💻 X-Ray Upgrade Can See Transistors in 3D

An upgraded X-ray imaging technique, developed by a team at the 🇨🇭 Paul Scherrer Institute, can now provide high-resolution 3D images of advanced semiconductor chips without destroying them.

This method, called burst ptychography, achieves a 4-nanometer resolution by using high-energy X-rays to penetrate the chip and computational techniques to create stable diffraction patterns.

The new technique significantly improves upon the previous resolution, allowing for detailed visualization of transistor features and chip interconnects, facilitating better quality control and design validation in chip manufacturing.

⛓ More information...

#news

📺 PCB Design Duel: Altium vs. KiCad in 60 Minutes

In this YouTube video, two engineers face off in a challenge to design a PCB in just one hour, using Altium and KiCad (Kad) respectively. The goal is to compare whether the high cost of Altium is justified over the open-source KiCad.

Both engineers work with the 🇨🇳 ESP32 microcontroller, focusing on essential features like power supply and programming interfaces. Despite the differences in software, both produce functional PCBs, showcasing the strengths and limitations of each platform in rapid PCB design.

⛓ https://youtu.be/L0qqF_Kw6hY

#video #altium #kicad #esp32

🍓 Introducing Raspberry Pi Pico 2

The Raspberry Pi Pico 2 is a newly launched development board featuring the RP2350 microcontroller, which offers dual-core processing options: Arm Cortex-M33 or RISC-V Hazard3. It provides enhanced performance and memory, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.

Key Features of Raspberry Pi Pico 2:
➡️Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 @ 150 MHz or dual-core RISC-V Hazard3 @ 150 MHz
➡️520 KB on-chip SRAM and up to 16 MB external QSPI flash storage
➡️Comprehensive peripheral support including GPIOs, ADCs, PWM channels, UARTs, SPI, and I2C controllers
➡️Enhanced security features with Trustzone, SHA-256 acceleration, and secure boot options
➡️Low-power modes with optional SRAM retention for energy efficiency
➡️Micro USB port for power and programming

Overall, the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 is ideal for developers and hobbyists looking for a versatile, powerful microcontroller that balances cost and functionality, making it suitable for a variety of projects.

⛓ More information...

#news #raspberry #pico

📚 Introduction to Embedded System Design on Arm Cortex-M Microcontrollers

Dive into embedded systems with this free hands-on guide, perfect for newcomers. Across twelve chapters, you'll learn to build a smart home device with features like fire alarms and motion detectors.

No prior experience in programming or electronics is needed—each concept is introduced step-by-step through practical examples using the 🦋 ST Nucleo-F429ZI board.

Designed to fit a typical semester, this textbook helps you gain real-world skills in embedded system design, from basic serial communication to advanced Bluetooth and web server projects.

😹 Download the book...

#books #design #beginner #stm32

🖥 Revolutionizing Wireless Networks: The Breakthrough of On-Chip Terahertz Beamforming

Researchers have developed a new silicon topological beamformer chip that can efficiently direct terahertz frequency wireless signals in any direction, potentially revolutionizing future wireless communication.

Terahertz waves, which sit between optical and microwave frequencies, offer the high bandwidth necessary for terabit-per-second data rates, crucial for the upcoming 6G networks.

➡️Terahertz waves could enable applications like ultra-fast internet, autonomous vehicles, and remote surgeries.
➡️The chip design leverages topological photonics, allowing signals to travel through the chip without losses, even around complex paths.
➡️The new design is capable of significantly reducing download times—for instance, a 4K UHD video could be downloaded in 6 seconds instead of 11 minutes.

This advancement represents a major step toward practical terahertz communication technology, which could enable a wide range of high-speed applications.

⛓ More information...

#news

💻 Metrics for Measuring Semiconductor Progress Beyond Moore's Law

This article challenges the relevance of Moore's Law in measuring semiconductor progress, advocating for a new metric that accurately reflects technological advancements. Initially tied to transistor dimensions, Moore's Law's rigid node system no longer aligns with actual device features, leading to confusion and stagnation in innovation.

Proposed alternatives, like the GMT method and LMC metric, focus on fundamental device characteristics and overall system improvements rather than arbitrary node numbers. These metrics promise a more accurate reflection of semiconductor evolution, crucial for guiding future advancements in computing technology beyond current lithographic limits.

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#articles #electronics

💻 Expanding RP2040 Memory: Using QSPI RAM with RP2040's SSI in read-write mode

The article discusses a useful lifehack for expanding the memory of the 🍓 RP2040 microcontroller. The RP2040 typically supports flash XIP (eXecute In Place), which allows for executing code directly from external flash memory, but it only supports read and execute operations, not writes.

The author overcomes this limitation by employing a combination of hardware (OR and NOT gates) and software (a custom HardFault handler) to copy code from flash to RAM during boot, then switch the RP2040 to execute from RAM, effectively making it behave like real memory.

⛓ More information...

#articles #raspberry #RP2040

💻 Japan on edge of EUV lithography chip-making revolution

The 🇯🇵 Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) has developed a new type of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment that could revolutionize semiconductor manufacturing.

This breakthrough simplifies the optical system and reduces power consumption significantly, which could lower the cost of producing advanced chips at 7nm and smaller. If successful, this technology might end 🇳🇱 ASML's dominance in EUV lithography, with far-reaching implications for global semiconductor supply chains, especially under current U.S. export restrictions to China.

OIST intends to collaborate with major Japanese corporations, such as Nikon or Canon, to bring this technology to market by 2026. This collaboration could not only revive Japan's role in the semiconductor industry but also reshape the competitive landscape of global chip manufacturing.

⛓ More information...

#news

✈️ On recent events

You might already know about the Telegram's CEO arrest in France. Without a doubt, its bad news for all of us. When I was a teenager, I remember so well all of my peers using 🌐 VK.com, a social network widely popular in post-soviet countries that was founded by Durov. I never really liked it but I also remember the efforts Russian government put into seizing control over it.

Many years passed since then and I'm living in Europe for quite a while now but the recent events gave me a strong feeling of déjà vu. Durov is locked for good and we both know what's the only way out. With that said, I strongly recommend to everybody to get rid of the sensitive information saved on Telegram's servers. Whether we want it or not, the Telegram is going to be as regulated as any other platform out there.

👩‍💻 PI-CI: Dockerized Raspberry Pi Emulator

PI-CI is a Docker-based Raspberry Pi emulator designed to streamline the setup, configuration, and flashing of Raspberry Pi virtual machines (VMs).

Features of the project:
➡️Supports Raspberry Pi 3, 4, and 5 models.
➡️Includes 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS (24.04, Bookworm).
➡️Operates without requiring root privileges, ensuring safety and reproducibility.
➡️Offers commands like init, start, resize, flash, and export for VM management and image handling.

PI-CI is ideal for developers and sysadmins aiming to automate the setup and deployment of Raspberry Pi configurations. It facilitates tasks such as preconfiguring servers, testing ARM applications in a virtualized environment, and integrating with CI pipelines for continuous deployment.

⛓ More information...

#projects #docker #raspberry

📺 Flexduino: Creating a Flexible Arduino UNO Clone

This video describes a unique ♾ Arduino UNO clone, featuring a flexible PCB substrate instead of traditional rigid materials. While it sacrifices some functionalities like a ground plane due to its flexible nature, it serves as both a practical tool and a demonstration of cutting-edge electronic design.

⛓ https://youtu.be/S9VHnmVI19w

#video #arduino

🤖 Reconfigurable Continuous Track Robot (RCTR)

The RCTR introduces a new approach to robotic mobility by reconfiguring its shape dynamically as it moves. It can lock individual track links at different angles, enabling it to climb steps, bridge gaps, and adapt to various terrains. A small actuator at the front locks the links, while a mechanism at the back resets them, allowing the robot to switch between flexible and rigid states.

Although the RCTR currently lacks steering, adding this capability would be straightforward. Its design showcases a unique ability to handle diverse environments, making it adaptable for a wide range of applications.

⛓ More information...

#robots

📺 Raspberry Pi Pico RP2350 - Massive Performance Boost Trick

This video explores the performance differences between Cortex-M33 and RISC-V Hazard 3 cores on the 🍓 RP 2350 microcontroller. Initially, the RISC-V cores were surprisingly slower than expected due to using suboptimal compiler setups on Windows with 👩‍💻 Visual Studio Code. Feedback from the core designer revealed that the default toolchains lacked important optimizations, especially for floating-point operations.

By switching to 👩‍💻 Linux and manually configuring the toolchain and compilers, significant performance improvements were achieved. The optimized setup showed the RISC-V cores outperforming Cortex-M0 cores and, in some cases, even matching or exceeding the Cortex-M33. The video concludes that to fully unlock the RP 2350's potential, developers should use the right compiler and setup, ideally on Linux, for the best performance.

⛓ https://youtu.be/_O3Aeyv2ILM

#video #raspberry #pico2

🖥 Preparing for C++26: A Look Back at Major Features Since C++11

This article provides an overview of the major features added to C++ from C++11 through to the upcoming C++26. It explains key changes like auto type deduction, lambda expressions, and smart pointers, and covers later enhancements like concepts, ranges, and modules. You'll find examples and explanations that show how these features work and what they mean for modern C++ development.

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#articles #programming