Embedded World 2024: What's Hot?

The doors burst open yesterday at Embedded World 2024 in Nuremberg, Germany. This premier event for embedded systems enthusiasts is a treasure trove of cutting-edge technologies, showcasing the advancements that will shape the future of everything from tiny wearables to industrial machinery. In this blog, we explore some of the groundbreaking announcements that have grabbed our attention so far and why they're significant. 

Qualcomm's Powerhouse Duo: QCC730 and RB3 Gen 2 Platform

Qualcomm introduces two key products. First, the QCC730 is a low-power Wi-Fi system that's a game-changer for the Internet of Things (IoT) landscape. The key lies in its use of a new Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio with integrated on-chip memory. This allows the QCC730 to operate in a state called "always listening" mode, where it can efficiently receive data packets even when in deep sleep. This significantly reduces power consumption compared to traditional Wi-Fi solutions, making it ideal for battery-powered devices like wearables and sensor nodes. Additionally, the QCC730 boasts integrated support for various IoT protocols, including Zigbee and Thread, simplifying connectivity for developers.

Qualcomm's second offering, the RB3 Gen 2 Platform, caters to the industrial and embedded space. This platform leverages a heterogeneous architecture that combines an Arm Cortex-A7 processor core with a powerful real-time core and a programmable graphics unit (GPU). This combination provides the muscle for demanding industrial applications like motor control, complex data processing, and even human-machine interface (HMI) development. The platform also boasts advanced security features like hardware-based secure boot and TrustZone technology, crucial for protecting industrial control systems from cyberattacks.

AMD's Versal AI Edge Gen 2 Platform: Unleashing AI Power at the Edge

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming industries, and embedded systems are no exception. AMD's Versal AI Edge Gen 2 platform is at the forefront of this revolution. This next-generation platform builds upon the success of its predecessor by offering significant improvements in processing power specifically for AI workloads. The key lies in its integration of Xilinx Adaptive Compute Acceleration Engine (ACAE) technology alongside the powerful Arm cores. ACAE is a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) fabric that can be dynamically configured to accelerate specific AI algorithms. This allows the Versal AI Edge Gen 2 platform to handle complex AI tasks like image recognition and sensor data analysis directly on the device itself, reducing latency and improving overall system efficiency.

Exascend's PR4 Series NVMe SSD: Conquering the Extremes with Radiation Hardening

Embedded systems aren't confined to Earth's comfortable environment. The space industry and other ventures in harsh environments require robust solutions that can withstand the onslaught of radiation. Exascend's PR4 Series NVMe SSD rises to this challenge with its innovative use of radiation-hardened components. Traditional flash memory is susceptible to damage from ionising radiation, which can lead to data errors and even complete device failure. The PR4 Series SSD addresses this by employing specialised memory cells and controllers that are designed to resist the effects of radiation. Additionally, the drive incorporates advanced error correction techniques to further ensure data integrity. This makes the PR4 Series SSD a reliable choice for space exploration, scientific research, and other applications where traditional storage solutions might succumb to radiation damage.

STMicroelectronics Prioritizes Safety with Intelligent Power and Sensors

In the world of embedded systems, safety is paramount. STMicroelectronics is taking a proactive approach with their intelligent power switches and smart sensors. These ingenious solutions are designed to alleviate the burden on MCUs (microcontroller units) by handling crucial tasks themselves. The intelligent power switches can dynamically adjust power delivery based on system requirements, ensuring optimal efficiency and preventing overloads. Smart sensors, on the other hand, can preprocess sensor data before sending it to the MCU, reducing the amount of data the MCU needs to handle and freeing up valuable processing resources. This translates to a significant improvement in overall system safety and reliability, a crucial aspect for any safety-critical embedded system.

Codasip's CHERI Implementation: Security Takes Center Stage

With the increasing reliance on connected devices, cybersecurity concerns are at an all-time high. Codasip is addressing this critical need with their innovative CHERI (Capability Hardware Enhanced RISC Instruction Set Architecture) implementation. Traditional embedded systems are vulnerable to memory corruption attacks, where malicious code can exploit weaknesses in the memory management system to gain unauthorised access to sensitive data. CHERI takes a novel approach by introducing hardware-level memory protection capabilities. This allows the system to strictly enforce memory access permissions, preventing unauthorised code from reading.

These are just a few of the exciting developments on display at Embedded World 2024. The conference is highlighting a clear trend towards more powerful, efficient, and secure embedded systems. What trends are catching your eye at Embedded World 2024?