EE Times Current

Some of the most critical semiconductor innovation today sits beneath intelligent systems, where data moves, connects, and scales. As architectures become more distributed, sensor-rich, and AI-driven, challenges in bandwidth, latency, power, and interoperability intensify. In this episode, we unpack the interface technologies driving this evolution: from automotive SerDes to advanced imaging and n...

In this latest episode of Brains and Machines , Dr. Patty Stabile of the Eindhoven University of Technology chats with us about  her optical neural networks with ultra-low-latency processing, and the semiconductor optical amplifiers that make them possible. Discussion follows with Dr. Giulia D’Angelo from the Czech Technical University in Prague and Professor Ralph Etienne-Cummings of Johns Hopkin...

In this episode of EE Times Current, we’ll dive into Physical AI — from humanoids and embodied agents to the chips, sensors, and systems that let machines see, move, and interact with us. Guiding us through this future of silicon is our host, Hezi Saar, Executive Director of Product Marketing at Synopsys. Hezi brings a front-row view of the semiconductor and AI landscape — and the people building...

With advanced safety features, sophisticated sensors, and personalized temperature controls, software-defined vehicles require more power than ever before. Traditional automotive power systems simply can’t keep up with the demand. As the industry moves toward the adoption of 48-volt technology, a zonal architecture will play a critical role in this transition. This podcast covers why auto industry...

This latest episode of Brains and Machines features a panel discussion on neuromorphic engineering and physical computing held at the Atoms to Bits: The AlphaBet of Intelligence v2.0 conference at the University of Manchester, held in February 2026. The panelists were Dr. Damien Querlioz , Dr. Julian Büchel , Professor Tamalika Banerjee , Dr. Maxence Ernoult , and Professor Steve Furber , and the...

In the latest episode of Brains and Machines , Sally Ward-Foxton of EE Times talks to Dr. Sunny Bains of the University College London. They discuss the importance of power in all AI systems, the benefit of having dedicated inference chips, and where neuromorphic fits into the market. Discussion follows with Dr. Giulia D’Angelo from the Czech Technical University in Prague and Professor Ralph Etie...

Challenges: power generates heat. Heat distorts wires and changes transistor behavior. A change in wires and transistors implies that initial power estimates were wrong. More and more designers are moving to heterogeneous architectures. This comes with new challenges as compared to the 2D domain. Come learn how the Calibre team can help achieve successful 3D IC design goals.

In this latest episode of Brains and Machines , Professor Rodolphe Sepulchre, a control theorist from the University of Cambridge, talks to Dr. Sunny Bains of University College London. They discuss the inspiration he took from studying biological neurons, why both discrete and continuous behaviors are inherent to how they work, and why building neurons is often easier than simulating them. 

Today, we’re diving into the fascinating world of edge AI, exploring its rapid evolution and its transformative impact on industries like automotive. With advancements in model efficiency and hardware capabilities, edge AI is reshaping design requirements for devices, particularly in balancing the critical factors of power, performance, and cost. Let’s set the stage and delve into how these trends...

Neuronova is an analog neuromorphic startup based in Milan, Italy. In this episode of Brains and Machines , the CEO and CTO talk to Dr. Sunny Bains of University College London about their inference processor that idles at less than 10 nanowatts and what they hope to do with it. Discussion follows with Dr. Giulia D’Angelo from the Czech Technical University in Prague and Professor Ralph Etienne-Cu...

Professor Chris Eliasmith is a computer scientist and philosopher who’s been modelling cognitive systems for almost three decades. In this episode of Brains and Machines , he talks to Dr. Sunny Bains of University College London about his neural engineering framework and the semantic pointer architecture his team have developed to implement it. Discussion follows with Dr. Giulia D’Angelo from the...

Dive into the evolving world of asset tracking and locationing with Renesas! Explore what ‘locationing’ really means in the evolving space of asset management, how to leverage the various cutting-edge Renesas locationing technologies to gain visibility and control over your assets, and how Renesas as a field-proven leader within this technology space can empower you and your customers to move from...

In this episode, we look at the changing landscape of multi-die design, highlighting how the industry is addressing current challenges and opportunities. We share customer perspectives on essential requirements, including design considerations, scalability, performance and integration, while outlining the current state of multi-die design and the elements shaping future developments. Discover how...

Dr. Claudia Lenk’s group creates brain-inspired hearing systems with micromechanical hair cells. In this episode of Brains and Machines , she talks to Dr. Sunny Bains of University College London about the advantages of the approach and how it could be applied to speech processing in AI. Discussion follows with Dr. Giulia D’Angelo from the Czech Technical University in Prague and Professor Ralph E...

In this episode, we’ll explore Siemens EDA’s innovative approach to AI and dive into Calibre-specific topics. We’ll discuss when to use Calibre, when it might not be the best fit, and how to leverage it to maximize productivity and designer effectiveness—all without compromising on quality. AI is everywhere these days, from space exploration to dating apps, and Siemens has been a pioneer in this s...

Brad Aimone from Sandia National Labs works with the world’s biggest neuromorphic platforms. In this episode of Brains and Machines , he talks to Sunny Bains of University College London about how this allows him to think deeply about what they’re good for. Discussion follows with Giulia D’Angelo from the Czech Technical University in Prague and Professor Ralph Etienne-Cummings of Johns Hopkins Un...

Professor Barbara Webb from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland​ uses physical robots to validate neural mechanisms in crickets, ants, and bees. In this episode of Brains and Machines , she talks to Dr. Sunny Bains of University College London about her work. Discussion follows with Dr. Giulia D’Angelo from the Czech Technical University in Prague and Professor Ralph Etienne-Cummings of Johns...

Today we’re talking about something that’s top-of-mind for a lot of you: closing the reliability gaps in increasingly complex analog and mixed-signal IC designs—and doing it earlier, faster, and more systematically. As designs become more heterogeneous and integration of IP blocks more intricate, traditional simulation and ERC tools often aren’t enough. They’re reactive by nature, catching issues...

Professor Gert Cauwenberghs has been working toward building brain-scale systems for decades. At the University of California San Diego, he’s now one of the leaders of the Neuromorphic Commons hub, also known as Thor, which will give the wider community access to neuromorphic hardware and simulators. In this episode of Brains and Machines , he talks to Dr. Sunny Bains of University College London...

Professor Gordon Cheng builds humanoid robots that can feel their environment using artificial skin. In this episode of Brains and Machines , he talks to Dr. Sunny Bains of University College London about how the skin was designed, how it improves safety and why neuromorphic engineering will be important for machine autonomy. Discussion follows with Dr. Giulia D’Angelo from the Czech Technical Uni...

Professor Gordon Cheng builds humanoid robots that can feel their environment using artificial skin. In this episode of Brains and Machines , he talks to Dr. Sunny Bains of University College London about how the skin was designed, how it improves safety, and why neuromorphic engineering will be important for machine autonomy. Discussion follows with Dr. Giulia D’Angelo from the Czech Technical Un...

Dr. Charlotte Frenkel from the Technical University of Delft set records with a low-power neuromorphic chip she designed as part of her Ph. D. In this episode of Brains and Machines , she talks to Dr. Sunny Bains of University College London about what she has learned about building simplicity into chips and integrity into benchmarks. Discussion follows with Dr. Giulia D’Angelo from the Czech Tech...

The semiconductor industry is undergoing a shift with the rapid adoption of multi-die design, driven by the promise of improved power, performance, and area (PPA). But with innovation comes complexity, and one of the biggest challenges is ensuring silicon reliability and health through effective multi-die testing. In this episode, we dive deep into the world of multi-die design for test: what it m...

Dharmendra Modha ’s TrueNorth chip added the word neuromorphic to the technorati lexicon back in 2014. In this episode of Brains and Machines , he talks to Sunny Bains of University College London about how that project led to his work on NorthPole and the axiomatic approach he took to design. 

In this episode of Brains and Machines , Dr. Terry Sejnowski talks to Dr. Sunny Bains of the University College London about how information flows both ways between neuroscience and engineered intelligence, proposes a new way of looking at memory and considers the Hopfield-Hinton Nobel Prize.