Electronics trends for 2014

The Internet of Everything is coming. The Internet is expanding into enterprise assets and consumer items such as cars and televisions. Very many electronics devices needs to be designed for this in mind. The Internet of Things (IoT) will evolve into the Web of Things, increasing the coordination between things in the real world and their counterparts on the Web. Gartner suggests that the “the smart machine era will be the most disruptive in the history of IT.” Intelligent systems and assistive devices will advance smart healthcare.

Software-defined anything (SDx) is coming more into use. It means that many proprietary systems are being replaced with commonly available standard computer hardware and software running in them.

PC market: ABANDON HOPE all ye who enter here. Vendor consolidation ‘inevitable’. Even Intel had to finally admit this that the Wintel grip which has served it and Microsoft so well over the past decades is waning, with Android and iOS coming to the fore through smartphones and tabs. The market conversion to tablets means that consumers and businesses are sweating existing PC assets longer. Tablets to Make Up Half of 2014 PC Market.

The Rise, Fall, and Rise of Electronics Kits article mentions that many older engineers first became interested in electronics through hobbies in their youth—assembling kits, participating in amateur radio, or engaging in other experiments. The 1970s and 1980s were great times for electronics hobbyists. But whenever it seems that there’s nothing left for the hobbyist, a new motif arises. The Raspberry Pi has become a best seller, as has a similar experimental board, the Arduino microcontroller. A great number of sensors, actuators, cameras, and the like have quickly become available for both. Innovative applications abound in such domains as home automation and robotics. So it seems that now there is much greater capacity for creativity in hobby electronics then there ever was.

Online courses demand new technological approaches. These days, students from all corners of the world can sign up for online classes to study everything from computer science, digital signal processing, and machine learning to European history, psychology, and astronomy — and all for free.

The growth of 3-D printers is projected to be 75 percent in the coming year, and 200 percent in 2015. Gartner suggests that “the consumer market hype has made organizations aware of the fact 3D printing is a real, viable and cost-effective means to reduce costs through improved designs, streamlined prototyping and short-run manufacturing.”

E-Waste: Lack of Info Plagues Efforts to Reduce E-Waste article tells that creation of trade codes is necessary to track used electronics products according to a recent study concerning the waste from growing quantities of used electronics devices—including TVs, mobile phones and computers. High levels of electronic waste are being sent to Africa and Asia under false pretenses.” StEP estimates worldwide e-waste to increase by 33 percent from 50 million tons in 2012 to 65 million tons by 2017. China and the U.S. lead the world as top producers of e-waste. America produces about 65 pounds of e-waste per person every year. There will be aims to reduce the waste, for example project like standardizing mobile phone chargers and laptop power supplies.

1,091 Comments

  1. Tomi Engdahl says:

    RISC-V: An Open Standard for SoCs
    The case for an open ISA
    http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1323406&

    Systems-on-a-chip (SoCs), where the processors and caches are a small part of the chip, are becoming ubiquitous. Thus many more companies today are making chips that include processors than in the past. Given that the industry has been revolutionized by open standards and open-source software — like TCP/IP and Linux — why is one of the most important interfaces proprietary?

    While instruction set architectures (ISAs) may be proprietary for historical or business reasons, there is no good technical reason for the lack of free, open ISAs.

    We conclude that the industry would benefit from viable, freely open ISAs just as it has benefited from freely open versions of the software stack. For example, it would enable a real, free, open market of processor designs, which patents on ISA quirks prevent. This could lead to:

    Greater innovation via free-market competition from many more designers, including open vs. proprietary implementations of the ISA.

    Shared, open core designs, which would mean shorter time to market, lower cost due reuse, fewer errors given many more eyeballs, and transparency that would make it hard, for example, for government agencies to add secret trap doors.

    Affordable processors for more devices, which would help expand the Internet of Things, whose target cost could be only $1.

    Reply
  2. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Intel’s Embedded DRAM: New Era of Cache Memory
    Overcoming SRAM’s scaling
    http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1323410&

    Two industry giants — Intel and Samsung — expressed their frustration with SRAM scaling at this year’s International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) in February.

    In the paper Song et. al. from Samsung[1] argued that SRAM not only occupied too much real estate, but the operating voltage did not scale in the same proportion as the logic devices on the same die.

    Using fabrication cost and performance data, Intel concluded that an alternative configuration was needed, and therefore opted for an external high-density bandwidth cache memory in the same package.

    The DRAM cell was also much smaller than the six transistor SRAM cell layout made at the same lithography node. Moreover, having a separate DRAM die in the same package as the processor reduced chip interface delay, compared with external DRAM in a different package.

    The eDRAM also required 1/5 of the keep-alive power compared with an SRAM device. This analysis led Intel to release their Haswell processor with an external eDRAM.

    Reply
  3. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Trilence the new solder wire series
    http://www.stannol.de/en/newsletter-inhalte-052014/trilence/

    There are many solder wires on the market. The family of
    TRILENCE solder wires was developed for challenging soldering
    applications.

    That are the specials about the TRILENCE product!

    reduced spitting
    good wetting
    clear residues

    The TRILENCE solder wires can be applied just like conventional wires to solder.

    Reply
  4. Tomi Engdahl says:

    In September 2010, UPS transport plane was loaded with 81 000 lithium-ion battery. The machine caught fire in Dubai and fell. Now, the American aviation authorities want to stricter regulations ib shipment lithium-ion batteries and equipment that include them.

    FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) studies have found that LiIon batteries burn more strongly than previously thought. The results of tests on the basis of the United States Ministry of Transport has set new standards for lithium cells and accumulators for the transport.

    Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1637:liion-akkujen-kuljetukseen-tiukemmat-maaraykset&catid=13&Itemid=101

    Reply
  5. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Circuit Printer Doubles as a Pick and Place
    http://hackaday.com/2014/08/14/circuit-printer-doubles-as-a-pick-and-place/

    Prototyping circuits is still a pain. The typical process is to order your PCBs, await their arrival, hand assemble a board, and start testing. It’s time consuming, and typically takes at least a week to go from design to prototype.

    The folks at BotFactory are working on fixing that with the Squink (Kickstarter warning). This device not only prints PCBs, but also functions as a pick and place. Rather than using solder, the device uses conductive glue to affix components to the substrate.

    This process also allows for a wide range of substrates. Traditional FR4 works, but glass and flexible substrates can work too. They’re also working on using an insulating ink for multilayer boards.

    Reply
  6. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Bitcoin ASIC in Chips-to-$ Race
    Running hot on 84 amps
    http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1323522&

    In eight short months, startup CoinTerra designed a 28nm ASIC that pushes the envelope in logic power density and shipped a system using four of them. Its tale is typical of the headlong race to hardware acceleration in the emerging bitcoin economy

    Bitcoin is the most high profile of several emerging digital exchanges founded on a set of mathematical formulas and open source software released in 2009. Its de-centralized economy is based on bitcoin mining, essentially clearing transactions that use an increasingly complex set of cryptographic puzzles based on the SHA-256 hashing algorithm.

    The first bitcoin mining systems to crack the code of a puzzle get rewarded

    Reply
  7. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Power Week: FAA – Lithium Batteries Pose More Danger Than Thought
    http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1323519&

    New tests conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration suggest that lithium batteries pose more dangers to planes than previously thought.

    The tests showed that the batteries — when shipped in bulk in the cargo holds of passenger airplanes, as is common — can explode and burn violently enough to potentially render aircraft fire-suppression systems ineffective. (Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was reported to have been carrying 440 pounds of lithium-ion batteries in its cargo, leaving open the possibility that they were involved in the plane’s disappearance.)

    Just recently, the Department of Transportation issued new standards for lithium battery transport.

    Reply
  8. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Harvard Scientists Devise Robot Swarm That Can Work Together
    Swarm of 1,024 Tiny Robots Works Together Without Guiding Central Intelligence
    http://online.wsj.com/news/article_email/harvard-scientists-devise-robot-swarm-that-can-work-together-1408039261-lMyQjAxMTA0MDEwNDExNDQyWj

    Harvard University scientists have devised a swarm of 1,024 tiny robots that can work together without any guiding central intelligence.

    Like a mechanical flash mob, these robots can assemble themselves into five-pointed stars, letters of the alphabet and other complex designs.

    “No one had really built a swarm of this size before, where everyone works together to achieve a goal,”

    Swarm scientists are inspired by nature’s team players—social insects like bees, ants and termites; schools of fish; and flocks of birds.

    The researchers used inexpensive robots called Kilobots created by Wyss Institute engineers and licensed to a Swiss robotics company called K-Team Corp. Each one is about the diameter of a penny, with a small microprocessor, an infrared sensor, and vibration motors to move it along.

    Reply
  9. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Are processors pushing up against the limits of physics?
    A perspective on whether Moore’s law will hold, as well as whether it matters.
    http://arstechnica.com/science/2014/08/are-processors-pushing-up-against-the-limits-of-physics/

    When I first started reading Ars Technica, performance of a processor was measured in megahertz, and the major manufacturers were rushing to squeeze as many of them as possible into their latest silicon. Shortly thereafter, however, the energy needs and heat output of these beasts brought that race crashing to a halt. More recently, the number of processing cores rapidly scaled up, but they quickly reached the point of diminishing returns. Now, getting the most processing power for each Watt seems to be the key measure of performance.

    None of these things happened because the companies making processors ran up against hard physical limits. Rather, computing power ended up being constrained because progress in certain areas—primarily energy efficiency—was slow compared to progress in others, such as feature size. But could we be approaching physical limits in processing power? In this week’s edition of Nature, The University of Michigan’s Igor Markov takes a look at the sorts of limits we might face.

    Reply
  10. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Robot butler piloted at California hotel
    A US hotel in Cupertino, home to Apple’s HQ, has a new robotic helper
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/northamerica/usa/11031447/Robot-butler-piloted-at-California-hotel.html

    The hotel, part of the Starwood Group, designed the robot with Savioke, a Silicon Valley start-up. Three-feet tall, it is a dead-ringer for R2D2 and can provide assistance with room service in a timely manner.

    The robot uses sensors to travel through the hotel’s corridors, and detects when a guest opens the door so that it can deliver what has been ordered.

    Reply
  11. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Robot Folds Itself and Walks Away
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4q0_0dKiKg

    Printable, self-folding robot created by Harvard and MIT researchers.

    Reply
  12. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Free Process Design Kit Hits 15nm
    PDK to spur innovation among academics, startups
    http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1323523&

    A free process design kit (PDK) for optical lithography at the 15 nm node has been released by North Carolina State University. NC State had previously released a 45 nm PDK that has been used for seven years by thousands of universities and startups around the world, but the new kit includes a more complete set of tools that anyone can download to design state-of-the-art chips and tools.

    “Our goal was to provide a process design kit that mimics the complexity of a PDK you would get from any technology vendor, which includes the customization you need to create a design from start to finish in the toolset from any vendor,” Professor Rhett Davis, a project leader and electrical and computer engineering researcher at NC State, told EE Times.

    There are no confidentiality agreements that have to be signed to download FreePDK15

    Reply
  13. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Semiconductor Funding Deals Dip
    http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1323537&

    Venture capitalists are still a bit wary about investing in the semiconductor industry; the number of funding dollars continued to decline over the last year, according to the August edition of the Global Semiconductor Alliance’s GSA Market Watch (registration required).

    In the last 12 months, there have been 38 semiconductor funding deals, according to the report. They raised $550.1 million, versus the $563.8 million raised in the previous 12 months.

    Reply
  14. Tomi Engdahl says:

    China Fabless Go ‘Private’ to Gain Public Funds
    China fabless evolution enters phase 2
    http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1323511&

    Feeling little love from the US investment community while being lured by a golden handshake from their government, some Chinese fabless companies have forsaken Nasdaq and sold out as quasi-state enterprises.

    Spreadtrum Communications and RDA Microelectronics have taken advantage of the Chinese government’s hunger for a stake in the semiconductor industry. Montage Technology of Shanghai is being acquired by another Chinese fund. That deal is expected to close this fall. Actions Semiconductor could follow suit, though no intended acquirer has emerged.

    Call it phase two of the Chinese fabless evolution.

    China’s current fabless chip market — fragmented among too many little players fighting for the low-margin smartphone, tablet, and set-top box chip business in the domestic market — isn’t sustainable. To break that cycle, fabless companies require fresh focus, more distinct market/product differentiation, fewer and more patient investors, and probably a few more grown-up managers.

    Reply
  15. Tomi Engdahl says:

    China vs. Qualcomm: Chip’s ‘Nationality’ Still Matters
    http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1323528&

    So, do we all agree that the semiconductor sector is “always a national business”?

    emerging trend among leading Chinese fabless chip companies — Spreadtrum Communications, RDA Microelectronics, and Montage Technology — that have left or are leaving Nasdaq to become “privately owned” by China’s state government funds.

    Alternatives to going “national”?
    Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., for example, would have never been born without a government commitment to the nouvelle foundry model. Samsung wouldn’t be the semiconductor behemoth it is now without a helping hand from the Korean government. Without help from the ministries in Tokyo, none of Japan’s technology godzillas — including Mitsubishi, Hitachi, Toshiba, and NEC — would have ever created their own chip divisions and stuck to them a little too long.

    Neither Wang nor I profess that nationalism (or protectionism, for that matter) is the only way for chip companies to grow locally. But historically, the success of every regional semiconductor industry came on the back of strong government interest and commitment. And we haven’t necessarily found an alternative model, other than going “national.”

    Each country or region “has its unique DNA in terms of culture, skill, and competitive advantage,”

    Reply
  16. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Are Multi-Patterning Corners Really Needed for 16/14 nm?
    http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1323544&

    Now that 16-nm and 14-nm technologies are coming online, and many semicondutor companies are starting new chip design projects at those nodes, one question that keeps popping up is whether multi-patterning corners are really necessary.

    The cost-layout simulation is frequently a big bottleneck for the verification process, and the more corners that are required, the bigger that bottleneck becomes

    Multi-patterning is the technique required for printing geometries that are smaller than the wavelength of light used in manufacturing can accurately resolve. This is typically limited by both the lenses used and the light sources.

    However, one of the drawbacks of using multi-patterning is that it is difficult to precisely align the masks.

    Any misalignment has an impact on parasitic capacitance

    For example, a 6 nm misalignment causes a 15% error in coupling capacitance and a 5% error on total capacitance, whereas a 2 nm displacement creates approximately a 5% error for coupling capacitance and 2% error for total capacitance

    Reply
  17. Tomi Engdahl says:

    2Pro Devices on POS
    http://www.eeweb.com/company-news/te_circuit_protection/2pro-devices-on-pos/

    TE Circuit Protection’s addition to its line of hybrid devices is 2Pro LVM2P-015R10431E25. This product is a passive-hybrid device, ROHS-compliant series, and a resettable over current, over voltage and ESD protection device. With a varistor voltage of 430 Vdc at 1 mA, this product has a tolerance of +10/-10, 710 Max Clamping Voltage @ 25 A, and a rated wattage of 0.25 W.

    Reply
  18. Tomi Engdahl says:

    ECDSA Authentication System
    http://www.eeweb.com/company-blog/maxim/ecdsa-authentication-system/

    Manufacturers of nearly all equipment types need to protect their products against the counterfeit components that aftermarket companies will attempt to introduce into the OEM supply chain. Secure authentication provides a strong electronic solution to address this threat.

    Summary
    The main benefit of ECDSA is that the party authenticating the peripheral is relieved from the constraint to securely store a secret. The authenticating party can authenticate thanks to a public key that can be freely distributed. Authentication ICs, such as those among Maxim’s DeepCover embedded security solutions, help simplify implementation of robust challenge-response authentication methods that form the foundation of more effective application security. The ECDSA authenticators also enable easier authentication of goods from third parties or subcontractors.

    Reply
  19. Tomi Engdahl says:

    RF Amplifier Design Using ISL73xxxRH Transistor Array
    http://www.eeweb.com/company-blog/intersil/rf-amplifier-design-using-isl73xxxrh-transistor-array/

    This application note presents the ISL73096RH/ISL73127RH/ISL73128RH transistor arrays and focuses on designing RF amplifiers employing these featured transistor arrays. This note provides the complete design procedures of matched (800 MHz to 2500 MHz) high-gain low-noise amplifier and 10 MHz to 600 MHz wideband feedback amplifier.

    Based on S-parameter measurements, for a common-emitter configuration, transistors of ISL73127RH exhibit a prematched condition on the input side over a wide range of frequencies.

    Reply
  20. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Are processors pushing up against the limits of physics?
    A perspective on whether Moore’s law will hold, as well as whether it matters.
    http://arstechnica.com/science/2014/08/are-processors-pushing-up-against-the-limits-of-physics/

    Reply
  21. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Micro-controllers in the market has been in the last couple of years of lackluster atmosphere. Last year, growth remained at zero level and the previous year, the market shrank by up to three per cent. Now, IC Insights predicts that the market will go again to growth.

    Research Institute of the micro-controllers sold this year, 16 billion dollars, or about 12 billion euros. The sum is six percent higher than last year and at the same time control circuits market a new record.

    Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1655:mikro-ohjaimet-uudelleen-kasvuun&catid=13&Itemid=101

    Reply
  22. Tomi Engdahl says:

    How to Visualize data from your Instrument Control System
    http://www.engineering.com/ResourceDownload/HowtoChoosetheRightVisualizationTechniques.aspx?utm_source=recommended_designeredge&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=

    Most engineers need at least basic charting and graphing for their instrument control systems. But making the right choice for visualization goes well beyond the basics.

    Selecting the right data visualization technique could mean the difference between actionable information and missing key insights.

    Reply
  23. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Samsung has introduced a new version of the smartphone-Exynos application processor. 5430 model received a note at the same time the circuit is the company’s first produced with 20-nanometer process.

    Exynos 5430 processor of the Galaxy phones, the iron will be more effective. The circuit has four Cirtex-A15 cores, which operate at 1.8 GHz clock.

    Graphics on the device rotates the ARM’s Mali graphics processor T628MP6. It is capable of painting an image always WQHD – (2560 × 1440) and Resolution WQXGA (2560 × 1600). Exynos 5430 will therefore use the following Samsung’s tablets.

    Shift from 28 nanometers to 20 nanometers means that the power consumed will be 25 percent less. This means longer battery life or ability to run more demanding applications.

    Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1666:samsung-20-nanometriin-kannykkasirussaan&catid=13&Itemid=101

    Reply
  24. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Parrot AR.Drone2.0 – GPS Edition Teardown
    http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1323541&

    Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are no longer confined to the battlefield as hobbyists and commercial uses are on the rise. The FAA struggles to take an official stance on the use of drones as the proliferation of the unmanned aircraft has resulted in some near-collisions and safety concerns. With Amazon and other companies testing delivery by drone options, one thing is clear: Commercial interest in drones is a new market waiting to explode.

    Teardown.com analysts have recently performed a teardown of the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 – GPS Edition and found that the $349.99 drone has a BOM cost of $137, including the GPS Flight Recorder.

    Reply
  25. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Got Stackability?
    http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1323525&

    Other than the intentional Heathkit stackable feature, most older styles of test equipment were not designed to be stackable. However, since they typically came in flat-topped cabinet enclosures, this was an inherent attribute. Even units from different manufactures could easily be stacked on a bench into a reasonably stable “tower of power”

    Then, along came the aesthetic enclosure designers hired by marketeering managers with no brains. Fancy curves and non-flat tops — test equipment styling started looking more like sports cars than truly functional items. The result is that many of them can no longer be stacked.

    Keeping this in mind, let’s look at how some of these non-mating test equipment boxes can be made to fit together on a limited-space benchtop

    Reply
  26. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Intel, MTK Carve Tablet Shares; China’s Actions Faces Turmoil
    http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1323540&

    China’s tablet market is in turmoil, with stagnant growth and fierce competition from phablets featuring cellular network connectivity. Intel and MediaTek are aggressively pursuing the white-box tablet market, forcing the retail price for locally branded seven-inch tablets below $50.

    Caught in the middle is Actions Semiconductor in Zhuhai, China. It has been counting on action in the white-box tablet market.

    In discussing app processors designed into tablets, Zhou said that a dual-core SoC was at the high end last year but has moved into the mainstream. The price for such a dual-core SoC “is down by 50% compared to a year ago.”

    Actions’ survival now hinges on future products “enabled by 28nm process technology and 64-bit CPU for tablets,” according to the CEO.

    Reply
  27. Tomi Engdahl says:

    25 Views of Hot Chips 2014
    http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1323561&

    One acronym I never heard uttered during the three-day event was CPU, a term that has become so last century.

    The x86 may still be the 900-pound gorilla, but the ARM core is the one available for most engineer’s designs.

    Reply
  28. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Old car batteries could make cheaper, more efficient solar panels
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2014/08/18/old-car-batteries-could-make-cheaper-more-efficient-solar-panels/

    In recent years, researchers have worked on solar cells that use a compound called perovskite. The cells have quickly achieved over 19 percent efficiency in converting sunlight to usable electricity, which is comparable to commonly used silicon-based cells. But the use of lead in this new cell’s production was troublesome. Lead is destructive to plants and animals, and it can build up gradually in both the body and the environment.

    The new study, published in Energy and Environmental Science, shows that these solar cells can be built efficiently using recycled lead.

    And a little goes a long way: Because the solar cells only need thin sheets of perovskite (about half a micrometer thick), the lead from just one car battery could make enough solar panels to power 30 households.

    They’re also cheaper and easier to make than silicon-based cells, and could potentially become more efficient. “They’re definitely cheaper,”

    Reply
  29. Tomi Engdahl says:

    European semiconductor distribution market grew rapidly in the second quarter. Unfortunately, the increase did not reach the Nordic countries up. Dmass organization of the semiconductor sales in the Nordic countries decreased by 8.7 per cent in the second quarter.

    Industry in the Nordic countries were sold in the second quarter semiconductors for 141 million (for comparison Germany was April-June was EUR 514 million).

    Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1667:puolijohteet-laskussa-pohjoismaissa&catid=13&Itemid=101

    Reply
  30. Tomi Engdahl says:

    High-Accuracy 4-20 mA Current-Loop Transmitter
    http://www.eeweb.com/company-blog/maxim/high-accuracy-4-20-ma-current-loop-transmitter/

    For industrial process control instruments, the 4-20 mA current loop is widely used for maintaining the proper current, up to the maximum voltage capability of the system. The main features of the current loop includes the capability to maintain the accuracy of the signal despite the voltage drop in the interconnecting wiring and the capability to supply operating power to the device.

    This reference design shows how to develop a high-performance, high-voltage 2- or 3-wire 4–20mA current-loop transmitter suitable for industrial process control and smart sensors.

    Reply
  31. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Microcontroller Market Resurges
    Not all about 32 bit; 8 bit still useful
    http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1323578&

    A full-blown recovery in the microcontroller sector is underway as sales to industrial and automotive customers rebound amidst the upturn in the global economy. And it isn’t confined to just the 32-bit market.

    The 8-bit sector is also experiencing such tremendous growth that one supplier, Microchip Technology Inc., in Chandler, Ariz., has had to quickly step up efforts to ramp manufacturing. “Demand for our innovative new 8-bit microcontroller products introduced over the last three years have been so strong, it has outstripped our ability to ramp manufacturing fast enough,”

    The better-than-expected outcome was endemic across much of the MCU industry in the second calendar quarter, a trend that is likely to continue over the next couple of years. According to IC Insights’ new Mid-Year Update to the 2014 McClean Report, microcontroller sales in 2014 are projected to grow 6%, to $16.1 billion — a record high — followed by increases of 7% and 9% in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Shipments are also expected to post healthy gains, climbing 12%, to 18.1 billion units this year.

    Reply
  32. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Analog Bits to Design Mixed-Signal IPs for China
    Phase II of IP licensing wave in China
    http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1323568&

    We all know we wouldn’t be seeing such rapid growth among China’s fabless chip companies if firms like ARM, Imagination Technologies, and Ceva hadn’t spread global IPs — processor, graphics, and modem IPs — like wildfire.

    Now, the competition among the fabless Chinese has gotten so fierce that many local companies are turning their attention to details like mixed-signal IPs, according to an executive at Analog Bits.

    Call it Phase II of the IP licensing wave in China.

    Now, many Chinese companies — all racing for smaller, cheaper, and less power-hungry chip solutions for mobile and IoT devices — are looking for differentiated IPs in clocking areas, such as phase-locked loops (PLL). “They want extra edge in power, performance, or flexibility such differentiated IPs could enable,” said Tirupattur.

    Reply
  33. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Creaky PC? SanDisk gives users a NAND with speedy ’3-bitter’ SSD
    Tart it up with a TLC retrofit
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08/20/sandisk_intros_tlc_nand_ultra_2_ssd_for_pc/

    SanDisk has pushed out an Ultra II SSD for retrofitting to PCs that uses lower cost 3-bits-per-cell NAND technology.

    TLC or 3 bits per cell flash stores 50 per cent more information in each cell than MLC (2 bits per cell) and is cheaper to make on a cost/bit basis. But the number of times TLC flash can be rewritten, the P/E cycle count, is lower than MLC, typically being measured in the hundreds of cycles instead of thousands. This has restricted its use in business flash applications.

    SanDisk appears to have been able to lengthen this TLC product’s endurance because it is offering a three-year warranty. There is a 1.75 million hour MTBF rating but no number for total TB written or full drive writes over the life of the drive, and this leads El Reg to think endurance may be inferior to MLC SSDs, although we could not confirm this.

    Reply
  34. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Infineon agrees to buy Int’l Rectifier for $3 billion in cash
    http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/20/us-infineon-technol-mergers-usa-idUSKBN0GK1IN20140820

    (Reuters) – Merger-shy German chipmaker Infineon has agreed to buy California-based International Rectifier for about $3 billion in cash, Infineon said on Wednesday, in its biggest-ever acquisition.

    Infineon, whose chips activate car airbags, enable cruise control, manage power supplies and cut vehicle emissions, has shunned major takeovers since it was spun off from engineering conglomerate Siemens in 1999. It struggled in the subsequent years to turn a profit in its slumping memory-chip business, which it then disposed of.

    Reply
  35. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Startup Promises Sub-$20 DNA Test
    http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1323600&

    Startup InSilixa has developed a chip it claims can run highly accurate DNA tests in an hour for less than $20 per test on a handheld reader that will cost about $250.

    The Hydra-1K could drastically undercut the expense and time required of current methods of detecting diseases, bringing molecular diagnostics to the point of care. However the design is just at the start of an 18-24 month round of field tests.

    Reply
  36. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Dramatic Shifts In Manufacturing Costs Are Driving Companies To US, Mexico
    http://news.slashdot.org/story/14/08/21/1525249/dramatic-shifts-in-manufacturing-costs-are-driving-companies-to-us-mexico

    According to a new Cost-Competitiveness Index, the nations often perceived as having low manufacturing costs — such as China, Brazil, Russia, and the Czech Republic — are no longer much cheaper than the U.S. In some cases, they are estimated to be even more expensive. Chinese manufacturing wages have nearly quintupled since 2004, while Mexican wages have risen by less than 50 percent in U.S. dollar terms

    Reply
  37. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Metamaterial Superconductor Hints At New Era of High Temperature Superconductors
    http://science.slashdot.org/story/14/08/21/1713216/metamaterial-superconductor-hints-at-new-era-of-high-temperature-superconductors

    Superconductors allow current to flow with zero resistance when cooled below some critical temperature. They are the crucial ingredients in everything from high-power magnets and MRI machines to highly sensitive magnetometers and magnetic levitation devices. But one big problem is that superconductors work only at very low temperatures — the highest is around 150 kelvin (-120 degrees centigrade).

    first demonstration that superconductors can be thought of as metamaterials

    Reply
  38. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Power Week: IRF Only One of Many Rumored Infineon Targets
    http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1323616&

    The big news in power this week was yesterday’s announcement of Infineon Technologies’ planned acquisition of International Rectifier. On the face of it the move appears to make sense from a technology perspective, with IRF’s strengths in GaN technology complementing Infineon’s position in SiC technology. IRF’s product line-up is also broader than Infineon’s

    Prior to yesterday’s official announcement, however, speculation was swirling as to Infineon’s potential acquisition target.

    Reply
  39. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Infineon Buys International Rectifier
    Pushing toward leadership in the power semiconductor market
    http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1323609&

    Reply
  40. Tomi Engdahl says:

    When the hand is a Chinese smartphone, the components of which come mostly from Asia and the software from the United States, whether the Europeans lost the game completely. – They have not, believes the CEA Leti research institute director Simon Deleonibus

    - Europe is 500 million people. Their combined tulons aova 1.7 trillion euros. Together we are the richest nation in the world, so we have certainly afford to launch a new innovation projects.

    Even a small country can be top of the world.

    Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1682:suomen-tulevaisuus-on-sulautetussa-alyssa&catid=13&Itemid=101

    Reply
  41. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Why do resistors still use color coding?
    http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/125990/why-do-resistors-still-use-color-coding

    The reason for using color bands on through-hole (axial) resistors is simple — when they are inserted into the PCB, you can’t guarantee their orientation — there is no top or bottom. So you need a way to mark the value so it can be seen no matter how the part is oriented with the board. Color bands are perfect for this.

    My guess (and it is just that) – colour bands are easy to apply with a basic machine (rollers dipped in paint, component rolls past) and if the machine works, why change it?

    Through hole parts are often cylindrical. Hence applying stripes is simple in production. Resistors may have five stripes, tolerance, 3 significant digits, and order of magnitude.

    Manufacturers have already invested in machinery to product components with colour stripes.

    Where is the competitive advantage? There needs to be ‘new’ money to fund the change over to printed numbers, or it won’t happen. I don’t see anyone financial benefit.

    Through-hole with printed numbers would have to show big benefits to replace coloured rings. AFAIK, SMT has displaced through-hole in the majority of products; robots are cheaper than labour costs humans for mass production.

    “Show me the money”

    The alphanumeric markings on things like SMD devices require laser-etching, printing or similar. I’d further guess that either the laser etching / printing is already an inherent part of the production of SMD components

    Reply
  42. Tomi Engdahl says:

    NAND-type flash chips market was expected to shrink in the second quarter, but the expected price reductions did not materialize. Most of the manufacturers saw the flash circuit sales to increase.

    Memory devices on the market next DramExchangen of the NAND flasheja was sold in April-June, more than 7.6 billion dollars. In the first quarter growth was 5.6 per cent.

    Samsung will continue to to be clear number one in NAND circuits ( 2.4 billion / 31 per cent)

    Toshiba maintained its second place (20.5 percent market share)

    SanDisk’s market share was 19.7 per cent.

    Fourth was Micron

    Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1687:flash-piti-pintansa&catid=13&Itemid=101

    Reply
  43. Tomi Engdahl says:

    100 MHz Waveform Generator
    http://www.eeweb.com/company-news/rigol_technologies/100-mhz-waveform-generator/

    The DG4102 is a 100 MHz arbitrary waveform generator that is RIGOL’s replacement to the recently phased-off DG20141A. Catering two (2) channels, the device has a sample rate of as fast as 500 MSa/s

    Reply
  44. Tomi Engdahl says:

    PolyZen on Car Cigarette Lighters
    http://www.eeweb.com/company-news/te_circuit_protection/polyzen-on-car-cigarette-lighters/

    The PolyZen micro-assembly incorporates a stable Zener diode for precise voltage clamping and a resistively non-linear, polymeric positive temperature coefficient (PPTC) layer that responds to either diode heating or over-current events by transitioning from a low to high resistance state.

    PolyZen devices help provide resettable protection against damage caused by multi-watt fault events and require only 0.7 W power dissipation. In the event of sustained high power conditions, the PPTC element of the device “trips” to limit current and generate voltage drop.

    Reply
  45. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Samsung reportedly resumes supply of mobile RAM for new iPhone
    http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20140822PD210.html?mod=2

    Reply
  46. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Peripheral chip makers preparing inventories for 100 million new iPhones
    http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20140822PD216.html

    Peripheral chip suppliers for the next-generation iPhone reportedly are preparing to build up combined inventories of related ICs equivalent for the production of 100 million units in the second half of 2014, according to industry sources.

    Reply
  47. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Fairchild to Close 2 Manufacturing Facilities
    http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1323664&

    Fairchild Semiconductor International Inc. continued to pursue its aggressive cost-cutting initiatives with plans to shut two of its manufacturing facilities.

    Fairchild said it will eliminate its internal 5-in and reduce its 6-in. wafer fabrication lines by next year. As a result, Fairchild will close its manufacturing and assembly facilities in West Jordan, Utah, and Penang, Malaysia, as well as the remaining 5-in. wafer fabrication lines in Bucheon, South Korea.

    Fairchild, which makes power-management ICs, said it will continue to operate its 8-in. wafer fabs in South Portland, Me., and Mountain Top, Pa., as well as its 6-in and 8-in. fabs in South Korea. It will also continue to operate its assembly and test facilities in Cebu, Philippines and Suzhou, China.

    Reply
  48. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Brazil’s Path to Hardware Manufacturing at Home
    How tariffs hurt Brazil
    http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1323663&

    Brazil’s policies on imported goods is hurting the country’s economy. But engineers can do something about it.

    That was the message delivered by Jon “Maddog” Hall, president of Linux International, in his keynote at the opening day of the Embedded Systems Conference in Sao Paulo.

    “There are many reasons that more companies don’t design and manufacture products here in Brazil,” Hall said. “They don’t trust the market size, and they are concerned about the cost of a manufacturing startup.” It comes down to “cost, time, and uncertainty.”

    Instead, companies have their designs manufactured in places like Taiwan, and that strategy has a major drawback: When the product comes to Brazil, it’s hit with a 100% import tax, which is passed on to the consumer. “This is a big mistake and a bad thing for the Brazilian economy.”

    Reply
  49. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Exclusive: Chipmaker Qualcomm may face EU antitrust probe – sources
    http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/27/us-eu-qualcomm-exclusive-idUSKBN0GQ14C20140827

    Qualcomm, the world’s No. 1 mobile chipmaker, may face a European investigation related to a four-year-old complaint from a subsidiary of rival Nvidia Corp, three people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

    An EU probe would come at an awkward time for Qualcomm, which is seeking to end an investigation by China’s pricing regulator into monopoly practices. If found guilty of breaching EU rules, the company could face a fine of up to $2.5 billion.

    Reply

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