News

The rise of FPGA technology in high-performance computing

Source:Design And Reuse , August 9, 2023 [1]
Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are becoming a viable technology for High-Performance Computing (HPC) due to their customizability, parallel processing, and low latency. HPC uses advanced hardware and software resources to perform complex calculations and data processing tasks at higher speeds and larger scales.

A stable heartbeat for the world of electronics

Source: Forbes, August 3, 2023 [2]
The tech-driven world relies on various digital, analog, and mixed-signal components for various applications. Eliminating these devices would disrupt the internet, high-speed networks, data centers, 5G services, IoT ecosystems, cars, and factories. Precision timing devices are essential for reliable, stable functioning, connecting billions of people and ensuring safety.

Why people are still key to tech transformation

Source: VentureBeat, August 8, 2023 [3]
Digital transformation is inevitable for organizations, with generative AI and ChatGPT becoming popular technologies. Businesses that ignore human capital and focus solely on technology risk losing their human capital.

The next generation of embedded FPGA

Source: Semiconductor Engineering, August 3, 2023 [4]
EFLX eFPGA has been used in SoCs for over five years, with over 40 chips licensed and 20 working in silicon. The architecture has evolved from Gen 1.0 to Gen 2.0, and in 2023, new designs will use Gen 2.4 ELFX eFPGA. This blog reviews the new Gen2.4 features, including more clocks, flexible BRAM, error correction, better coverage, faster tests, and memory repair support.

How Taiwan saved the semiconductor industry

Source: Semiwiki, August 7, 2023 [5]
Semiconductors are a political football with Donald Trump accusing Taiwan of taking America's semiconductor business away. The semiconductor industry in Taiwan has a rich history spanning decades, playing a crucial role in Taiwan's economic transformation from an agrarian economy to a high-tech industrialized nation. The fabless transformation in the semiconductor industry is a topic of interest for future discussions.

Chipmakers hunt for new compound to replace silicon

Source: Korea JoongAng Daily, August 7, 2023 [6]
Samsung Electronics is recruiting researchers for materials containing electronic features like silicon, gallium, and germanium. The company plans to manufacture gallium nitride-based power semiconductors from 2025 for consumer, data centers, and automotive applications.

The role of robotics in space exploration

Source: Fagen Wasanni Technologies, August 6, 2023 [7]
Elon Musk's ambitious Mars mission by 2050 has sparked debates about its feasibility. Space exploration experts recognize the importance of robotics in deeper missions due to their safety, cost-effectiveness, and adaptability.

Exploring the intersection of semiconductors and robotics in modern technology

Source: Fagen Wasanni Technologies, August 9, 2023 [8]
The technology industry is rapidly evolving, with semiconductors and robotics reshaping sectors like healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation. Semiconductors are crucial in controlling electricity flow and processing information, enabling miniaturization and digital technology.

Papers

High-definition event frame generation using SoC FPGA devices

Source: arXiv, July 26, 2023 [9]
This paper discusses implementing high-resolution event data stream accumulation and projection in FPGA devices, confirming its feasibility. Challenges include hardware resources, limitations, and trade-offs. Results compare data representations with AMD Xilinx platforms. Event frames can be used for object classification and detection using classical and deep neural network methods.

Optimization-based motion planning for autonomous agricultural vehicles turning in constrained headlands

Source: arXiv, August 2, 2023 [10]
Headland maneuvering is crucial for autonomous agricultural vehicles (AAVs). Current methods focus on ample headland space, but may not work in constrained headland geometries like narrow or irregular headlands with static obstacles. An optimization-based algorithm is proposed to address this challenge.

Previous Hardware Acceleration in Robotics Newsletters

Past ROS 2 Hardware Acceleration Working Group meetings

  1. Nandanwar, A. (2023, August 9). The rise of FPGA technology in high-performance computing. Design And Reuse. https://www.design-reuse.com/articles/54573/fpga-high-performance-computing.html ↩︎

  2. Lutz, M. (2023, August 3). A stable heartbeat for the world of electronics. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2023/08/03/a-stable-heartbeat-for-the-world-of-electronics/?sh=62a81c7644d8 ↩︎

  3. McBride, A. (2023, August 8). Why people are still key to tech transformation. VentureBeat. https://venturebeat.com/programming-development/why-people-are-still-key-to-tech-transformation/ ↩︎

  4. Tate, G. (2023, August 3). The next generation of embedded FPGA. Semiconductor Engineering. https://semiengineering.com/the-next-generation-of-embedded-fpga/?cmid=53619243-5c5e-4c81-9bf1-f91bcdd32f9a ↩︎

  5. Nenni, D. (2023, August 7). How Taiwan saved the semiconductor industry. Semiwiki. Retrieved August 9, 2023, from https://semiwiki.com/semiconductor-manufacturers/332977-how-taiwan-saved-the-semiconductor-industry/ ↩︎

  6. Suk-Hyun, K. (2023, August 7). Chipmakers hunt for new compound to replace silicon. Korea JoongAng Daily. https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/08/07/business/industry/compound-semiconductor-chip-samsung-electronics/20230807183404512.html ↩︎

  7. Clark, C. (2023, August 6). The role of robotics in space exploration. Fagen Wasanni Technologies. https://fagenwasanni.com/news/the-role-of-robotics-in-space-exploration/119319/ ↩︎

  8. Exploring the intersection of semiconductors and robotics in modern technology. (2023, August 9). Fagen Wasanni Technologies. https://fagenwasanni.com/news/exploring-the-intersection-of-semiconductors-and-robotics-in-modern-technology/52304/ ↩︎

  9. Blachut, K., & Kryjak, T. (2023, July 26). High-definition event frame generation using SoC FPGA devices. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2307.14177.pdf ↩︎

  10. Peng, C., Wei, P., Fei, Z., Zhu, Y., & Vougioukas, S. G. (2023, August 2). Optimization-based motion planning for autonomous agricultural vehicles turning in constrained headlands. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.01117 ↩︎