy endeavors in the Indian context. By interfacing with solar power and battery storage, and regenerative loads such as CNC machines, UPS solutions assist in providing clean backup power while unleashing the ability to recapture energy for downstream use, thus further reducing carbon footprints and operational costs.

January 2025 saw India’s renewable energy capacity at 217.62 GW and holds a promising view of 500 GW by 2030 with the backing of 50 GW of energy storage. UPS integration with these initiatives ensures uninterrupted, green, and scalable industrial power.

Innovations and Emerging Trends

An industry UPS evolving fast:

• Lithium-ion is becoming popular nowadays as it offers the advantage of a longer life, more efficiency, and less maintenance cost compared to lead-acid batteries.
• Modular UPS solutions are now common since manufacturers may benefit from scalability and versatility being paramount in a dynamic manufacturing environment.
• AI-powered systems are now being used for maintenance scheduling and asset optimization.

Challenges Ahead

Whilst having numerous pros, the implementation poses certain challenges. SMEs are raised with issues, from the exceptionally high upfront costs to the lack of expertise regarding installation and upkeep. Other barriers to implementation include battery lifecycle management, constant need for component replacement, and skilled manpower shortage.

Conclusion

From being an emergency backup, UPS has now evolved to become a strategic asset for energy-efficient, resilient, and sustainable manufacturing in India. They are shaping the evolution towards Industry 4.0 and beyond through their interfacing with smart grids, renewable sources, and automation systems.

While cost and complexity may deter smaller enterprises initially, the long-term benefits greater operational continuity, reduced energy costs, and compliance with sustainability goals make UPS adoption indispensable for India’s industrial growth journey.

(This article has been adapted and modified from content by Pankaj Singh, Head of Data Center & Telecom Business Solutions, Delta Electronics India.)

The post Powering Sustainable Manufacturing: How UPS Systems Drive Energy Efficiency appeared first on ELE Times.

Designed to combine precision and speed in a scalable platform, the R&S ZNB3000 vector network analyzer from Rohde & Schwarz helps engineers and researchers accelerate innovation in high-performance RF applications and signal integrity testing. By extending the maximum frequencies up to 32 GHz, 43.5 GHz and 54 GHz, Rohde & Schwarz addresses even more applications with the R&S ZNB3000, from RF component testing for 5G, 6G and Wi-Fi applications to advanced high-speed interconnect testing for AI data centers and next-generation RF component testing for satellite communications in the Ka band and V band.

Optimized for high-speed interconnect testing for AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) applications in data centers demand ultra-fast, high-bandwidth interconnects to efficiently handle massive data loads. Technologies such as high-speed Ethernet (IEEE 802.3ck) require testing solutions that can operate at frequencies up to 50 GHz to ensure optimal signal integrity. The new PCIe 7.0, Peripheral Component Interconnect Express, currently under development, will double the supported data rates up to 128.0 GT/s. This requires testing at higher frequencies, as well.

Covering up to 54 GHz, the R&S ZNB3000 is designed to meet these requirements, enabling precise characterization of high-speed PCBs, cables, and interconnects used in AI data center infrastructure. At EuMW 2025, Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates the new 54 GHz model of the R&S ZNB3000 for the first time in public. The setup, which includes a PCIe cable as the device under test (DUT), showcases how to ensure the reliability of high-speed interconnects for AI-driven workloads.

Industry-leading performance and flexibility

The R&S ZNB3000 family offers best-in-class RF performance with a high dynamic range of up to 150 dB, high output power, and low trace noise of less than 0.0015 dB RMS. These attributes ensure highly accurate and fast measurements, even at higher frequencies. The new models retain the series’ characteristic features, including:

• Ultra-fast measurement speed:Maximizes throughput and reduces the cost of testing.
• Low start frequency of 9 kHz:Enables precise time-domain analysis for signal integrity and high-speed testing.
• Flexible frequency upgrade concept:Customers can start with a base unit and expand the maximum frequency later by purchasing upgrade options, ensuring a targeted investment approach.

Expanding to new RF applications

The new high-frequency models also support advanced RF component testing for SatCom applications in the Ka and V bands, such as filters, mixers, amplifiers, switches and beamformers, which operate at these high frequencies. It also enables RF component testing for 5G, 6G and Wi-Fi applications. This makes the R&S ZNB3000 an ideal choice for both production environments and research labs working on next-generation technologies.

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Infineon Technologies AG and Goldwind Science & Technology Co., Ltd. expand their collaboration, enabling a stable and reliable flow of electricity in wind power generation. Infineon will supply Goldwind with its XHP 2 1700 V IGBT5 power modules with .XT technology that will enhance energy efficiency in Goldwind’s grid-forming GW 155 – 4.5 MW wind turbines. Infineon’s power modules deliver high power density, reliability, and robustness, ensuring a long operational lifetime for wind energy systems. By optimizing energy efficiency, they help to reduce energy costs and enhance the profitability of Goldwind’s wind turbines.

Grid-forming wind turbines act as stabilizers within the energy grid. Unlike conventional turbines that passively follow the grid, the grid-forming technology allows wind farms to mimic the stabilizing properties of traditional rotating generators. By using power electronics, grid-forming wind turbines can generate a stable frequency and maintain grid voltage, even when the load in the power grid changes. The International Energy Agency estimates that renewables will account for almost half of global electricity generation by the end of the decade, with the share of wind and solar photovoltaics doubling to 30 percent. Grid-forming capabilities will therefore become essential to ensure a stable and reliable flow of electricity despite fluctuations in energy generation.

“The emergence of grid-forming wind turbines enables wind farms to evolve from simple power suppliers into stabilizing pillars of the energy grid.” said Ye Jiqiang, Vice President of the Wind Power Industry Group and General Manager of the Supply Chain Center at Goldwind. “We look forward to further deepening our long-term collaboration with Infineon, leveraging efficient and reliable cutting-edge technology to advance renewable energy systems.”

“Collaborating with Goldwind to support their grid-forming wind turbines underscores Infineon’s commitment to strengthening global energy systems and further advancing renewable energy integration,” said Dominik Bilo, Executive Vice President and Chief Sales Officer Industrial & Infrastructure at Infineon. “Together, Infineon and Goldwind are driving decarbonization by enhancing the reliability and efficiency of wind power generation.”

Infineon’s XHP 2 1700 V IGBT5 power modules use the .XT interconnection technology. This technology is characterized by improved wire bonding, reliable chip attachment, and high-reliability system-soldering, enabling power modules to support increased cycling loads at higher temperatures compared to standard joining technology. The power modules feature low stray inductance and a design well-suited for paralleling, simplifying development for customers and enabling greater flexibility for platform upgrades. They provide exceptional lifetime even under challenging operating conditions such as those in wind turbines. As a result, they minimize unplanned downtimes and maximize wind energy harvested. Today, Infineon products are used in every second newly installed wind turbine worldwide.

Infineon and Goldwind have been collaborating since 2007 to advance more compact, highly reliable, and grid-friendly wind power converters. Infineon has already supplied Goldwind with its fifth-generation PrimePACK IGBT modules. Thanks to their high power density and exceptional cycling performance, these solutions have enabled Goldwind’s 6 MW full-power wind turbine models to meet stringent global standards for reliability, energy efficiency, and safety, while reducing operational and maintenance costs.

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Microchip’s next generation LAN9645xF and LAN9645xS GbE switches are highly configurable with multiple ports and advanced features

Ethernet technology provides the high-speed, reliable communication needed to connect and control industrial devices in real time. Its scalability and flexibility to support protocols such as TSN ensures seamless integration for demanding industrial environments. Microchip Technology announced the launch of its next generation of LAN9645xF and LAN9645xS Gigabit Ethernet Switches with multi-port configurations and feature options for maximum reliability and flexibility.

The LAN9645xF/S switches offer multiple configurations for specific application needs and are available in 5-, 7-, and 9-port options with up to 5 integrated 10/100/1000BASE-T PHYs. This flexibility is further enhanced by the ability to operate in either stand-alone unmanaged system configurations or in managed mode with full Linux Distributed Switch Architecture (DSA) support on a connected host.

The LAN9645xF device supports advanced features such as Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) and Audio Video Bridging (AVB) in managed mode of operation. This variant enhances network reliability with hardware-assisted redundancy that meet IEC 62439-3 standard for Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP) and High-availability Seamless Redundancy (HSR), enabling seamless failover and zero packet loss during faults. While the LAN9645xS device supports standard Ethernet switching with some Precision Time Protocol (PTP) support and is intended to be used as a low-cost unmanaged switch.

“Our LAN9645x F/S devices help our customers lower their system costs while implementing advanced TSN and redundancy features by combining many features into a single solution,” said Charlie Forni, corporate vice president of Microchip’s networking and communications business unit. “We back our products with global technical support and a full suite of development tools to make it easier for our customers to design and deploy their industrial networks.”

Microchip’s LAN9645xF/S delivers adaptable, high-performance networking solutions for industrial Ethernet applications, as well as for markets like aerospace and defense, data centers and sustainability. Additionally, the Ethernet devices seamlessly integrate with Microchip’s ecosystem including MCUs, memory and timing solutions, enabling reliable and scalable networks for demanding environments.

The post Microchip Introduces Flexible New Family of Gigabit Ethernet Switches with TSN/AVB and Redundancy For Industrial Applications appeared first on ELE Times.

A New Approach to Component Selection

Designing reliable electronic applications starts with choosing the right semiconductor components. However, even if the best part has been chosen, supply issues, growing costs, or discontinued products may result in upset causes. In such moments, being capable of developing quick alternative identification will prove paramount.

Cross-reference tools come into play here. By cross-matching components fitting the same usage from two different manufacturers, this tool has enabled engineers and non-engineers alike to make informed substitutions, be it for sustainability, design flexibility, or supply chain risk mitigation.

Making Cross-Reference Searches Easier

The idea of comparing electrical characteristic values, package sizes, and performance parameters involved first going through datasheets and catalogs. That drudgery is something ROHM’s cross-reference tool completely abolishes, providing side-by-side comparisons at a glance.

Unlike generic listings found on distributor websites, the ROHM tool displays key specifications in a well-structured table, so the user can effectively cut down on wasted time and uncertainty.

Understanding the Limits

While convenient, no cross-reference tool is perfect. Compatibility suggestions can sometimes focus only on physical fit, not functional equivalence. That’s why verification of performance, certification, and long-term availability remains essential. ROHM addresses this by ranking alternatives based on performance similarity and supporting industrial and long-life applications through its Product Longevity Program, updated annually with estimated supply periods.

Real-World Success Stories

Case 1: Got Faster Selection- Engineers used ROHM’s clear comparison tables to cut down selection time and even directly incorporated these tables into internal reports.

Case 2: Usable for Non-Engineers- Non-technical staff members used it to suggest alternatives after simply searching with part numbers.

Case 3: Reliable During Shortages- Urgent replacements were sorted with ranked lists from ROHM, supplemented by pictures and specifications.

Conclusion

Cross-reference search tools are transforming how engineers and businesses handle component selection. By combining speed, accuracy, and reliability, ROHM’s proprietary cross-reference tool developed from customer feedback empowers users to make smarter, faster, and more confident decisions.

(This article has been adapted and modified from content on Rohm Semiconductor.)

The post Cross-Reference Search Made Simple: Smarter Alternatives for Semiconductor Selection appeared first on ELE Times.

The plan was to make 32 bit Countdown timer using ESP 01, which has only 4 pins. submitted by /u/Defiant-Dot-5311 [link] [comments]

The Rubin CPX GPU brings million-token context windows to coding and generative video, with 8 exaflops of AI performance in a single rack.

Microchip’s DualPack 3 (DP3) IGBT7 power modules come in six variants at 1200 V and 1700 V with current ratings from 300 A to 900 A. They reduce power losses by 15% to 20% compared to IGBT4 devices and operate reliably up to 175°C under overload conditions.

Available in a phase-leg configuration, the 152×62×20-mm DP3 modules support a frame size jump to increase power output. This packaging eliminates the need to parallel multiple modules, reducing system complexity and BOM cost. DP3 modules also serve as a second-source alternative to industry-standard EconoDUAL packages, improving design flexibility and supply chain security.

The IGBT power modules support motor drive, data center, and renewable energy systems with a compact design that simplifies power converters. They are well-suited for general-purpose motor drives and address challenges such as dv/dt, drive complexity, conduction losses, and limited overload capability.

DualPack 3 IGBT7 power modules are now available in production quantities. Additional information and datasheets can be found here.

Microchip Technology 

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The IM69D129F low-power MEMS microphone, part of Infineon’s XENSIV lineup, helps extend battery life in portable devices. In high-performance mode, it consumes only 450 µA at 3.072 MHz, dropping to just 170 µA at 768 kHz in low-power mode.

Designed for space-constrained designs, the IM69D129F provides reliable audio performance with a 69-dB(A) SNR in a compact 3.50×2.65×0.98-mm package. Infineon’s sealed dual-membrane (SDM) technology adds IP57-rated protection again water and dust, making the microphone well-suited for active noise cancellation (ANC) headphones and earbuds, voice-enabled devices, laptops, tablets, conference systems, and cameras.

The IM69D129F microphone integrates a low-noise preamplifier and a sigma-delta ADC, delivering digital pulse density modulation (PDM) output for seamless use in modern audio systems. Its 11-Hz flat frequency response and ±1-dB sensitivity tolerance enable accurate audio capture across multi-microphone arrays.

The IM69D129F is available to order, with customer samples offered on request.

IM69D129F product page 

Infineon Technologies 

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SiTime’s Titan series of MEMS resonators occupy 4× to 12 × less PCB area than the smallest legacy quartz crystal alternatives. Their 0.46×0.46-mm chip-scale package enables miniaturization in small battery-powered devices such as wearable/implantable medical devices, smart watches, fitness rings, smart home sensors, and industrial IoT trackers.

Built on the company’s sixth-generation FujiMEMS technology, the Titan platform delivers improved performance and reliability compared to quartz resonators. Key benefits include:

• Small footprint: 0505 CSP saves up to 7× PCB area versus 1210 quartz and 4× versus 1008 quartz.
• Low power: Reduces oscillator circuit consumption by up to 50%.
• Fast startup: Starts up to 3× quicker with 3× lower startup energy.
• Improved aging stability: Up to 5× better, specified for 5 years at maximum temperature.
• Tight temperature stability: Maintains performance from –40°C to +125°C.
• Enhanced mechanical resilience: Withstands up to 50× more shock and vibration.

The Titan family of resonators comprises five devices, ranging from 32 MHz to 76.8 MHz. Production samples of the 32‑MHz SiT11100 are available now. Engineering samples of the remaining devices—38.4‑MHz SiT11102, 40‑MHz SiT11104, 48‑MHz SiT11103, and 76.8‑MHz SiT11101—will be available starting December 15, 2025.

Titan product page 

SiTime

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A pre-certified module with edge intelligence, the Digi XBee 3 BLU provides secure Bluetooth LE 5.4 connectivity for industrial IoT. Embedded MicroPython programmability with access to on-module I/O enables the implementation of custom logic, sensor data processing, and decision-making at the edge.

Based on Silicon Labs’ EFR32MG transceiver, the XBee 3 BLU interoperates with Bluetooth LE 5.4 devices that support 1M (1-Mbit/s) and 2M (2-Mbits/s) PHY modes. It provides +8-dBm transmit power, -97-dBm receiver sensitivity, and beaconing capabilities for proximity detection and asset tracking. The module operates across a temperature range of -40°C to +85°C.

The XBee 3 BLU is offered in two standard XBee form factors—through-hole and micro—and comes pre-certified to speed regulatory approvals worldwide. Built-in Digi TrustFence delivers secure boot, protected JTAG, and hardware-accelerated encryption. The module also supports the Secure Remote Password (SRP) protocol for zero-knowledge authentication and 256-bit AES encryption.

The XBee 3 BLU module and development kits are now available through Digi’s authorized distributors.

XBee 3 BLU product page 

Digi International 

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Entry-level MCUs in the Renesas RA0L1 group combine low current consumption with capacitive touch sensing for responsive HMIs. A 32-bit Arm Cortex-M23 core running at 32 MHz makes them well-suited for consumer electronics, appliances, industrial control, and building automation.

The devices draw 2.9 mA in active mode and 0.92 mA in sleep mode. Fast wakeup lets them remain in software standby longer, where power drops to just 0.25 µA—reducing current consumption by up to 90% compared with other MCUs, according to Renesas.

The RA0L1 devices target cost-sensitive applications with up to 64 KB of code flash, 16 KB of SRAM, and a 1.6-V to 5.5-V operating range that removes the need for level shifters in 5-V systems. A high-speed on-chip oscillator with ±1.0% precision ensures baud rate accuracy without a standalone oscillator, maintaining stability from -40°C to +125°C. Integrated communications, analog, safety, and security functions help cut BOM cost.

RA0L1 MCUs are available now in a variety of packages, including a compact 4×4-mm, 24-pin QFN.

RA0L1 product page

Renesas Electronics 

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After lurking here forever, I finally get to share something I’m genuinely proud of. This is my power schematic made using KiCad 9 LT8641 buck + MIC5234 LDO chain (my 5 V → 3.3 V power path) submitted by /u/Cautious-Ninja-000 [link] [comments]

All About Circuits met with the Tektronix engineers behind the 7 Series to uncover the myriad of design challenges that most people never hear about.

I recently came across a disturbing piece of news about a recall of Ryobi pressurized washers on FOX Business (Figure 1). I got some pictures from there and elsewhere, which, with a little rearrangement and supplementation, point out a very real danger.

Figure 1 Screenshot of the news article on the pressure washer recall. Source: Fox Business

The so-called overheating capacitors can apparently be identified as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 The overheating motor starting capacitor under question. Source: Amazon.com

This component provides 300 µF, which is a magnitude of capacitance that can only be obtained in aluminum electrolytic capacitors. Such capacitors cannot be allowed to experience reverse voltage, though, so to achieve the 250 VAC capability, a pair of capacitors must be used in series as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3 Capture of a schematic that combines two aluminum-electrolytic capacitors.

Each capacitor is paired with a diode that limits the reverse polarity that can appear across each capacitor to one forward diode voltage drop, call that 0.7 V. Supposedly, that voltage limit is still safe as reverse voltage across an aluminum electrolytic capacitor.

However!!!! If one diode fails as an open circuit, the reverse voltage that can be imposed on its associated capacitor can rise way above the diode limit, and that capacitor can fail.

Figure 4 A SPICE example of reverse voltage when one diode fails as an open circuit. Source: John Dunn

Such a failure can lead to a capacitor explosion.

When I was in college, I had a lab partner with whom I would perform each class experiment. One experiment involved a 22-µF 16-V electrolytic capacitor. It was a tiny little thing.

Unfortunately, my partner (It was NOT me!) put that capacitor in the circuit board backwards, and it was driven into reverse bias. It sat there for a while as the two of us were discussing the circuit under test when suddenly that capacitor exploded!!

That explosion was LOUD!! Everybody within fifty feet was looking in our direction. The aluminum shell of the capacitor had been torn open like a Tootsie Roll wrapper.

I suspect that the Ryobi capacitor issue was not from “overheating” as Figure 5 suggests, but that one of the diodes within the CD60 capacitor failed as an open circuit, which allowed excessive reverse bias to appear across its associated capacitor. (If a diode had failed as a short circuit, I doubt if the motor would start.)

Figure 5 An unwise reassurance that the capacitor may not blow when installed backwards. Source: LeftyMaker, YouTube

One would think that the CD60 capacitor would have a pressure release plug that would vent if internal pressure got too high. If there is such a mechanism, it seems that sometimes it is not working properly. The sheer physical size of the CD60 capacitor in the Ryobi product versus that little itty-bitty capacitor in my lab class makes me think of the CD60 capacitor as a potential hand grenade.

John Dunn is an electronics consultant and a graduate of The Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (BSEE) and of New York University (MSEE).

Related Content

• Would better electrolytic capacitors reduce e-waste?
• Capacitors–the old decoupling standbys
• Ensure long lifetimes from electrolytic capacitors: A case study in LED light bulbs
• Determining end-of-life, ESR, and lifetime calculations for electrolytic capacitors at higher temperatures
• Power Tips #50: Avoid these common aluminum electrolytic capacitor pitfalls

The post Pressure washer recall and aluminum electrolytic capacitors appeared first on EDN.

Artificial Intelligence has come a long way, transforming what was once called a far-fetched notion into a makeover across industries. The conscious discourse has always been about computing accelerators such as CPUs, GPUs, or NPUs, while an invisible, but equally important, element is quietly shaping the future for AI: memory and storage. At Micron, this shift in perception has only served to deepen our commitment to innovation with a fresh standpoint whereby memory and storage became no longer just supporting elements but key drivers influencing AI in performance, scalability, and efficiency.

Breaking Through the Memory Wall

Scaling AI models into billions and even trillions of parameters makes the need for high-speed access to data shoot up exponentially. This really brings to the fore the age-old memory wall problem-the ever-widening gap between the fast processor and the comparatively slower memory bandwidth/latency. For AI workloads, in particular, large-scale training and inference, this can very well be a serious bottleneck.

Micron is attacking this challenge head-on through a full suite of products that ensure memory and storage become accelerators rather than impediments for AI performance.

Micron’s AI-Ready Portfolio

Near Memory: High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and GDDR reduce latency and ensure fast access to AI model parameters by closely integrating with CPUs.

Main memory that balances capacity, low latency, and power efficiency for workloads like training and inference includes DIMMs, MRDIMMs, and low-power DRAM.

Expansion Memory: By increasing scalable memory capacity, Compute Express Link (CXL) technology reduces total cost of ownership.

High-performance NVMe SSDs and scalable data-lake storage are two storage alternatives that can be used to meet the I/O needs of AI applications that depend significantly on data.

These innovations come together to form Micron’s AI data center pyramid, which increases throughput, scalability, and energy efficiency by addressing bottlenecks at every level.

Why AI Metrics Are Important

AI performance is assessed using common system-level KPIs across platforms, including mobile devices and hyperscale data centers:

Time to First Token (TTFT): The speed at which a system starts producing output.

A metric for inference throughput is tokens per second.

A measure of power efficiency is tokens per second per watt.

Memory and storage both have a significant impact on these parameters, guaranteeing that AI workloads are carried out quickly, reliably, and with the least amount of energy consumption.

Enhanced Central AI Memory and Storage Set Up

The very frontier that used to separate compute from memory is getting blurred. Given the blend of demand for energy-efficient yet high performing solution, LPDDR and other low-power memories that were being used in mobile are now gradually entering into the data center space. Micron’s portfolio of DDR, LPDDR, GDDR, and HBM memories is marketed to new levels of being optimized for every step of AI inference-from embedding to decoding, thus eliminating bottlenecks.

Conclusion:

AI is being viewed as the era for bigger models and faster processors; it is a point of rethinking compute, memory, and storage interoperability. Memory is indeed a performer in the guest list of AI scalability and efficiency, thanks to the DRAM and NAND memory innovations from Micron. Breaking memory wall and setting new system-level metrics will help make the next step for AI performance, thanks to Micron.

(This article has been adapted and modified from content on Micron.)

The post From Compute to Memory: Redefining AI Performance with Next-Gen Memory and Storage appeared first on ELE Times.

The surge in demand for large-scale AI training is straining today’s cloud infrastructure, pushing electrical packet switches (EPS) toward their performance and power limits. As GPUs scale into massive clusters to support ever-growing large language models, the need for faster, more efficient data transport is becoming critical. Optical Circuit Switches (OCS) are emerging as a powerful alternative, offering high bandwidth over long distances with far lower energy consumption.

Unlike EPS even those integrated with co-packaged optics OCS relies on all-optical connections to link GPUs through switched ports and optical transceivers. This enables GPU clusters to operate as a unified, high-performance computing fabric while delivering significant efficiency gains.

Applied Ventures recently co-led a Series A funding round for Salience Labs, a startup pioneering OCS solutions based on Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (SOA) technology. Their Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) are available in two configurations: a high-radix switch designed for HPC workloads and a lower-radix version optimized for AI data centers. This flexibility allows hyperscalers, GPU makers, and even financial trading firms to balance cost, performance, and scalability.

The urgency of these innovations is underscored by energy trends. The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects data centers will consume 6.6% of U.S. electricity by 2028, more than double the share in 2024. Networking equipment switches, transceivers, and interconnects represents a growing portion of this footprint.

To address this, companies are rethinking chip and system design:

• Google’s TPU aims for a 10× cost-efficiency advantage over GPUs by tailoring silicon to specific AI tasks.
• Lumentum projects that without optical efficiency improvements, training GPT-5 could require 122 MW, nearly six times more than GPT-4. Energy-efficient optical interfaces combined with OCS could cut that by 79%, aligning power use with GPT-4 levels.
• Arista Networks estimates energy-efficient optical modules could save up to 20W per 1,600Gbps module.

By combining scalability with low-latency, long-reach connectivity, OCS technology could reshape how tens or hundreds of GPUs interconnect, enabling them to act as one massive supercomputer while containing the energy surge.

Conclusion:

Optical Circuit Switches are more than an incremental upgrade they represent a fundamental shift toward sustainable high-performance computing. With almost very high bandwidth, low latency, and massive energy savings, OCS will stand tall in next-generation AI data centers so that performance scaling is not done at the unsustainable power cost.

(This article has been adapted and modified from content on Applied Materials.)

The post Redefining Data Infrastructure: Optical Circuit Switches Could Transform AI Data Centers appeared first on ELE Times.

High-speed data acquisition is made simple with a 12-bit digitizer that offers up to 10 GSPS sampling rate and 2 Gbyte/s sustained data transfer to a host PC. Teledyne’s ADQ3-series digitizer provides high-performance data acquisition in a compact, standalone USB 3.2 form factor.

Digitizers—crucial in analytical and sensing systems such as automated test equipment (ATE), distributed fiber optic sensing platforms, LiDARs, mass spectrometers, and swept-source optical coherence tomography—are undergoing a transformation amid growing demand for faster data acquisition. It inevitably calls for higher resolution, faster imaging speeds, and more granular real-time analysis.

That’s because new use cases in sensing systems generate gigabytes of data per second, demanding efficient real-time processing and high-speed data transfer. Then there is the issue of preserving signal integrity in compact and noise-sensitive environments, which mandates compact form factors that can be placed close to the detector within the system enclosure.

ADQ3-USB, housed in a robust, fanless enclosure, allows engineers to place the digitizer close to the detector. This also minimizes cable length and reduces signal reflections, a crucial factor for optimizing analog performance in high-speed applications.

ADQ3-USB is compatible with a wide range of digitizer models within the ADQ3 series, including ADQ30, ADQ32, ADQ33, and ADQ35. Source: Teledyne SP Devices

ADQ3-USB features onboard FPGA capabilities for real-time signal processing. That enables it to support continuous data streaming at up to 2 Gbyte/s via USB 3.2. Moreover, even large volumes of raw data up to 20 Gbyte/s can be efficiently reduced and transferred without bottlenecks.

Next, it eliminates the need for PCIe slots, leading to fast and simple integration with mini-PCs and laptops. This also makes it suitable for mobile setups, embedded systems, and OEM applications.

ADQ3-USB’s open FPGA architecture also allows design engineers to implement application-specific algorithms directly on the 1/2 digitizer. That, in turn, reduces the need for post-processing and enables real-time decision-making.

Finally, this digitizer supports multiple firmware packages tailored to specific application needs. That includes FWDAQ for standard data acquisition, FWATD for waveform averaging, FWPD for pulse detection, and DEVDAQ for custom FPGA development.

Related Content

• Analysis of large data acquisitions
• Data acquisition systems and SoCs—A guide
• Trending into data-acquisition: a mini-study in contrasts
• Data Acquisition and Instrumentation: The DAS and Sensors
• Data Acquisition and Instrumentation: Data Processing and Calibration

The post High-speed digitizer boasts open FPGA architecture appeared first on EDN.

submitted by /u/Riverspoke [link] [comments]

Researchers uncover a chain of flaws in a widely used automotive Bluetooth stack, exposing infotainment systems to remote compromise

In July 2025, cybersecurity researchers disclosed PerfektBlue, a set of four vulnerabilities (CVE-2024-45431 to -45434) found in OpenSynergy’s BlueSDK, a Bluetooth stack widely integrated into modern infotainment systems. The flaws affect millions of vehicles across brands including Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and Skoda, enabling attackers to execute malicious code over Bluetooth Classic connections.

Attack Path and Impact

PerfektBlue can only be exploited at close range, requiring the attacker to be within 5-7 meters of a target vehicle and establish Bluetooth pairing. This limits the possibility of large-scale exploitation; however, a successful attack would open the IVI system to the hacker(s), leaking data such as:

• GPS data & Vehicle location
• Listening through in-car microphones
• Contact lists & communication logs

Safety-critical functions like braking and steering remain segmented. Yet, as past incidents (e.g., the 2015 Jeep Cherokee hack) have shown, weak network isolation could allow lateral movement if additional vulnerabilities exist.

Root Causes in Bluetooth Stack Design

PerfektBlue includes one memory corruption flaw and three logic-level vulnerabilities stemming from protocol mismanagement. Combined, they create a pathway to remote code execution once pairing succeeds.

The flaws illustrate ongoing issues in Bluetooth stack security:

• Multi-layer protocols such as L2CAP, RFCOMM, and AVRCP handle vast amounts of untrusted data.
• Implementations in C heighten memory safety risks.
• The wireless and real-time nature of Bluetooth complicates fuzz testing, letting subtle bugs persist across generations.

Delays in Fixing and Deployment

The vulnerabilities were first reported in May 2024, and a patch was issued by September 2024. Yet disclosure did not occur until July 2025, largely because automakers lagged in deploying updates.

Challenges included:

• Complex supply chains with limited visibility on software components.
• No software bills of materials (SBOMs)-thus OEMs were not aware that they even depended on BlueSDK.
• Highly manual service updates rather than OTA.

Wider Implications and Next Actions

As long as vehicle safety systems remain isolated, infotainment are not benign to breaches. Attackers could track drivers, eavesdrop on conversations, and steal sensitive data, or in poor circumstances, pivot to other systems if the segmentation is weak.

As a countermeasure, experts advised the automakers to:

• Consider Bluetooth stacks as high-value attack surfaces.
• Standardize the use of SBOMs so that the third-party software can be identified and tracked.
• Give priority to OTA update pipelines to reduce patch deployment delays.
• Integrate protocol fuzzing and binary analysis in the development lifecycles.

PerfektBlue is a reminder that connected vehicles remain vulnerable to wireless exploits. Without stronger defenses and adoption of patches faster, the automotive industry is repeating the same mistakes of past cybersecurity lapses.

(This article has been adapted and modified from content on Keysight Technologies.)

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