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We took a family trip with our grandsons to the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn, NY. Retired subway cars were on display, some of them seemingly not that old while others dated way, way back. Visitors could freely roam in and out. I was in this one car that had been in service in 1903 which meant it predated the advent of electronics. Even the vacuum tube had not yet been invented by then.

I noticed the passenger area’s bare light bulbs and got really close to one (Figure 1). It was rated at 56 watts and 120 volts. A question came to mind as to how did that car use 120-volt light bulbs when the third rail voltage was (and still is) 600 volts DC?

Figure 1 A subway car light bulb up close showing 56-W and 120-V rating.

When we got home, I tried looking up subway car technical data, but when I came to a wiring schematic, I couldn’t read it. The symbols were indecipherable to me. Only then did it dawn on me that five such bulbs connected in series would be operable from 120 x 5 = 600 volts. If any one of the five were to burn out, all five would go dark, but then maintenance would change all five and discard four good bulbs with the one blown out bulb. It sounded wasteful, but it would have been a practical approach.

Is that the actual truth? I don’t know, and there was nobody on hand to ask, even if I had been quick enough of wit to inquire. Also, I just wasn’t smart enough on site to see if the total number of bulbs in the car was a multiple of five. Maybe one day, I can do that.

Another point about those subway bulbs is that they had left-handed threads on their bases, while household bulbs use right-handed threads. This was to discourage light bulb thefts. Stolen bulbs would not fit into light bulb sockets in households, only into the sockets of subway cars.

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

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The post Antique NYC subway cars appeared first on EDN.

Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany and automotive cockpit electronics supplier Visteon Corp of Van Buren Township, MI, USA have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to advance the development of next-generation electric vehicle powertrains...

Quantum computers are among today’s most exciting emerging technologies, but their design, testing, and manufacturing require unparalleled care to avoid damaging their components. Semiconductors are sensitive, so they require production environments with minimal contamination risks. Cleanrooms are the industry-standard solution, but even these facilities must reach higher standards for quantum computer development.

While a cleanroom overhaul is inherently expensive and disruptive, these costs may be minimal compared to the potential of quantum technology. A quantum chip from Google was recently able to complete a calculation that would take a classic supercomputer roughly 10 septillion years in just five minutes.

This enormous processing upgrade is thanks to quantum computers’ use of qubits instead of bits. Whereas a bit represents either one or zero, a qubit can be both simultaneously—a seemingly small distinction with a dramatic impact on computing speed and power. However, the superconductors and other components necessary to enable this process are highly sensitive to external disturbances.

Many cutting-edge quantum innovations rely on nanotechnology to achieve the desired performance. Nanomaterials have superior thermal stability and electrical conductivity, making them ideal for high-power applications like quantum computing. They also let electronics engineers fit more components in a confined space to uphold Moore’s law.

As helpful as such technologies are, working with them creates an issue in conventional settings. Given their size, nanomaterials are easily contaminateable and breakable. The intensity of quantum operations exacerbates this sensitivity. Even slight deviations in temperatures, light, and air quality could jeopardize the performance of this highly sophisticated and expensive equipment.

Source: University of Waterloo

A look inside the quantum cleanroom

Quantum cleanrooms are the solution. Engineers must design and build tomorrow’s cutting-edge devices in equally cutting-edge production facilities. Even a conventional cleanroom may be too prone to contamination and environmental variability to support quantum computer development.

The most common cleanroom ratings today are ISO 7 and 8, which allow concentrations of 352,000 and 3.52 million 0.5-micron particles per cubic meter, respectively. These standards also don’t consider any particulate matter below 0.5 microns. While that’s sufficient for traditional semiconductor engineering, quantum cleanrooms must go further. Ratings of ISO 6 and above that do limit sub-0.5-micron particles are necessary.

Cleanrooms for quantum development also need different sanitation methods. Researchers at Berkeley Lab recently found that gentler component cleaning resulted in an 87% increase in induction, making parts more resistant to electrical noise. The method in question used lower temperatures, vacuums, and suspended components to minimize environmental hazards.

Even lighting and ambient temperatures require attention in the quantum cleanroom. Many of these components are photosensitive to blue wavelengths, particularly, so overhead lights should lean more toward the warm end of the spectrum. Quantum circuits also tend to be temperature-sensitive, so these cleanrooms must use gentle refrigeration techniques to keep the area cold.

Quantum electronics engineers must get used to cleanrooms

As quantum technology advances, electronics design engineers may need to adapt to it. The professionals designing, testing, and producing tomorrow’s most advanced electronics must learn to work with their unique production requirements. Getting used to the quantum cleanroom is a crucial step in getting ready for this next generation of computing.

Ellie Gabel is a freelance writer as well as an associate editor at Revolutionized.

 

 

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• Cadence best-in-class simulation software integrated with NVIDIA Blackwell-accelerated compute enables unmatched scale and speed
• Delivers up to 80X higher performance and 20X lower power
• Optimized for a broad range of workloads across EDA, system design and drug design

Cadence announced a major expansion of its Cadence Millennium Enterprise Platform with the introduction of the new Millennium M2000 Supercomputer featuring NVIDIA Blackwell systems, which delivers AI-accelerated simulation at unprecedented speed and scale across engineering and drug design workloads.

The new supercomputer integrates Cadence’s industry-leading solvers with NVIDIA HGX B200 systems, NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition GPUs and NVIDIA CUDA-X libraries and solver software. This powerful combination delivers dramatic reductions in simulation run times and up to 80X higher performance versus CPU-based systems for electronic design automation, system design and analysis, and drug discovery applications. The supercomputer provides a tightly co-optimized hardware-software stack that enables breakthrough performance with up to 20X lower power across multiple disciplines, accelerating the build-out of AI infrastructure, advancing physical AI machine design and pushing the frontiers of drug design.

“The Millennium M2000 Supercomputer will drive the next leap in AI-accelerated engineering by leveraging our massively scalable solvers, dedicated NVIDIA Blackwell-accelerated computing and AI to help designers continue to push the limits of what is possible,” said Anirudh Devgan, president and CEO of Cadence. “Purpose-built for the most advanced AI models of today and tomorrow, the Millennium M2000 Supercomputer delivers unprecedented designer productivity to propel the next generation of AI infrastructure, physical AI systems and drug discovery.”

“From biology to chip design, the world’s most complex engineering challenges require simulation at scales and speeds only possible with accelerated computing,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “Built with NVIDIA Blackwell, CUDA-X and Cadence’s computational software, the Millennium M2000 Supercomputer is a new class of infrastructure: an AI factory for science to drive breakthroughs that will transform discovery across disciplines.”

The next generation of infrastructure AI, physical AI and sciences AI requires sophisticated computational capability in data centers and edge devices. Building upon the success of the Millennium M1 Supercomputer, which delivers breakthrough performance and energy efficiency for high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics simulations, the Millennium M2000 Supercomputer harnesses Cadence’s broad array of EDA, SDA and molecular software solvers to perform massive simulations that were previously impossible, transforming approaches to semiconductor and 3D-IC design, data center digital twins, drug discovery modeling and other engineering challenges across the hyperscale computing, automotive, data center, and aerospace and defense markets.

Advancing Semiconductors and 3D-IC Design

The industry’s first purpose-built emulator for AI design, the Millennium M2000 Supercomputer combines all the multiphysics capabilities needed to analyze and optimize 3D-IC and advanced packaging designs, including power, thermal, stress/warpage and electromagnetics. This enables superior quality in a fraction of the time, ensuring engineering teams can achieve greater reliability and efficiency in their product development cycles. For example, traditional semiconductor chip-level power integrity simulations are limited to small windows of time. Customers can now deliver simulations in less than a day with one Millennium M2000 Supercomputer that previously would have taken hundreds of CPUs almost two weeks.

Accelerating Autonomous System Design

The AI infrastructure buildout requires a significant investment in data centers and compute infrastructure. Doing this in an energy- and resource-efficient manner is critical to delivering the next generation of foundation models from AI factories. Digital twins improve operational efficiencies, reduce risk and lower total power consumption. The Millennium M2000 Supercomputer accelerates the design and operation of these data center digital twins and the modeling process required for the racks, boards and equipment that power them.

The Millennium M2000 Supercomputer also enables high-accuracy and high-capacity virtual simulations of machines that will embody AI outside of data centers, such as autonomous transportation, drones and robotics. To design these systems effectively, the combination of accelerated compute and computational software unlocks improved designs in a shorter time by delivering virtual wind tunnels that can precisely simulate real-world conditions. Designers of electronic and mechatronic systems can now make crucial decisions in less than a day versus multiple days, saving both time and energy compared to using a CPU-based Top 500 supercomputer cluster with hundreds of thousands of processors.

Advancing Life Science Innovation

Cadence Molecular Sciences accelerates drug discovery by enabling pharmaceutical customers to perform more simulations in less time with the Millennium M2000 Supercomputer. Cadence’s Orion Molecular Design Platform on Cadence OnCloud, available on the Millennium M2000 Supercomputer, equips researchers with unmatched computational power to speed up the discovery of potential drug candidates and enhance process scalability.

The post Cadence Unveils Millennium M2000 Supercomputer with NVIDIA Blackwell Systems to Transform AI-Driven Silicon, Systems and Drug Design appeared first on ELE Times.

With a built-in MEMS resonator, SiTime’s Symphonic SiT30100 mobile clock generator replaces up to four discrete timing devices. It provides accurate clock signals for 5G and GNSS chipsets in mobile and IoT devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and asset trackers.

An integrated temperature sensor feeds precise data to compensation algorithms, helping maintain clock stability. This improves GPS accuracy and reduces lock time, enabling stable performance even in harsh environmental conditions.

The SiT30100 delivers four clock outputs at 76.8 MHz, 38.4 MHz, or 19.2 MHz—configurable from any output—for baseband, RF, and GNSS applications. By eliminating the need for an external resonator, the SiT30100 enables a compact 2.22-mm² single-chip solution. Multiple Output Enable pins allow selective output control to reduce power consumption and minimize EMI. The device also features a temperature-to-digital converter with a single-wire UART interface for system-level temperature compensation, supporting frequency stability down to ±0.5 ppm.

The Symphonic mobile clock generator is available now in a 10-pin chip-scale package.

Symphonic SiT30100 product page

SiTime

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Navitas Semiconductor’s latest GeneSiC MOSFETs exceed AEC-Q101 standards, extending lifetime in automotive and industrial systems. Based on trench-assisted planar technology, they are available in HV-T2Pak top-side cooled packages with 6.45-mm creepage and a CTI above 600 V, supporting IEC-compliant operation up to 1200 V.

Navitas uses the term AEC-Plus to designate parts that exceed the AEC-Q101 reliability tests published by the Automotive Electronics Council (AEC), based on multi-lot stress-test results. This in-house benchmark layers additional stress conditions onto standard AEC-Q101 and JEDEC protocols to better mirror real-world automotive and industrial mission profiles by:

• Incorporating dynamic reverse bias (D-HTRB) and dynamic gate switching (D-HTGB) tests
• Running power- and temperature-cycling for over twice the standard duration
• Extending static high-temperature, high-voltage tests (HTRB, HTGB) to over three times the AEC-Q101 interval
• Qualifying parts to 200 °C TJMAX for improved overload capability

Housed in the 14×18.5-mm HV-T2Pak, the initial portfolio includes 1200-V devices with on-resistance from 18 mΩ to 135 mΩ and 650-V devices ranging from 20 mΩ to 55 mΩ. Lower on-resistance (<15 mΩ) SiC MOSFETs in the same package will follow later in 2025. For more information on GeneSiC MOSFETs, click here.

Navitas Semiconductor 

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Sonair’s 3D ultrasonic sensor uses acoustic detection and ranging (ADAR) to enable 360° obstacle detection up to 5 meters. Each ADAR sensor offers a 180×180° field of view, allowing autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to safely navigate around people and objects.

The beamforming technology behind ADAR—used in SONAR, RADAR, and medical imaging—has been under development at Norway’s MiNaLab research center for over 20 years and is now adapted for in-air ultrasonic sensing.

ADAR empowers autonomous robots with omnidirectional depth perception, enabling them to ‘hear’ their surroundings in real-time 3D using airborne soundwaves to interpret spatial information. The sensor forms a 5-meter virtual shield that helps people and robots safely share space. It combines wavelength-matched transducers with efficient signal processing for beamforming and object recognition.

The 3D ultrasonic sensors offer a cost-effective alternative to LiDAR and camera-based systems, typically consuming just 5 W and performing more reliably in challenging conditions such as poor lighting, dust, and temperature fluctuations.

Sonair’s ADAR sensor is developed in accordance with ISO 13849-1:2023 PLd / SIL2, with safety certification expected by year-end. The company will unveil the sensor to North American audiences at Automate 2025, with shipments scheduled to begin in July.

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Designed for life science applications, the PLT5 488HB_EP cyan laser diode from ams OSRAM delivers 300 mW of output power at 488 nm. It offers five times the optical output and over 40% higher efficiency than its predecessor—key for DNA sequencing, flow cytometry, and other diagnostic tasks.

According to the company, cyan light effectively stimulates fluorescent dyes in diagnostic devices like flow cytometers and blood testing equipment. The laser diode provides precise wavelength control of ±2 nm, ensuring accurate results in diagnostics, and features a high modulation bandwidth that enhances both signal quality and the speed of analytical processes. Additionally, the PLT5 488HB_EP has low thermal resistance, enabling reliable operation at high temperatures.

While well-suited for life science research, the cyan laser diode also shows potential in other applications. In stage and stadium lighting, for example, it expands the color gamut, producing more vivid visual effects. In fluorescence microscopy, the 488-nanometer wavelength enhances visibility, making it easier to observe fine details that may be difficult to detect with conventional light sources.

PLT5 488HB_EP product page

ams OSRAM 

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CoolSiC JFETs from Infineon provide low conduction losses and robust turn-off behavior for solid-state protection and power distribution. Their strong short-circuit capability, linear-mode thermal stability, and accurate overvoltage control make them well-suited for solid-state circuit breakers, automotive battery disconnect switches, and industrial safety relays.

The bulk-channel optimized JFETs offer RDS(on) values as low as 1.5 mΩ for 750 V devices and 2.3 mΩ for 1200 V variants. Housed in a top-side cooled Q-DPAK, they enable straightforward paralleling and scalable current handling. Consistent switching performance under thermal stress and fault conditions ensures reliable operation in demanding environments.

Engineering samples of the new CoolSiC JFET devices will be available in late 2025, with volume production beginning in 2026. The portfolio will expand to include a range of packages and modules. For more information, click here.

Infineon Technologies 

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The Singapore–MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART, Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s research enterprise in Singapore) has launched a new interdisciplinary research group (IRG) focused on developing next-generation 3D sensing technologies for practical use across industries such as automotive, consumer electronics, aerospace and healthcare, among others...

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Skyworks Solutions Inc of Irvine, CA, USA (which manufactures analog and mixed-signal semiconductors) has appointed Mark Dentinger as senior VP & chief financial officer, effective 2 June. He succeeds Kris Sennesael, who steps down as CFO on 9 May to pursue another opportunity...

Nanoelectronics research centre imec of Leuven, Belgium and research institute TNO (the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research in Delft) have officially launched the Holst Centre Photonics Lab, sited at the High Tech Campus Eindhoven. The Holst Centre was established in 2005 by imec and TNO, gathering expertise in wireless sensor technologies and flexible electronics under one roof...

Reflecting its metallurgical expertise in refining and transforming critical materials, Indium Corp of Clinton, NY, USA (a supplier of refined gallium, germanium, indium and other specialty technology metals) has extracted gallium from feed sourced at the Vaudreuil alumina refinery in Saguenay, Quebec, Canada of global mining group Rio Tinto as the firms collaborate to build a more robust global supply chain for gallium...

Generating analog sawtooth waveforms (linear ramp followed by a quick reset to zero) from digital timing signals is a common function. It usually requires a negative supply as sketched in Figure 1, where Vsaw = -(-V) Tsq/(R1C1).

Figure 1 The usual topology for converting digital square waves to analog sawtooth requires a negative rail.

Wow the engineering world with your unique design: Design Ideas Submission Guide

Negative current through R1 ramps up inverting integrator A1’s output until switch U1 resets it to zero. This topology is simple and works well, but it has the disadvantage of needing a separate negative rail so the integrator can be referenced to ground. Also, the RC network in front of U1, which needs to differentiate the positive edge of the square wave, is kind of messy and less than precise.

Figure 2 shows an alternative sawtooth topology that employs flying capacitor C2 to reset A1. This allows it to be referenced to the positive rail instead of ground, eliminating the need for Figure 1’s negative rail and pulse differentiation. Here’s how it works.

Figure 2 Flying capacitor C2 resets the RRIO ramp to zero volts, allowing it to be referenced to the positive rail instead of ground.

RRIO op-amp A1’s positive input being tied to the VL positive rail allows R1 to act as a current sink between ground and A1’s summing point. This ramps A1’s output positively to:

Vsaw = VL Tsq / (R1C1)

Simultaneously, flying capacitor C2 charges to Vsaw via its connection to A1’s output through U1a. Then, on the positive-going edge of “Square In,” the bottom end of C2 is connected to A1 summing point while its top end switches from ground to VL. This dumps a quantum of charge into C1:

(VL + (Vsaw – VL))C2 = VsawC2

Given that C1 = C2, this resets “Saw Out” to ground as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3 “Square In” and “Saw Out” voltage waveforms where Vsaw = VL T/(R1C1).

For best accuracy, R1, C1 and C2 should be precision types.

Stephen Woodward’s relationship with EDN’s DI column goes back quite a long way. Over 100 submissions have been accepted since his first contribution back in 1974.

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Mouser Electronics, Inc., the authorised global distributor with the newest electronic components and industrial automation products, is now stocking the AR0145CS Hyperlux SG image sensors from onsemi. The AR0145CS is a 1/4.3 inch CMOS digital image sensor with a 1280 (H) x 800 (V) active-pixel array. Capturing both continuous video and single frames, the AR0145CS sensors are ideal for scanning and industrial inspection applications.

The onsemi AR0145CS Hyperlux SG image sensors, now available at Mouser, offer sophisticated camera features, including auto exposure control, pixel binning, row- and column-skip modes, and windowing. An innovative global shutter pixel design allows the sensors to capture moving scenes with speed and accuracy.

The AR0145CS image sensors include automatic black level calibration (ABLC) and produce clear, low-noise images in low-light and bright scenes. The sensors are programmable through a simple, two-wire interface and include an on-chip trigger mode for synchronization, built-in flash control, and two on-chip phase lock loops (PLLs). With this combination of features, the AR0145CS Hyperlux SG image sensors are suitable for a wide range of applications, including bar code scanners, gesture recognition, augmented reality, biometrics, surveillance, HD video, and machine vision.

As a global authorized distributor, Mouser offers the widest selection of the newest semiconductors, electronic components and industrial automation products. Mouser’s customers can expect 100% certified, genuine products that are fully traceable from each of its manufacturer partners. To help speed customers’ designs, Mouser’s website hosts an extensive library of technical resources, including a Technical Resource Center, along with product data sheets, supplier-specific reference designs, application notes, technical design information, engineering tools and other helpful information.

Engineers can stay abreast of today’s exciting product, technology and application news through Mouser’s complimentary e-newsletter. Mouser’s email news and reference subscriptions are customizable to the unique and changing project needs of customers and subscribers. No other distributor gives engineers this much customization and control over the information they receive.

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A NOR flash memory serving advanced driver assistant systems (ADAS), zone control, gateway, and digital cockpit designs has achieved ASIL-D functional safety certification from SGS-TÜV, a testing, inspection, analysis, and certification services specialist. External experts from this assurance organization validated Infineon’s SEMPER NOR flash memory for the most stringent safety performance in automotive applications after a detailed analysis of product safety documentation under the ISO 26262:2018 standard.

Infineon also claims that its SEMPER NOR flash is the first memory product developed in compliance with the ISO26262 functional safety standard. “We are proud that the experts at SGS-TÜV have certified our achievements in functional safety and invite our customers to design SEMPER NOR products into their most demanding applications,” said Rainer Hoehler, senior VP and general manager of memory solutions at Infineon.

OEMs and regulators demand the highest levels of safety in automotive designs, from battery management to ADAS to autonomous driving. Source: Infineon

According to Infineon, the ASIL-D certification applies to the full range of SEMPER NOR memory products. That includes HYPERBUS and JEDEC xSPI octal interfaces as well as 256-megabit to 2-gigabit densities. Moreover, these memory products are qualified to AEC-Q100 grade 1 standard.

More information about NOR flash memory and its ASIL-D functional safety certification is available on Infineon’s Memory Solutions Hub web portal. The company also offers the “SEMPER SDK Safe” software development package alongside this NOR flash memory.

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