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A wearable pendant helps visually impaired people understand what is around them. When a button is pressed, an ESP32-CAM takes a photo of the environment, sends it to the cloud to get a text description, converts it to speech, and plays it through a speaker. The project is by Anand D and overcomes the limits of traditional canes with proximity sensors, which only detect nearby obstacles.

The central board is the ESP32-CAM, which combines a camera and a microcontroller in a compact module. The user presses a limit switch to capture the image. The photo is sent to the CircuitDigest Cloud, which analyzes it and returns a detailed description in JSON format. The text then goes to Sarvam AI, which converts it into an audio file in Base64 format. Finally, the ESP32-CAM downloads the file, decodes it, and plays it through the I2S MAX98357 amplifier and a speaker.

Components of the pendant and power supply

Besides the ESP32-CAM, only a few components are needed: the MAX98357 amplifier, a speaker, an HW-105 5V boost converter, a limit switch, a button, and a toggle switch. The boost converter powers the entire system from a battery. It must supply an average of 600mA, a value that the ESP32-CAM draws especially during Wi-Fi transmission and audio playback.

The audio sampling frequency is initialized to 16000 Hz, while the AUDIO_GAIN_FACTOR is set to 2.5f to make the volume suitable for listening. An additional button allows changing the response language between Hindi, English, Tamil, and Malayalam. In this way, the device adapts to the user, not the other way around.

The firmware: libraries and API limits

The source code uses several libraries to handle the camera, connection, and audio. These include esp_camera.h, WiFi.h, HTTPClient.h, driver/i2s.h, and mbedtls/base64.h. ArduinoJson is used for parsing the JSON response. The flow is linear: capture, upload, description, speech synthesis, playback.

There are, however, limits to respect. Sarvam AI, with the Bulbul v3 model, accepts a maximum of 2500 characters per request. This limit is higher than Wit.ai, which stops at 280 characters, and Google TTS, which reaches 5000. In practice, the description generated by the cloud almost always falls within the limit, but the code must handle any responses that are too long.

For those who want to dig deeper into the code, sketches, and assembly details, Anand D’s repository is the right starting point. The project demonstrates how an inexpensive microcontroller can become a real assistive device, using computer vision to describe the environment and speech synthesis to communicate it.

• ESP32-CAM with integrated camera
• I2S MAX98357 amplifier
• 8 ohm speaker
• HW-105 5V boost converter
• Limit switch for capture
• Button for language change
• Toggle switch for power

To program the board, a USB-TTL converter is needed, which allows connecting the ESP32-CAM to a PC. Alternatively, those who want a more modern board can consider the ESP32-C6-Zero development kit, which offers Wi-Fi 6 and a compact format, although it requires an external camera.

Source: https://circuitdigest.com/microcontroller-projects/esp32cam-ai-vision-assistant-pendant

The post AI Vision Assistant Pendant for the Visually Impaired appeared first on Open Electronics.

​To strengthen India’s semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem across different stages of the value chain, Tata Electronics signed seven Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with global companies and Indian institutions during SEMICON India 2026, held in New Delhi from September 17 to 19. The collaborations cover wafer manufacturing, assembly and testing, advanced semiconductor packaging, materials, technology development, supply-chain localisation and talent development.

One of Tata Electronics’ major collaborations is with Nexperia, a Dutch semiconductor company. This partnership covers front end wafer fabrication, back-end assembly, and testing along with technology and ecosystem development. As per the partnership, Nexperia’s semiconductor products are expected to be manufactured and packaged through Tata Electronics’ facilities located in Dholera, Gujarat and Jagiroad, Assam.

Tata Electronics’ second collaboration is with Fujifilm, a Japanese multinational company, with the primary goal of developing a semiconductor materials ecosystem in the Dholera fabrication facility to enhance supply chain resilience. These materials include high-purity process chemicals and raw materials such as photoresists, CMP slurries, and thin-film solutions. Fujifilm plans to invest ₹800 crore to establish a semiconductor materials plant in Dholera to support the localisation of semiconductor materials.

Another important partnership is with Enomoto, a Japanese steel manufacturing company signed with Tata ​Electrics to strengthen its semiconductor packaging materials supply chain facility in Jagiroad, Assam. Enomoto will support Tata Electronics by providing manufacturing expertise for developing next-generation semiconductor packaging capabilities.

This collaboration of Tata Electronics with global partners reflects the effort to develop an integrated semiconductor ecosystem in India, supporting Tata Electronics’ planned fabrication facility in Dholera and semiconductor packaging facility in Assam while building domestic capabilities across the semiconductor value chain.

The post Tata Electronics Signs Seven MoUs to Strengthen India’s Semiconductor Value Chain appeared first on ELE Times.

“India presents a significant opportunity to develop globally competitive solutions that shape the future of intelligent transportation.”

The automotive industry is making a seamless transition to Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) architectures and technology providers are gearing up for exciting times ahead! In an exclusive interaction with Anwesh Koley of ELE Times, Hitesh Garg, Vice President & India Managing Director, NXP Semiconductors, shared his views on SDVs and their evolution in the automotive landscape. Excerpts from the interview:

ELE Times: With car buyers becoming more concerned with comfort, connectivity, and safety than horsepower and acceleration, how does this impact the design of technological architectures in SDVs?

Hitesh Garg: Traditional automotive engineering focused on mechanical performance, but today’s buyers increasingly evaluate vehicles based on their digital experience. About 95% of Indian consumers are willing to pay for Software-Defined Vehicle capabilities, with safety, security, and continuous vehicle-health reporting emerging as key purchase considerations.  As a result, vehicles are evolving into intelligent, software-driven platforms where features can be continuously enhanced throughout their lifecycle.

NXP is powering this transition through its portfolio of automotive processors, secure connectivity, edge AI, radar, and vehicle networking solutions that help OEMs build scalable, software-defined vehicle architectures.

ELE Times: With vehicles becoming increasingly software-defined, share your thoughts on NXP’s advancements in zonal networking solutions.

Hitesh Garg: At NXP, we view zonal networking as one of the foundational building blocks for scalable SDVs. Our S32 portfolio, including the S32G vehicle network processors and S32J family of Ethernet switches, is designed to deliver the secure, deterministic, and high-bandwidth communication required for next-generation architectures.

More recently, we introduced the SAF8444 multi-gigabit Automotive Ethernet switch, enabling higher network bandwidth and lower latency to support data-intensive applications such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), autonomous driving, and immersive in-vehicle experiences. Combined with Automotive Ethernet, Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), and intelligent gateway capabilities, these solutions enable seamless communication between sensors, actuators, and centralised compute systems.

ELE Times: India is increasingly positioning itself as a design-led electronics ecosystem. In this scenario, please elaborate on NXP’s current initiatives in the development and adoption of Software Defined Vehicles.

Hitesh Garg: India plays a critical role in NXP’s global automotive R&D ecosystem. With more than 2500 employees across our centres, the recent acquisition of Kinara further strengthens NXP’s edge AI capabilities, enabling high-performance neural processing directly within the vehicle for applications such as advanced driver assistance, driver monitoring, and intelligent in-cabin experiences.

Coupled with India’s growing semiconductor ecosystem and supportive government initiatives, we see significant opportunities to collaborate with OEMs and ecosystem partners to accelerate the development of globally competitive SDV solutions.

ELE Times: Software Defined Vehicles require a fundamentally different approach to vehicle architecture. How is the industry poised to address this challenge?

Hitesh Garg: The industry is adopting standardised software platforms, service-oriented architectures, Automotive Ethernet, zonal and centralised processing to simplify integration and improve scalability. Equally important is the growing collaboration between semiconductor companies, OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, cloud providers, and software developers to reduce development complexity and accelerate time-to-market.

ELE Times: What’s different in the current approach to designing an SDV than 3-to-5 years ago?

Hitesh Garg: Over the last few years, the industry has moved from viewing software as an enhancement to recognising it as the primary driver of vehicle innovation. Three to five years ago, software largely supported individual vehicle functions through isolated ECUs. Today, manufacturers are designing vehicles around centralised computing platforms where software defines functionality, user experience, and feature evolution throughout the vehicle’s lifecycle.

NXP is enabling this shift with our automotive processors, radar solutions, secure connectivity technologies, and vehicle networking platforms designed to support this evolution by enabling scalable compute, real-time intelligence, and continuous software innovation while meeting the stringent safety and cybersecurity requirements of modern vehicles.

ELE Times: Software seems to be enabling more variations. Are there any engineering challenges in managing and implementing this?

Hitesh Garg: The increasing software content in vehicles brings tremendous flexibility, but it also introduces new engineering challenges around functional safety, cybersecurity, software integration, and lifecycle management. As vehicle architecture becomes more centralised and software-driven, ensuring that hardware and software operate reliably, securely, and in compliance with automotive safety standards becomes critical.

ELE Times: What can automotive engineers do to balance the need for more circuitry with the requirement to limit weight, particularly in EVs?

Hitesh Garg: One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by transitioning from distributed ECU architectures to centralised and zonal architectures. Instead of connecting every sensor and actuator through long wiring harnesses, zonal architectures group components based on their physical location within the vehicle and connect them through high-speed Automotive Ethernet. This significantly reduces cable length, lowers vehicle weight, simplifies manufacturing, and improves serviceability while supporting future software-defined capabilities.

Equally important is semiconductor integration. By consolidating multiple functions into high-performance processors and highly integrated system-on-chip (SoC) solutions, OEMs can reduce component count, optimise power consumption, and improve thermal efficiency.

ELE Times: What are the barriers to SDV adoption, and what can OEMs and technology providers do to address these concerns?

Hitesh Garg: Infrastructure is an important enabler for SDVs. The deployment of reliable infrastructure, high-speed connectivity, and intelligent transport systems will also be essential to unlock the full potential of SDVs. Addressing these challenges requires close collaboration across the automotive ecosystem. Semiconductor companies, OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, software developers, and standards bodies must work together to build interoperable platforms based on open architectures and common software frameworks.

ELE Times: How do you perceive the future of connected car technology and what innovations can we expect in the foreseeable future?

Hitesh Garg: We at NXP are enabling this future through our broad automotive portfolio spanning secure connectivity, V2X, UWB, radar, edge AI, and high-performance automotive processing. As vehicles become more software-defined and connected, our focus remains on delivering secure, scalable technologies that enable automakers to accelerate innovation while ensuring functional safety, cybersecurity, and reliability. For India, where connected mobility is gaining momentum alongside the growth of electric and software-defined vehicles, this presents a significant opportunity to develop globally competitive solutions that shape the future of intelligent transportation.

ELE Times: What are your views on the India Semiconductor Mission 2.0?

Hitesh Garg: Government initiatives such as ‘ISM 2.0’ are a defining milestone in India’s journey toward global semiconductor leadership. By expanding support across the entire value chain from manufacturing and advanced packaging to critical materials and design, this initiative builds a foundation for long-term competitiveness.

India’s world-class engineering talent is a proven asset, and sustained R&D investments will further elevate its position in the global supply chain. At NXP, we are fully committed to this vision. We continue to advance cutting-edge R&D locally and nurture future-ready talent. We believe that collaborative ecosystem innovation is the key, and we look forward to partnering with industry, academia, and policymakers to drive India’s emergence as a global semiconductor hub.

The post Interview | Hitesh Garg, Vice President & India Managing Director, NXP Semiconductors appeared first on ELE Times.

India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA) along with the High Commission of Malaysia and Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) organized the India-Malaysia Semiconductor & Electronics Industry Collaboration: Strategic Business, Investment & Partnership Opportunities in India at SEMICON India 2026, held at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi to facilitate discussions among Indian and Malaysian industry members to build on synergies and scale in business, investment, and technology collaboration.

The engagement covered key areas including semiconductors, OSAT/ATMP, semiconductor equipment, inspection and metrology, automation, electronics manufacturing and advanced technologies. Participating companies discussed their capabilities, requirements and potential areas for partnerships and investment.

Ms Shamilah Perumal, Minister (Economic Affairs), High Commission of Malaysia, highlighted Malaysia’s established semiconductor and electronics ecosystem and the potential to build stronger linkages with India’s rapidly expanding semiconductor design, manufacturing and electronics ecosystem.

The programme also brought an important state-level investment perspective through the participation of Ms. Pallavi Verma, IAS, Executive Director, Guidance Tamil Nadu, and Shri Alok Kumar, Principal Secretary, Department of IT & Electronics, Government of Uttar Pradesh. They highlighted investment opportunities, policy initiatives, incentives and facilitation mechanisms available to companies.

The engagement was further strengthened by the participation of Ms. Siti Nur Nafhatun, MATRADE, in the second industry interaction session, with Dr. Neeraj Agarwal, ICEA, coordinating the industry interactions and facilitating focused discussions between the participating Indian and Malaysian companies.

Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman, ICEA, said: “India and Malaysia have complementary strengths across the semiconductor and electronics value chain. Malaysia has built significant capabilities in semiconductor manufacturing, packaging and related technologies, while India is rapidly expanding its capabilities across design, manufacturing, components and electronics production. The opportunity is to connect these strengths through investments, technology partnerships, manufacturing linkages, joint R&D and potential joint ventures. Such industry-led engagement can create stronger and more resilient regional value chains.”

The discussions also explored collaboration beyond the immediate semiconductor and electronics ecosystem, including Quantum Technologies, Rare Earth Elements & Magnets, AgriTech and other emerging technologies, creating potential avenues for joint research, technology development and investment.

ICEA will continue to engage with global industry, governments, investment agencies and technology ecosystems to facilitate meaningful business connections and support investments, technology partnerships and deeper integration of India into global electronics and semiconductor value chains.

The post ICEA Drives India–Malaysia Semiconductor and Electronics Industry Collaboration at SEMICON India 2026 appeared first on ELE Times.

Long life? Power efficient? Color temperature flexibility? Drop-in replacement? Yes please, I’ll take one of these!

I’ve long pontificated in various blog posts and teardowns about the transformative effects of LED-based lighting. LEDs improve existing illumination systems beyond what was possible with legacy incandescent (including halogen), fluorescent and other technologies, such as with vehicle headlights. They also, courtesy of their combination of inherent low power consumption and heat dissipation plus a leverage of DC voltage sources, enable new classes of products previously not possible, such as in networked “smart” lighting systems, light bulb-shaped security cameras and luminaires with embedded backup batteries.

Personally, I’ve to date mostly used them to replace incandescent bulbs of various shapes and sizes, as well as to upgrade bulb-shaped CFLs. But I recently had an idea that thankfully panned out perfectly. When my wife and I moved into our home more than a decade back, there already was an under-cabinet light source above the desk in the kitchen, AC-fed and controlled by a single-pole wall switch. Judging from its appearance, I’m guessing it’d been there since the home’s mid-1980s initial construction. It wasn’t exactly aesthetically attractive (and I’m being kind in wording it this way), although given its installation location, I mostly only saw the light it emitted, not the light itself.

So, in the spirit of “If it works, don’t touch it”, I long settled for leaving it alone. The problem was, though, that I couldn’t not touch it. Illumination came from a horizontally arranged combo of 12” and 21” fluorescent tubes, each of which regularly needed to be replaced (each time preceded by an annoying flickering pending-demise alert). Less frequently, but still more often than I’d prefer, one or both increasingly-difficult-to-source starters would fade to black, necessitating swap(s), too. And even when the fluorescent light was working normally, its humming transformers were enough to drive a sane person crazy (I’m arguably sane, anyway).

Conventional successors miss the mark

I could have just ripped it out (which, as you can already tell by the earlier photo, I eventually did) and replaced it with a conventional LED-based light “strip”, like one of these or the one above my work bench downstairs, which works great and is even metal frame touch-controllable for on/off purposes.

But in my kitchen application, it’s conversely non-ideal. First off, it requires tether to a separate “wall wart” to handle AC/DC conversion. That wall wart needs to be plugged into an outlet somewhere; unfortunately, the one at the desk is already at “full employment”. Then there’s the unsightly wire running between the wall wart and light, feeding DC power from the former to the latter. Yes, battery-operated LED strip light versions exist, too, but that’s where my “don’t touch it” aspiration comes in again. Those batteries inevitably get exhausted and need to be replaced. The whole point here is to just “set it and forget it”.

Touch leads to the other twist. Some of these conventional LED strip lights embed power switches somewhere on the plastic or metal assembly. Others, like the one downstairs, offer touch control as already mentioned. But in either case, you need to operate the successor differently than previously done with the original fluorescent unit. Remember that wall switch? It’ll still be sitting there. Won’t it get lonely if it’s no longer in use? And won’t I go slowly mad (or madder than I already am) every time I flip it, leveraging muscle memory, and then remember it’s no longer hooked up?

Form, fit, and function in the kitchen

But, after doing a bit more online research and shopping, I finally came across exactly what I was looking for. Behold NICOR Lighting’s 33” LED Direct Wire Under Cabinet Light.

When I bought mine at the beginning of July, it was nearly $53 brand new (and $43 and change in open-box condition) on Amazon. Now, as I write this, it’s only $38.70 brand-new. And so it goes. It was a tad bit shorter than its predecessor, length-wise (as well as quite a bit narrower in both width and height), but I was still able to leverage the existing mounting holes. And again, since I mostly see the light emitted, not the light itself, the dimensional variance was no biggie.

Here are some more stock photos.

You may have already noticed from them, for example, that an integrated power switch is optional; for aforementioned reasons, I didn’t buy that variant (although I could have just kept it switched on all the time, still relying solely on the wall switch). The key innovation is that the AC/DC conversion block is built in; it’s fed by the same AC wiring conduit used by its precursor. And if your wall switch is dimmable (mine’s not), it’s apparently compatible with those, too.

You may have also already noticed that it has color temperature customization control, via a five-position switch.

There are 56 two-LED clusters across its total under-cabinet span.

Moving the switch from one position to another varies which LED(s) in each cluster is/are powered, along with their relative intensity. The LED lights in my office work the same way.

All in all, I’m a happy customer (with, as always, no personal affiliation with the company, mind you). I’m left with only two things to wonder about:

• How long will it take for the first LED to fluorescent-reminiscent flicker, and then die?
• And, with reminiscent visions of Christmas Tree lights dancing in my head, will it take down the rest of the LED strip with it?

Place your bets, and more generally share your thoughts, in the comments.

—Brian Dipert is the associate editor, as well as a contributing editor, at EDN.

Related Content

• LED light bulb manufacturers diversify in search of sustainable profits
• LED headlights: Thank goodness for the bright(nes)s
• Dissecting incandescent-reminiscent stealth security
• Dissecting a battery-backed LED light bulb
• A failed switch in a wall plate = A garbage disposal that no longer masticates

The post LEDs for under-cabinet illumination upgrades appeared first on EDN.

Anritsu EMEA GmbH has announced that the Carl and Emily Fuchs Institute for Microelectronics (CEFIM) at the University of Pretoria has selected the Anritsu VectorStar Broadband Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) at 220 GHz as the core measurement platform for the only complete sub-terahertz (sub-THz) measurement facility in Africa. By establishing this capability locally, CEFIM will give researchers in South Africa and across the region access to advanced sub-THz measurement resources that previously required facilities overseas.

Extending measurement capability up to 220 GHz

At the heart of the facility is Anritsu’s VectorStar Broadband VNA, which provides continuous broadband coverage up to 220 GHz. Together with harmonic mixers and calibrated noise analysis capabilities, the system enables the characterization of microwave and millimeter-wave devices operating in the sub-terahertz frequency range.

The installation extends CEFIM’s previous measurement capability from 110 GHz to 220 GHz, giving researchers access to calibrated measurements over a significantly wider frequency range and enabling more complete validation of high-frequency device designs.

Selected for advanced research

The facility will support a wide range of research activities within CEFIM, including work related to next-generation wireless communications, radio astronomy, water vapor radiometry and other sub-terahertz technologies. It will also support the institute’s participation in international research initiatives, including the African Millimetre Telescope project and the development of receivers for next-generation radio astronomy.

“As an emerging field of research, no facility previously existed in South Africa to measure electromagnetic waves and devices at these frequencies,” said Professor Tinus Stander, Carl and Emily Fuchs Institute for Microelectronics, University of Pretoria. “The establishment of this facility will support research in future wireless communications, radio astronomy and a range of emerging applications that require measurement capabilities well above 100 GHz.”

“Leading research institutions require reliable measurement solutions when they push the boundaries of microwave and millimeter-wave technology. We are proud that CEFIM has chosen Anritsu’s VectorStar Broadband VNA for their facility, and we see this project as a further example of the trust that universities and research organizations place in Anritsu for advanced high-frequency measurements,” said Marco Bordin, Sales Director, Southern Region, Anritsu EMEA.

The facility was established under the National Equipment Programme of South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF). The Anritsu solution was supplied in collaboration with Tamashi Technology Investments, Anritsu’s authorized representative in South Africa.

Pictured, among others, are Dr. Heinrich Laue and Professor Tinus Stander (University of Pretoria), Darius Opperman (Tamashi Technology Investments) and Stefano Balzarini (Anritsu).

The post Anritsu Chosen by University of Pretoria for Africa’s Only Sub-Terahertz Facility appeared first on Open Electronics.

⭐ Запрошуємо на Міжнародний науково-практичний форум «BLOCKCHAIN FORENSICS FORUM 2026» kpi чт, 09/24/2026 - 12:15

HIRO is a second-generation educational robotics kit shaped like a spider-like quadruped. It is designed by Joseph Casebeer and powered by a Raspberry Pi Pico 2. The kit arrives disassembled: the user assembles it, wires it, and decides which software to run. The project updates the original model with a more powerful board and more durable materials.

The heart of the robot is the Cortex motherboard, which hosts the Raspberry Pi Pico 2. The board features eight connectors for motor control and four mounting points for the included SG-90 servo motors. The robot also integrates a six-axis inertial measurement unit TDK MPU-6050, five photoresistors, five push buttons, ten LEDs, and two piezoelectric buzzers. Assembly takes about 20-30 minutes and also involves the use of a solderless breadboard included in the kit.

Assembly and kit components

The kit is designed to be fully customizable. The buyer has full rights to repair and modify it. The stated assembly time is 20-30 minutes, thanks to the solderless breadboard that avoids any soldering work. The main components are as follows:

• Raspberry Pi Pico 2, the microcontroller board
• Cortex motherboard, the central main board
• Eight SG-90 servo motors for the legs
• Six-axis TDK MPU-6050 IMU
• Five photoresistors and five push buttons
• Ten LEDs and two piezoelectric buzzers

The Cortex board manages the motors through its eight dedicated connectors. The four mounting points secure the servo motors to the frame. The MPU-6050 IMU provides orientation and acceleration data, while the photoresistors and push buttons offer input for interacting with the environment. The LEDs and buzzers complete the visual and audible feedback.

Software and Kickstarter campaign

The source code for the robot’s movement library is available on GitHub under the MIT license. This allows anyone to study, modify, and adapt it to their own needs. The project is described as open source, although the hardware design files have not been released. Those who want to dig deeper can check Joseph Casebeer’s funding campaign for full details.

The kit price for first-day backers on Kickstarter is $149. The Cortex board alone costs $60. Hardware shipping is expected for June 2027. The kit is therefore an investment for those who want to learn robotics hands-on, with a project that can be taken apart and reassembled at will.

Source: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lightning-alchemist/hiro-the-new-standard-in-robotics-platforms/

The post HIRO: the educational quadruped robot powered by Raspberry Pi Pico 2 appeared first on Open Electronics.

Antennas are among the most “analog” of all components, functioning as bidirectional transducers between ambient RF energy and electrical current flow. For many years, most antennas were physically obvious and visual, ranging from modest whip antennas (formally called a monopole or Marconi) with ground planes used on portable and car radios, to the big dishes used for radio astronomy or radar (Figure 1).

Yes, it’s called an “aerial” in some countries, but we’ll just stick with “antenna” here.

Figure 1 The antenna “family tree” is complicated and somewhat bewildering; this is just one possible version. Source: Pressbooks

Other installations use some variation of the dipole antenna, such as the classic TV “rabbit ears” from the 1950s and 1960s (Figure 2). Regardless of type, antennas made a clear statement: they were tangible, and they were doing critical wireless work.

Figure 2 This dipole antenna, affectionally called a “rabbit ears” antenna, was a standard set-top fixture on analog VHF TVs (the loop antenna is for the added UHF band). Source: Wideskall via Wal-Mart

Now, antennas are often invisible even on products which used to have visible ones. Consider the cell phone and smartphone. I was doing some research into the history of cell phones since the first commercial units—when they were just phones and not “smart” —and one thing struck me: they all had external antennas, about 12 inches (30 cm) long (Figure 3).

Figure 3 The all-analog Motorola DynaTAC 8000x (1983) was the first commercial cell phone. Due to its high price ($3,995 at launch), it also became a status symbol despite its one-hour talk time. Source: PC Magazine

Some were short whips, some were so-called “rubber duckies” where the antenna was wound around a semi-ridged post. For some cell phones, such as the classic Motorola Star-Tac flip phone, the unit would fit in the pocket, but the user had to pull the antenna out of the phone body enclosure to use the phone (Figure 4).

Figure 4 One of the earliest successful cell phones, this Motorola MicroTAC Classic was released in 1991 and supported a single RF band via its extendable whip (monopole) antenna. Source: Southside Allstars

One Dell desktop PC I had about 15 or 20 years ago had an external detachable antenna for Wi-Fi access. While that seemed like a nuisance, it actually was a benefit as it allowed me to use a separate cable-connected antenna from D-Link in its place and locate it to get a better signal (Figure 5). Now, all the desktop PCs that I have checked feature a small permanent antenna on or just inside their case, and no ability to add an antenna (yes, there are various boosters and repeaters to solve the problem, but they are active and require setup).

Figure 5 The ANT700-2400 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi antenna, with supplied cable and connector, allowed me to easily move the antenna from the PC to a better location. Source: D-Link Australia

That was then… “now” is very different

Antenna reality has changed dramatically, even if the basic physics and Maxwell’s equations have not. Smartphones and just about any wireless-connected consumer device—phone, router, smart “whatever”—now implement connectivity with an antenna that is embedded in the unit. This simplifies packing, avoids user breakage, eliminates the need for a discrete antenna connector, and presents a sleeker, more user-friendly product. It’s almost as if a magician stepped in and made the visible antenna disappear right in front of our eyes.

How did effective antennas go from larger external add-ons to tiny internal ones? Part of the reason is the migration to higher frequencies with shorter wavelengths, but that’s only part of it. After all, going from 500 MHz to 1 GHz cuts the wavelength in half, but these internal antennas are far smaller than one-half of those earlier ones.

A large part is due to new material technologies, aided by advanced electromagnetic modeling and simulation.

First, there is the microstrip patch antenna, which uses the PCB copper itself as the antenna and surrounding ground plane. This flat, low-profile antenna is made of a metal patch on one side of the circuit board and a solid metal ground layer on the other.

It’s compact with no direct cost and can even be configured for multi-band performance. However, it occupies PCB real estate and requires careful management of its dimensions as well sufficient ground plane, and may have an unacceptable radiation pattern.

As a result, the simple microstrip antenna may not be a suitable option despite its apparent benefits. For these reasons, patch and other specialty antennas may offer the form factor and specifications needed for an internal antenna.

For example, there’s the planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA), not to be confused with the PIGA, a pendulous integrating gyroscopic accelerometer. The PIFA starts with the inverted-F antenna (IFA) —proposed in 1958—and is a variant of the patch antenna. In this arrangement, the monopole element runs parallel to a ground plane and grounded at one end, and the antenna has a low impedance on the order of a few ohms (the classic base-fed λ/4-wavelength monopole has an impedance of 36.5 Ω).

The antenna feed is placed at an intermediate point a short distance from the grounded end. By adjusting the placement of the feed and other “tweaks and trims”, its impedance can be made to match the power amplifier (PA) feed. So, it’s an efficient radiator without the need for additional matching components.

The original inverted-F antenna used a bent wire for its monopole. The PIFA modifies the IFA by using a flat element placed immediately above the ground plane with a shorting pin between them. PIFA is defined by just a few basic dimensions (Figure 6).

Figure 6 The planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) shown above is a modified inverted-F antenna (IFA) with a flat element rather than a bent wire above the ground plane. Below are shown its critical dimensions. Sources: Springer Nature; European Union Digital Library

Another embedded option is a ceramic-chip antenna, such as the Abracon ACR4006X 600-6000 MHz wideband ceramic chip antenna, a surface-mount device measuring just 40 mm × 6 mm × 5 mm. In operation, it requires a tiny LC impedance-matching network consisting of an 8.2 nanohenry (nH) inductor and a 3.9 picofarad (pF) capacitor (each of 0402 size) to achieve the desired 50-Ω impedance (Figure 7).

Figure 7 The ACR4006X 600-6000 MHz wideband ceramic chip antenna has a footprint of just 40 mm × 6 mm and requires only two tiny passive components for 50-Ω impedance matching. Source: Abracon LLC

The ACR4006X datasheet indicates that it’s a 600 to 6000 MHz device, but notes that its efficiency, peak gain, and average gain graphs have some gaps. This is deliberate, as the multi-band antenna is designed and optimized for performance in three specific bands in that wider range: 600 to 960, 1710 to 2690, and 3300 to 6000 MHz to support 3G, 4G, and 5G allocations as well as some smaller spectrum allocations. Other interesting tiny antennas are offered by vendors such as Taoglas Group.

The incredibly shrinking antenna

Not only have wireless-related ICs themselves shrunk remarkably as their functional capabilities have increased, but a non-electronic, passive, and yet essential part of the RF signal chain—the antenna—has also shrunk toward embedded invisibility, largely due to advances in materials, modeling, and simulation.

Certainly, there are many low-power applications, especially at lower frequencies in the tens of megahertz and below, that mandate larger, external antennas. But as operating frequencies cross into the gigahertz and tens of gigahertz zone, these tiny antennas are especially viable.

But do you miss the performance flexibility of the older antennas? I do, sometimes, and maybe I also miss their tangible appearance, telling us all they have a role to play.

Bill Schweber is a degreed senior EE who has written three textbooks, hundreds of technical articles, opinion columns, and product features. Prior to becoming an author and editor, he spent his entire hands-on career on the analog side by working on power supplies, sensors, signal conditioning, and wired and wireless communication links. His work experience includes many years at Analog Devices in applications and marketing.

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• Some progress in the ongoing multiband antenna proliferation battle

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​Semicon 2.0 is the next phase of India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) approved by the Union Cabinet with the primary goal of expanding domestic chip design, manufacturing, advanced packaging, research and talent development. Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the transition to Semicon 2.0 by stating the ambition of the semiconductor ecosystem that “India’s chip will go out to the world” as India is emerging as a major source of developing semiconductor value chain.

Under Semicon 2.0, the government is targeting at least 200 startups and companies involved in chip design in India to scale up domestic semiconductor capabilities. This will build momentum with already 105 startups who have started developing chips and received access to industry-grade EDA tools. Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at SEMOCON India, 2026 said that 20 of those 105 startups have secured venture-capital funding, and the government wants to expand this ecosystem to at least 200 startups and companies.

The programme is structured into six broad focus areas covering chip design, semiconductor machinery and materials, additional fabrication facilities, advanced packaging and testing, research and development, and talent development. This approach aims to take India’s semiconductor ecosystem beyond the initial foundation created under Semicon 1.0 to a more complete production facility.

Talent development is another major focus of this initiative. The IT Minister also stated that around 70,000 semiconductor design engineers have been trained as part of India’s accelerated talent development to strengthen its home-grown chip-design ecosystem under the India Semiconductor Mission​.

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Іван Засецький (04.07.1990 — 25.01.2025) KPI4U-2 чт, 09/24/2026 - 08:00

Uttar Pradesh Government has attracted more than Rs 43,000 crore in investment across the electronics and semiconductor sector, aiming to transform the state into India’s leading semiconductor manufacturing hub. This industrial scheme aligns with the vision of  ‘Make in India,’ scaling local production and thereby reducing import dependence on foreign countries.

More than 200 companies operating in the state’s electronics ecosystem can increase their supply chains, access new customers, lower operating costs, and manufacture new equipment to expand electronics-component manufacturing.

According to the state government, more than 55% of mobile phones produced in India are manufactured in Uttar Pradesh. The expansion of electronics manufacturing ecosystem will go beyond mobile phones into tablets, laptops, consumer electronics, home appliances, solar cells, defence and logistics drones, promoting the state as a rapidly emerging manufacturing hub for electronics and semiconductors.

Leading the Semiconductor Growth Trajectory

Gautam Buddh Nagar has emerged as central place for manufacturing electronic components, consisting of two manufacturing clusters and housing major companies like Samsung, LG, Haier, Dixon, Addverb, Raphe, and Bhagwati. These clusters are laying the foundation for the electronics manufacturing ecosystem.

Uttar Pradesh is also emerging as a key hub for semiconductor packaging and testing. Sector 28 of the Yamuna Expressway under the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) hosts India’s newly approved, high-tech semiconductor ecosystem featuring a Centre-approved assembly, Testing, Marking, and Packaging (ATMP) facility.

A state government is seeking to build a broader technology ecosystem connecting electronics manufacturing with semiconductors, AI, robotics, and deep-tech. The member of the state government confirmed that the focus is on developing a complete value chain covering components, chip design, packaging, testing, devices, data centres and AI and robotics applications.

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submitted by /u/ieatgrass0 [link] [comments]

Cadence has added an agent for RTL generation to its ChipStack AI Super Agent platform for front-end silicon design and verification. The new agent extends ChipStack’s autonomous verification and debugging capabilities to PPA-driven spec-to-RTL generation, RTL analysis, and refinement—all from natural language prompts.

In early evaluations, the RTL Generation Agent delivers an average 24% reduction in area and 18% reduction in power versus pure foundation-model code generation, while producing 100% functionally accurate RTL. In addition to RTL creation, existing RTL can be updated based on new requirements. The upgrade flow applies AI automation to RTL revision, enabling customers to adapt legacy RTL to new architecture requirements, PPA targets, and functional requirements.

Early collaborations with Honda R&D demonstrate the use of these AI capabilities for PPA and productivity improvements on next-generation SoCs. Honda is evaluating the RTL Generation Agent on advanced automotive SoCs, where safety-critical requirements and tight power and cost constraints demand highly optimized RTL.

The expanded ChipStack AI Super Agent is expected to become available to select early-access customers in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Cadence

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Omnivision’s OAX7700 ultra-low-power ASIC is an always-on vision AI companion processor for vehicle security systems, supporting sensor resolutions up to 720p. An integrated neural processing unit (NPU) allows designers to develop custom algorithms for human presence detection, object classification, and distance measurement. The ASIC can upgrade existing exterior camera solutions, such as surround-view systems and edge AI-based parking surveillance systems.

In always-on mode, the camera continuously monitors the vehicle’s surroundings, consuming minimal power until an event triggers it to switch to normal mode. It records up to 10 seconds of pre-roll video that the ECU analyzes to validate the trigger before activating an alarm, if required. This helps the system avoid false triggers from wind, birds, or other non-threatening motion.

According to Omnivision, parking surveillance systems equipped with the OAX7700 ASIC consume 97% less power than existing solutions. The chip also reduces the processing burden on the central compute platform, enabling more efficient decision-making at the edge.

The OAX7700 integrates stacked PSRAM and flash memory in its 60-pin BGA package. Samples are available now, with production scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.

OAX7700 product page 

Omnivision

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Eggtronic has announced a 140-W USB-C Power Delivery (PD) 3.1 AC/DC reference design for notebook adapters and other USB-C powered devices. The evaluation board combines Eggtronic’s EPIC dual-controller chipset with Renesas’ TP70H150G4LSG 700-V, 150-mΩ SuperGaN FET, achieving 95.5% peak efficiency and more than 92% efficiency at light loads.

Unlike conventional USB-C adapters that rely on costly LLC, AHB, or ACF topologies, the EPIC-based design retains the simplicity and BOM cost of a QR flyback converter. The primary-side controller (EPIC2ACB04) manages both the active totem-pole PFC front end and QuarEgg ZVS flyback switching stage, while the secondary-side companion controller (EPIC2ACQ07) handles synchronous rectification, output-voltage regulation, and USB PD 3.1 protocol management.

Operating from a universal input of 90 VAC to 264 VAC, the system provides an output of up to 28 V at 5 A. It also features optoless digital isolation, replacing optocouplers and digital isolators with an integrated high-speed, ultra-low-latency digital feedback loop for improved transient response and reliability.

The 140-W USB-C PD 3.1 reference design is available now.

Eggtronic

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The Melexis MLX91224 and MLX91225 isolated Hall current sensors measure up to 100 ARMS in automotive and energy applications. Offered in three compact SOIC packages, each device integrates a current conductor, sensing element, signal conditioning, and galvanic isolation. This integration minimizes ohmic losses and simplifies designs for EV powertrains, DC/DC converters, chargers, and solar systems.

The integrated current path runs directly through the package’s low-impedance lead frame, while two sets of Hall plates differentially sense the magnetic flux generated by the current. Differential sensing minimizes disturbance from external magnetic fields and enables a high-speed linear analog output proportional to the measured current. Package-dependent isolation ratings allow working voltages up to 1640 VRMS.

Developed as an ISO 26262 ASIL B Safety Element out of Context (SEooC), the sensors support safety-related current measurement in high-voltage automotive systems. The MLX91224 is designed for 5-V systems, while the MLX91225 is designed for 3.3-V systems. Both devices offer AC and DC current measurement, bipolar or unipolar sensing, and ratiometric or fixed output configurations.

Engineering samples of the MLX91224 and MLX91225 are available in limited quantities.

Melexis

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Powered by BrainChip’s AKD1500 edge AI coprocessor, the AKD1500 PCIe development card enables developers to run models built with existing AI frameworks. The card plugs into a standard PCIe slot in a desktop, workstation, industrial PC, or single-board computer, providing access to the AKD1500’s self-learning capabilities for edge AI development.

The AKD1500 coprocessor chip uses the Akida neuromorphic processing engine to deliver up to 800 effective GOPS at <1 mW/GOP for low-power AI neural network acceleration. Its built-in capacity for on-device learning allows for secure application personalization without needing a cloud connection or extensive retraining.

The PCIe development card complements the AKD1500’s other deployment options, including an M.2 module, packaged and unpackaged silicon, and licensable IP. Developers can test their own models with streaming data on a PC, then deploy the validated models on AKD1500 hardware without modification.

Available through BrainChip’s online store, the AKD1500 PCIe development card is priced at $149.

AKD1500 PCIe product page

BrainChip Holdings 

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Working in a power electronics lab has exposed me to some of the most ridiculously oversized passive components out there. Sometimes it feels like I’m in those early electrical experiment demonstrations in the 18th-19th century with how big the parts can get. Anyone else work around this sort of gear? submitted by /u/squonktearz [link] [comments]

For decades, polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) held a small but critical place in high-performance capacitors. It was never the volume material that biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) is, since cost and production capacity kept it niche. But capacitor engineers reached for PEN when BOPP ran out of room: when temperatures climbed, when packages had to shrink, or when a higher dielectric constant was the only way to hit the energy target.

Now capacitor-grade PEN is disappearing. Major suppliers are signaling PEN end-of-life, and capacitor manufacturers serving aerospace, defense, power grids, transportation, and industrial power electronics are asking what comes next.

It’s tempting to treat this as a sourcing problem. In other words, find a comparable dielectric, drop it into the existing capacitor, qualify it, and move on. But that instinct is wrong.

The product you build to replace a PEN capacitor should not be a like-for-like copy with a different dielectric inside. It should be a better capacitor, because major applications are pushing every power electronic component beyond legacy use, and capacitors desperately need to keep up.

Component under the most pressure

AI compute, data center buildout, and electrified transport have driven the most disruptive shift in power demand in generations. Forecasts are rewritten quarterly, interconnection queues are stacking up, and hyperscalers are standing up their own power generation to avoid the wait.

These trends converge on a single component. Capacitors are being asked to handle higher voltages, cycle faster, and survive more thermal stress for decades without drifting out of spec. When program teams walk through where a design holds up or starts to compromise, the conversation lands on the capacitor, its energy density, its footprint and mass, its thermal behavior, and how long it survives the duty cycle.

That conversation is happening earlier in the design cycle than it used to. The capacitor manufacturers responding to these demands earliest are the ones getting designed in.

What PEN capacitor actually did

PEN is at the end-of-life stage, and the capacitors that depend on it can’t just swap in a substitute film and move on. It did two different jobs, and they belong to two different capacitors.

In aerospace pulse power, hardened defense systems, and directed-energy applications, PEN was a high-voltage, energy-dense enabler for rapid discharge. It let designers pack more energy into a smaller capacitor at a given voltage rating.

In EV power electronics, grid subsystems, and rail traction, PEN was chosen not for peak energy density, but for its ability to sustain intense duty cycles and thermal stress, often with a DC bias. A capacitor that functions without derating under all use-scenarios is invaluable to final product design.

Treating those as one problem is what makes PEN replacement feel impossible. It attempts to solve two separate capacitor-design problems, energy density under pulse and thermal stability under load, which should lead to separate design answers.

HDC: Rebuilding the energy-dense capacitor

The first job, exemplified by uses in aerospace, pulse power, hardened defense systems, and fusion, gets picked up by a different class of material entirely. Where PEN was used to shrink a capacitor and push its energy density, the successor is a high dielectric constant (HDC) material, which changes what the capacitor can do, not just what is wound inside it.

Film developers have begun introducing nanolayered metamaterial dielectrics, built from hundreds to thousands of alternating polymer layers, with dielectric constants in the 3.7 to 4.7 range, well above BOPP and many PEN grades, and breakdown strengths of 790 to 820 V/µm. In a finished part, that can mean up to 4× the energy storage in as little as half the footprint of a conventional film capacitor, with improved thermal stability and longer operational life. For a pulse module, a Marx bank, or a grid capacitor competing for volume and mass, is a smaller, lighter, more robust component, not just a spec-sheet footnote.

The trade-off is real and worth stating plainly to a design audience: HDC carries a higher dissipation factor than the lowest-loss dielectrics, so more energy shows up as heat. That constrains how fast and how often the capacitor can be cycled, which is why HDC belongs in energy-density and pulse-duty capacitors—defense pulse modules, mass-constrained aerospace systems, fusion driver banks, and intermittent-duty transportation electronics—rather than continuous switching.

LDF: A lower loss and faster switching capacitor

For the other PEN job—continuous cycling at high repetition rate over decades—the answer is a low dissipation factor (LDF) dielectric, which trades some energy density for very low loss and long thermal endurance in grid inverters, FACTS devices, and industrial drives. This lower dissipation factor means there is less self-heating, greater efficiency of energy transfer, and less stress on components, leading to more reliable and longer lifetimes.

PEN also functions at environmental temperatures above traditional BOPP but below far more expensive alternatives. Due to nanolayering, LDF can incorporate stabilizing layers, which ensure enhanced functionality rivaling PEN, while reducing thermal expansion and device derating. This results in finished capacitors that can be used in hotter or high energy environments without massively increasing component cost.

What capacitor manufacturers should do

PEN’s disappearance marks an inflection point. The capacitor architecture chosen now gets locked in for the life of the platform—30 years or more on the grid and in aerospace. Four moves separate the winners.

1. Stop hunting for a one-to-one PEN part

There is no universal replacement capacitor. Segment the installed PEN base by what each capacitor was actually doing—energy density and volume route to HDC, lifetime and efficiency route to LDF—and qualify against that. The segmentation work up-front is what accelerates qualification.

2. Design the capacitor for the duty cycle, not the datasheet

AI data centers, EV powertrains, fusion supplies, and grid assets load capacitors differently. A manufacturer who can build to more than one duty cycle expands its addressable market; one who can serve only a single profile gets squeezed.

3. Treat heat as a capacitor-and-system problem

HDC trades efficiency for energy density, and that only works if the surrounding power electronics remove the heat. Pair capacitor selection with explicit thermal models and validated test data, and qualifications go faster with fewer field failures.

4. Make provenance part of the product

More than 70% of conventional capacitor film originates in China. Buyers hardening the grid, defense platforms, and AI infrastructure are increasingly unwilling to carry that concentration risk. A documented U.S. or allied-nation supply chain is a procurement advantage, and it drops into standard metallizing and winding lines, so qualifying it does not require retooling.

First to qualify, first to win

Those four moves take time to execute, and time is the one input nobody can manufacture more of. Capacitor qualification takes 12 to 24 months. The clock is already running. The manufacturers who commit now to the right capacitor, not the cheapest lookalike, get designed into a decade of rising power demand. Those who requalify a copy of the PEN part will spend that decade watching competitors take the design wins.

Alec Laws is senior product manager for dielectric films at Peak Nano.

Related Content

• Trends in capacitors
• Capacitor matchmaker
• Getting Familiar with Capacitors
• Selecting and Applying Film Capacitors
• Film capacitors: Characteristics and uses in power applications

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