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When you look at the list of mixed-signal ASICs available, the list is quite staggering, but the range of programmability of these devices is basically zero. This is where discrete logic and discrete analog circuits make their way into designs, and they quickly increase the component count required to implement basic functions. Unfortunately, these circuits also have essentially zero programmability unless you implement DACs and add application...

As departments find deeper ways to collaborate, the bill of materials (BOM) now proves its value more than it may have once appeared. It gives engineers, procurement managers, logistics operators, and manufacturing specialists a blueprint for lean and efficient printed-circuit-board (PCB) production.  A BOM is more than a mere documentation of a product’s components, though, as it also holds vital information on different product functions; the...

Nothing hurts more than doing everything right in a hardware design, only for your board to fail because of a single footprint. I’ve been through this, so don’t repeat my mistakes. Learn how to manage ECAD libraries for consistent PCB layout design. Key Takeaways A single mismatched footprint can cost weeks of delay, $20,000 in lost production, and a client relationship. Even minor oversights can destroy trust and schedules. Disorganization...

Processors allowing implementation of custom logic have traditionally been physically very large and difficult to develop. This has normally been appropriate because they are used for chip prototyping or to build application processors for embedded systems requiring high I/O count and compute resources. To help engineers balance between system size, cost, and development effort, this article gives a comparison of the options for building digital...

Making an ASIC the traditional way is no easy task, but now designers can take control of their component designs with programmable logic. There are three options for designing ASICs: CPLDs, FPGAs, or mixed-signal processors. These three approaches allow a designer to essentially create a custom processor which can even be programmed on the fly. If none of the available off-the-shelf component options work for your system, which type of...

An increasing number of developers are starting to run Linux natively on their machines. This becomes a point of frustration when they discover tools, such as Altium Designer (included in Altium Develop and Altium Agile), are not available for Linux. Fortunately, you can run the full Windows version of Altium Designer inside Linux with a little bit of a compromise. In this article, we’re going to walk through getting Altium Designer running...

For PCB designs that require multiple microcontrollers, microprocessors, or FPGAs, power/boot sequencing can be a key factor in getting everyone to work in unison. In this article, we’re going to revisit the self-organizing MCUs example aspect of Shrinking Arduino Projects: Atmega328P and Nothing More. Rather than manually boot up each Atmega328P device with jumper wires, we will be using the Renesas GreenPAK kit to automatically perform the...

PCB design reviews encompass many parts of a design, ranging from basic circuits to manufacturability. For high-speed digital systems, a design review needs to be more specific and focus on areas that are not typically covered in standard manufacturability reviews. The tools and process required to fully review a high-speed PCB design for signal integrity depends on the exact interfaces present in the design, but comparing against some rules of...

Semiconductor resilience now hinges on data-driven intelligence. As the AI "supercycle" accelerates, procurement teams must leverage up-to-date insights to manage ongoing component scarcity.  The World Semiconductor Trade Statistics projects a 15.4% rise in global semiconductor revenue, reaching US$728 billion for the full year. Deloitte and ING estimate that more than US$150 billion of that growth is tied to AI-centric chips.  Octopart is...