The year 2021 was strange, you can read more of it from A 2021 technology retrospective: Strange days indeed. But how strange will 2022 be? Here are some predictions for year 2022:
2022 preview: Will the global computer chip shortage ever end?
The growing demand for computer chips, used in everything from cars to fridges, has collided with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, leading to a global shortage that is likely to continue through 2022
Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2022-2022-preview-will-the-global-computer-chip-shortage-ever-end/#ixzz7GqrP1H9A
Industry Transforming In Ways Previously Unimaginable
https://semiengineering.com/industry-transforming-in-ways-previously-unimaginable/?cmid=3dedf05d-0284-497a-b015-daf7747872e6
As we look back over 2021, there have certainly been some surprises, but the industry continues to take everything in its stride.
2022 tech themes: A look ahead
https://www.edn.com/2022-tech-themes-a-look-ahead/
The continued COVID-19 question mark: The world quickly and dramatically changed. It hasn’t yet reverted to pre-pandemic characteristics, and it very likely never will. Sad but true, the pandemic isn’t even close to being over yet.
Deep learning’s Cambrian moment: Look at today’s participant-rich deep learning silicon and software market, spanning both training and inference.
The ongoing importance of architecture: As the number of transistors that it’s possible to cost-effectively squeeze onto a sliver of silicon continues to slow, what you build out of those transistors becomes increasingly critical.
Open source processors’ time in the sun: There is a burgeoning RISC-V movement. It’s likely a little-known fact to some of you, that a public domain instruction set for v2 and earlier versions of the Arm ISA exists. And both Sun (with OpenSPARC) and IBM (OpenPOWER) have also joined the open-source silicon movement.
The normalization of remote work (and the “Great Resignation’s” aftershocks): I suspect that, to at least a notable degree, we won’t ever completely return to the “way it was before.” In fact, I’d wager that having a taste of a work-from-home or “hybrid” employment lifestyle is one of the key factors behind the so-called “Great Resignation” that tech and broader media alike inform me is well underway.
The metaverse starts to stir: Perhaps we’ll look back at 2022 as the year when the crossing of the chasm started in earnest.
Autonomy slowly accelerates: 2021 was another year filled with fully autonomous car tests and premature “coming soon” pronouncements; 2022 will likely be the same.
Batteries get ever denser, ever more plentiful, and ever cheaper
Space travel becomes commonplace
Global semiconductor industry forecasts for 2022
https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20211229VL205.html
“2021 is the year that everyone remembered that chip mattered,” said Wired Magazine. So far 2022 seems likely to be another fruitful year for the semiconductor industry.
World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) also has predicted that the global semiconductor market is projected to grow by 8.8 percent in 2022, to US$ 601 billion, driven by double-digit growth of the sensors and logic category. All regions and all product categories are expected to continue positive growth. Wafer foundry manufacturers sales likely to remain strong due to tight supply. 5G smartphone silicon content increase to drive demand for foundry service higher. Demand for digital transformation is here to stay, no sign of weakening for foundry service sales.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital transformation over the past two years. Work from home, virtual conference, and remote learning have driven up the demand for cloud computing, laptops, and servers, and hence the sales growth of related semiconductor products. Demands for CPU, GPU, AI accelerator (including FPGA) foundry services will remain strong in 2022 because trends such as virtual conferences, live streaming, and large capex of data centers are likely to stay. Long-term demands for customized chips in IoT, 5G infrastructure, HPC, and EV applications, like ADAS, autonomous driving, V2X, in-Vehicle Infotainment, will provide robust growth momentum for chip foundry services.
Chip crunch is not ending in 2022, as the lead time of some electronic components is stretching into 2023. Meanwhile, the increasing adoption of RISC-V open standard instruction set architecture is an important trend that can not be ignored. RISC-V market will double its size in 2022, compared to 2021, as it is attracting small and medium-size chip designers and manufacturers, especially those in China. RISC-V designs are now being used by Qualcomm, Samsung, Google, Microchip, Nvidia, and more.
Taiwan’s chip industry emerges as a battlefront in US-China showdown
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2022/01/01/2003770517
The country dominates production of chips used in almost all civilian and military technologies. That leaves the US and Chinese economies reliant on plants that would be in the line of fire in an attack on Taiwan. The vulnerability is stoking alarm in Washington
40 prosenttia pienempiä latureita
https://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12981&via=n&datum=2021-12-20_14:53:12&mottagare=30929
The size of a standard mobile phone charger can be reduced by up to 40 percent when using GaN components or it can be designed to produce more power in the same size. GaN chargers are becoming the most popular charger technology for billions of devices, so it’s no wonder that European semiconductor giant STMicroelectronics is also excited about them.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
Japan Has Big Plans For Chips
The U.S. and China are spending billions on chip manufacturing, but don’t forget about Japan.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2022-01-04/japan-has-big-plans-for-chips
Japan and the chip race
My adopted home of Japan is gearing up to supercharge its semiconductor industry. In the wake of giant expenditures by the U.S. and China, Japan is aiming to triple its domestic chip revenue by 2030—and recently dedicated $6.8 billion to the cause. It’s an ambitious undertaking—and there’s reason to think it’s going to work.
The tiny processors powering everything from smartphones to cars are essential to all nations, as recent global shortages have made very clear. But chips are uniquely critical to Japan’s future, thanks partly to its companies’ reliance on silicon, and the outsize role it plays in supporting the industry.
Consider the country’s top three most valuable companies: Toyota Motor Corp., Sony Group Corp. and Keyence Corp.—all empires built atop a silicon substrate. Keyence makes sensors and machine vision systems for factories, Sony’s key products are the PlayStation 5 console and image sensors. And Toyota literally can’t ship its latest vehicles without a steady supply of smart tech. Sony and Toyota both cut their production forecasts because of the enduring supply crunch this year, joined by another Japanese giant, Nintendo Co., which slashed more than a million Switch machines from its full-year plans.
Tomi Engdahl says:
With 2021 behind us, the world is expected to see some alleviation in chip crunch at least in the second half of 2022. While dozens of new fabs that start production in the …
What does it take to sustain the ‘semiconductor renaissance’?
https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20220103VL204.html
With 2021 behind us, the world is expected to see some alleviation in chip crunch at least in the second half of 2022. While dozens of new fabs that start production in the next few years may result in a rebalancing of demands and supplies, many are seeing a golden era for the semiconductor industry in the years ahead.
“This is just a true renaissance period for the industry,” said Mark Edelstone, chairman of Morgan Stanley’s global semiconductor investment banking, said in an online forum hosted by Silicon Catalyst, a semiconductor startup accelerator in California.
Having taken 15 semiconductor companies public and over decades of the semiconductor industry and investment banking experience, Edelstone said the demand for chips has changed from a very computer-centric world to a very pervasive and encompassing one. New demands from artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, industry 4.0, autonomous vehicles and robots, gaming AR/VR, smart home, mobile device, cloud/datacenter, and 5G communications, are forecasted to push the size of the semiconductor market to US$1 trillion by the end of this decade, from the US$553 billion estimated by World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) for 2021, up 25.6% year-on-year.
Despite the optimism, there remain challenges for bringing the aspiration to reality. It takes the following efforts to sustain the new golden era of the semiconductor industry.
Talent
In SEMICON Taiwan 2021, held on Dec 28-30 in Taipei, “talents” was one of the most frequently mentioned words among panelists, keynote speakers, and opening remark givers in the forums throughout the three-day event. According to the 104 Corporation, the demand-supply gap of semiconductor industry talents in Taiwan has reached 27,700 per month as of Q2 2021, and the average vacancy of engineers in the first 3 quarters in 2021 reached more than 17,000, up 46.4% from the same period last year.
Supply chain resilience
Global supply chains have learned a hard lesson from the damages caused by extreme weather and uncertainties such as the pandemic over the past few years. Like it or not, those factors and geopolitical tensions would continue to wreak havoc in the future. People are placing resilience as a priority over efficiency, with “just-in-case” stock prepared for the future, instead of zero tolerance for redundancy, or “just-in-time.” The geologically diversified fab locations and vigilant semiconductor company management teams will also make a difference during crises like this.
But there are also new factors at play to tip the balance of supplies and demand. As countries such as the US, China and EU are all keen on securing critical resources, the cost-efficiency issue is just not relevant for critical chip supplies that governments want to get hold of.
ESG
ESG and sustainability are getting more important for the semiconductor industry today. The net-zero carbon emission targets and the social and governance agenda are all critical for corporate survival. Companies that do not take these issues seriously might end up losing orders, being slapped with big carbon tariffs, or getting a very low valuation on capital markets because customers, banks, and investors simply would shun them.
Even more innovations
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu predicted that some of the chip supplies will remain in shortage in 2022 because the demand is driven by digital transformation. The new demand for new chips will stimulate venture capital investments in semiconductor startups, according to the consulting firm. It is forecasting an excess of US$6 billion will be invested in global semiconductor startups in 2022, taking up only 2% of the US$300 billion in a total of global VC investments, but that is already more than 3 times the annual investments made to semiconductor startups between 2016 and 2020.
Innovations such as compound semiconductors, heterogeneous integration, and advanced packaging technologies are the new trends pursued by industry researchers and developers to meet new demands.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Basically, experts expect chip crunch will no longer be an issue in 2-3 years. By then the world would have lots of extra chip supplies to absorb.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chip shortage may turn into oversupply in 2024 for Asian foundries: Report
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/economy/chip-shortage-may-turn-into-oversupply-in-2024-for-asian-foundries-report
SINGAPORE (THE BUSINESS TIMES) – The chip shortage plaguing the semiconductor and electronics industries will likely ease in the second half of 2022 after automotive-related backlog is addressed in the first half, according to a Morningstar sector report.
This will be followed by an oversupply in 2024, once most of the pipeline foundry capacity announced recently is operational, despite trends like the metaverse, electric vehicles and artificial intelligence.
Morningstar equity analyst Phelix Lee said: “Our tabulations suggest there will be a semiconductor glut even if all these topics live up to their hype.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Expanding Advanced Packaging Production In The U.S.
https://semiengineering.com/expanding-advanced-packaging-production-in-the-u-s/
The United States is taking the first steps toward bringing larger-scale IC packaging production capabilities back to the U.S. as supply chain concerns and trade tensions grow.
The U.S. is among the leaders in developing packages, especially new and advanced forms of the technology that promise to shake up the semiconductor landscape. And while the U.S. has several packaging vendors, North American’s share of global packaging production stands at only 3%, according to a new report from the IPC trade group and TechSearch International. A large percentage of packaging production is concentrated in Asia, leaving the U.S. in a precarious position as advanced packaging grows in importance across the semiconductor industry, according to the report.
Tomi Engdahl says:
2022 Is the International Year of Glass
The UN highlights the key component of fiber-optics and touchscreens.
https://semiengineering.com/2022-is-the-international-year-of-glass/?cmid=88131501-5ef0-4b55-a87d-70e86c1d8d0a
Happy New Year!
It’s 2022, and I like to ease into the year gently and see what this year is the “year of.” The United Nations always selects a couple of areas, and there are events all over the world during the year.
Of course, in electronics the most important role that glass places is in fiber-optic signal transmission. And the touchscreens on our smartphones. As the IYoG2022 website puts it more grandiloquently:
Glass is the main conduit for information in our knowledge-based society. Glass optical fibers have led to a global communications revolution; they are the backbone of the internet. Glassmakers have given us touch-sensitive covers for our mobile phones, revolutionizing the way we communicate.
As it happens, I know something about glass. I took two courses over a decade ago. One at The Crucible in West Oakland on kiln-fired glass, and one in San Jose on glass blowing.
All glass ends up in a kiln, but kiln-fired glass is assembled cold out of sheets of glass, powered glass (known as frit), and other bits and pieces. It is flat, or rather flattish since you can put the piece into a shallow bowl. All the pieces from the whole class are put into the kiln. The kiln has a controller that runs it on a very carefully controlled temperature sequence. All the glass fuses and the pieces that were separate become one piece of glass. Any pieces in the shallow bowls sag into the mold and become bowls themselves.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Manufacturing Shifts To AI Of Things
https://semiengineering.com/manufacturing-shifts-to-ai-of-things/?cmid=88131501-5ef0-4b55-a87d-70e86c1d8d0a
Smart sensors and analytics are starting to impact uptime and efficiency as smart manufacturing kicks into gear.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Automotive Outlook: 2022
https://semiengineering.com/automotive-outlook-2022/?cmid=88131501-5ef0-4b55-a87d-70e86c1d8d0a
The auto industry is widening its focus this year, migrating to new architectures that embrace better security, faster data movement, and eventually more manageable costs.
The auto industry is facing both short-term and long-term challenges. In the short term, the chip shortage continues to top the list of concerns for the world’s automakers. That shortage has delayed new vehicle deliveries, interrupted repairs of existing vehicles, and it is expected to continue throttling industry growth until it is resolved. Manufacturing capacity is being added, and the supply chain issues are getting addressed, but it will take time before supply and demand balance out.
“A major issue for automotive overall in 2021 was the supply chain shortage, which is expected to continue into 2022,” said Robert Schweiger, director of automotive solutions at Cadence. “Because of that, various companies started to look into alternative ways to address this, eventually developing their own chips and eventually doing strategic partnerships with foundries.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Managing Today’s Advanced Vehicle Networks Design Challenges
https://semiengineering.com/managing-todays-advanced-vehicle-networks-design-challenges/?cmid=88131501-5ef0-4b55-a87d-70e86c1d8d0a
The role of automotive networks in ensuring correct vehicle functionality and protecting the entire system from incorrect sub-system behavior.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A closer look at Covid and the semiconductor shortage saga in 2021
https://www.edn.com/a-closer-look-at-covid-and-the-semiconductor-shortage-saga-in-2021/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=link&utm_medium=EDNWeekly-20220106&oly_enc_id=2359J2998023G8W
Tomi Engdahl says:
As part of the EU “better legislation” initiative, the Machinery Directive is undergoing an update. Are you already familiar with the coming main changes?
Anton’s recent blog summarizes the main changes, take a look: https://bit.ly/3mNbFDK
#blog #functionalsafety #machinerydirective #huld #beyondtomorrow
Tomi Engdahl says:
2021: As The Hardware World Turns
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/03/2021-as-the-hardware-world-turns/
Well, that didn’t go quite as we expected, did it? Wind the clock back 365 days, and the world seemed to be breathing a collective sigh of relief after making it through 2020 in one piece. Folks started getting their COVID-19 vaccines, and in-person events started tentatively putting new dates on the calendar. After a rough year, it seemed like there was finally some light at the end of the tunnel.
Turns out, it was just a another train. New variants of everyone’s favorite acute respiratory syndrome have kept the pandemic rolling, and in many parts of the world, the last month or so has seen more new cases of the virus than at any point during 2020. This is the part of the Twilight Zone episode were we realize that not only have we not escaped the danger, we didn’t even understand the scope of it to begin with.
Case in point, the chip shortages. We can’t blame it entirely on the pandemic, but it certainly hasn’t helped matters. From video game systems to cars, production has crawled to a standstill as manufacturers fight to get their hands on integrated circuits that were once plentiful. It’s not just a problem for industry either, things have gotten so bad that there’s a good chance most of the people reading this have found themselves unable to get their hands on a part or two these last few months. If you were working on a hobby project, it’s a temporary annoyance. But for those who planned on finally bringing their latest big idea to market, we’ve heard tales of heartbreaking delays and costly redesigns.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.edn.com/gan-ics-fortify-mobile-fast-chargers/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chip Makers Contend for Talent as Industry Faces Labor Shortage
Limited supply of qualified workers poses challenge as facilities are built to bolster global supply of semiconductors
https://www.wsj.com/articles/chip-makers-contend-for-talent-as-industry-faces-labor-shortage-11641124802
Tomi Engdahl says:
Miksi arm-Windows ei kelpaa kuluttajille? Sirujätillä on asiasta oma näkemyksensä
5.1.202212:09
Microsoftin arm-pohjaiset Windows-laitteet eivät houkuttele kuluttajia.
https://www.mikrobitti.fi/uutiset/miksi-arm-windows-ei-kelpaa-kuluttajille-sirujatilla-on-asiasta-oma-nakemyksensa/ee2d8702-13b0-4336-842a-998e328c0044
Microsoft hyppäsi tohinalla mukaan arm-laitteiden markkinoille omalla Windows on ARM -versiollaan. Sen jälkeen onkin pidellyt hiljaista.
Sirujätti Qualcommin Miguel Nunesin mukaan tämä johtuu siitä yksinkertaisesta syystä, että Windowsilla varustetut arm-laitteet ovat aivan liian kalliita, kun ”perinteisemmät” Intel-vaihtoehdot pyörivät lähes samassa hintaluokassa.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft launched Windows on ARM with much fanfare, promising massive battery life improvements without a drop in performance on an avalanche of products.
https://news.softpedia.com/news/qualcomm-says-windows-on-arm-devices-are-way-too-expensive-534628.shtml
Tomi Engdahl says:
NIST SP 800-171 CUI Sanitization and Destruction Methods
November 16, 2021
Learn how to meet your NIST SP 800-171 media sanitization and destruction requirements.
https://cubcyber.com/nist-sp-800-171-cui-sanitation-and-destruction-methods
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://techcrunch.com/2022/01/03/aws-will-buy-a-saas-company-and-other-2022-enterprise-predictions/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Must-have open source cheat sheets for 2022
Keep these handy cheat sheets at your side while you learn the Linux command line or practice a new programming language.
https://opensource.com/article/22/1/open-source-cheat-sheets
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chip executives see no short-term fix for shortage
NO RELIEF: Most firms at a tech/auto forum did not see any improvement in the chip supply and demand balance before the middle of this year
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2022/01/07/2003770882
For chip buyers ranging from computer gamers to automakers, there is no near-term fix on the way for shortages that have caused higher prices and production delays, semiconductor executives said.
Nvidia Corp, which makes chips that are the basis of graphics cards selling for thousands of US dollars more than their retail prices, sees some improvement in supply in the second half of the year, chief financial officer Colette Kress said on Wednesday at the JP Morgan Tech/Auto Forum.
Her comments led a string of presentations by other executives that similarly repeated their chip companies’ outlook for when supply and demand might reach some sort of balance. The bottom line is that most companies do not see any improvement before the middle of this year and many are saying not even then.
Like other chipmakers that outsource their production, Nvidia has struggled to secure enough supply to meet demand. That bottleneck has hurt even the largest companies. Apple Inc, for example, has said it missed out on more than US$6 billion of revenue last quarter, because it could not get enough components.
For one of the companies that provides contract manufacturing, GlobalFoundries Inc, the surge in uses for chips coupled with the time it takes to increase capacity, means that this year would offer scant relief.
“It’s hard to imagine over the next two years a point where we don’t speak about supply issues,” GlobalFoundries CEO Tom Caulfield said during his appearance at the forum. “I don’t see any relief in 2022.”
Automakers have missed out on billions of US dollars in revenue, because they could not get the electronic components that are central to their products. Some of the industry’s chip suppliers stuck to a cautious outlook about when they would be able to fill orders more quickly.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://semiengineering.com/week-in-review-design-low-power-178/?cmid=4241c233-e9fd-4d49-8009-ee4ef5e51f03
AMD’s acquisition of Xilinx has been delayed. “We continue making good progress on the required regulatory approvals to close our transaction. While we had previously expected that we would secure all approvals by the end of 2021, we have not yet completed the process and we now expect the transaction to close in the first quarter of 2022. Our conversations with regulators continue to progress productively, and we expect to secure all required approvals,” the companies said in a statement.
AMD and Xilinx Provide Update Regarding Expected Timing of Acquisition Close
https://www.xilinx.com/news/press/2021/amd-and-xilinx-provide-update-regarding-expected-timing-of-acquisition-close.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://semiengineering.com/week-in-review-manufacturing-test-179/?cmid=4241c233-e9fd-4d49-8009-ee4ef5e51f03
A fire broke out this week within ASML’s factory in Berlin, Germany. The fire was quickly extinguished and no one was injured during this incident. The factory manufactures components for ASML’s lithography systems, including wafer tables and clamps, reticle chucks and mirror blocks.
The fire took place on Jan. 3. On Jan. 7, ASML provided an update. “The manufacturing of DUV components has been restarted. Although there was some disruption regarding components for DUV, we expect to remediate this in such a way that it will not affect our output and revenue plan for DUV,” according to ASML. “As to EUV, the fire affected part of the production area of the wafer clamp, a module in our EUV systems. We are still in the process of completing the recovery plan for this production area and determining how to minimize any potential impact for our EUV customers, both in our output plan and in our field service.”
Nonetheless, the incident could impact shipments of ASML’s extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography scanners to Samsung, TSMC and others. “The lead time on ASML EUV equipment is approximately 12 to 18 months,”
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/01/07/2363040/0/en/Update-fire-incident-at-ASML-Berlin.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://semiengineering.com/week-in-review-manufacturing-test-179/?cmid=4241c233-e9fd-4d49-8009-ee4ef5e51f03
Intel has completed the first closing of the sale of its NAND and solid-state drive (SSD) business to SK Hynix. The deal, announced last year, was valued at $7 billion. The SSD business will transition to a newly formed company, Solidigm, a subsidiary of SK Hynix. Solidigm has named Rob Crooke as CEO. Crooke was previously senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group. Solidigm will have its headquarters in San Jose, Calif.
Samsung announced its earnings guidance for the fourth quarter of 2021. Meanwhile, the Chinese city of Xi’an has been placed under lockdown due to a Covid-19 outbreak. Samsung operates two NAND fabs in Xi’an. “Samsung’s two major NAND Flash fabs in Xi’an are still manufacturing without experiencing significant disruptions at this moment,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://semiengineering.com/week-in-review-manufacturing-test-179/?cmid=4241c233-e9fd-4d49-8009-ee4ef5e51f03
Market research
2021 was a big year in the semiconductor market. In 2021, the semiconductor market reached $552.5 billion, up 23.85% over 2020, according to IBS.
In 2022, the semiconductor market is projected to reach $617.1 billion, up 11.69% over 2021, according to IBS. The semiconductor market is expected to grow by 8.34% in 2023, according to the firm.
According to Handel Jones, CEO of IBS, the main chip drivers for 2022 include 5G smartphones, automotive (ADAS and electrification), communications (400Gbps Ethernet), data centers and wearables. In 2022, the weak markets include mainstream laptops and TVs. “Gaming and high-end laptops for work are very strong,” Jones said.
Here’s the latest forecast from IC Insights: “Total semiconductor sales in 2022 are forecast to grow 11% and reach a record-high $680.6 billion after worldwide revenues climbed 25% in the 2021 economic rebound from the 2020 outbreak of the Covid-19 virus crisis.”
Here’s the fab equipment forecast from VLSI Research: “Fueled by soaring demand, the semiconductor equipment market is on track to increase 35% in 2021, hitting an all-time high of $125 billion. Last year’s growth would have been much higher had it not been for the supply chain constraints, which hindered some equipment deliveries.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A closer look at Covid and the semiconductor shortage saga in 2021
https://www.edn.com/a-closer-look-at-covid-and-the-semiconductor-shortage-saga-in-2021/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=link&utm_medium=EDNFunFriday-20220107&oly_enc_id=2359J2998023G8W
Tomi Engdahl says:
Where Is Semiconductor Packaging Design Headed?
https://www.3dincites.com/2022/01/where-is-semiconductor-packaging-design-headed/
Here at Siemens EDA, we expect to see greater emphasis in several areas of semiconductor package design as we head into 2022. To start, heterogeneous integration (HI) of multiple dies into system-in-packages (SiPs) will be common across all market segments and will use multiple integration platforms, not just silicon interposers, as is common today.
These complex multi-die/chiplet designs will see a greater use of hardware description language (HDL) driven flows, which speed up system definition and debug cycles compared to today’s schematic-driven approaches. As these HI multi-die/chiplet SiPs grow in size and complexity, the adoption of system-level design rule checking (DRC) and layout versus schematic (LVS) verification will become mandatory to avoid fabrication and manufacturing assembly errors and their corresponding negative impact on costs and delays.
As HI-using chiplets start to become common, almost mainstream, we expect to see the emergence of a robust supply chain of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) chiplets containing what was previously available as soft/hard IP, as used in monolithic SoC designs. In addition, as HI SiPs become more mainstream, we will see the emergence and adoption of alternatives to silicon as an integration substrate. Organic-based interposers will deliver the wiring density and electrical/thermal performance needed for many target markets and, of course, enable larger sizes, due to no reticle limitations and lower costs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Simon Parkin / The Guardian:
Roblox’s aim of encouraging children to make games has been its key to success but is fraught with dangers, as some face stress, burnout, and exploitation
The trouble with Roblox, the video game empire built on child labour
https://www.theguardian.com/games/2022/jan/09/the-trouble-with-roblox-the-video-game-empire-built-on-child-labour
Young developers on the platform used by many millions of children claim they have been financially exploited, threatened with dismissal and sexually harassed
Tomi Engdahl says:
Aidan Moher / Wired:
Pixel art video games have experienced a renaissance over the past decade, led by indie developers, countering an industry obsessed with horsepower and realism
The Pixel Art Revolution Will Be Televised
How retro blocks overtook 3D gaming to win the hearts of modern players.
https://www.wired.com/story/modern-pixel-art-games/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Christopher Mims / Wall Street Journal:
A look at the opportunities and challenges of ultra-wideband, as UWB beacons see widespread adoption in smartphones, smartwatches, and other devices
The End of Car Keys, Passwords and Fumbling With Your Phone at Checkout
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-end-of-car-keys-passwords-and-fumbling-with-your-phone-at-checkout-11641618007?mod=djemalertNEWS
The ultra-wideband, or UWB, technology that powers Apple’s AirTags could reshape how we interact with devices—if companies can overcome privacy concerns and other hurdles
For all the attention on tech companies and location tracking in recent years, our gadgets are actually surprisingly bad at knowing precisely where they are at any given moment. That’s about to change.
A straightforward and robust technology, decades in the making, is finally becoming affordable and widespread enough to grant devices not just a basic sense of direction, both indoors and out, but also the ability to precisely locate themselves in three dimensions.
The technology is called ultra-wideband, or UWB. It enables a centimeter-accurate sense of “where” on top of the “when” of computers’ clocks and the “what” provided by cameras and other sensors, and it could lead to all sorts of interesting things that might not be immediately obvious.
It has already become part of a standard backed by Apple, AAPL 0.10% Google, BMW, Volkswagen and others designed to let anyone with a late-model smartphone or Apple Watch unlock and start their cars simply by walking up to them. It could make it easy for us to control any connected light, lock, speaker or other smart-home gadget simply by pointing at it with our phone or watch. It could even, claim its architects, end passwords.
But first, UWB has to overcome the chicken-and-egg problem that always faces new technologies that require many different companies, in many different industries, to spend time and money making their devices wirelessly communicate with one another.
Companies that use it also will have to overcome major privacy issues. Once our gadgets are broadcasting their location at all times, how do we assure that information doesn’t fall into the hands of those who would use it to harm us?
Still, while UWB is in its early days, some applications are already here. The microchips and antennae that make it possible have been in every model of iPhone since the iPhone 11, launched in 2019, as well as newer phones from Google, Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo and others. It’s also been in the Apple Watch since 2020’s Series 6 model.
Its applications so far include iPhone owners finding their AirTags, sharing files via AirDrop, or amusing their friends with a party trick you can only do with Apple’s HomePod Mini. Owners of newer Samsung phones are using UWB when they find their Galaxy SmartTag+, that company’s answer to AirTags.
In the not-too-distant future, things could get a great deal more interesting. And while many technologies promising transformation of some critical part of our world’s digital plumbing are destined to fall short, there are reasons to believe this one could live up to its potential.
For one: Membership of the FiRa Consortium, a nonprofit developing the UWB standard, is a who’s-who of major tech companies.
https://www.firaconsortium.org/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Top 5 Microcontroller Development Boards of 2021
https://www.embeddedcomputing.com/technology/open-source/development-kits/top-5-microcontroller-development-boards-of-2021#
Tomi Engdahl says:
Journalism, media, and technology trends and predictions 2022
https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/journalism-media-and-technology-trends-and-predictions-2022
Tomi Engdahl says:
2022 Semiconductor Sales to Grow 11% After Surging 25% in 2021
https://www.icinsights.com/news/bulletins/2022-Semiconductor-Sales-To-Grow-11-After-Surging-25-In-2021/
Above average increases are expected in all major product categories, which will lift the global market to record-high revenues in 2022 despite growth rates easing from last year’s economic rebound, says report.
Total semiconductor sales in 2022 are forecast to grow 11% and reach a record-high $680.6 billion after worldwide revenues climbed 25% in the 2021 economic rebound from the 2020 outbreak of the Covid-19 virus crisis, according to the January Semiconductor Industry Flash Report that IC Insights will release next week as part of its 2022 McClean Report service. The Semiconductor Industry Flash Report shows the total semiconductor market growing at a low double-digit rate in 2022 (Figure 1). Sales growth is expected to slow, but remain above average, in all major semiconductor product categories.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Prosessoriin integroitiin muisti
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/13012-prosessoriin-integroitiin-muisti
Nature Electronicsin artikkelissa tutkijat kuvaavat uutta niin kutsuttua 1T1R-konfiguraatiota, jossa muistikenno on integroitu pystytransistorin kytkimeen. Nanokokoinen ratkaisu parantaa skaalautuvuutta, nopeutta ja energiatehokkuutta nykypäivän massamuistiratkaisuihin verrattuna.
Peruskysymys on, että suurten tietomäärien käsittelyä vaativat asiat, kuten tekoäly ja koneoppiminen, tarvitsevat yhä suurempaa ja nopeampaa kapasiteettia. Jotta tämä onnistuisi, laskelmia tekevän prosessorin ja muistin on oltava mahdollisimman lähellä toisiaan. Lisäksi laskelmat on voitava tehdä energiatehokkaasti.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nic Newman / Reuters Institute for the Study …:
Survey of 246 media leaders in 52 countries: 59% say revenue grew in 2021 and 47% worry subscription models may be excluding less affluent audiences
Journalism, media, and technology trends and predictions 2022
https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/journalism-media-and-technology-trends-and-predictions-2022
2022 will be a year of careful consolidation for a news industry that has been both disrupted and galvanised by the drawn-out COVID-19 crisis. Both journalists and audiences have, to some degree, been ‘burnt out’ by the relentless intensity of the news agenda, alongside increasingly polarised debates about politics, identity, and culture. This could be the year when journalism takes a breath, focuses on the basics, and comes back stronger.
In many parts of the world, audiences for news media have been falling throughout 2021 – not an ideal situation at a time when accurate and reliable information has been so critical to people’s health and security. A key challenge for the news media this year is to re-engage those who have turned away from news – as well as to build deeper relationships with more regular news consumers.
Generational change will also continue to be a key theme, leading to more internal soul-searching in newsrooms over diversity and inclusion, about emerging agendas such as climate change and mental health, and about how journalists should behave in social media.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sean Hollister / The Verge:
Android lead Hiroshi Lockheimer says Apple is “holding back” the messaging experience for not just Android but its own users by not supporting RCS in iMessage — Android boss says it’s not about iMessage — it’s about RCS — On Saturday, Android boss Hiroshi Lockheimer accused Apple of …
Google exec says Apple is ‘holding back’ customers who text
https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/10/22877304/google-lockheimer-accuse-apple-imessage-holding-back-rcs-text-sms?scrolla=5eb6d68b7fedc32c19ef33b4
Android boss says it’s not about iMessage — it’s about RCS
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/10/open-3d-engine-amazons-old-clothes-or-a-game-engine-to-truly-get-excited-about/
Tomi Engdahl says:
China’s Share of Global Chip Sales Now Surpasses Taiwan’s, Closing in on Europe’s and Japan’s
https://www.semiconductors.org/chinas-share-of-global-chip-sales-now-surpasses-taiwan-closing-in-on-europe-and-japan/
Global chip sales from Chinese companies are on the rise, largely due to increasing U.S.-China tensions and a whole-of-nation effort to advance China’s chip sector, including government subsidies, procurement preferences, and other preferential policies.
Just five years ago, China’s semiconductor device sales were $13 billion, accounting for only 3.8% of global chip sales. In 2020, however, the Chinese semiconductor industry registered an unprecedented annual growth rate of 30.6% to reach $39.8 billion in total annual sales, according to an SIA analysis [1]. The jump in growth helped China capture 9% of the global semiconductor market in 2020, surpassing Taiwan for two consecutive years and closely following Japan and the EU, which each took 10% of market share. Sales data for 2021 are not yet available.
If China’s semiconductor development continues its strong momentum – maintaining 30% CAGR over the next three years – and assuming growth rates of industries in other countries stay the same, the Chinese semiconductor industry could generate $116 billion in annual revenue by 2024, capturing upwards of 17.4% of global market share [2]. This would place China behind only the United States and South Korea in global market share.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ryan Smith / AnandTech:
PCI Special Interest Group finalizes its PCIe 6.0 specification, doubling PCIe 5.0′s speeds and reaching 128GBps in x16 slots; it is expected in servers in 2023 — This morning the PCI Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG) is releasing the much-awaited final (1.0) specification for PCI Express 6.0.
PCI Express 6.0 Specification Finalized: x16 Slots to Reach 128GBps
by Ryan Smith on January 11, 2022 12:00 PM EST
https://www.anandtech.com/show/17203/pcie-60-specification-finalized-x16-slots-to-reach-128gbps
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/01/11/falling-down-the-carbon-rabbit-hole/
Research projects have a funny way of getting blown out of proportion by the non-experts, over-promising the often relatively small success that the dedicated folks doing the science have managed to eke out. Scaling-up cost-effectively is one of the biggest killers for commercializing research, which is why recent developments in creating carbon nanotube transistors have us hopeful.
Currently, most cutting-edge processes use FETs (Field Effect Transistors). As they’ve gotten smaller, we’ve added fins and other tricks to get around the fact that things get weird when they’re small. The industry is looking to move to GAAFETs (Gate All Around FET) as Intel and Samsung have declared their 3nm processes (or equivalent) will use the new type of gate. As transistors have shrunk, the “off-state” leakage current has grown. GAAFETs are multi-gate devices, allowing better control of that leakage, among other things.
https://semiengineering.com/chasing-after-carbon-nanotube-fets/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Technology Giants to Step Up Chip Design Ambitions in 2022
Jan. 11, 2022
If 2021 is any indication, 2022 will see tech giants take even greater strides in custom chip design.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/embedded-revolution/article/21213800/electronic-design-technology-giants-to-step-up-chip-design-ambitions-in-2022
Tomi Engdahl says:
Embedded Forecast: Better Hardware, Suspect Software
Jan. 11, 2022
Bill Wong lays out his predictions on embedded technology for 2022, covering hot trends ranging from PCIe to RISC-V to open-source software.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/embedded-revolution/article/21213836/electronic-design-embedded-forecast-better-hardware-suspect-software
What you’ll learn:
The influence of PCI Express, both with PCIe Gen 4 and the emergence of PCIe Gen 5.
HBM and its support for ray tracing.
Why RISC-V and small FPGAs will become more pervasive.
The plight of open-source software.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Prediction Consensus: What the Experts See Coming in 2022
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/prediction-consensus-what-the-experts-see-coming-in-2022/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Canon thinks its own ink cartridges are counterfeit due to chip shortage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0iqH5KcVM0
There is no bigger scam in the world than OEM ink. Quite frankly I’m amazed that they even allow their printers to accept cartridges without chips
The chips themselves aren’t much of a problem. They’re pretty easy to take apart, analyze, and reverse engineer The problem is these companies are abusing copyright and patent law to prevent third party ink companies from doing this to produce their own compatible chips.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nvidia argues it should be allowed to buy Arm because Intel and AMD are really, really good
By Jacob Ridley published 2 days ago
https://www.pcgamer.com/nvidia-argues-it-should-be-allowed-to-buy-arm-because-intel-and-amd-are-really-really-good/?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com
“No industry observer can seriously contend that Intel, AMD, and Arm’s other competitors are so incapable that they cannot even compete with Arm.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.edn.com/chip-shortage-in-2022-and-beyond-what-you-need-to-know/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nvidia and Arm fight back as U.K. competition regulator considers blocking deal
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/11/nvidia-arm-deal-chipmakers-fight-back-as-cma-considers-blocking-deal.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nyt se on valmis: PCI Express 6.0
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/13027-nyt-se-on-valmis-pci-express-6-0
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/13022-taemae-kirjoituspaeae-tuo-30-teratavun-levyt-markkinoille
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/13024-autojen-ohjelmistojen-kehittaejae-osti-wind-riverin
Wind River tunnetaan ennen kaikkea sulautettujen sovellusten VxWorks-reaaliaikakäyttöjärjestelmästään. Yhtiö on parin vuoden ajan ollut pääomasijoittaja tPG Capitalin omistuksessa, mutta nyt Aptiv ilmoittaa ostaneensa sen 4,3 miljardilla dollarilla. Kyse on elektroniikka-alan tämän vuoden suurimmasta yrityskaupasta.
Aun Suhel says:
I honestly feel that business intelligence solutions are the way to go for businesses and entrepreneurs in 2022. Read more about how business analytics and data science are proving to be highly beneficial for businesses.
https://appinventiv.com/guide/business-intelligence-for-enterprises/