The Curious Case of the Waning Wheeltapper

I constantly amaze myself by the vast quantities of useless nuggets of knowledge and tidbits of trivia that are rattling around in my poor old noggin. These typically resurface when I least expect them. For example, I could be discussing AI systems with someone, and—as improbable as it may sound—one of the examples they give might trigger thoughts of a man bending over tapping a railway wheel … Read More → "The Curious Case of the Waning Wheeltapper"

It Simply Works! SEGGER, emApps, and the Future of Embedded Systems Development

Embedded Systems take center stage in this week’s podcast! My guest is Rolf Segger from SEGGER! Rolf and I dive deep into their extensive embedded solutions portfolio. We also explore the fascinating concept of emApps, which represents an intriguing vision for embedded system design and is poised to shape the future of smart device development.

 

Read More → "It Simply Works! SEGGER, emApps, and the Future of Embedded Systems Development"

Bumblebees Can’t Fly, and Humans Can’t Exist (I Have Proof)

I’m feeling more than a little existential at the moment. Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s a cream for that. I was going to say, “Don’t worry, it’s not catching.” However, the more I think about what I’m about to tell you, the more I fear we might discover that it is.

The idea that bumblebees shouldn’t be able to fly … Read More → "Bumblebees Can’t Fly, and Humans Can’t Exist (I Have Proof)"

From High‑Mix Production to Humanoids: Robotiq’s Push for Accessible Automation

Are you ready for some robots?! We’re not talking about just any robots; this week we’re focusing on the quiet revolution of grippers, sensors, and collaborative automation taking place on our factory floors. My guest is Jennifer Kwiatkowski from Robotiq! Jen and I dive deep into the world of collaborative robotics. We explore the future of human-robot interaction in manufacturing, how Robotiq is solving … Read More → "From High‑Mix Production to Humanoids: Robotiq’s Push for Accessible Automation"

Well, Fork Me with a Dining Philosophers Problem (or The Best Way to Debug Embedded Systems)

There are many difficult-to-answer questions. For example: At what point does ‘a few’ become ‘several’ When does ‘soon’ become ‘never’? How long will this take? (How long have you got?) When will it be done? (Define ‘done’?) Is it backward compatible? (With what, exactly?) How many devices around the world are running code no one fully understands? How many engineers are currently Googling the same error message? Why are … Read More → "Well, Fork Me with a Dining Philosophers Problem (or The Best Way to Debug Embedded Systems)"

March 10, 2026
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featured chalk talk

The Han® Connector
Sponsored by Mouser Electronics and HARTING
In this episode of Chalk Talk, Emily Kenny from HARTING and Amelia Dalton investigate the details of the HARTING Han® connector family. They also explore the trends in connector solutions today, the variety of options within this connector family and how you can get started using a HARTING Han® connector for your next design!
Feb 18, 2026
15,224 views

featured video

Cadence Chiplets Solutions | Helping you realize your chiplet ambitions

Sponsored by Cadence Design Systems

In this webinar, David Glasco, VP of Compute Solutions at Cadence, discusses how Cadence enables customers to transition from traditional monolithic SoC architectures to modular, scalable chiplet-based solutions, essential for meeting the growing demands of physical AI applications and high-performance computing.

Read eBook: Helping You Realize Your Chiplet Ambitions

discussion
Posted on Mar 10 at 7:49am by Max Maxfield
Hi Sandy — I only wish I were attending APEC this year — I'd love to see this in action!!!
Posted on Mar 10 at 7:42am by SFewkes
The power density and speed continues to accelerate: at APEC, taking place March 22-26, 2026, in San Antonio, Empower will showcase its award-winning Crescendo vertical power delivery (VPD) platform alongside a first preview of next-generation technology designed to further increase current density and enable the next wave of AI and high-performance ...
Posted on Mar 4 at 12:42pm by Max Maxfield
You are very kind, but enough about me, what did you think about the article :-)
Posted on Mar 4 at 12:42pm by Max Maxfield
"I can read the words but the understanding is not there" Welcome to my world :-)
Posted on Mar 4 at 4:23am by KaitlynRudall
great
Posted on Mar 4 at 1:28am by RedBarnDesigner
Hi Max, fascinating article but I think I need to go away and do some reading before I can understand this! Vector and tensor analysis was a module at University but that doesn't mean I understand what FuriosaAI are doing! I have tensorflow on a laptop here but I haven't ...
Posted on Feb 25 at 6:41am by Max Maxfield
"...consider my eyes well and truly watering." My job here is done! :-)
Posted on Feb 25 at 2:03am by RedBarnDesigner
Hi Max, consider my eyes well and truly watering. I might have to do some calculations as a reality check on the 160A in35mm^2. Okay, it is only 2V down to 1V, but even so, that is still 160W. At 90% efficiency, the package still has to shift 16W as (...
Posted on Feb 17 at 12:47pm by Steven Leibson
I apologize profusely for giving you anxiety attacks. I worked from the available resources, having made nothing up. A lot of the information in this article came directly from a timeline compiled by Linda Hugle and a detailed resume written by Frances Hugle when she was 25. Obviously, as a family ...
Posted on Feb 9 at 12:25pm by bjordan-quilter
Hi and thanks for the comment! Quilter actually has three tiers: Free, Startup, and Enterprise. Bare in mind Quilter is a physics-driven place-and-route tool, as opposed to a dedicated simulation tool like Hyperlynx. It is built to to board layouts (placement and routing) but not to replace SI simulation tools ...
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Mar 9, 2026
What happens to our digital history when the world's biggest archive of retro video games disappears?...
EU Cyber Resilience Act Compliance Simplified with Infineon Security Solutions
Sponsored by Mouser Electronics and Infineon
In this episode of Chalk Talk, Preeti Khemani from Infineon and Amelia Dalton investigate the scope, categories, and standards included in the EU Cyber Resilience Act. They also explore the timelines associated with the EU Cyber Resilience Act and discuss how Infineon is streamlining compliance to ensure your next design meets CRA requirements.
Mar 10, 2026
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Global Coverage With NTN
In this episode of Chalk Talk, Paul Fadlovich from TE Connectivity and Martin Lesund from Nordic Semiconductor and Amelia Dalton explore the what, why and how of NTN technology. They also explore the role that antennas play in satellite communication systems, and how Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF9151 System-in-Package and TE Connectivity’s broad range of antenna solutions can jump start your next global IoT design.
Feb 19, 2026
14,775 views
MR-VMU-RT1176 Vehicle Management Flight Controller
In this episode of Chalk Talk, Iain Galloway from NXP and Amelia Dalton explore the benefits of the MR-VMU-RT1176 Vehicle Management Flight Controller. They also investigate the multitude of elements included in this solution and how NXP robotics platforms can get your next mobile robot design up and running in no time.
Feb 16, 2026
14,342 views