Big data needs a new type of non-volatile memory
With the rise of big data and the internet of things, data centres are now required to process and store more information than ever before. In 2014 alone, 2.5 exabytes of data, that’s 2.5 billion gigabytes, were created every single day. Recent advancements in information storage technologies have helped lay the groundwork for the future of ...
Mali for power-constrained products
ARM’s Mali-470 GPU is for power-constrained products, including smart watches, home gateways and appliances, industrial control panels and healthcare monitors. It is available for immediate licensing, with the first Mali-470 enabled devices expected in late 2016. “ARM scrutinizes every milliwatt across the entire SoC to enable OEMs to optimize energy-efficiency and open up new opportunities,” ...
Imagination announces single board MIPS computer for IoT
Today Imagination Technologies is announcing that it’s working on a new member of its single-board computer Creator family, to be called Creator Ci40 and designed for IoT applications. It follows on from the Creator Ci20, which is Raspberry Pi like in that it can work with a keyboard mouse and display, running Linux or Android, plus it ...
Harwin expands manufacturing facility
Harwin has broken ground on an extension at its Portsmouth headquarters and manufacturing centre. The new building will increase floor space by 33%, which will be dedicated to increased automation and R&D facilities. Chairman Damon de Laszlo writes: “We expect the new construction to be fully facilitated and in use by March 2016. We are ...
One chip MCU thermocouple interface
Microchip has released a thermocouple to digital converter accurate to ±1.5°C, claims the firm (0 to +85°C ambient). Called MCP9600, it includes junction compensation, needs no external components except a decoupling capacitor, and works with thermocouple Types K, J, T, N, S, E, B and R (NIST ITS-90). As well as a digital output via ...
ARM buys tech for creating virtual prototype chips
ARM is opening the opportunity for firm to create virtual prototype system-on-chips (SoCs) integrating its processors with the acquisition Carbon Design Systems (Carbon), a supplier of cycle-accurate virtual prototyping tools. Virtual prototypes are created before costly commitment of getting a design fabricated in silicon. It can be used to remove bugs and improve chip design ...
UK chip research programme adds UltraSoC analytics
UltraSoC, the Cambridge-based developer of on-chip monitoring and analytics, has joined the PRiME, a £5.6m EPSRC-funded five year electronics research programme involving UK universities and industry. The technology focus of the programme is low-power, highly-parallel, reconfigurable and dependable computing, and verified software design. According to Rupert Baines, CEO of UltraSoC, the programme feeds into the UK’s capabilities in ...
‘Sci Fi Your Pi’ Challenge – The inside view
An insider’s summary of the entries received and the design challenges their ingenious creators faced when building a convergence of science fiction and technology.
Electronic devices that make military drones fly
For UAVs power/weight ratio is the all-important design consideration and this can be influenced by the selection of the electronic systems controlling motors and sensors, writes Steve Munns The origins of modern day UAVs (unmanned autonomous vehicles) stretch back more than 100 years however one might consider pilotless radio-controlled planes used for aerial target practice ...
Apple hit for University of Wisconsin processor patent
Apple has been ordered to pay damages of $234m to the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s patent licensing research unit. Last week a jury found that Apple had infringed a patent of the foundation for optimising processor performance, and now it has declared the amount to be paid. The technology was allegedly used in iPhone and iPad ...
