Articles
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Increasing time-to-market pressures have led to the availability of full-featured microcontrollers, sometimes called system-on-chip (SoC) processors. These feature-rich microcontrollers or SoCs speed design by integrating a part of or, in some cases, all of the hardware required to implement an embedded design. Developers can then focus their design efforts on application-level functionality.
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PC/104 architecture: module, company, and marketplace compatibility
The physical benefits of the PC/104 architecture are promoted often. If you are a frequent PC/104 and Small Form Factors reader, then you know these benefits well: rugged stackable bus connectors, a small footprint with corner mounting holes, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) availability, and interoperability. Many of the PC/104 products on the market are also targeted for high-vibration and extended-temperature environments.
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Pico-ITX packs a punch
It was only a matter of time: Thanks to Moore's Law, the smallest embedded open standard single-board computer (SBC) form factor has broken into the quad-core ranks. At a mere 72 by 100 mm, Pico-ITX boards are now available from a number of suppliers with Intel, AMD, and Freescale ARM processors. Thanks to tiny semiconductor geometries down to 14 nm, these processors are implemented as feature-rich systems-on-chip (SoCs) with one, two, and four cores and average power consumption below 10 W.
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Cool power sensation
GPGPUs, hybrid chips originally developed for gaming are designed for improved power performance, fill a gap for military customers.
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Nanoscale "memristive" RF switches enable on-the-fly IC reconfiguration
"Memristive" RF switches will help reconfigure a device to act as either a satellite receiver or a radar.
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Medical devices with ultrasound-guided navigation ease needle placement for healthcare professionals
"Stop – you have reached your destination." With increasing traffic in healthcare centers, clinics face many challenges. Ultrasound-guided devices can allow clinicians without ultrasound expertise to easily integrate sonography into their workflow for needle placement, cannulas, and other invasive medical devices and procedures. Battery-powered, high-computing-power portable imaging systems allow for increased medical device flexibility, effectiveness, and safety.
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PC/104: Ready solutions
A dozen people sit around a large conference-room table. A few have visitor's badges. Everyone has a smart device of some sort. Many have engineering notebooks and pens. Business cards have been cordially exchanged, and cups of coffee are still too hot to drink. In the middle of the table sits an assortment of printed circuit board assemblies.
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SFFs take to the skies
Drones are taking off: Much more than just for recon or warfare missions, much more than about retail giants leveraging consumers to hasten along government agency approvals. Even more than for spying on your neighbor or on Apple's new spaceship-shaped headquarters. Just visit your neighborhood unmanned system trade show to see how strong this market segment's thrust is.
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Designing an embedded application? There's a CPU for that
The question isn’t whether ARM or x86 is the better architecture, but rather: Which architecture is better for your application? The answer depends on how you prioritize requirements, including power, speed, longevity, compatibility, and more.
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Mic check 1, 2, 1, 2: MEMS microphones add reliability for a symphony of IoT apps
Acoustics is one of those sciences most of us take for granted on a regular basis, not because we overlook the importance of sound in our daily lives, but because we underestimate its possibilities beyond speech, music, and as an environmental indicator. Ultrasound, sonar, and noise cancellation are just a few applications that leverage sound waves in capacities that transcend the lay perception of audio.
Pushek Madaan, Cypress Semiconductor
Gagan Luthra, Cypress Semiconductor
Stephen St. Amant, PC/104 Consortium President
Christian Eder, congatec
Stephen St. Amant, PC/104 Consortium President
Brandon Lewis, Technology Editor