Springtime in the SoC
Audio IP, Static Analysis and Board Member Switch-a-roo
In honor of the Design Automation Conference that is less than a month away, I take a little foray into the mysterious land of tools. First up, I chat with Henk Hamoen (Synopsys) about how Synopsys is working its way into audio IP, and then it's an interview with Mark Zarins of GrammaTech about static code analysis and why your level of comfort in dealing with abstraction is important to them. Finally, I have a special “News You May Have Missed" segment about some recent rumblings on the Mentor Graphics Board of Directors.
Also this week, I have a brand new nerdy giveaway (a TI MSP-EXP430FR5739 Experimenter Board) courtesy of Mouser to throw your way, but you'll have to tune in to find out how to win.
Sensing 3D
FPGAs and The Next Generation of Cameras
Not much could be cooler than 3D video using FPGAs, right? Yeah, that's what I thought too, so in this week's Fish Fry, I chat with Niladri Roy of Lattice Semiconductor about some of the coolest video-related FPGA applications out there right now. Lattice is using FPGAs in some pretty creative ways in their new camera development kits, so if you're into video technology, you'll want to check out this week's interview. Ready... Goggles on... Go!
On Your Mark
Achronix Gets Ready to Roll
In a special executive focus Fish Fry, this week I interview Achronix CEO Robert Blake about Achronix's new high-end FPGA family (based on Intel’s new 22nm Tri-Gate technology). Robert and I discuss why this new family may be a serious contender - going head-to-head with the most powerful FPGAs from the big guys. We also explore what their software tool story looks like, and why domain-specific hard IP may be the key ingredient in their secret sauce. Also this week, I am giving everyone another chance to win a MACHXO Pico Development Kit courtesy of Lattice Semiconductor, but you'll have to listen to find out how to win.
Wirelessly Going Where No Man Has Gone Before
Africa, Atmel and the MEMS in Between
This week's Fish Fry is all about wireless technology and how it is shaping the world today. First up, I interview Martin Squibbs from Atmel about a big announcement in the world of RF transceivers. Martin talks to me about a technology that may change the roadmap for battery-operated wireless applications in the industrial and consumer market places. Next up, I check out how wireless technology is shaping medical care in Africa, and finally I've got a short Interview with Karen Lightman about the MEMS Industry Group and how they are looking to carve out new avenues for future MEMS applications.
The Long ARM of Intel
In this week's Fish Fry, I look at Intel's ever-expanding reach into the world of electronic design. I interview Jarrod Siket about Netronome's collaboration with Intel and I also investigate the recent announcement that Intel and Xilinx will be funding R&D at EDA startup Oasys Design Systems. This week I also chat with Tom DeSchutter of Synopsys about what ARM's big.LITTLE is all about and how software can help with energy efficiency in mobile designs.
Coming Back for Seconds
Design West 2012 Part Two
In this week's Fish Fry, I look into two ever-present themes at this year's Design West Expo: power and software. On the software side, I interview David Kleidermacher (Green Hills Software - CTO) about embedded security, virtualization, and even Green Hills's collaboration with Nintendo. On the power side, I chat with Infinite Power Solutions about energy harvesting and find out why they don't call themselves "Limited Power Solutions".
Design West 2012 Shakedown
This week’s Fish Fry is all about Design West 2012, and at the conference this year I check out each layer of the embedded systems ecosystem--from distributors to MEMS, from microcontrollers to operating systems. In the first part of my coverage, I interview Jeff Jussel of element14 about element14’s connection to the Raspberry Pi computer and how element14 is looking to foster collaboration on every level of electronic engineering. Next, I chat with Gordon Cooper, Tony Xia, and Amit Bhojraj from NXP about their new product availability strategy, the analog sub-system included in their new microcontroller, and how Angry Birds worked its way into their booth this year. I also give an update on the “Find Amelia at Design West” contest and interview the winner of last week’s MAX V CPLD Development Kit.
Spring into Action
Calypto’s Power Optimization and the Find Amelia at Design West Contest
In this week’s Fish Fry, I dig into the multi-layered world of power optimization with Shawn McCloud (Vice President, Marketing - Calypto). Shawn and I discuss the problems surrounding power reduction in today’s smaller geometries, and why he thinks power optimization is ignored by many designers. I even grill Shawn about why he has a ban on high heels at his house. Also this week, I unveil the details of EE Journal’s first conference contest called “Find Amelia at Design West” and even throw out a couple super secret hints on how you can find me and win a MAX V CPLD Development Kit (courtesy of Altera) right there at the show.
Getting Your Verification Ducks in a Row
Look out! A new way to verify is coming your way. In this week’s Fish Fry, I check out Synopsys’s new Verification IP announcement with a special in-depth interview with Neil Mullinger from Synopsys. Neil and I discuss the details of this new verification platform, what markets it's destined for, and why whipping up your own verification IP may be a thing of the past. Also this week, I look into a new development in transistor technology headed up by a team at the University of Tel Aviv and why it may or may not involve deli meat.
Digital to Analog and Back Again
This week’s Fish Fry is all about those persistent pesky power problems that plague our designs and what we can do to solve them. If you’re a digital guy or gal struggling to get into the analog game, or even if you’re an analog person trying your hand at digital design, this Fish Fry is for you. First, I interview Steve Logan (Xilinx) about how Xilinx has added analog ADCs to their recent development kits and how you can start designing with one. I also chat with Rob Chiacchia (Linear Technology) about the state of the art in digital power management.