Author page description
July 25
- Bluetooth MCU in 2.2 x 3mm
➀ Renesas and Mouser collaborate on the DA14535, a 2.2x3mm Bluetooth MCU based on Arm Cortex-M0+ with Bluetooth LE 5.3 support;
➁ The IC operates from 1.2-3.6V and is available as a pre-certified module (DA14535MOD) with integrated flash and antenna;
➂ Development kits (USB and Pro versions) enable prototyping for asset tracking and IoT applications.
- Solestial wins SpaceWERX contract for fast-assembly solar array
➀ Solestial received a $1.2 million contract from SpaceWERX to develop a radiation-hardened solar array wing for small satellites, focused on fast manufacturing;
➁ The project aims to optimize silicon solar cells and modules for rapid assembly, targeting the production of a complete array within one month;
➂ This award brings Solestial's total contract funding to $7 million, supported by U.S. military and space agencies to advance space solar technology.
- Most Read – Ensilica PQC ASIC, III-V lasers in silicon, First Light Fusion
➀ Ensilica developed a PQC ASIC combining CRYSTALS algorithms into a single IP block for enhanced cryptographic efficiency.
➁ University of California Santa Barbara achieved monolithic integration of III-V lasers on silicon, enabling low-dispersion O-band communication.
➂ Hygon launched the C86-5G server processor with 128 cores and 512 threads to compete with Intel Xeon and AMD Epyc.
- Kioxia sampling 9th gen 512Gbit flash memory
➀ Kioxia is sampling 512Gbit TLC flash memory using 9th-gen 3D technology, targeting mid-low capacity storage and enterprise SSDs for AI systems;
➁ Features 61% write/12% read performance gains, 36% write/27% read efficiency improvements, with 3.6Gbit/s Toggle DDR6.0 speeds;
➂ Targets IoT/automotive embedded systems, uses wafer-level bonding for CMOS-memory integration, commercial production planned FY2025.
- Advertising Feature: Top Reasons to Outsource Electronics Assembly to Poland
➀ Poland's electronics manufacturing sector is experiencing rapid growth, supported by industrial applications and strategic EU market integration;
➁ Key advantages include cost efficiency, a skilled technical workforce, central European logistics, and investments in Industry 4.0 smart manufacturing;
➂ Future expansion is driven by digital infrastructure upgrades, sustainability initiatives, and Poland's competitiveness as an alternative to Germany and China in electronics assembly.
- Intel Q2 revenue flat YoY; loss increases to $2.9bn; gross margin shrinks to 27.5%.
➀ Intel reported flat Q2 2025 revenue at $12.9 billion YoY, with losses widening to $2.9 billion and gross margin dropping to 27.5%;
➁ The company announced workforce reduction to 75,000 employees, halted expansions in Germany and Poland, and adjusted fab investments to align with confirmed customer demand;
➂ Intel prioritizes financial discipline, AI development, and optimizing its foundry business, with Data Center and AI group revenue growing 4% while Client Computing declined 3%.
- RAN market declining slower
➀ The RAN market is projected to decline by 1% in 2025, marking a moderate slowdown after significant declines in previous years, with a -1% CAGR expected over the next five years;
➁ Open RAN, Cloud RAN, and AI RAN will drive innovation but not expand the overall market, while non-traditional areas like FWA and private wireless may boost growth;
➂ 5G-Advanced adoption will gradually replace 5G investments within constrained budgets, with key growth segments including mmWave, vRAN, and small cells.
- Mouser launches automation resource hub
➀ Mouser launches an automation resource hub to provide engineers with latest industrial automation advancements, including control systems, robotics, and automation software;
➁ Key topics covered: Industry 5.0's human-centric focus, open-source automation benefits, and sensor-driven predictive maintenance;
➂ Curated technical content (articles, videos, eBooks) aims to empower engineers to design safer, more efficient manufacturing systems, per VP Eric Wendt.
- The Only Person Who Can Do This
➀ Elon Musk's xAI startup raised $10 billion in June 2025, seeks an additional $12 billion, and has an annual cash burn rate of $13 billion, with minimal reported revenue;
➁ xAI is constructing custom AI datacenters (e.g., the Memphis-based 'Colossus' with 200,000 Nvidia GPUs) through leased GPUs and complex financial deals to keep pace with rapid hardware advancements;
➂ Despite skepticism about its economics, Musk’s proven track record with Tesla and SpaceX fuels confidence in xAI’s ambitious goal to deploy 1 million GPUs for training its AI model Grok.
July 24
- What caught your eye? (Synopsys, TSMC dominance, Magdrive)
➀ Synopsys finalized its acquisition of Ansys, enhancing AI design tools with predictive simulation capabilities;
➁ TSMC maintains dominant leadership in the semiconductor foundry industry, solidifying its market position;
➂ UK companies Magdrive and Perpetual Atomics collaborate on integrating radioisotope power systems with plasma propulsion for long-duration space missions.
- Astute Group signs Alp Lab
➀ Astute Group与瑞典边缘AI模组开发商Alp Lab达成全球分销协议，推动其Edge-1 AI Module（E1M）平台应用；
➁ E1M平台采用统一硬件设计及标准化软件堆栈，支持多处理器架构切换，显著降低开发成本与时间；
➂ 方案集成Alp SDK开源工具，支持跨厂商硬件无缝集成，增强物联网应用的本地数据处理能力并减少对云端的依赖。
- Folding phones going nowhere
➀ Foldable phones hold a stagnant 1.6% market share in 2025, with Samsung leading at 45.2%;
➁ Huawei, Honor, Lenovo, and Xiaomi show growth, while Apple's 2026 entry with a new model may boost market adoption;
➂ Apple's foldable phone in late 2026 could drive the segment into mainstream amid low 19.8 million unit shipments in a 1.25 billion smartphone market.
- Technology claims to solve low yield problem of microLEDs
➀ Q-Pixel's Q-Transfer technology claims to achieve >99.9995% microLED transfer yield, addressing the critical barrier of low yields (<99.99%) in conventional mass transfer processes;
➁ The company holds records for 6800 PPI color active-matrix displays, 10,000 PPI full-color displays, and 1μm full-color pixels;
➂ Prototype demonstrations show 10μm TP-LED pixels at >500 PPI with zero missing pixels, indicating breakthrough scalability for mass production.
- Astrobotic develops VSAT-XL for Nasa’s lunar power infrastructure
➀ Astrobotic secured a NASA contract to develop the VSAT-XL, a 30m-tall vertical solar array generating 50kW of power for lunar missions;
➁ The system features dual 20-meter panels, self-leveling capabilities, and sun-tracking technology, designed for deployment on the lunar south pole;
➂ Prototype development under the Phase II contract aims to support long-term lunar habitats, in-situ resource utilization, and potential adaptation for Mars missions.
- Who’s Been Buying Russkie Energy During The Ukraine War?
➀ China and India were the largest buyers of Russian fossil fuels post-January 2023, followed by Turkey and the EU;
➁ Despite EU efforts to reduce dependency post-2022, it remained a significant purchaser, especially for natural gas;
➂ U.S. proposed 100% tariffs on Russian energy buyers if no Ukraine peace deal is reached within 50 days.
July 23
- Chinese processor takes on Xeon and Epyc
➀ Hygon launched the C86-5G server processor, a proprietary x86 design to compete with Intel Xeon and AMD Epyc;
➁ The chip features up to 128 cores with SMT4, DDR5-5600 memory support, AVX-512 for AI workloads, and PCIe 5.0/CXL 2.0 connectivity;
➂ Acquired by Chinese supercomputer firm Sugon, it targets enterprise servers, AI clusters, and large-scale data centers.
- Hailo-10H delivers genAI to the edge
➀ Hailo launches Hailo-10H, a second-generation edge AI accelerator with native generative AI support for on-device LLMs/VLMs;
➁ Processes data locally at 2.5W power, ensuring privacy & avoiding cloud dependence;
➂ Targets automotive/consumer markets with AEC-Q100 Grade 2 certification for 2026 production.
- UK companies sign MoU for nuclear-plasma propulsion in space
➀ Magdrive and Perpetual Atomics (UK) sign an MoU to integrate nuclear radioisotope power systems with plasma propulsion for space missions;
➁ The collaboration aims to enable long-endurance, high-agility missions for deep space exploration, lunar infrastructure, and defense applications;
➂ Magdrive secured $10.5M seed funding, tested propulsion units in orbit, and plans to expand manufacturing and R&D in the UK and US.
- Taoglas gets compatible with Semtech
➀ Taoglas partners with Semtech to offer verified antennas for Semtech's AirLink routers, ensuring compatibility for engineering applications;
➀ Antennas are tested for mechanical, environmental, and RF compatibility, targeting sectors like industrial IoT, public safety, and transportation;
➂ Modular designs support multi-band 4G/5G, Wi-Fi, and GNSS, with rugged installation options for harsh environments.
July 22
- Monolithic integration of III-V lasers in silicon ICs
➀ Researchers at the University of California Santa Barbara developed a method to monolithically integrate III-V lasers on silicon substrates, enabling efficient O-band wavelength operation with low signal dispersion;
➀ The team used strain-engineered buffer layers and InAs quantum dots as the gain medium to minimize crystal defects, combined with precise etching and optical coupling techniques to reduce waveguide attenuation;
➂ The resulting lasers demonstrated reliable performance up to 105°C and a projected lifespan of 6.2 years at 35°C, marking progress toward scalable on-chip light sources for photonic ICs.
- Strategic compute and silicon expertise dictate AI architectures
➀ The datacentre processor market is projected to grow from $147B in 2024 to $372B by 2030, driven by AI expansion, with NVIDIA dominating the server GPU market (over 90% share) through its CUDA ecosystem and Blackwell/Rubin platforms;
➁ AI ASICs and custom chips (e.g., Google TPUs, AWS Trainium, Huawei Ascend) are rising as cost-efficient solutions for hyperscalers, while Arm-based CPUs like Amazon Graviton and Nvidia Grace gain traction for power efficiency;
➂ Geopolitical tensions and export controls spur local AI infrastructure investments, with China accelerating domestic semiconductor development and NVIDIA adapting export-compliant chips amid industry consolidation (e.g., SoftBank-Graphcore, AWS-Tenstorrent).
- Q2 PC units up 4.4% YoY
➀ Q2 2025 global PC shipments reached 63.23 million units, up 4.4% YoY, driven by enterprise demand for Windows 11 migrations and pandemic-era hardware renewals;
➁ Regional trends: North America declined 0.5%, APAC remained flat, and EMEA grew 5.3%, with Lenovo leading vendor growth at 13.9%;
➂ Gartner forecasts 2.4% annual growth for 2025, but warns of potential inventory surplus due to slowing consumer demand and tariff-driven inventory adjustments.
- Ensilica develops PQC ASIC
➀ EnSilica developed a combined hardware IP block supporting the full CRYSTALS post-quantum cryptography (PQC) suite, integrating Dilithium, Kyber, and SHA-3 algorithms into a single solution to reduce silicon area, power, and cost.
➁ The IP addresses quantum computing threats by enabling quantum-resistant security, countering 'harvest now, decrypt later' tactics, and complies with NIST standards finalized in 2024.
➂ The compact design outperforms previous separate implementations and complements EnSilica's existing cryptographic IP portfolio, including classical algorithms and a true random number generator (TRNG).
- UK Space Agency reports on Health of the UK Space Industry
➀ The UK Space Industry grew 3.3% annually, contributing to the economy, with employment rising 7% to 55,550 jobs and £1bn spent on R&D;
➁ Despite an 8.9% decline in industry income to £18.6bn and productivity drops, optimism remains high, with 61% of firms expecting revenue growth in the next three years;
➂ 151 new companies entered the sector, supporting employment stability despite challenges like skilled labor shortages.
- Automation Shock
➀ The article revisits a 1960 issue of Electronics Weekly, featuring a cartoon titled 'Automation Shock' that reflected early concerns about automation displacing jobs;
➁ Authored by veteran industry journalist David Manners, it highlights historical perspectives on technological disruptions and their societal impacts;
➂ The piece underscores how debates about automation from the 1960s parallel modern discussions on AI and technological advancements.
July 21
- The Most Valuable Unicorns
➀ OpenAI leads as the highest-valued AI unicorn at $300 billion with $64 billion raised;
➁ Databricks ($62B) and Anthropic ($61.5B) follow closely, each securing nearly $20 billion in funding;
➂ Four AI firms rank among the top 10 unicorns, including Elon Musk’s xAI, Germany’s Celonis ($13B), and U.S.-based Safe Superintelligence ($30B) despite minimal funding.
- Rust is Autosar component for TC4x automotive memory security
➀ HighTec EDV-Systeme, Elektrobit, and Infineon collaborated to enable Rust as an Autosar software component on TC4x automotive MCUs, allowing mixed Rust/C/C++ development;
➁ The integration includes Elektrobit's Autosar software, HighTec's Rust/C++ compiler, and Infineon's MCU abstraction layer, supporting cybersecurity and functional safety compliance (ASIL-D, UN R155, EU Cyber Resilience Act);
➂ The solution enhances memory safety, enables static analysis via Rust's Clippy, and targets Infineon's TriCore-based TC4x processors and STMicroelectronics' Arm-based Stellar MCUs.
- CHIIPS Podcast #12 – Edge AI insights from EdgeCortix’s Dr Dasgupta
➀ CHIIPS Podcast #12 features Dr. Sakya Dasgupta from EdgeCortix, discussing neural computation and AI at the edge, with a focus on power-efficient hardware-software co-design;
➁ The conversation highlights EdgeCortix’s DNA IP, Sakura processors for robotics/defense systems, and collaborations with NASA, the US Defense Innovation Unit, and Japan’s semiconductor initiatives;
➂ The podcast series aims to explore key electronics industry trends, with future episodes covering sector updates and expert predictions.
- US Imports Shifting
➀ U.S. imports of smartphones, laptops, and TVs from China have sharply declined since early 2025, with production shifting to Vietnam and India (Apple and Samsung lead the relocation);
➁ Vietnam has emerged as the top source for U.S. electronics imports, with Dell, Apple, and HP expanding local production to offset losses from China;
➂ Escalating U.S.-China tariff tensions and minimal domestic smartphone manufacturing (e.g., Purism’s niche production) may lead to U.S. supply shortages in late 2025.
- ISS National Lab selects Orbital Edge Accelerator Program startups
➀ The ISS National Lab selected six startups (Kall Morris, Magma Space, Melagen Labs, Olfera, Quantum Qool, Raptor Dynamix) for its Orbital Edge Accelerator, offering up to $500,000 each to advance space-focused innovations;
➀ Projects span in-space logistics, AI-driven satellite control, radiation shielding, medical research via lab-on-a-chip, laser-based thermal management, and autonomous edge computing systems;
➂ The program aims to catalyze the space economy, with past ISS-supported startups raising $2.4 billion post-research.