APEC 2019 is happening March 17-21 in Anaheim, CA. The Embedded Insiders’ very own Alix Paultre, a seasoned veteran of the power electronics industry, will be attending the Applied Power Electronics Conference and moderating one of the sessions there. Tune in as he elaborates on what attendees will learn at the show this year and what it’s all going to mean for the future of the embedded and power electronics industries.

Embedded Insiders Talk All Things APEC

The space where the electronics meets the mechanics ends up being a place of disconnect. Who owns that domain, the mechanical engineer or the electrical engineer? Good question, and that’s where I started the discussion with Michael Randt, Founder and CEO of Trinamic in this week’s Five Minutes With…discussion.

As the IoT proliferates, particularly in the industrial, automation, and manufacturing industries, the world of “mechatronics” is key to the success of a design. And the problem likely will get worse before it gets better.

Five Minutes With…Michael Randt, Founder/CEO, Trinamic

There are holes in IoT security. I don’t think anyone disputes that. Is it a big problem or a small problem? Unfortunately, the answer depends. Knowing where to start and what path to take is a tricky one, in part because different people will point you in different directions. To (hopefully) steer you straight, I discussed the topic with a recognized security expert, Brent Wilson, a staff security applications engineer for IoT products at Silicon Labs, in this week’s Five Minutes With…discussion.

Five Minutes With…Brent Wilson, Security Engineer, Silicon Labs

Energy harvesting is not a new concept – solar panels have been around for a long time, and even mechanical watches have had motion-capture systems to wind the mainspring since Rolex invented “Perpetual” movement. However, recent advances in circuit efficiency have made other forms of low-power energy harvesting viable, as they can use the microamps of current provided.

Today one can obtain devices that harvest electrical energy using sources ranging from stray RF to beamed laser energy via fiber. One of the more interesting and novel means of energy harvesting is the quantum-tunneling-based Evercell thermal energy technology from Face. Evercell is a passive-structure, semiconductor-based system that exploits principles of quantum physics to produce a small, continuous flow of electric power in virtually any setting.

We talked to Stefan Popov, the Managing Partner of QuantumDrive, the exclusive licensee for the use of Face's Evercell power cells in self-powered watches quartz watches. Evercell harvesters consume no fuel, have no moving parts, contain no toxic materials, and require no exposure to other stimuli, including motion, pressure, RF, or electromagnetic energy.

People & Power Podcast – The State of Quantum Energy Harvesting with Stefan Popov, Evercell

Power is key in any embedded system—literally. You will not find an embedded system that does not contain some sort of power subsystem. However, people tend not to put much emphasis on that portion of the embedded design. Why is that? Beats me, so I asked Chris Jones, a Director at Artesyn Embedded Technologies in this week’s Five Minutes With…discussion. And did he ever come up with a zinger of a story!

Five Minutes With…Chris Jones, Director, Artesyn Embedded Technologies

This is the Embedded Insiders’ first video broadcast. Join Rich Nass, Brandon Lewis, Alix Paultre and Laura Dolan as they discuss Alix’s latest adventures at APEC and what the future holds for power electronics. Not to mention Alix’s Tchotchke Index. What is it? And what can show-goers glean from what you pass out at trade shows? Tune in to learn more!

APEC Wrap Up

Join Rich Nass, Brandon Lewis, Alix Paultre and Laura Dolan as they deliberate what’s been happening with Boeing’s 737 Max planes that have been recently grounded due to two tragic crashes. They beg the question, is this a software issue? Tune in for a more in depth discussion.

Embedded Insiders Discuss the Latest Issues with Boeing

Boards and systems designed around an Nvidia processor are becoming more commonplace. But where they haven’t made much of a mark—until now—is in the mil/aero industries. The architecture seems like a natural fit due to its ability to do video processing capabilities, but is just starting to make a (very small) dent. In this week’s Five Minutes With…podcast, I spoke to Doug Patterson, a vice present with Aitech, a company that is at the forefront of mil-aero designs, and now at the forefront of Nvidia-based designs.

Five Minutes With…Doug Patterson, VP, Aitech

This week the Embedded Insiders are joined by Steven Crouch, CTO of Blackmore Lidar, who discusses FM lidar and its impact on the automotive market. We also recap what went on at the GPU Technology Conference this year. Tune in for more.

GTC 2019 and the Latest in Lidar Technology

The Embedded community is closely tied to Linux (yes, that’s an understatement). I thought it would be a good idea to interview someone from the Linux Foundation to get a handle on where the organization stands and what projects are coming down the pike. So, without any further ado, here’s Michael Dolan, Vice President of Strategic Programs for the Linux Foundation in week’s Five Minutes With…discussion.

Five Minutes With…Michael Dolan, VP, Strategic Programs, Linux Foundation

Embedded Computing Design is the trusted property for information regarding embedded design and development. Applications covered include: IoT, Automotive, Medical, Industrial, DIY, Consumer, Digital Signage, and more.