The industry lost yet another pioneer last year, and his passing seems to have been largely unheralded. Don Lancaster was a prolific writer whose books and articles going back to the 1960s taught generations of electronics hobbyists and budding engineers how to use analog and digital integrated circuits, how to program early 8-bit microprocessors –…
This article isn’t about a new product. It’s just new to me. The product is Wondom’s BCPB2, a charger, battery management system (BMS), and battery holder for three 18650 lithium-ion cells. I discovered this product while considering ways to repair the battery subsystem in a Keithley 197 Microvoltmeter made around 1991 that I recently bought…
Shrink rays are a common trope with a long history in science fiction. The first time I saw one “in use” was in the 1966 film Fantastic Voyage and Isaac Asimov’s book based on the film’s screenplay. In Fantastic Voyage, movie and book, the shrink ray is used to miniaturize a submarine named Proteus so…
The adoption of RISC-V is spreading. Versatility and “freedom to innovate” are powering the ecosystem. In this week’s Fish Fry podcast, Frank Schirrmeister from Arteris and I explore how to enable better architecture optimization, manage different protocols with ease, and reduce interconnect area plus power consumption with network-on-chip IP. Also this week, I check out new…
The move to split off its programmable chip unit isn't the first time Intel has spun out a specialized business. Last year, it made Mobileye a standalone company.