Microcontrollers are historically the workhorse of embedded systems and it’s not uncommon for a single system to feature multiple devices. But is this a good enough reason to adopt a multicore approach? And if it is, what architecture do you choose? ES Design Magazine Editor Philip Ling investigates one possible solution.

Electronic Specifier is delighted to announce an exclusive giveaway in which you could win a Kindle Fire every day at this year's electronica. Visit Stand A6.124 to enter and to be in with the chance of winning the daily Kindle Fire!

Widely touted as the solution to the physical limitations of copper, using optics for fast communications between chips on a PCB promises to overcome many of copper’s limits. Sally Ward-Foxton reports for ES Design Magazine on an important industry-first from Altera: an optically-interconnected FPGA.

The term ‘smart system’ is well used, but what exactly does it mean? There are many definitions but the one that fits best for the purposes of this discussion is that provided by the European Commission’s CORDIS programme: “Smart systems typically are sensors and/or actuators with an ability to process data, diagnose complex situations, communicate with each other and be autonomous in energy use.”

Baolab’s release of an evaluation kit for its first MEMS product built in the metal interconnect layer heralds the start of truly low cost and high volume MEMS technology, built within the standard CMOS BEOL process. Sally Ward-Foxton, Contributing Editor of ES Design Magazine reports.

LED lamps are now displayed prominently in retail stores as plug-in replacements for standard incandescent lamps. Fitting the protection and constant current drive electronics required by LEDs within the neck of standard size bulbs is a squeeze - especially for lights using a T8 tube or a compact Edison-screw based design. In this article, Power Integrations presents two compact, efficient bulb replacement design ideas.

System cost is a factor in deciding whether to use a sensor hub, points out Ian Chen, Executive Vice President of Sensor Platforms, a US startup which develops hardware agnostic sensor fusion software. Sensor Platforms’ FreeMotion library of software algorithms and middleware supports all major mobile microprocessors and all sensors used in smartphones and tablets.

The complex algorithms used by platforms such as the iNEMO Engine to combine the outputs of multiple sensors obviously require processing power; in the iNEMO Engine development boards this is done on a separate ST microcontroller. But why is this ‘sensor hub’ configuration becoming the norm rather than using central processing resources such as the application processor?

Sensor fusion is becoming a popular technique for increasing the accuracy and useability of data from MEMS sensors in smartphones and other consumer devices. In essence, the technique involves combining data from multiple sensors to produce a faster and more accurate representation of what is happening outside the system.

How is the ultrabook concept creating the conditions to revolutionise memory technology? Vanessa Knivett investigates.

Microcontrollers used in vehicles’ safety critical systems need to meet stringent reliability standards. Sally Ward-Foxton takes a look at some of the safety features used in today’s automotive MCUs.

Brilliant LCD displays - LCD, TFT, FSLCD, OLEDs to brighten your product image! Transonics plc. the London based leading supplier of electronic components and logistics solutions, can now supply their customers with a comprehensive range of LCD Displays from leading the Chinese manufacturer DISPLAYTRONIC.

Green Hills Software has announced a major new release of its flagship INTEGRITY real-time operating system. INTEGRITY 11 includes performance, communication, and ease-of-use features that address the demanding requirements of next-generation sophisticated embedded systems.

IPC is pleased to announce the winning research papers selected in the 2012 IPC International Academic Paper Competition. The authors of these papers will present their research at a free BUZZ session on Thursday, March 1, 2012, at IPC APEX EXPO® in San Diego.

Electronic Specifier is delighted to announce the introduction of Electronic Specifier Wireless, a new and comprehensive website dedicated in delivering the latest news and articles for the Wireless market. The new site can be found at http://www.wireless-electronicspecifier.com/

Electronic Specifier is delighted to announce the introduction of Electronic Specifier Optoelectronics, a new and comprehensive website dedicated in delivering the latest news and articles for the Optoelectronic market. The new site can be found at www.optoelectronics-electronicspecifier.com

RF Micro Devices, Inc. announced that Lenovo Mobile Internet and Digital Home Business Group (MIDH) has honored RFMD® with its 2011 Best Supplier Award. Lenovo MIDH is the subsidiary of Lenovo responsible for creating mobile Internet-focused devices, including tablets and smartphones, as well as devices for new categories like cloud computing, smart TV and the digital home.

Making sense of images captured by cameras in today’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems requires sophisticated microprocessors with specific feature sets. But what makes a good image processor? Sally Ward-Foxton investigates.

Targeting electronic engineers, Texas Instruments and Digi-Key have announced their joint presentation of a series of webinars entitled ‘Building the Future of Technology’, hosted by Electronic Specifier.

Capacitive touch has become the technology of choice for high end consumer applications, but the technology is particularly susceptible to EMI. How do the major manufacturers deal with this problem? Asks Sally Ward-Foxton