Embedded Insiders

Send us Fan MailBoards and systems designed around an Nvidia processor are becoming more commonplace. But where they haven’t made much of a mark—until now—is in the mil/aero industries. The architecture seems like a natural fit due to its ability to do video processing capabilities, but is just starting to make a (very small) dent. In this week’s Five Minutes With…podcast, I spoke to Doug Patterson, a vice present with Aitech, a company that is at the forefront of mil-aero designs, and now at the forefront of Nvidia-based designs.For more information, visit embeddedcomputing.com

Send us Fan MailJoin Rich Nass, Brandon Lewis, Alix Paultre and Laura Dolan as they deliberate what’s been happening with Boeing’s 737 Max planes that have been recently grounded due to two tragic crashes. They beg the question, is this a software issue? Tune in for a more in depth discussion.For more information, visit embeddedcomputing.com

Send us Fan MailThis is the Embedded Insiders’ first video broadcast. Join Rich Nass, Brandon Lewis, Alix Paultre and Laura Dolan as they discuss Alix’s latest adventures at APEC and what the future holds for power electronics. Not to mention Alix’s Tchotchke Index. What is it? And what can show-goers glean from what you pass out at trade shows? Tune in to learn more!For more information, visit embeddedcomputing.com

Send us Fan MailPower is key in any embedded system—literally. You will not find an embedded system that does not contain some sort of power subsystem. However, people tend not to put much emphasis on that portion of the embedded design. Why is that? Beats me, so I asked Chris Jones, a Director at Artesyn Embedded Technologies in this week’s Five Minutes With…discussion. And did he ever come up with a zinger of a story!For more information, visit embeddedcomputing.com

Send us Fan MailEnergy harvesting is not a new concept – solar panels have been around for a long time, and even mechanical watches have had motion-capture systems to wind the mainspring since Rolex invented “Perpetual” movement. However, recent advances in circuit efficiency have made other forms of low-power energy harvesting viable, as they can use the microamps of current provided. Today one can obtain devices that harvest electrical energy using sources ranging from stray RF to beamed laser energy via fiber. One of the more interesting and novel means of energy harvesting is the quantum-tunneling-based Evercell thermal energy technology from Face. Evercell is a passive-structure, semiconductor-based system that exploits principles of quantum physics to produce a small, continuous flow of electric power in virtually any setting. We talked to Stefan Popov, the Managing Partner of QuantumDrive, the exclusive licensee for the use of Face's Evercell power cells in self-powered watches quartz watches. Evercell harvesters consume no fuel, have no moving parts, contain no toxic materials, and require no exposure to other stimuli, including motion, pressure, RF, or electromagnetic energy.For more information, visit embeddedcomputing.com

Send us Fan MailThere are holes in IoT security. I don’t think anyone disputes that. Is it a big problem or a small problem? Unfortunately, the answer depends. Knowing where to start and what path to take is a tricky one, in part because different people will point you in different directions. To (hopefully) steer you straight, I discussed the topic with a recognized security expert, Brent Wilson, a staff security applications engineer for IoT products at Silicon Labs, in this week’s Five Minutes With…discussion.For more information, visit embeddedcomputing.com

Send us Fan MailThe space where the electronics meets the mechanics ends up being a place of disconnect. Who owns that domain, the mechanical engineer or the electrical engineer? Good question, and that’s where I started the discussion with Michael Randt, Founder and CEO of Trinamic in this week’s Five Minutes With…discussion. As the IoT proliferates, particularly in the industrial, automation, and manufacturing industries, the world of “mechatronics” is key to the success of a design. And the problem likely will get worse before it gets better.For more information, visit embeddedcomputing.com

Send us Fan MailAPEC 2019 is happening March 17-21 in Anaheim, CA. The Embedded Insiders’ very own Alix Paultre, a seasoned veteran of the power electronics industry, will be attending the Applied Power Electronics Conference and moderating one of the sessions there. Tune in as he elaborates on what attendees will learn at the show this year and what it’s all going to mean for the future of the embedded and power electronics industries.For more information, visit embeddedcomputing.com

Send us Fan MailThe 2019 Embedded World Conference and Exhibition was here and gone in a flash, once again setting records for attendance and innovation. The Embedded Insiders Rich Nass, Brandon Lewis, Alix Paultre, and Laura Dolan dedicate this special episode to some of the most groundbreaking solutions on display at this year’s event, which also happened to be the recipients of Embedded Computing Design’s first-ever Best-in-Show Awards. 22 Best-in-Show Award winners were selected from categories including: - Microcontrollers, Microprocessors & IP - Development Tools & Operating Systems - Power ICs & Related Components - Computer Boards, Systems & Components - Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning - Embedded Security - Embedded Storage - Wireless & Wired IoT Connectivity For more information on the winners, visit bestinshow.embedded-computing.com/shows/embedded-world-2019.For more information, visit embeddedcomputing.com

Send us Fan MailConnectors, cables, etc. are a vital piece of the embedded system, but are often (too often?) taken for granted. There’s clearly a lot going on in that space that designers should know about. To connect the dots, I spent some time with Matthew Burns, a Director at Samtec, a guy who lives and breathes connectors. Check out this week’s Five Minutes With…discussion.For more information, visit embeddedcomputing.com