Inside Electronics

Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors are Forcing Evolution in Power Electronics

We are currently in the middle of a disruptive evolution in power electronics, driven by the growing availability of wide-bandgap semiconductors like Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicon Carbide (SiC). These new devices are challenging legacy circuit designs, by forcing them to migrate upwards in capability to deliver the performance advantages available. In today’s podcast we talk to Denis Marcon, General Manager of Innoscience Europe, about the challenges and opportunities being provided to the power electronics industry by wide-bandgap semiconductors. 

Observations from the 2024 IMS Exhibition

The International Microwave Symposium (IMS) gives the wireless community an opportunity to catch up with friends and competitors and check out the latest solutions from both small and large RF/microwave companies showcasing their products and services. In this episode, we talk with editors Bill Wong from Electronic Design and David Maliniak from Microwaves & RF about some innovative technologies they saw on the show floor and how they will impact the future of the industry.

Navigating the RISC-V Ecosystem

There has been a lot of attention paid to the RISC-V development community and IP ecosystem, with many companies starting to explore and adopt the open-source solution in their products and processes. Designed for a wide range of uses, the base instruction set has a fixed length of 32-bit naturally aligned instructions, and the architecture supports variable length extensions where each instruction can be any number of 16-bit parcels in length to support small embedded systems as well as large-scale computing.
In this episode, we talk with Bill Wong, Senior Content Director for Electronic Design and Microwaves & RF, about where RISC-V is today and where we think it may be going. 

Advanced Integrated GaN Platforms Empower Next-Generation Power Solutions

Wide-bandgap semiconductors and the power electronics they enable are challenging the industry with the promise to change the way we think about energy use and efficiency. For example, power-management solutions based on Gallium Nitride (GaN) are enabling benchmarks in efficiency, density, and dependability to address demanding applications in industrial, automotive, military and aerospace, and other challenging markets.
In this episode, Llew Vaughan-Edmunds, Senior Director of Product Management at Navitas, talks about the company, GaN-based power solutions, and how it is serving this rapidly-expanding field.  

Empowering Light-Detection Applications with InGaAs Avalanche Photodiodes

Phlux Technology, a spin-out from Sheffield University, UK, designs, manufactures, and markets 1550 nm IR sensors that are up to 12x more sensitive than alternative solutions. As a result, Phlux’s Noiseless InGaAs Avalanche Photodiodes (APD) detect signals at up to 50% greater distance in laser range finders, LiDAR systems, and optical fiber test equipment.
They also benefit communications systems, including free space optical communications (FSOC) and gas sensing. Phlux sensors boost performance, simplify thermal management, and cut system cost and size. In this podcast, Ben White, Co-founder and CEO, explains more about the company and its technology. 

Talking About European Expansion with an American Electronics Distributor

Recent events have highlighted the importance of a robust supply chain and a well-coordinated international distribution infrastructure.  In this podcast we talk to Robert Clapp Jr., President and CEO, David P. Warren, Director of Global Marketing & Communications, and Grzegorz Lyszczarz, Managing Director Europe at Heilind, a distributor that recently opened a new facility in Hanau, Germany. We talk about the company, expanding in Europe, and other things. 

Challenges and Opportunities in Developing Next-Generation Embedded Systems

The increased pace of electronic development has not only changed the very face of society and how it operates, it is continuing to grow and evolve in ways both expected and unseen. The embedded electronics industry is currently in a state of disruptive growth, with new materials, technologies, and processes providing engineers with the ability to create new kinds of solutions for applications both new and old. 
In this episode, we talk to Erik Welsh, CTO & Applications/Systems Manager, and Greg Sheridan, Vice President Strategy and Marketing at Octavo Systems about how the higher levels of system integration are providing challenges and opportunities in developing embedded systems.

The State of Advanced Intelligent Devices in the Cloud

The Internet of Things is expanding and maturing in a variety of ways, from the hardware devices and systems operating in it and the wireless protocols being used to connect them to the software making it all work together. Devices are getting smarter and more connected while growing in power and functionality to address more applications and use cases. 
In this episode, we'll talk to Ross Sabolcik, Senior Vice President and General Manager Industrial and Commercial IoT Products at Silicon Labs, about his views on the cloud, edge computing, and the Internet of Things.

Let’s Talk About Sensors and Analog Signal Conditioning

The world has been significantly impacted by the explosive growth in intelligent embedded systems being deployed everywhere in a Cloud-connected IoT-driven smart ecosystem. These sophisticated solutions are empowered by the latest and most powerful microcontrollers and processors, and driven by powerful software that is now becoming synthetically aware. However, without the input about the world around them and the application they are addressing, they are next to useless.
Sensors are paired with analog front-ends (AFE), signal conditioners that typically combine operational amplifiers and filters to improve input signals from sources such as sensors or antennas. Though the digital world may be run on binary digits, it needs to both derive information from and apply actions to the real analog world to function. Creating, choosing, and using AFEs and sensor applications can be challenging, depending on a designer's background and expertise.

Highlights from embedded world 2024

embedded world focuses on important industry topics in addition to showcasing the latest technologies and solutions, such as cybersecurity, AI, and the optimization of embedded systems. This was an evolutionary, not a revolutionary show, bringing together recent disruptive technology developments into real-world solutions that can be used in commercial products and services. 
Embedded World on ED
embedded world 2024: Showcasing the Latest Cutting-Edge Solutions