While the new multicore system on chip (SoC) signal-processing architecture announced by Texas Instruments this week at Mobile World Congress hits all the right notes with respect to what's needed in next-generation basestation designs, it rings a bit hollow given how sketchy the architectural details remain when contrasted with more 'real' announcements from the likes of Freescale.

Tool makes code developers redundant?

Code developers beware: I got a call from Baruch Evenor the other day. He turned me on to an automatic, interactive code generator for embedded controller systems that outputs assembly code--without you ever having to write a single line of code. Too good to be true? Read on!

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CES 2010: A wireless OK Corral

Pre-CES is always a heady time in the wireless home video space, but never so much as this up-coming event, what with wireless LAN, 60 GHz, ultrawideband, standard and non-standard multimedia distribution schemes vying for attendees' attention--and dollars. So I sat down Asaf Avidan, VP of marketing for 'long-time' UWB chip provider, Wisair, to see where UWB stood--or if it even could find a toehold--in the fray.

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Macronix takes NOR flash lead. But who will follow?

Today's announcement by Macronix of a 256-Mbit serial NOR flash chip is interesting from a capabilities point of view, but leaves a number questions regarding market pull, interface standards and overall market size that makes me wonder who will follow Macronix to create a storm in this teacup?

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IMEC puts 10-nm interconnects in perspective

At last week's tech fest at the IMEC research facility in Belgium, we were given an update on the technologies, processes and design techniques that will get us to 10-nm interconnects. But one slide hits hard and shows just what 10 nm really means.

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Use IC vendors to bring your product idea to life

The next time you have a great idea for an end product, you should look at bit more closely at your choice of IC: the vendor-as-partner model can do more to realize your idea than any venture capitalist or angel investor ever could--without eating into your long-term profits.

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Old and new: Marconi's Irish roots

In a remote region of Ireland last week I happened upon a monument to Guglielmo Marconi's first commercial wireless transmission: between Rathlin Island and Ballycastle in North Antrim on July 6th. 1898.

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UWB is dead! Oops, sorry: It's alive… again!(?)

There's been a miracle at Computex: It seems there have been enough prayers to breath life back into UWB, at least according to second-hand accounts by a remote witness.

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Intel hiring DSP programmers: Cognitive dissonance?

I don't want to read too much into this, as it's part of the natural way of things given recent processing trends, but this job opening does did stop me in my tracks: Intel Ireland seeking senior DSP software developer.

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Having a look at "Micro" electronics

The laboratory facilities of TechInsights Services can provide an interesting view of the microelectronics world. Check out the Image of the Week, and take a unique look at some of the electronics you help create.

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