Embedded Executive Podcast

Frederic Nabki, co-founder and CTO of SPARK Microsystems, pioneers low-energy ultra-wideband wireless. He discusses LE-UWB’s higher bandwidth and microsecond latency compared to Bluetooth LE. Topics include energy-efficient radio design, robustness to interference, current transceiver products and real-world use cases like gaming, wearables, audio links and industrial low-latency applications.

Sandra Rivera, former Intel leader and now Chairwoman at VSORA, brings deep AI infrastructure and chip commercialization experience. She talks about VSORA’s focus on AI inference chips, low-latency embedded memory design, recent silicon tapeout, and plans for benchmarks, system integrations, and European deployments in the year ahead.

Reza Azarderakhsh, Founder and CEO of PQSecure, translates post-quantum cryptography standards into silicon-ready cryptographic IP. He discusses CHIPS Act focus on domestic cryptographic IP and supply chain security. He covers engineering challenges of implementing PQC in silicon, how to start PQC hardware design, the need for updatable silicon, and timelines and standards for PQC adoption.

Larry Richenstein, Founder and CEO of WePower Technologies, builds kinetic energy harvesters that eliminate batteries for wireless controls. The conversation covers powering BLE and Z-Wave transceivers from button pushes and knob turns. Demos include a battery-free light switch, a 90-degree-powered door lock, and an upcoming liquid leak detector.

Avnet recently surveyed part of its core audience, and the topic was AI’s Impact on Engineering. It doesn’t get much closer to home than that. To understand how the survey was conducted and, more importantly, what the results showed, I spoke to Alex Iuorio, Avnet’s Senior Vice President for Global Supplier Development. Alex and I discussed the results, what they mean, and what the future looks like in terms of AI in engineering. Check out this week’s Embedded Executives podcast to hear what he had to say.

Paul Golden, Marketing Director at the Wireless Power Consortium, explains WPC standards in a nutshell. He covers Qi, Qi2 and Ki and why certification matters. Listen about faster charging moving from 15W to 25W and plans for 50W. Hear about wireless power for kitchens, automotive adoption and how the industry ensures interoperability and safety.

Sivaram Trikutam, Senior VP of Wireless Products at Infineon, leads Wi‑Fi and IoT connectivity efforts. He walks through Wi‑Fi 7’s real-world changes, multi‑link operation and its OR mode for reliable IoT, and how power, range, and spectrum efficiency are evolving. The conversation highlights Infineon’s low‑power Wi‑Fi 7 IoT transceiver and practical use cases for always‑connected devices.

There are lots of different ways that IoT devices can communicate. In some instances, that’s a good thing. But in other cases, it’s hindering the growth of IoT devices. And that’s a problem, at least according to Mike Rohrmoser, a Vice President at Digi. In this week’s Embedded Executives podcast, Mike explains how protocols are evolving and what needs to occur to ensure interoperability between all devices, including those that may have been in the field for decades.

There’s no moss gathering under the Connectivity Stands Alliance, as the group recently announced the latest rev of the ZigBee spec, version 4.0. This new version enhances the security efforts from the previous generation, and also takes a hard look at smart energy in the latest devices. One of the keys, as you’ll hear, is the backward compatibility that’s been maintained. Faisal Bhaiyat, the Co-Chair of ZigBee Working Group, Connectivity Standards Alliance, and also a Senior Software Architect with Silicon Labs, fills me in on the details on this week’s Embedded Executives podcast.

You’re likely aware of many of the great things AI can do for you. And I’m guessing you’ve seen many of the nefarious things it can be used for. I was just brought up to speed on one of the latter items, and it’s something you should be aware of as well. In my discussion with Marcus Webster, the Founder and President of Webster and Webster Associates, I learned that people are using AI to help them get jobs, and in some cases, they are jobs that they should not be getting, for security reasons. People are submitting fake resumes and even conducting fake video-based job interviews. Honestly, it’s both fascinating and scary. Check out this week’s Embedded Executives podcast to learn more.