Inside Electronics

Advanced Video AI Processing on the Edge

Axelera’s artificial intelligence processing unit is akin to the neural processing units (NPU) and are designed to handle AI inferencing while using very little power. Their quad core Metis AIPUs delivers 214 TOPs at under 4 W. It is available as a chip as well as on boards like their M.2 module. The company's latest Europa delivers up to 629 TOPs and can handle even more streams. Alexis Crowell, General Manager of Americas & Global CMO, talks about Axelera's Metis and Europa chips as well as their Voyager SDK.  

Powering Industrial Automation in Harsh Environments

In this episode of the Inside Electronics podcast, we explore how modern industrial automation relies on robust, well designed power supplies to keep demanding systems running reliably. Host Alix Paultre, Editor-at-Large of Electronic Design, speaks with Mike Swenson, Marketing Manager for TRACO North America, about why industrial environments are among the toughest places for electronics, from electrical noise and extreme temperatures to vibration, dust, and moisture.
 They explain how AC/DC supplies and DC/DC converters form a layered power architecture, delivering clean, stable power to controllers, sensors, and communication modules throughout connected factories.
The conversation highlights key selection factors such as total power needs, peak load behavior, standards compliance, environmental protection, and mounting options like DIN rail, PCB, and chassis solutions. Alix and Mike also discuss testing for harsh conditions and the importance of high-reliability designs to minimize downtime and maintenance. The episode closes with a forward look at more efficient, compact, and intelligent power solutions enabling next generation automated systems.

Engineering Trends in 2026

For our 100th Inside Electronics podcast we decided to get some of the Electronic Design editors together to discuss a range of topics addressing technology trends in 2026. In this episode we touch on topics that the editors chose from processing hardware to power transistors. We hope you enjoy it. Stay tuned for more on Inside Electronics.  

Oscilloscope Touts Speed, Precision, & Portability

Presented as the most compact 8-channel oscilloscope with MSO, generator, and a large (11.6-inch) display, the R&S MXO 3 Series puts a lot of functionality in a small package. In this episode, Alix Paultre and Rohde & Schwarz's Noha Ibrahim discusses the company's latest oscilloscope.

The Rise of the Integrated Voltage Regulator

While at least a dozen companies offer excellent solutions to deliver the ultra-high currents required to power modern GPUs, Ferric developed a unique capability to integrate thin-film magnetic power inductors within their devices’ packages that eliminates the need for bulky external components. As a result, they can create chip-scale power converters that integrate interface, telemetry, feedback control, and powertrain circuitry.
In this episode of Inside Electronics, Noah Sturken sits down with James Morra, senior editor at Electronic Design, to discuss what’s wrong with how AI processors are powered today and how he hopes to tackle technical challenges with Ferric’s IVRs. 

Using emApps Virtual Machine in Embedded Applications

There are all kinds of virtual machines (VM) available and many are being employed in embedded applications. Platforms like the Java virtual machine (JVM) are used on servers and embedded applications with features like garbage collection. Unfortunately, these can have a lot of overhead making them less desirable for small, microcontroller-based systems. Rolf Segger, Founder of Segger Microcontroller Systems, talks about the company's new emApps virtual platform.  

Developing Advanced Edge Computing Solutions

The cloud and IoT are growing and expanding in complexity in a variety of ways as the core technologies behind the devices and related infrastructure evolve and mature. In this episode, we talk to Nebu Philips, Senior Director, Strategy & Business Development at Synaptics, about where we are and where we want to go with edge computing, AI, and the Cloud. 

The Future of the IoT

IoT empowers intelligent machines to provide advanced functionality to society, but it isn’t easy to get there from here. Key aspects of development include the importance of creating tools that empower others, the role of the market ecosystems in driving adoption, and the challenges in the infrastructure needed to bring connected technologies to the market. We talk to Alistair Fulton, CEO of IoT Labs, about the future of the marketplace 
 

Time Sensitive Networking, Synchronization and Sensors

Industrial subsystems are distributed so communication between these subsystems needs to preserve this information and deliver it in a timely fashion. This is where time sensitive networking (TSN) comes into play. We talk to Mark Geisler, Marketing Manager at Analog Devices, about the future of TSN in plug-and-play industrial networks as well as the technical and organizational challenges that engineers face when incorporating TSN into their systems.  

What’s New in PCI Express Gen 8?

The PCI-SIG PCI Express Gen 7 standard is now available but work has not stopped there. PCIe Gen 8 is on the horizon and with a planned doubling of the bandwidth to 256 GT/s. This will be challenging from a number of perspectives from support copper connections at this speed to advancements in the protocol.