Microelectronics world news

The first day of Industry Tech Days 2024 begins with a keynote discussion with an expert from MIT about the challenges facing societal institutions to keep up with the rapid growth in AI. Join us throughout the day for great live sessions with Q&A.

The premise of artificial intelligence (AI) transforming the semiconductor industry is steadily taking shape, and two critical venues to gauge the actual progress are leading EDA houses and silicon foundries. The three major EDA toolmakers—Cadence, Synopsys, and Siemens EDA—have recently telegraphed their close collaboration on AI-driven design flows for TSMC’s advanced chip manufacturing nodes.

For a start, semiconductor fabs must have accurate lithography models for optical proximity correction in advanced manufacturing nodes. Huiming Bu, VP of Global Semiconductor R&D and Albany Operations at IBM Research, acknowledges that utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning accelerates the development of highly accurate models that yield the best results during silicon fabrication.

On the design side, AI-powered EDA software is helping optimize complex IC designs while facilitating migration toward 2D/3D multi-die architectures. “Increased complexity, engineering resource constraints and tighter delivery windows were challenges crying out for a full AI-driven EDA software stack from architectural exploration to design and manufacturing,” said Shankar Krishnamoorthy, GM of Synopsys EDA Group.

Below is a brief recap of EDA toolmakers’ current liaison with TSMC centered on AI-driven design flows for advanced process nodes.

Start with Cadence Design Systems, working closely with TSMC on Cadence.AI, a chips-to-systems AI platform that spans all aspects of design and verification while facilitating digital and analog design automation using AI tools. The two companies are also collaborating on the Cadence Joint Enterprise Data and AI (JedAI) Platform, which employs generative AI for design debug and analytics.

Figure 1 The JedAI platform for generative AI applications provides workflow automation, model training, data analytics, and large language model (LLM) services. Source: Cadence

Synopsys has also its own AI-driven EDA suite Synopsys.ai for design, verification, testing and manufacturing of advanced digital and analog chips. Synopsys.ai includes DSO.ai, an AI application for optimizing layout implementation workflows, and VSO.ai, an AI-driven verification solution.

The company’s CEO Sassine Ghazi told the Synopsys User Group (SNUG) conference audience that Synopsys.ai has achieved hundreds of tape-outs to date and is delivering more than a 10% boost in performance, power, area (PPA), double-digit improvements in verification coverage, and 4x faster analog circuit optimization when compared to optimization without the use of AI.

Figure 2 Synopsys.ai offers AI-driven workflow optimization and data analytics solutions meshed with generative AI capabilities. Source: Synopsys

Like Cadence and Synopsys, Siemens EDA is extending its AI-centric collaboration with leading fabs like Intel Foundry and TSMC. Its new Solido Simulation Suite features AI-accelerated simulators for IC design and verification. The company has also unveiled Catapult AI NN software for High-Level Synthesis (HLS) of neural network accelerators integrated into application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and system-on-chips (SoCs).

Figure 3 Solido Simulation Suite integrates AI-accelerated SPICE, Fast SPICE, and mixed-signal simulators to help engineers accelerate critical design and verification tasks. Siemens EDA

AI in the semiconductor industry is still in its infancy, and these efforts to create AI-optimized design flows mark baby steps for infusing AI into the electronics design realm. However, the timing seems right, given how advanced nodes are desperately seeking intelligent solutions to bolster yields and silicon defect coverage.

Related Content

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• Adapting the Microcontroller for AI in the Endpoint
• How generative AI puts the magic back in hardware design
• 4 basic steps in implementing an AI-driven design workflow

The post EDA’s big three compare AI notes with TSMC appeared first on EDN.

Exaktera group firm ProPhotonix Ltd of Salem, NH, USA, a designer and manufacturer of diode-based laser modules and LED systems for OEMs and medical equipment companies (as well as a distributor of laser diodes for Ushio, Osram, QSI, Panasonic and Sony), has launched the COBRA Slim UVC LED Line light. Engineered to enable new applications in machine vision, it is on display in booth 10E59 at Vision 2024 in Stuttgart, Germany (8-10 October)...

State-of-the-art protection certified to the latest standard for information security certification, globally recognized and mandatory for US federal procurement

STMicroelectronics has announced the FIPS 140-3 certification of STSAFE-TPM trusted platform modules (TPMs), the first standardized cryptographic modules on the market to receive this certificate.

The newly certified TPMs, the ST33KTPM2X, ST33KTPM2XSPI, ST33KTPM2XI2C, ST33KTPM2I, and ST33KTPM2A provide cryptographic asset protection to meet security and regulatory requirements for critical information systems. They are used in PCs, servers, and network-connected IoT devices, as well as medical and infrastructure high-assurance equipment. The ST33KTPM2I is qualified for long lifetime industrial systems. ST33KTPM2A commercialized under the name STSAFE-V100-TPM leverages an AEC-Q100-qualified hardware platform required for automotive integration.

FIPS 140-3 is the latest version of the federal information processing standards (FIPS) specifications for cryptographic modules, superseding FIPS 140-2. “All FIPS 140-2 certificates are scheduled to expire in September 2026,” commented Laurent Degauque, Marketing Director, Connected Security, STMicroelectronics. “By achieving FIPS 140-3, our TPMs are uniquely ready for new designs and let customers create secure, interoperable equipment with extended product and certification lifetimes.”

The products support use cases like secure boot, remote/anonymous attestation, and secure storage with an extended user memory of 200kBytes. In addition, each product supports secure firmware update to add new cryptographic algorithms like PQC and maintain state-of-the-art cryptographic asset protection.

The STSAFE-TPM devices are compliant with multiple industry security standards. These include Trusted Computing Group TPM 2.0 applicable to trusted platform modules, Common Criteria EAL4+, passing the CC framework’s most stringent vulnerability analysis (AVA_VAN.5), and now FIPS 140-3 level 1 with physical security level 3. They offer cryptographic services (ECDSA & ECDH up to 384 bits, RSA up to 4096 including key generation, AES up to 256 bits, SHA1, SHA2 and SHA3), standardized by TCG and compatible with software stacks under FIPS 140-3 certification.

ST also offers provisioning services to load device keys and certificates to reduce the total solution cost and time to market and to guarantee the security of the supply chain.

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Class E RF amplifiers are designed to produce switch waveforms with a specific set of characteristics. In this article, we discuss the advantages and limitations of these waveforms.

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Finished wiring up this behemoth of a project yesterday and wanted to share some shots of the final product. It’s based on an Altec 1567a mixer but with some improvements. I added some FET buffered direct outputs on each channel, phase invert switches, output attenuation, and grid stoppers on the high impedance inputs. submitted by /u/jellzey [link] [comments]

Over the last few years I have designed a kit set computer called “Alius 6502” The base design is a 1Mhz system, but I had had it run stable at 4Mhz. Some people will see that it has used the KIM-1 as inspiration, a hex keypad and a seven segment display. The design was to be aligned with what would have been available in 1979. The Kailh keys are modern, and the SDcard interface is modern. 32k of RAM, 16k of ROM, FAT32 support. This is aimed at students, I have had a group of teenagers make the kit over two days. The whole project is open source, hardware, software and documentation. Feel free to help me make it better. https://www.asinine-labs.org submitted by /u/nz_kereru [link] [comments]

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Spectrum Instrumentation launches a family of DDS Generators named the 96xx series, forming a new product category in the company’s portfolio. The new DDS Instruments offer up to 50 sine wave carriers on one single output channel. This feature provides a new way for engineers and scientists to produce and independently control multi-tone sine signals. DDS, which is short for “Direct Digital Synthesis”, is a powerful technique for generating high-purity signals (typically sinewave cores, also called carriers or tones) with ultrafast switching between output frequencies and fine frequency resolution. The products can produce multiple tones, covering a broad range of operating frequencies up to 200 MHz. It makes them uniquely agile signal sources that are suitable for demanding applications in industries such as biomedicine, communications, semiconductors and quantum science.

Link to the product video (5 min): https://youtu.be/FEzjhXFNfF0

The 96xxs series comprises 12 different models in three different formfactors; PCIe cards, PXIe modules and Ethernet instruments. A single PCIe or PXIe card can produce up to 50 different low-phase-noise variable-frequency tones and is available with up to 4 channels. The stand-alone Ethernet instruments offer from 2 to 24 channels. For applications needing more than 50 tones, the larger NETBOX units support up to 300, or it is possible to connect multiple cards together with the Star Hub synchronization module to create systems with up to 400 tones. All models provide integrated output amplifiers with programmable signal amplitudes up to ±2.5 V into 50 Ohm loads, or ±5 V for high-impedance.

Extremely fast parameter changes

The speed at which these products can change the characteristics of a tone is what makes them different to conventional signal generators. Fully programmable, changes can be made using simple commands almost instantly. New settings for a tone’s frequency, amplitude and phase as well as amplitude slopes and frequency slopes can be initiated during runtime, or via preloaded sequences of DDS commands. Millions of DDS commands can be stored in the on-board memory. Setting changes can be triggered externally, or by an internal timer, or immediately on command. No transition jitter or glitches appear and the timing resolution for sequencing commands is as small as just 6.4 nanoseconds.

DDS controls waveforms in Test and Measurement, Communications and Quantum

The 96xx series DDS generators provide an easy and programmable way for users to produce trains of waveforms, frequency sweeps or finely-tuneable references of various frequencies and profiles. Applications can be found in industrial, medical and imaging systems, network analysis or even communication technology where data is encoded using phase and frequency modulation on a carrier. Another application is the control of lasers through AODs and AOMs, as often used in quantum experiments. Laser control can be made at very high speeds with just a few simple commands – this is in contrast to the more processing-intensive method that uses an Arbitrary Waveform Generator (AWG) and demands large data array calculations. Issuing a small series of slope commands, the user can control advanced functions like s-shaped or custom-shaped frequency transitions, custom pulse envelopes, AM or FM modulation and more.

In DDS-mode, only a few commands are needed to, for example, generate a sine wave (orange block), accelerate the frequency (blue block) and lower the amplitude (green block). Easy system integration

Running under Windows or Linux operating systems, the 96xx series DDS generators can be programmed using programming examples for C++, Python, C#, JAVA, LabVIEW, MATLAB and others as well as a high-level Python API‘s that provide an easy way to control the products.

Two instruments in one

Should there ever be a need to generate more complex waveforms, the 96xx series can also be converted into a fully functional AWG. A firmware option is available that switches the DDS Generator into an AWG, allowing the replay of arbitrary waveforms on all active channels synchronously. Operating modes such as Single Shot, Loop, Single Restart, Multiple Replay, Gated Replay, Streaming (FIFO) or Sequence Replay are all supported.

The post Spectrum Instrumentation launches fast switching multi-tone DDS Instruments appeared first on ELE Times.

AI will push the limits of PCs and smartphones. In turn, demands on storage controller chips will be intense. Learn how chip architectures and firmware schemes must be optimized for these AI workloads.

Materials, networking and laser technology firm Coherent Corp of Saxonburg, PA, USA (formerly II-VI Inc before it acquired Coherent in July 2022) has sold its semiconductor fabrication plant in Aycliffe Business Park, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, UK, which was acquired by II‑VI Inc in 2017....

By the time you read this, you likely will have already seen my upcoming coverage of Google’s August product announcement event in a bit more than a week (as I write this), where the Pixel 9 series is forecasted to be introduced. However, as regular readers may recall, I’m still toting two Pixel 7s as my smartphone “daily drivers”, along with a Pixel 6a as my “vice-phone”:

following a longstanding just-in-case spare strategy that as you’ll soon see finally came in handy!

Smartphones’ usage patterns make them particularly prone to being dropped, whether its onto hard surfaces or into fluids (such as…err…what’s in a toilet bowl). Mechanical robustness is therefore critical to long operating life, a particularly important requirement considering their stored-data and app importance to their owners coupled with their high prices. All of which has made their dependence on glass materials a longstanding necessity curiosity to me.

The screen’s an obvious one you really can’t avoid, at least until smart glasses go mainstream someday (theoretically), thereby obviating smartphones’ existence rationale. Instead, smartphone designers are stuck with relying on structurally reinforced glass compounds, such as Corning’s Gorilla Glass series, that claim to minimize the chances of a crack. Per Wikipedia:

Gorilla Glass…is a brand of chemically strengthened glass now in its ninth generation. Designed to be thin, light, and damage-resistant, its surface strength and crack-resistance are achieved through immersion in a hot potassium-salt ion-exchange bath.

But glass smartphone backs have always been a bit bizarre to me, no matter that I grok their conceptual benefits, both absolute and relative to alternative materials. Corning this time:

As leading device manufacturers unveil their latest models, many are making a shift to incorporate more advanced glass into their designs, and not just on the front as a protective cover glass. One place where more glass is appearing is on the back of new mobile consumer electronic devices. This trend is particularly exciting because glass offers benefits that other materials, like plastic and metal, just can’t offer.

 With glass on the back as well as the front, the newest smartphones are meeting aesthetic and design milestones, including more elegant form factors. But, they offer additional performance benefits. The superior physical and electromagnetic properties of glass make it particularly well-suited to enable new capabilities device makers are incorporating into their designs.

 So what are the benefits of having an all- glass smartphone?

1.  Improved Reception
2. Glass is ideal for the antenna performance of your phone, unlike aluminum and other materials. Metal materials like aluminum lack radio frequency (RF) transparency, meaning that the antenna embedded in your device has a harder time finding a signal. New all-glass phone designs mean more bars in more locations leading to faster data transmission.
3. Better Wireless Charging
   Today’s newest phones are moving to wireless charging, and for the same reasons listed above, metal can interfere with wireless charging technology. Glass, particularly thin, tough glass like Corning® Gorilla® Glass, is used as an alternative to metal on the back of phones so consumers get a faster charge without plugging in the device to a traditional charger.
4. New Levels of Customization
   Since the backs of phones don’t have the same optical transparency requirements as the front display, glass can provide designers with new possibilities for customization. Corning’s true-color glass ceramics — or Vibrant Gorilla Glass — offers superior scratch resistance compared to plastic and unlocks a full palette of color options with premium quality photo realistic images.

 And finally, there are the cameras, whose lenses’ outer elements aren’t typically directly exposed to the outside world. Instead, there’s an intermediary transparent (duh) protective cover that’s most commonly glass-fabricated as well. Here, for example, is the front camera of one of my Pixel 7s; note that I’ve also got a tempered glass screen protector on it:

And here’s the back, for now using a case-less “stock” photo:

Until recently, there was only one camera on the back of smartphones, akin to that on the front. But as the Pixel 7 exemplifies, things have gotten a bit more complicated nowadays. Left to right in the photo, integrated within a common “bar” that juts out from the back panel, you’ll see:

• The standard primary lens, with 82° field of view (FoV)
• A spectral/flicker sensor, and above it, dual side-by-side autofocus sensors (neither of which are clearly visible in the “stock” image; hold that thought)
• An ultrawide lens with 114° FoV
• A microphone input, and
• The LED flash

The Pixel 7 Pro adds a third 5x telephoto camera, to the right of its now-125° FoV ultrawide lens. And while the Pixel 7a looks similar to the Pixel 7 (albeit with a plastic-vs-glass back), its ultrawide camera is once again focal length-tweaked, this time to deliver a 120° FoV.

The cases I use on both of my Pixel 7s are Limitless models from Mous (Aramid Fibre and Black Leather, to be precise), and although they’re a fair bit more expensive than the no-names on Amazon, they’re pretty slick. For one thing, they’re quite rugged (again, hold that thought):

and they also have Magsafe-compatible magnets built into them:

Further to Mous’s protection claims, if you revisit the earlier photo of the front camera, you’ll notice a “lip” that extends above the screen. That “lip” goes all the way around the front, creating an “air gap” designed to prevent the screen from directly impacting with the ground if the phone lands flat…as long as, for example, the ground isn’t covered by rocks or other objects thick enough to surmount that gap.

What about that rear “camera bar”? Glad you asked. Here’s what both of my Pixel 7s, an “Obsidian” one on AT&T for personal use and a “Snow” one on Verizon for work (which I’ve also included for enhanced color-contrast viewing purposes), look like from an angle when encased:

Again, note the “lip”. Here’s the former, and the specific subject of today’s tale, straight on:

So…what happened? In late June, I happened to glance at the back of my AT&T-enabled Pixel 7 and saw what looked like an impact crater centered on top of the ultrawide camera lens, with cracks emanating from there all the way to the primary camera to its left. I unfortunately only in-retrospect thought that I should have snapped a photo of it (from another camera, obviously), but the damage looked similar to a photo posted by Kyriakos Ktorides on X/Twitter:

My immediate reaction was that I must have dropped it, with a pebble or the like impacting and cracking the cameras’ common glass cover. But after wracking my brains, I couldn’t recall any time that I’d dropped the phone, landing on its back or any other orientation. Theoretically, I suppose I could have popped it with the tip of a same-pocket key, but that also seemed unlikely.

So I hit up Google and was quickly (albeit vaguely) reminded of coverage I’d previously seen on this seemingly fairly widespread issue. Initially, all the reports I came across consistently mentioned the ultrawide camera lens location as the damage origination point, so I thought that perhaps optical zoom lens back-and-forth movement had impacted the glass, iteratively weakening it to the point where it finally fractured. But then I remembered that, with a few exceptions, smartphones’ lenses don’t actually have moveable elements (aside from focus, that is). Instead, they interpolate between the viewpoints of multiple cameras, each with a fixed-focal-length lens, to generate the optical zoom-like effect. Plus, as my research eventually revealed, cracks seen by others didn’t solely originate from the ultrawide camera area, anyway.

I’d also read on Reddit and elsewhere that Google had been telling folks that, in addition to phone-drop artifacts, this cracking might be caused by using the phone in conjunction with temperature-change extremes (cold climes, to be precise). However, we’re talking about mid-summer here, folks. My wife and I had also just returned from a trip, but given that airplane cabins are pressurized, I don’t think that pressure changes were to blame (although we did go between 7,500’ elevation in Colorado and less than 1,000’ in Indiana, so…yeah, no…)

Abundant reporting online suggests that spontaneous cracking independent of mishandling or any environmental or other external factor is the root-cause conclusion in situations such as mine. Thankfully, I ended up being doubly blessed. For one thing, I was relieved to learn that I had less than a month left on my factory warranty (I’d also purchased a third-party extended warranty on the phone, but coverage for situations like this was unknown). And for another, although Google initially balked at covering these particular repairs, instead blaming user mishandling, the company ultimately relented and was doing them for free under warranty.

Two days after filing my claim with Google online on Saturday, June 29, I had a free-overnight-shipping box and FedEx label in my hands. Two days later, on July 3 (the day before the long holiday weekend) Google had already received and inspected my phone, confirming that its necessary repairs were warranty-covered. The following Tuesday, July 9th, it was back in my hands, courtesy of another one-day FedEx shipment and despite two intermediary weekends and a holiday. As documented, both the front and rear camera modules ended up being replaced in addition to the glass rear camera array cover. It’s seemingly good as new, and while it was away, I pressed my Pixel 6a into service in its stead, backing up the Pixel 7 then restoring the backup to the Pixel 6a beforehand, and reversing the process upon the Pixel 7’s return.

In closing, while the title of this piece refers to “cracking the case”, to date I admittedly remain a bit baffled as to exactly why the rear camera array cover spontaneously shattered. That said, Ars Technica coverage I came across in my research contained an interesting quote:

These specialized smartphone glass panels increase scratch resistance by building stress into the glass. We don’t know the manufacturer of Google’s camera glass, but a Corning engineer explains the general process in this Scientific American article, saying, “There’s a layer of compressive stress, then a layer of central tension, where the glass wants to press out, then another layer of compressive stress.” If you mess something up in your glass formula and these layers aren’t in a perfect balance, one day the glass will just go “pop” and you’ll get these outward mini explosions.

Here’s more background info from the Ars Technica piece:

We’ve seen this exact problem several times before in the world of smartphones. Samsung was hit with this issue in 2016 on the Galaxy S7 and again in 2021 the Galaxy S20, both of which kicked off class-action lawsuits.

Further, the Google situation isn’t restricted to the Pixel 7; user reports suggest that the Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel 7a are similarly afflicted. Nor did the company seemingly fix the problem with the successor Pixel 8 generation of products, either; here’s just one of numerous case study examples of cracking issues (and yes, Google once again seems to be initially balking at owning up to covering the repairs under warranty). Fortunately, my other (Verizon-enabled “Snow”) Pixel 7 hasn’t exhibited the same behavior, at least yet; its factory warranty also expired in mid-July, but its Preferred Care extended warranty coverage is from Google, so hope springs eternal.

Could folks who dropped their phones try to scam Google into repairing them for free, too? Perhaps. Google’s initial reticence is therefore at least somewhat understandable. But quoting a phrase I’ve also used in plenty of prior writeups, where there’s smoke there’s usually fire, and there seems to be a lot of smoke here. I hope Google sorts this situation out for its Pixel 9 and future smartphone families. And if any of you have glass-composition expertise, I’d love to hear your root-cause theories in the comments!

—Brian Dipert is the Editor-in-Chief of the Edge AI and Vision Alliance, and a Senior Analyst at BDTI and Editor-in-Chief of InsideDSP, the company’s online newsletter.

Related Content

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• Google’s fall…err…summer launch: One-upping Apple with a sizeable product tranche
• The Pixel Watch: An Apple alternative with Google’s (and Fitbit’s) personal touch
• Pixel smartphone progressions: Latest offerings and personal transitions
• The 2024 Google I/O: It’s (pretty much) all about AI progress, if you didn’t already guess
• The Google Chromecast with Google TV: Realizing a resurrection opportunity
• Google’s Chromecast with Google TV: Car accessory similarity, and a post-teardown resurrection opportunity?

The post Cracking the case of a smartphone and its unfairly crack-accused case appeared first on EDN.

The Serial Plotter in Arduino is an excellent tool for quickly visualizing serial data. However, it has a limitation that can frustrate many users: it’s not immediately obvious how to adjust the X and Y axis scales, especially the X axis. In this article, I will guide you step by step on how to solve […]

The post How to Adjust X and Y Axis Scale in Arduino Serial Plotter (No Extra Software Needed) appeared first on Open Electronics. The author is Boris Landoni

As he opened an industry conference of G7 nations, the UK Government’s Science Minister Lord Patrick Vallance announced the 16 projects that will share £11.5m in funding – provided by Innovate UK (which provides funding and support for business innovation as part of UK Research and Innovation) – that will help drive innovation...

Maximilian Gerstl, congatec Product Line Manager and AI expert, and Zeljko Loncaric, congatec Market Segment Manager Medical and Infrastructure

AI in medical technology supports health professionals and enhances diagnostic accuracy. As AI algorithms must process vast amounts of data in real-time, there is a need for high-performance computing solutions such as conga-TC700 Computer-on-Modules (COMs). These COMs are powered by Intel Core Ultra processors, which uniquely integrate CPU, GPU, and NPU on a single chip.

Medical device manufacturers have consistently been at the forefront of innovation and technological progress. As early adopters, many have embraced and utilized AI systems for decades, well before widespread general acceptance.

The availability of increasingly powerful hardware components and the development of advanced algorithms enabled device manufacturers to use AI methods to significantly improve medical imaging and data analysis in the 1990s.

The emergence of machine learning for training AI algorithms in the 2000s led to even more sophisticated image analysis and the development of high-performance computing systems in fields like radiology. Since the 2010s, device manufacturers have made further strides in image processing and big data analysis.

Modular concept for medical devices

congatec’s modular concept is particularly well-suited for a wide range of medical devices that can benefit from AI integration. This includes high-performance imaging equipment such as MRI and CT scanners (Fig 1), as well as more compact devices like ultrasound, X-ray, endoscopy equipment, and mammography screening devices.

Fig 2: Portable ultrasound devices are one of the most common applications of COMs in medical technology.

Beyond diagnostic devices, Computer-on-Modules also play a crucial role in therapeutic equipment such as ventilators (Fig 3). In these systems, they enable intelligent algorithms that automatically determine optimal ventilation settings for patients. In addition, these algorithms continuously analyze critical patient data and adjust parameters like respiratory rate, tidal volume, and oxygen supply.

The development, application, and significance of AI in medical technology have gained substantial momentum over the past decade. This progress is driven not only by continuous advances in computer technology but also by optimizations in AI algorithms.

Fig 3: Computer-on-Modules are even used in compact devices such as ventilators. MRI scans in under a minute

An innovative AI algorithm for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) now enables scans to be completed in less than a minute, significantly reducing the time patients spend in the scanner. This advanced scanning process, known as upscaling or super-scaling, requires fewer images than traditional methods. The pre-trained AI interpolates a small number of individual images into a high-resolution overall image. Moreover, the AI can independently and accurately sharpen blurry areas within images.

AI-based endoscopy devices for more accurate diagnoses

AI is also being integrated into endoscopy devices, for instance to alert doctors to potentially missed lesions during examination and directing their attention to specific areas of concern. High-performance inference is crucial to ensure that this happens in real-time and that trained models execute swiftly. AI-based endoscopy devices provide doctors with a powerful tool to achieve more accurate clinical results and deliver better patient care.

Historically, medical devices required either dedicated GPGPU computing accelerators (often integrated via the classic PCIe slot and relatively large and power-hungry) or smaller AI accelerator cards designed for an M.2 slot to achieve the necessary AI performance.

AI capabilities integrated into the chip

Today, more and more processor manufacturers are adapting their chip portfolios to meet the demands of artificial intelligence. By integrating AI functions directly into their products, many medical applications can now be realized more easily, quickly, and at a lower total cost of ownership (TCO), eliminating the need for additional accelerator cards.

CPU, GPU, and NPU on one chip for the first time

The first generation of Intel Core Ultra processors (Fig 4) exemplifies this trend. These processors uniquely combine a CPU, a particularly powerful GPU (graphics processing unit), and – for the first time – an NPU (neural processing unit) on a single chip. AI applications with high computing power demands can leverage the combined power of the CPU, GPU, and NPU, whereas AI models requiring high energy efficiency and high performance per watt can be optimized to run only on the NPU.

The new NPU in the Meteor Lake processors executes machine learning algorithms and AI inference with approximately 20 times greater energy efficiency compared to standard x86 instruction sets. For image classification tasks, applications can utilize the graphics unit as a general-purpose GPU (GPGPU), achieving performance levels comparable to discrete graphics units. This results in 1.9 times faster graphics or GPGPU processing, enabling a more detailed, meaningful, and immersive user experience.

These new AI features can be easily implemented using standardized Computer-on-Modules, particularly COM Express, without requiring developers to modify existing designs.

COMs provide high flexibility

This is precisely why COMs are popular in medical technology among other industries. As AI and its applications continue to evolve, the flexibility of COM and carrier board solutions allows developers to adapt their products to new computing requirements with minimal integration effort and software modifications. They just need to follow two simple steps: unplug the old module, plug in the new one, done!

One such Computer-on-Module suitable for demanding edge AI workloads is the conga-TC700. This COM Express Type 6 Compact module, powered by Intel Core Ultra processors (codenamed Meteor Lake), integrates all the necessary AI functions for the applications previously discussed.

Generate findings automatically

The conga-TC700 is particularly well-suited for vertical medical markets and their applications due to its long availability of ten years and the ease of upgrading applications based on the open COM Express standard. It enables powerful real-time computing and offers high-performance AI functions for various medical applications, including surgical robots, diagnostic systems, and high-resolution diagnostic workstations for radiologists. The latter can automatically identify critical findings, providing valuable support to medical professionals.

Beyond the new edge AI capabilities of the Intel Core Ultra platform, Intel also offers the Intel Geti software framework. This comprehensive platform facilitates the creation of powerful computer vision models. Developers benefit from a unified ecosystem that spans from machine learning in the cloud to AI-accelerated edge devices.

Optimizing AI models with OpenVINO

The congatec COMs ecosystem is further enhanced by Intel’s open-source software toolkit, OpenVINO. This tool allows for the optimization and transfer of pre-developed, often hardware-specific AI models to the customer’s platform, regardless of where they were created. OpenVINO can also manage workload distribution, intelligently deciding which tasks should be handled by the CPU, GPU, or NPU for maximum efficiency.

Comprehensive support for medical device developers

congatec offers an extensive ecosystem and design-in services to simplify and accelerate application development. The offering includes evaluation, production, and application-ready carrier boards, as well as customized active and passive cooling solutions. congatec also provides a wide range of application development services, including extensive documentation, training, signal integrity measurements, shock and vibration tests for customer-specific system designs, temperature screening, and high-speed signal compliance testing.

Conclusion

AI has been a long-standing focus in medical technology, predating its adoption in other industrial markets. In fact, AI is even being touted as the new operating system for medical devices. Recent advancements in semiconductor technology have yielded microprocessors with exceptionally high computing and graphics performance. Featuring integrated NPU units, they enable faster, more accurate diagnoses while consuming less energy than predecessors. When implemented through Computer-on-Modules, today’s AI-supported medical devices become highly future-proof, making it easy to integrate upcoming technologies by simply swapping the module.

 

The post AI-enabled COMs for medical technology appeared first on ELE Times.

Infineon Technologies AG expands its OptiMOS 6 MOSFET portfolio with the new 135 V and 150 V product families. The devices are designed to meet the requirements of drives and switched-mode power supply (SMPS) applications and complement the recently released launched OptiMOS 6 120 V MOSFETs. With the extended portfolio, Infineon offers its customers a wide range of alternatives to select the best-fit MOSFETs for various applications. Lower switching losses benefit applications like server SMPS, solar optimizers, high-power USB chargers, and telecom. Improved conduction losses are highly beneficial for motor inverters in e-forklifts and light electric vehicles (LEVs).

Compared to the previous generation (OptiMOS 5 150 V MOSFETs), the new product families offer a reduction in on-state resistance RDS(on) of up to 50 percent, while the FOMg is reduced by 20 percent. With the very low RDS(on), their improved switching performance and excellent EMI behavior, both new families deliver unparalleled efficiency, power density, and reliability. A faster and softer body diode delivers an up to 59 percent lower Qrr, less overshoot and ringing.

The OptiMOS 6 135 V and 150 V MOSFETs are available in a variety of packages to provide customers with a range of options for best-fit products. This broad package portfolio includes TO-220, D2PAK 3-pin, D2PAK 7-pin, TOLL, TOLG, TOLT, SuperSO8 5×6 and PQFN 3.3×3.3.

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‘This Type of Converter Is Now Compatible With a Much Wider Range of Applications, Such as TVs, Phones, Tablets and Electrical Tools.’

Building on its earlier breakthroughs introducing a new way of converting electrical power using piezoelectric resonators and developing a dual-bridge piezoelectric resonator converter, CEA-Leti has paved the way to isolating piezoelectric converters without transformers.

The new topology of dual-bridge isolated piezoelectric resonator converter (DB-IPRC) provides isolation using two independent piezoelectric resonators. The improved version of the DC-DC converter significantly improves efficiency, while maintaining the converter isolation principle.

The results were reported in a paper, “Switching Assisting Circuit Improving the Efficiency of DC-DC Converters Based on Piezoelectric Resonators”, presented in this summer at PCIM Europe 2024.

The paper notes that “for a 200 V to 120 V conversion, the converter shows an efficiency of 96.2 percent with the inductive assisting circuit, 94.3 percent with the piezoelectric one and 87.4 percent without any assisting circuit. The (piezoelectric resonator) assisting circuit offers a gain in efficiency over a smaller operating range than the inductance, but leads to a flatter converter.”

Building on 2023 Breakthroughs

The work expands on previous results reported by CEA-Leti in the August 2023 issue of “IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics” in the article, “A New Isolated Topology of DC–DC Converter Based on Piezoelectric Resonators”. The article says that the new topology “uses the natural isolation of piezoelectric resonators to isolate the converter’s output from the input and vice-versa.”

The use of piezoelectric resonators instead of inductors in power conversion “will lead to a dramatic reduction in the size of power converters,” explained Ghislain Despesse, a co-author of the PCIM paper and the earlier article. “Our results make it possible to extend this type of compact conversion to isolated converters. So this type of converter is now compatible with a much wider range of applications, such as TVs, phones, tablets and electrical tools.”

“For many people, piezoelectricity is associated with energy harvesting and the idea of low power,” Despesse said. “But in power conversion, piezoelectrics operate at high frequencies, greater than 100kHz, with no limits in terms of input power. That makes it possible to reach power levels of several hundred watts. The range of applications is therefore very broad, with most converters having a rated power of less than 100W.”

The post New CEA-Leti Technology Improves DC-DC Converter Efficiency and Paves the Way to Piezoelectric Converters Without Transformers appeared first on ELE Times.

Safety on two wheels developed by riders for riders

• Six new Bosch radar-based convenience and safety features now available worldwide
• New generation of rider assistance functions with front radar used for the first time by KTM
• Bosch Accident Research estimates that assistance functions could prevent up to one in six motorcycle accidents on German roads alone

Thanks to Bosch, motorcyclists can now feel even safer in the saddle: the technology company has unveiled six new radar-based assistance systems, including five world-firsts. According to Bosch Accident Research, these could help prevent not just one in seven, like earlier systems, but as many as one in six accidents on German roads alone. Bosch already revolutionized the motorcycle market back in 2020 with its support functions for motorcyclists. Of the six new assistance functions, four will be unveiled in a new model from leading European motorbike manufacturer KTM in November 2024 and are set to enter production in 2025. “Bosch’s declared aim is to make motorcycling even safer and more comfortable by employing innovative new technologies – without diminishing riding enjoyment,” says Geoff Liersch, head of Two-Wheeler & Powersports at Bosch. “The new functions mark yet another step in this direction, and we’re delighted to have KTM as a customer.” The manufacturer will incorporate the four Bosch rider assistance functions that use front radar. This is not the first time Bosch and KTM have worked together: in 2013, the two companies collaborated on the successful launch of the MSC motorcycle stability control system. „We’re very satisfied with the longstanding collaborative relationship between our development teams, and we’re excited that KTM is the first to put these new functions to use,” says Stefan Haist, Lead KTM Chassis Control System – Street Development.

Bosch assistance systems provide more support on two wheels Adaptive cruise control – stop and go (ACC S&G)

For two-wheelers, traffic jams can be strenuous as well as dangerous. Riders have to constantly apply the clutch, use the brakes, and then start moving again. To make this task easier, Bosch launched ACC adaptive cruise control back in 2020. Once the desired speed has been set, this system constantly matches the vehicle’s speed to the flow of traffic while maintaining the necessary safe distance from the vehicle in front. Bosch has now taken this technology to a new level to offer increased riding comfort with its new ACC S&G function, which can bring the motorcycle to a controlled standstill in order to support the motorcyclist. This works best with an automatic transmission such as the one used in KTM’s new bike, which will be the first to incorporate this new function. If their motorcycle comes to a halt, there is no need for riders to use the clutch; they can set their bike in motion simply by pressing a button or briefly activating the throttle as soon as the vehicle in front starts moving.

Group ride assist (GRA)

Group riding in a staggered formation is popular among motorcyclists, though it can be challenging with ACC, because the function expects the motorcycles riding in front to be in the middle of the lane. GRA is a useful addition to ACC; using an algorithm, it detects when a group is riding in a staggered formation and regulates the speed to automatically maintain the same distance from the motorcycles in front. In this way, the function assists riders in achieving a natural group formation. When not riding in groups, the GRA system works the same as ACC.

Riding distance assist (RDA)

When traffic is flowing smoothly and RDA is activated, it helps maintain an appropriate distance from vehicles in front and thus prevent rear-end collisions. With ACC, a desired speed must be set; but when RDA is activated, the motorcycle can be controlled as normal via the throttle grip. While riding, the system automatically reduces the vehicle’s acceleration or applies the brakes as and when required. Riders can set the desired distance from the vehicle in front beforehand. If they wish, they can also use a switch to deactivate the function or apply the throttle to override the deceleration generated by the RDA system. This enables the function to blend naturally and comfortably into the dynamic flow of riding.

Emergency brake assist (EBA)

Hazardous situations on the road require not only a rapid response but, in many cases, emergency braking. Every second counts when it comes to preventing collisions and avoiding potentially serious consequences. EBA is triggered when the system detects a risk of collision and the rider doesn’t brake hard enough. In this case, the function actively increases the wheel brake pressure further to reduce the bike’s speed as quickly as possible.

Rear distance warning (RDW)

Even in a car, it can be hard to keep a constant eye on traffic approaching from behind; but on a motorcycle, it requires an extra level of concentration.

RDW monitors the situation behind the rider and flashes a warning on the display if another vehicle gets too close. Based on this warning, the rider can take mitigating action to prevent a rear-end collision.

Rear collision warning (RCW)

RCW warns vehicles behind the motorcycle when a rear-end collision is imminent, for example by activating the hazard warning lights. In this way, the function protects motorcyclists from accidents caused by having to brake unexpectedly or by a vehicle failing to see them – whether waiting at traffic lights, sitting in a traffic jam, or riding in free-flowing traffic.

These new functions supplement Bosch’s worldwide portfolio of radar-based assistance systems, thus expanding the “sensory world” of the motorcycle. In addition to basic safety features, increasing importance is also being given to convenience and experience features that focus on the motorcycle and take real-life riding situations into consideration – functions that ensure not only safety and convenience, but also unmatched riding enjoyment.

The post New Bosch radar-based assistance system used for first time by KTM appeared first on ELE Times.

Maker Faire Rome 2024 is ready to amaze the public with an extraordinary showcase of ingenuity and technological innovation, thanks to the Elettronici Entusiasti. This collective of passionate creators, through their YouTube channels and technical expertise, has captured the attention of hundreds of thousands of followers. Their mission? To rekindle interest in electronics, making, and […]

The post Elettronici Entusiasti: Inspiring Makers at Maker Faire Rome 2024 appeared first on Open Electronics. The author is Boris Landoni