Author page description
March 31
- MaiaSpace modular space launcher wins first commercial contract
MaiaSpace, a launch services startup, has signed its first commercial contract with Exotrail, a French space logistics specialist. The two companies plan to integrate MaiaSpace's modular launch services with Exotrail's spacevan platform for payload hosting and satellite delivery. MaiaSpace aims to support various satellite types, from nano-satellites to 1.5-tonne satellites, using a reusable engine with MethaLox fuel. The partnership is a significant step for MaiaSpace, demonstrating its commitment to competitive space launch services.
- Ed Sees The Greenland Opportunity
➀ Many people, including the author, sold quantum computing shares after Jensen Huang's CES remark;
➁ The author believes that tech shares may be overvalued due to the emergence of DeepSeek and the rise of open-source AI programs in China;
➂ The author suggests investing in Greenland's publicly traded companies, which have seen significant growth in the past year.
March 29
- 2.1MHz low-side current sense amplifier
➀ STMicroelectronics has introduced a 2.1MHz bandwidth low-side current-measurement amplifier in a 6-lead SOT23 package.
➁ The TSC1801 is aimed at motor control, solar power and automotive power conditioning.
➂ It provides 20V/V gain and 0.15% accuracy over the entire temperature range, with a maximum offset voltage of ±200μV.
March 28
- M8 connectors from Inelco Hunter
➀ Inelco Hunter can now ship the Conec M8 range of circular connectors and sockets.
➁ The sockets are available with up to eight poles and various mounting options.
➂ The connectors come with different keying options and matching over-moulded plugs, offering a mating life of over 100 cycles.
- When Will We See A 90nm SoC?
21年前，在Globalpress 'Leading the Recovery'会议中，一个小组讨论了'何时会有量产的90nm SoC'的问题。
来自Cadence Design Systems的高级副总裁Ted Vucurevich表示，预计最早在2004年将出现基于90nm工艺的FPGA设计。
来自Synopsys的Anton Domic认为，到2004年，将会有非FPGA芯片在90nm工艺上实现量产。
台积电的Andrew Moore也提到，公司的发展路线图显示，90nm工艺将在2004年实现。
量产90nm设计面临的挑战包括预期良率问题、客户信心问题、验证问题和成本问题。
- GaN picked for Mazda automotive power project
➀ Mazda and Rohm have signed a deal to develop GaN-based automotive power electronics.
➁ GaN can reduce power conversion losses and contribute to the miniaturisation of components through high-frequency operation.
➂ The collaboration aims to unveil a demonstration model within FY2025 and practical implementation for FY2027.
- Farnell signs global distribution deal with MCC
➀ Farnell与Micro Commercial Components (MCC)签署全球分销协议；
➁ MCC提供包括二极管、MOSFET、IGBT、SiC器件等在内的多种半导体产品；
➂ MCC将超过10万种半导体产品带入Farnell，其中25%为汽车级组件。
- IPC praises ‘war-hating’ President Trump for defence industry support
➀ The IPC, the industry association for printed circuits and electronics assembly, laments the lack of investment in the US PCB industry on the anniversary of President Biden issuing the Presidential Determination 2023-06.
➁ The directive signed by President Trump in 2017 aimed to assess the US defense industrial base and identified a critical technology shortfall.
➂ The IPC expresses its commitment to working with the administration and policymakers to ensure America's defense electronics capabilities are secure and resilient.
- Boosting VC investment in Cambridge
ET Capital has initiated a new program to boost venture capital investment in Cambridge startups. The program focuses on science and technology-driven startups within the Cambridge cluster, aiming to provide a diverse portfolio across multiple sectors and technologies. The first fund, Cambridge Venture Index SEIS/EIS Fund 1, will invest in ten to fifteen startups from April 2025 to March 2026. This fund targets individual investors and is designed to democratize investment in Cambridge's future success. The strategy aims to reduce risk by diversifying investments, leveraging the performance of the best businesses in the Cambridge cluster. The fund also plans to collaborate with incubators and commercialization offices to provide predictable seed capital to startups.
- Tariffs lead to fall in memory inventories
➀ Tariffs have encouraged US memory buyers to get their orders in Q1, reducing inventories;
➁ DRAM prices expected to fall 0-5% QoQ in Q2, with HBM pricing to rise 3-8% due to HBM3e shipments;
➂ Samsung's HBM qualification progress slower than expected, but no significant capacity shift back to DRAM;
➃ SK hynix focusing on server and mobile DRAM, limiting PC DDR5 supply;
➄ DDR4 prices weak due to consumer demand and capacity expansion, with PC DRAM prices expected to remain flat QoQ in Q2;
➅ Server DRAM demand driven by top North American CSPs and AI server investment in China, with DDR5 prices expected to stabilise in Q2;
➆ Mobile DRAM demand improved, with LPDDR4X supply ample but prices expected to decline modestly;
➇ GDDR7 demand from next-gen graphics cards, with prices expected to hold flat or slightly down due to tight supply;
➈ GDDR6 prices expected to decline 3-8%, with suppliers bundling to stabilise pricing and clear inventory;
➉ Consumer DRAM seeing more aggressive purchasing, with DDR4 contract prices expected to rise 0-5% in 2Q25, and DDR3 prices likely to remain flat.
March 27
- Newport fab to get £250m investment
➀ The former Newport Wafer Fab will receive a £250 million investment from new owners Vishay Intertechnology;
➁ Chancellor Rachel Reeves emphasizes the government's commitment to business growth and job creation;
➂ Vishay's investment plan includes expanding staff from 500 to 900 by 2030, with higher-than-average salaries;
➃ The investment is supported by the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) to bolster the UK's semiconductor supply chain.
- MEMS micro-tweeter loudspeaker works from 1Vrms
➀ xMEMS has developed a micromachined silicon earbud loudspeaker that operates without a booster amplifier;
➁ The speaker, known as Lassen, runs on a standard 1Vrms audio signal and delivers up to 115dB SPL across 6kHz to 20kHz;
➂ It is designed for two-way 'true wireless stereo' (TWS) earbuds and is available for mass production in September 2025.
- Runnier silicone potting gels for faster filling
➀ Wevo has introduced a new series of runnier silicone potting gels for faster filling;
➁ The Wevosil series offers lower viscosity than standard products, improving air bubble elimination;
➂ The gels cure into gels rather than elastomers, providing effective protection against environmental influences.
- Printed RFID ICs from Pragmatic
➀ Pragmatic Semiconductor has announced a new RFID tag product line for marking retail items.
➁ The product line, branded 'NFC Connect', is a passive IC powered and read using near-field communications.
➂ It is compliant with ISO15693 and NFC Forum Type 5 standards and can be easily integrated into existing workflows.
- Integrating InP and SOI for multi tera-bit photonics SoCs.
➀ X-FAB, SMART Photonics, and Epiphany Design are collaborating to develop a photonics integration platform that combines InP and SOI technologies for multi tera-bit data rates.
➁ The platform aims to address customer requirements for high-speed data rates and energy efficiency in the manufacturing of optical transceivers.
➂ The collaboration has resulted in the development of a design flow and PDK that enables the design of photonics circuits integrating InP chiplets on an SOI platform.
- EnSilica opens second Brazilian design centre
➀ EnSilica, a mixed-signal ASIC designer, has opened a second design centre in Brazil;
➁ The new centre is in Campinas, São Paulo State, complementing the company's existing facility in Porto Alegre;
➂ The expansion is driven by a multimillion-pound contract from an optical computing systems customer and aims to meet the growing demand for a resilient European-based supply chain.
- Headset shipments returned to growth in 2024 but due for a dip in 2025
➀ After two years of decline, AR/VR headset shipments grew by 10% in 2024, according to IDC.
➁ Meta leads the market with a 74.6% share, followed by Apple, Sony, ByteDance, and XREAL.
➂ Meta and XREAL are the only two among the top five companies that recorded year-over-year growth.
- Putin’s Power
➀ On March 26, 2000, Vladimir Putin won the Russian presidential election, succeeding Boris Yeltsin.
➁ Over the next 25 years, Putin has tightened his grip on power, switching roles between president and prime minister.
➂ In 2020, Putin amended the constitution to allow him to run for re-election in 2024 and 2030, potentially extending his rule until 2036.
March 26
- Astute Group buys Copper & Optic
➀ Astute Group, a distributor and supply chain partner, has acquired Copper & Optic, an expert in cable and harness assembly.
➁ The acquisition enhances Astute's custom-design capabilities, particularly in aerospace and defence sectors.
➂ The integration aims to create a strong synergy between the two companies, with a focus on quality and flexibility.
- 5mm tall dc-dcs convert 48V to 12V at up to 2kW
➀ Vicor is targeting 48V to 12V conversion with a range of surface-mount DC-DC converter modules.
➁ The company is shifting from 12V to 48V architectures for higher efficiency.
➂ The modules offer a regulated output adjustable across 10V to 12.5V and can deliver up to 2kW.
- IAR adopts subscription model for cloud-embedded tools
➀ IAR宣布从销售具有永久所有权的单个产品过渡到提供平台上的整个工具箱，作为客户友好的订阅服务；
➁ 这些可扩展的软件设计工具包括公司的嵌入式工作台、C/C++编译器和公司的构建工具；
➂ 这些工具旨在为汽车、医疗和工业自动化领域的嵌入式开发设计。
- Alphawave Semi sampling photonics interconnect ICs for hyperscalers
Alphawave Semi is sampling its portfolio of optoelectronics products targeting the high-speed interconnect semiconductor market, expected to exceed $4 billion by 2028. The portfolio includes DSPs for PAM4 and emerging Coherent-lite modulation, using PAM4 SerDes with its WidEye DSP architecture and EyeQ diagnostic technology. The 800G and 1.6T interconnect products support up to 20km optical reach based on PAM4 and Coherent-lite solutions.
- 2% 2025 growth forecast for front-end fab equipment
➀ SEMI announced a 2% year-over-year growth forecast for front-end fab equipment spending in 2025, reaching $110 billion;
➁ This growth is driven by demand in HPC and memory sectors, as well as the increasing integration of AI;
➂ The Logic & Micro segment is expected to be a key driver of growth, with investments reaching $52 billion in 2025 and $59 billion in 2026.
- European Space Agency looks ahead with ESA Strategy 2040
➀ The European Space Agency (ESA) has released its ESA Strategy 2040, outlining its approach to the challenges and opportunities of space up to 2040.
➁ The strategy is framed around five goals: protecting the planet, exploring and discovering, strengthening European autonomy, boosting growth and competitiveness, and inspiring Europe.
➂ The strategy aims to accelerate innovation, strengthen industrial capacity, position Europe as a commercial hub in the global space economy, and establish Europe as a space research hub.
- Q4 Top Ten Foundries
➀ This article lists the top ten foundries based on a report by TrendForce.
➁ The list highlights the leading companies in the semiconductor industry.
➂ It is part of a series that focuses on the top performers in various technology sectors.
March 25
- US Service Personnel Deployed Overseas
➀ Japan hosts the third highest number of active U.S. troops deployed overseas, with 52,852 personnel;
➁ The total number of active U.S. personnel overseas is 165,830 as of June 2024, increasing to 1,294,191 when including those in the U.S.;
➂ This figure includes all branches of the military, State Department personnel, and excludes temporary duty and contingency operation personnel.
- DVCon Europe confirms research papers deadlines
➀ The organizers of this year's Design and Verification Conference & Exhibition Europe (DVCon Europe) have announced the deadline for abstracts for engineering papers and tutorials for this year's event.
➁ Abstracts need to be submitted by 22 April, with full engineering and research papers required by 30 June.
➂ DVCon Europe will be hosted by Accellera Systems Initiative and will take place at the Holiday Inn Munich, Germany from 14 to 15 October.
- ESA selects Tyvak for Ramses Mission CubeSat involving asteroid flyby
➀ The European Space Agency (ESA) has selected Tyvak to build the first CubeSat for the Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety (Ramses).
➁ The mission aims to rendezvous with the asteroid 99942 Apophis and study its surface and internal structure.
➂ Tyvak will develop a hybrid CubeSat, combining technologies from previous missions.
- RANsemi joins ACES for Saudi Arabian O-RAN partnership
➀ RANsemi, a British wireless semiconductor innovator, announced a strategic partnership with ACES, a leading Saudi Arabian neutral host operator, specializing in 5G Open RAN baseband technologies.
➁ The partnership is supported by the Saudi Arabian National Technology Development Programme (NTDP) and aims to advance 5G Open RAN and small cell technologies.
➂ The project aims to develop a class-leading 5G Open RAN neutral host small cell system, combining RANsemi's 5G baseband expertise with ACES' RF design capabilities.
- Start-up which turned down $$23bn last July sells for $32bn
➀ Wiz, a cybersecurity provider for cloud-based businesses, has been acquired by Google for $32 billion after rejecting a $23 billion offer last July.
➁ Wiz offers cloud-agnostic security solutions by supporting multiple cloud providers including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Oracle Cloud.
➂ Wiz was founded by a team that previously sold a company, Adallom, to Microsoft for $320 million.