Synopsys’ Stelios Diamantidis Is Bringing the Magic of AI To Chip Design

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

#Tech #EETech Media #Allaboutcircuits #Electricalengineering #Engineeringpodcast #Science #Physics #Engineering #Business #Industries #Circuit

14:42

Is your health and wellness podcast optimized for success, or are crucial oversights holding back your potential? I audited a doctor’s podcast recently and was shocked at what I found. This podcast had over 100 episodes—pretty impressive. However, the whole setup of the podcast had some brutal mistakes that I’m sure were holding this doctor back from seeing bigger results. How can optimizing your podcast's website links transform your show's reach? Are you missing out on SEO benefits that could elevate your visibility? Curious about the impact of professional collaboration on your podcast? Don't let simple mistakes hold you back. Tune in to find out how to turn your podcast into a lead-generating powerhouse! Today’s episode includes: How minor mistakes hinder podcast growth and engagement. Why directing podcast episode links on Apple, Spotify, etc to your own website is ideal. Why collaborating with professional teams can elevate your podcast impact and revenue. How maintaining high production standards enhances credibility, especially in the health and wellness space. How omitting crucial subscription links will limit your audience growth. Why owning a proper domain ensures long-term SEO benefits and authority with search engines. How missing social media links in your show notes makes it difficult for listeners to connect with you. Why understanding and avoiding common mistakes ensures maximum ROI from podcasting efforts. Are you pouring your heart into your podcast but still not seeing the growth you deserve? Download our free guide to unlock your podcast’s full potential and expand your impact: https://eastcoaststudio.com/5mistakes Our LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eastcoaststudio/ Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ecpodcaststudio/…

2 years ago 1:01:18

MP3•Episode home

Inspired by the success of computers and AI systems in defeating humans in strategy games like chess and Go, Diamantidis wondered, “what if we were to one day be able to treat chip design as a game, a very complex game?” Armed with that question, Diamantidis and his Synopsys colleagues got to work.

Eventually, that led to their DSO.ai (design space optimization using AI) product. As Diamantidis explains in the interview, they started on smaller challenges in the IC design flow and have expanded over the past few years. “I'm extremely excited that this…technology has provided a framework for all of them, no exceptions so far, to actually come up with great solutions.”

When discussing IC design optimization, Dimantidis states, “everybody has their own definition of the problem.” CPU designers want to optimize speed, GPU designers are focused on reducing energy consumption, and flash memory designers “are very paranoid about size because they're going to manufacture tens or hundreds of millions of units.”

In this Moore’s Lobby interview with host Daniel Bogdanoff, Diamantidis shares his experiences at an early pioneering tech company working with “some of the most remarkable folks I’ve ever met” while solving problems that were “the stuff of science fiction.” He also shares insights from founding two different EDA technology companies of his own.

Here are a few other interesting stories and anecdotes from this fascinating interview with Diamantidis:

-How some life decisions come down to snow versus palm trees

-About how budding computer programmers in Greece used to share their code through a print magazine—our younger audience might find that hard to believe

-What Jurassic Park, US President Bill Clinton, and Stelios’ early dreams have in common

-It’s not really what you miss, but what you don't know you miss

There is much more, so go listen for yourself!

95 episodes

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

Synopsys’ Stelios Diamantidis Is Bringing the Magic of AI To Chip Design

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

60 subscribers

published 2 years ago

MP3•Episode home

Here are a few other interesting stories and anecdotes from this fascinating interview with Diamantidis:

-How some life decisions come down to snow versus palm trees

-About how budding computer programmers in Greece used to share their code through a print magazine—our younger audience might find that hard to believe

-What Jurassic Park, US President Bill Clinton, and Stelios’ early dreams have in common

-It’s not really what you miss, but what you don't know you miss

There is much more, so go listen for yourself!

95 episodes

#Tech #EETech Media #Allaboutcircuits #Electricalengineering #Engineeringpodcast #Science #Physics #Engineering #Business #Industries #Circuit

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Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
Generative AI for Dirty Jobs—The Next Industrial Revolution? 54:05

3 days ago54:05

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Christopher Savoie, the founder and CEO of Zapata Computing, has had a fascinating career journey. After beginning as a young programmer working with early computers, he switched gears to immunology and biophysics in Japan and is now founding AI companies. Along the way, he was also involved in creating the foundational technology for Apple Siri, working on early language models embedded in agents to solve complex natural language problems. In this interview with our host, Daniel Bogdanoff, Savoie highlights the evolution of AI into specialized systems. Like an orchestra, small, task-specific models working in ensembles are more effective than large, monolithic ones. He also shares how AI transforms automotive, motorsports, and grid management industries. Savoie recounts his experiences at Nissan with predictive battery analytics and Andretti Autosport, where AI-driven simulations optimize race strategies. Savoy warned about the potential misuse of AI and big data, advocating for ethical considerations, especially around privacy and government control. Despite these challenges, he remains optimistic about AI's potential, expressing a desire for tools to handle complex personal organization tasks, such as multi-modal time and travel management.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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9 weeks ago48:58

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13 weeks ago51:41

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Technology and AI Leap Ahead, While Societal Institutions Race To Catch Up 52:18

17 weeks ago52:18

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Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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44 weeks ago52:20

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Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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50 weeks ago43:18

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Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
Freeing EEs to Design Like Tony Stark 55:06

1 year ago55:06

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While leading the system design of new head-word displays for fighter pilots, Tomide Adesanmi was most excited when he got a chance to innovate. However, like most electronics design engineers, he found that the majority of his time was spent searching distributor sites for components, drawing symbols, and working with spreadsheets. Engineers can also relate to the anxiety he felt, worrying that he might have made a silly mistake by missing a tiny detail on “page 243 of the datasheet” for a microcontroller. So, he quit his job to try to tackle the mundane problems of design using “good software, good algorithms, and electronics.” A few months later, Circuit Mind was founded. Adesanmi and the Circuit Mind team aim to allow designers to quickly optimize designs with variable weighting on size, power, cost, parts availability, and more. Our Moore’s Lobby audience of electronics engineers will definitely want to listen in as our host, Daniel Bogdanoff, and Adesanmi chat about the possible future of circuit design. You will hear: -Why it is important that Circuit Mind uses deterministic algorithms as opposed to machine learning. -Defining the team and roles necessary to build these new tools. -What company makes the best datasheets? Contact Circuit Mind to schedule an appointment to learn more, get a demo, receive a quote, or even run a trial of your design on the ACE platform.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
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1 year ago51:23

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Over the course of his fascinating career, Mark Himelstein has worked on several significant computing technologies at historic companies like MIPS and Sun Microsystems. He has also worked as a consultant in various roles that include architect, VP of engineering, and advisor. However, RISC-V may have a greater impact on the computing field and our world than any of those previous efforts. Himelstein gives us an insiders view on the open standard process that is often “cooperation and competition, simultaneously.” “The thing that keeps us as a community is the effort in the software ecosystem. Nobody wants to really go off and go on their own. They just don't want to do it. It's just too costly. I don't care if you're the biggest company in the world or the tiniest.” Listen in on this episode of the Moore’s Lobby podcast as Daniel Bogdanoff and Himelstein chat about a wide range of interesting topics that include: -How Himelstein encourages people to get involved with RISC-V by telling them to not just complain about something, but join in to help make it better. -The significance of vector operations for computing and how those advantages may soon be extended to matrix operations within the ISA. -Three major things RISC-V is currently working on for future release.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
At Silicon Labs, Wireless IoT is Only The First Step in Rethinking Product Design 56:24

1 year ago56:24

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Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
Pragmatic Semi is Breaking the Rules and Bending Silicon Electronics 57:58

1 year ago57:58

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Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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The chip shortage made us all think about the precarious semiconductor supply chain. In response, the US government has moved to bolster the domestic industry. The CHIPS and Science Act was signed into law in August 2022, but we are still waiting to see its impact on US semiconductor manufacturing. In this podcast, we are joined by three industry insiders: Rich Simoncic, EVP of Microchip Technology. Russ Garcia, CEO of Menlo Micro. Michael Knight, President & CEO at Endries International. They will give us their perspective on the CHIPS Act and what should be done to improve the supply chain. In this engaging discussion, the group is hosted by our Moore’s Lobby host, Daniel Bogdanoff. Their discussion includes: -The confusing relationship between the CHIPS Act and the current state of the supply chain. -The challenges of getting advanced R&D across the “valley of death.” -Is it enough? -The technologies and nodes that might be overlooked. -What should a CHIPS Act 2 invest in?…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
Leading the RISC-V Revolution, SiFive Aims to Take the Computing Industry Throne 1:02:36

1 year ago1:02:36

1:02:36

During his fascinating career, Jack Kang has had the opportunity to work on iconic, massively successful products like the Microsoft Xbox Kinect and Nintendo Switch. Today, as one of the founding members of SiFive, Kang works alongside several of the creators of the RISC-V ISA to bring new products to market. SiFive is developing products based on the open RISC-V standard to deliver high-performance, low-power density processors for applications from wearables to data centers, edge computing, and aerospace. The highlights of this conversation between Kang and our Moore’s Lobby host, Daniel Bogdanoff, include: -His big career break -The transition from huge companies to a startup -Open-source versus open-standard -The security system that SiFive donated to the RISC-V community…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
Quantum Computing: Sci-Fi Technology Requires Real-World Engineering 55:52

1 year ago55:52

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A decade after demonstrating the first entanglement of semiconducting spin quantum bits, or qubits, Oliver Dial and IBM Quantum are developing the ICs, cryogenic systems, error mitigation techniques, and software tools that will identify solutions to problems beyond the scope of classical computers. Recently, the IBM Quantum team announced the Heron 133-qubit and Condor 1,121-qubit quantum processors , and Dial joins us to talk about a subject that he loves. The highlights of this conversation between Dial and our Moore’s Lobby host, Daniel Bogdanoff, include: A comparison of quantum and classic Turing computing systems. Temperatures down to 0.1 kelvin (brrr!) to noise temperatures of 30,000 kelvin (hotter than the sun, but not really). An audio symphony of quantum circuits running computations from around the world. Qubits are probably much bigger than you would expect. Why packaging engineers are the unsung heroes of the semiconductor and quantum industries. Semiconductor engineers telling quantum engineers, “you guys are doing these all wrong.” The technology advance in the newer Heron processor that Dial is most excited about.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Optimizing energy generation and consumption requires accurately measuring currents and voltages. In addition, to maximize overall efficiency, that data must be shared in real-time or near real-time. The highlights of this conversation between Henrik Mannesson of Texas Instruments and host Daniel Bogdanoff include discussing: -The differences between power management in the home or small factory and power management at the grid. -The evolution from smart metering to energy management. -The importance of accuracy in power measurement and how to achieve it. -The benefits of staying with a single company for many years.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
Stepping Outside the Metaverse to Discuss Next-Gen Hardware Development 59:55

1 year ago59:55

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About three decades after the term “metaverse” was coined, Facebook rebranded as Meta as they increased their focus on building virtual and augmented reality platforms. Today, Agustya Mehta helps lead Meta’s development of the next generation of XR products in his role as their Director of System Platforms for Reality Labs Hardware. In this episode of the Moore’s Lobby podcast, Agustya and host Daniel Bogdanoff discuss building tomorrow’s AR/VR systems using today’s technology. Agustya also shared lessons learned along the way from working at several of the world’s leading tech companies including Apple and Microsoft.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
Marveling at MEMS: The New Superheroes of The Silicon World 49:27

2 years ago49:27

49:27

Silicon transistors naturally get most of the attention. However, delicate silicon microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) with movements that are often measured in angstroms are making some noise of their own (metaphorically, because you won’t be able to hear those tiny vibrations!). By focusing in parallel on the MEMS device and the silicon processing required to build them, SiTime has been able to improve MEMS resonator performance “close to 100,000” times, says Fari Assaderaghi, EVP of Technology and Engineering at SiTime. Assaderaghi went on to state: “Timing is like an unsung hero that is behind the scenes, but its performance actually limits or enables certain performance characteristics that you see at the end systems.” Over his career, Fari learned many important lessons that he shares during this thoughtful interview. One of these is to “always go back to first principles.” He expounds on this by stating, “If you don't understand something, don't paper over it. Keep on digging.” He concludes with the warning, “There is no shortcut, and if the fundamental doesn't support it, eventually it's going to come and get you.” Assaderaghi also learned to focus on your ultimate goal rather than what you think is possible. “If you start with what you want to achieve...you would be surprised that eventually what you thought was not possible, actually it is possible.” Our Moore’s Lobby host, Daniel Bogndanoff, also discusses with Assaderaghi his fascinating personal journey. Over his career, Assaderaghi has had the pleasure of working alongside luminaries like Chenming Hu, the father of Finfets; Robert Dennard, the inventor of single-transistor DRAM; and Lisa Su, CEO of AMD. Other highlights from this interview include: -The unique SiTime culture that Fari credits to the CEO, Rajesh Vashist. -The importance of failure -The tuning of silicon’s mechanical properties, not just electrical That’s a wrap on Season 6 of Moore’s Lobby. We hope you have enjoyed hearing from these amazing guests as much as we have. Please tell us what you think in the comments or share your suggestions and requests for guests and topics for Season 7.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
AI or 5G? EdgeQ Asks, “Why Not Both?” While Building a Wireless Base Station-on-a-Chip 53:54

2 years ago53:54

53:54

It all began with a love of mathematics. Adil Kidwai loved mathematics. That initially led him to a career focused on analog and RF design. After many years working on RF technology leading efforts in cellular communication, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, Adil had a chance to move into the AI field. When he started digging into AI, Kidwai had an epiphany. “I realized that AI borrowed a lot of concepts from information theory which were developed 50 years ago.” The mathematics of RF communication and artificial intelligence were basically identical: convolutions, matrix multiplication, nonlinear operations, and more. It was during this time that Kidwai met EdgeQ CEO and founder Vinay Ravuri for lunch, and it “just clicked”. Kidwai recalls that they were thinking exactly the same things about the relationships between AI and 5G. So, Kidwai joined EdgeQ, where they have developed an integrated circuit that leverages the customization capabilities of RISC-V to enable and optimize both AI and 5G. They believe that their “software-defined base station-on-a-chip” allows AI to complement 5G in some applications and 5G to complement AI in others. As Kidwai notes, “these two technologies support each other in the world that we are living in.” And, they already have their eye on 6G. In this Moore’s Lobby interview with our host Daniel Bogdanoff, Kidwai shares how different it was when moving from a behemoth like Intel to a startup. “You have to move like 100 mph on day one!…because it’s a question of existence all of a sudden.” Here are a few other highlights from this interview with Kidwai: -Think your master’s thesis was difficult? Wait until you hear what Kidwai had to accomplish at UCLA. -His reflections on spending several years in Munich working on Intel’s acquisition of Infineon’s wireless group. He even has some recommendations for people considering moving abroad. -The surprising changes in the wireless world Kidwai has seen in his decades working in the industry. There is much more, so go listen for yourself! Please tell us what you think in the comments. We would also love to hear your recommendations for the companies and people you would like to hear from in future episodes of Moore’s Lobby.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
Getting Out of the Weeds with John Deere’s Revolutionary AI Technology 55:43

2 years ago55:43

55:43

Imagine 1500 laptops strapped to a 120 foot (36 m) wide sprayer being pulled behind a tractor. That gives you a rough understanding of the compute power inside the John Deere See & SprayTM that targets herbicide to the weeds, not the crops. These might be “the smartest agricultural machines in the world,” says Chris Padwick, Director of Computer Vision and Machine Learning at Blue River Technology, a wholly owned subsidiary of John Deere. Padwick was not looking to return to his agricultural roots, but in a “shields down” moment” he was approached by a startup, Blue River Technology. He recalls being “completely blown away” by what they were doing in computer vision. After initially developing a product for lettuce thinning, Blue River pivoted to the problem of row crop weeding. In the US alone, the agricultural industry uses over 20 million gallons of herbicide annually, almost all of it through broadcast spreading across the entire field. Blue River set to work on changing the paradigm to only spray the weeds. According to Padwick, this “dot matrix printer for weeds” has the potential to “save 15 million gallons of herbicide” and “about a billion dollars.” In this episode of the Moore’s Lobby podcast, Padwick takes us behind the scenes to discuss the challenges of data collection in the fields, image classification, the compute technology that drives these real-time systems, and much more. On this business side, he reflects on the 2017 acquisition by John Deere and how important that was in their development of products at scale that can operate in rugged environments for two decades. “I feel like we're going to look back on farming in five or ten years and we're just going to be amazed…Precision spot spraying is going to be the way that people treat their crops going forward because it's going to allow them to save so much more chemical. And the sustainability in the environment is kind of unparalleled. So I really feel we're kind of at that inflection point for agriculture.” So, listen in on this fun interview as Padwick describes: - His graduate research into Big Bang cosmology and background radiation - Why he left engineering as an undergrad—seriously, universities we have to fix this outdated solution to engineering education! - Blue River’s global operations to collect crop and weed images to drive continuous improvement…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
VC-Backed Hardware Design Collaboration is the (All) Spice of Life 56:53

2 years ago56:53

56:53

In this unique episode of the Moore’s Lobby podcast, we get to hear from not only the technologists and executives behind the company but the investor who is helping them make their dreams a reality. As an electrical engineer, Chrissy Meyer had spent years working in product design on large projects at Apple, including the Apple iPod Nano and Touch. She is all too familiar with the outdated methods of hardware collaboration and design reviews—printed schematics, highlighters, and engineers huddled around a conference room table. According to Kyle Dumont, a first-time entrepreneur as Allspice CTO, their goal is centered “around making it easy to build a workflow and collaboration process for electronics designs.” In his earlier career working in hardware at both large and small companies, he also “became pretty frustrated with how difficult it was to collaborate on our electronics designs.” Valentina Ratner, CEO of Allspice, goes on to explain that the industry is “trying to build colonies in Mars, and I don't think we're going to get there with Google Sheets and PDFs and screenshots.” In her current role as a partner at Root Ventures investing in early-seed tech startups, the engineer inside Meyer had a “visceral” reaction when Ratner and Dumont explained their vision to bring Git-style collaboration software to the hardware world. Meyer explains that “there was never a doubt in my mind that this problem that they were describing was very real. Because the truth is I had lived it for 15 years.” Meyer said, “I had to take off my engineering hat for a quick second and say, okay, reign in the excitement. Yes, this is a fantastic product for an engineer. Is this a great investment?...the truth is, there are far fewer electrical engineers than there are software developers.” With the backing of Root Ventures, Ratner and Dumont founded Allspice and quickly got to work. As a first-time entrepreneur and CEO, Ratner admits that she had to learn a lot quickly because “there are just so many unknowns.” Reflecting on some early lessons, Ratner shares some interesting advice for fellow tech entrepreneurs: “It's less about convincing anyone and more about finding the people that already believe in the version of the world that you're trying to build.” Other highlights of this round-table discussion include: -Meyers’ belief that “'there's this common misconception that in order to approach VCs, you need to have a fully polished pitch deck, and you need a financial model and forecasts and projections.” -Insights on one of the favorite features of Allspice: the ability to run digital, asynchronous hardware design reviews -Where Meyer thinks hardware and software companies are going to win in the future…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Powering a Green Future: Insights from Infineon’s Peter Wawer 56:43

2 years ago56:43

56:43

Engineering careers, even very successful ones, don’t always progress in a nice orderly manner. In this episode of Moore’s Lobby, Peter Wawer, Division President of Green Industrial Power at Infineon Technologies, retraces a fascinating technical and business career that is still going strong. As a second-generation electrical engineer, the industry still excites him. Wawer says that electrical engineering is “a fascinating topic” that allows you to “innovate and develop things to the greater good.” In his encouragement to the next generation of engineers, he states that “it's very rewarding tackling the issues and the challenges that we face” in society today. Over the last decade, he has worked in power electronics at Infineon as they have invested and developed wide bandgap technology to serve important industries that are shaping our world: renewable energy, electrification, data centers, and more. In addition to his extensive work on multiple leading-edge technologies, Wawer has been inside just about every corporate transition you can imagine. These have ranged from spinoffs and billion-dollar acquisitions to bankruptcy and government-rejected purchases. When discussing major spinoffs like the creation of Infineon from Siemens, Wawer describes the “mixed” feelings within the company. Some view the larger company “as an advantage” by providing “more critical mass and more diversity.” While others see the benefits of a smaller company “being more focused.” Wawer got started in the nascent silicon PV industry during his graduate studies and early career at Siemens. Then, after a number of years working on embedded Flash, he moved back into the solar industry; a time that he describes as “big fun” with the industry really beginning to take off. In this Moore’s Lobby conversation with host Daniel Bogdanoff, Peter Wawer also discusses: -The history and differences between thin-film and thick-film solar -Why different semiconductor memory technologies—DRAM and Flash—are not fabricated in the same fabs -Unique characteristics of trench and planar silicon carbide MOSFETs -The performance and reliability challenges that impact power electronics beyond just the semiconductors…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
Burning Man Maker, Music Mogul, and PCB Revolutionary—Flux CEO Matthias Wagner 1:00:06

2 years ago1:00:06

1:00:06

Matthias Wagner learned early in his career that not everything is like an engineering “marketing video…all so streamlined and perfect.” Sometimes you have to dive into a project with no documentation and no roadmap and “figure it out now.” That fearless, can-do attitude has led him on a circuitous and amazing route into, out of, and now back into the electronics world where he is leading Flux as they try to remake the PCB design flow. While others have previously tried and failed, Wagner recognized that many of these were “too small of dreams to make any meaningful change…you just need to start from scratch.” And yeah, that's scary. And it's a lot of work, don't get me wrong, it's very hard. But then what else were you going to do with your time that was worthwhile? One of Wagner’s career pivots was out of the electronics industry and into the music industry. In this fascinating interview, Wagner reflects on that decision and states, “that was a really dumb idea at the time, but I made it work.” And, boy, did he ever! During his foray into the music industry, Wagner’s work sold over 1 billion units across the globe and was honored with platinum and gold records. His song, Axel F by Crazy Frog , has nearly 3.8 billion (yes, billion with a b) views on YouTube. And we haven’t even mentioned his experiences developing energy systems for Burning Man that then lead to working at Facebook on products with billions of users. You will just have to listen to hear about those. And, after listening to this episode, you might be inspired to “give yourself permission to dream big dreams.” Other highlights from this Moore’s Lobby interview with Matthias Wagner include: -Why hardware engineers are jealous of software developers -The competition between hard core gamers and general users when developing Oculus -What the PCB and electronics industry can learn from developments in the music industry -Learning how to run a business by NOT running a business…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
From Apple to OpenLight: Silicon Photonics and Integrated Lasers with Dr. Tom Mader 41:04

2 years ago41:04

41:04

I’ll bet that you didn’t know that the original concept for what became the Apple Thunderbolt interface involved optical communication. Well, in this fascinating podcast with Dr. Mader, you will learn that intriguing backstory and much more. Mader also provides a helpful introduction to silicon photonics technology and applications. Importantly, OpenLight’s business model is designed to allow them to become an Arm-like IP provider for silicon photonics. “We’re the first open siliconics platform that has the lasers and amplifiers integrated on the chip,” explains Mader. With the OpenLight Process Design Kit (PDK), customers can integrate InP lasers and amplifiers directly into their silicon IC designs at Tower Semiconductor. While the silicon can be employed to guide, modulate, and detect light, you need the InP to amplify. OpenLight literally brings the silicon and the InP together with molecular bonding. While silicon photonic is already making inroads in a number of important applications, Mader is “excited about the long tail of applications” enabled by OpenLight and their customers. In addition, Mader recounts his rich technology background that includes developing a patent while interning at Apple, being involved in an early Amazon commercial product, directing engineering at a startup that was inquired by Intel, and his family connections to the legendary Fairchild Semiconductor and our podcast’s name inspiration, Gordon Moore. So, listen in for other interesting tidbits from this discussion with Mader, including these technical insights: -A clear description of a silicon photonics system -What makes a quality integrated laser? -How amplitude modulation (AM) and phase modulation (PM) are employed is laser systems…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
Synopsys’ Stelios Diamantidis Is Bringing the Magic of AI To Chip Design 1:01:18

2 years ago1:01:18

1:01:18

“It’s a magical world.” After several decades in the chip design industry, Stelios Diamantidis might be just as fascinated by the work he gets to do today as when he saw his first computer as a child growing up in Greece. Inspired by the success of computers and AI systems in defeating humans in strategy games like chess and Go, Diamantidis wondered, “what if we were to one day be able to treat chip design as a game, a very complex game?” Armed with that question, Diamantidis and his Synopsys colleagues got to work. Eventually, that led to their DSO.ai (design space optimization using AI) product. As Diamantidis explains in the interview, they started on smaller challenges in the IC design flow and have expanded over the past few years. “I'm extremely excited that this…technology has provided a framework for all of them, no exceptions so far, to actually come up with great solutions.” When discussing IC design optimization, Dimantidis states, “everybody has their own definition of the problem.” CPU designers want to optimize speed, GPU designers are focused on reducing energy consumption, and flash memory designers “are very paranoid about size because they're going to manufacture tens or hundreds of millions of units.” In this Moore’s Lobby interview with host Daniel Bogdanoff, Diamantidis shares his experiences at an early pioneering tech company working with “some of the most remarkable folks I’ve ever met” while solving problems that were “the stuff of science fiction.” He also shares insights from founding two different EDA technology companies of his own. Here are a few other interesting stories and anecdotes from this fascinating interview with Diamantidis: -How some life decisions come down to snow versus palm trees -About how budding computer programmers in Greece used to share their code through a print magazine—our younger audience might find that hard to believe -What Jurassic Park, US President Bill Clinton, and Stelios’ early dreams have in common -It’s not really what you miss, but what you don't know you miss There is much more, so go listen for yourself!…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
Seeing the Big Picture of Vehicle Electrification with Texas Instrument’s Fern Yoon 59:36

2 years ago59:36

59:36

Fern Yoon always enjoyed learning how things work. However, like many, or even most, electrical engineers, she grew up with a very limited understanding of the profession. Even through college, she still had a narrow understanding of what engineers actually do on the job. (Hmm…maybe this is why attracting people to engineering careers is difficult?) . After beginning her career with Texas Instruments as a thin film process engineering intern, Fern had the opportunity to go on a job rotation where she could see there were “a lot of different roles that existed that I honestly didn't realize.” This experience opened her eyes to a new world of possibilities and find her true satisfaction in working with customers and being able to take in the big picture. Fern’s excitement comes across as she discusses working as a fab engineer, helping build a ruggedized laptop, and in her current position working on vehicle electrification. When I started working in automotive ten-plus years ago, cars had a big emphasis on sustainability, emissions, and of course, reliability. Fast forward ten years, the cars are starting to look like a supercomputer on wheels. In her 15 years at TI, Fern has steadily worked her way up the ranks and learned a lot of valuable lessons about working in teams, collaborating with customers, and charting your career path. In this second episode of All About Circuits’ coverage of women in engineering month, Fern provides interesting insights and anecdotes that you will not want to miss, including: -How vehicle electrification is probably impacting more in our cars than you imagine -Why electrical engineering was “the lesser of four evils” -Her best advice to engineers -Why you shouldn’t be afraid to learn that you don’t like something…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
Engineering, Inspiration, and Advice—Intel VP Deepali Trehan’s Journey 1:00:11

2 years ago1:00:11

1:00:11

Beginning with her humble roots in Delhi, India, Deepali Trehan recounts her story of overcoming the odds to become a leader at one of the most respected technology companies in the world. Encouraged, supported, and even challenged by her family and influential teachers along the way, Trehan’s remarkable journey is an inspiration for everyone from students thinking about engineering to teachers, leaders, and mentors looking to invest their time and energy into others. How can I build the mindset of embracing and learning from failures and setbacks and build that resilience? It's never a story of how you became successful. It's always a story of how many times you failed, and what did you learn from those failures to get to where you are today? On the technology side, Trehan provides insights on several of the latest hardware advancements in Intel’s Agilex FPGAs, structured ASICs, AI, and chiplets. She discusses how the latest technologies are increasing performance per watt by 2X over competing technologies as power consumption is becoming as important as execution speed. We are thrilled that this episode is part of All About Circuits’ coverage of women in engineering month. Yet, the advice and encouragement Trehan provides is valuable to everyone. Listen in as she provides insights on: -Pushing the boundaries of your role when needed. -Never allowing anybody to write a job description that could limit you. Go write your own! -“Confidence is not, ‘I know it all.’ Confidence is”...well, you will just have to listen to the episode to find out! Other highlights from this amazing interview with Deepali Treehan include: -Why you're never going to be 100% ready to take on the next role. -How to expect and embrace surprises, even knowing that some will be fun and great, while others will not. -The three sets of questions that help keep her and her team focused on the right things.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
Mark Your Calendars for Season 6 of Moore's Lobby 1:28

2 years ago1:28

1:28

Season 6 of Moore's Lobby brings you new conversations with some of the most fascinating leaders in the electronics industry. Join host Daniel Bogdanoff as he dives deep with engineers, inventors, executives, and more about the hottest trends and most interesting technologies that are shaping our future.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
JITX Aims to Provide Superpowers to Circuit Design Engineers 1:00:36

2 years ago1:00:36

1:00:36

Duncan Haldane has always approached problems a little differently. In high school, he scavenged auto parts to build robots. In college, Haldane was mimicking biology to create two Guinness world-record robots: the speedy, slightly disturbing X2-VelociRoACH ( video ) and the crazy, jumping Salto ( video ). Now he is leading JITX as it builds a new design flow process to automate circuit board design. I think the motivation is, how do you take the best of how we as a species know how to design hardware and apply it to every single design? How do you make the world's most expert knowledge reusable, repeatable, scalable, in the way that software is? They generate designs with code rather than schematics and use AI to help automate the flow and improve rule checking. According to Haldane, JITX software is targeted at senior engineers to make them more productive. The goal is to automate routine tasks like pin assignments, design checks, and even help users’ identify suitable parts that are in stock at distributors. Haldane recounts how they began designing for customers using early versions of their tool and kept improving by “noticing what didn't work and what was really bad.” He added that they are “making a tool for experts,” so it must “meaningfully help them very quickly, or it's not worth anything at all.” Other highlights from this Moore’s Lobby interview of Duncan Haldane include: -Why “robots suck pretty bad as compared to animals” - How simple errors in mass distribution calculations can result in robots that “spin like a maniac” - Discussion of the data challenges that circuit and PCB designers still face - Advice for tech entrepreneurs who are pursuing venture funding…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
EP Systems: The Power Behind Electric Aviation 1:02:55

2 years ago1:02:55

1:02:55

Like most engineers, Michael Armstrong was first inspired by his high school English class…Wait, that can’t be right? Indeed it is! Since then, Armstrong’s career has taken numerous unexpected twists and turns that include pistachios, designing a PhD program on a napkin, and becoming an unintentional Disney Imagineer. Armstrong got involved in electric aviation long before it was made cool by Uber (yes, Uber). During his distinguished career, he has worked with many company names that we would associate with aviation, including NASA and Rolls-Royce. Armstrong has long been asking the questions: “What does the next aircraft of the future really look like? And, how do technologies like electrification change the way you think about what a good aircraft looks like?” And now, he is leading efforts to create high voltage, high power, high-reliability battery systems for electric aircraft propulsion. This includes a current program to complete the first flight certification of a battery that will propel the all-electric Diamond Aircraft eDA40. The technology is amazing, but Armstrong’s stated goal is for “the battery to be the most boring system on the plane.” And that drives his focus on safety and reliability. Drawing from his career working on electric aviation from full systems down to batteries, Armstrong provides interesting insights on battery technology, electric aviation, and even deciding upon an engineering career path. You will not want to miss this fascinating Moore’s Lobby episode as he discusses: -How electric propulsion will allow designers to complete reimagine aircraft -The massively different challenges presented by electric aviation when compared to electric vehicles -Working on multiple NASA X-plane programs, including the flying harmonica -Why after delivering a battery, “in some ways your job has just begun.”…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
Passing Storm or New Normal? How Should We Think of Today’s Electronics Supply Chain? 1:09:00

3 years ago1:09:00

1:09:00

In this Industry Tech Days 2022 keynote panel discussion, we get to hear from three industry leaders: - Michael Knight, President of the Exponential Technology Group and Senior VP of Corporate Business Development at TTI. - Jeff Newell, Senior VP of Products at electronics distributor Mouser Electronics. - Misha Govshteyn, CEO of MacroFab, a contract manufacturing company serving the electronics industry. You don’t thrive in the turmoil of the electronics industry without seeing challenges as opportunities. This is evident throughout this discussion. Misha Govshteyn demonstrated this attitude as he reflected on the last couple of years: It's messy, but I got to be honest with you. I love It. We're in wartime mode, and I think we're trying to build a very different model for how to build product and how to do manufacturing. Believe it or not, it's actually very difficult to do without a crisis. Jeff Newell also has a lot of positive things to say about the unique opportunities of our current situation, including: If you give the engineers time to really think and create versus having to go to meetings and some of the overhead things associated with working in an office environment, I think we're going to see a lot of cool things come out of that environment…I think the number of new products is going to accelerate as we get through the next few years. If I were an engineer in today's world, I'd be very excited about that. This is a spirited discussion, and everyone from executives to engineers and students can learn something from it. Our Moore’s Lobby host, Daniel Bogdanoff, leads a discussion that includes: - Gray and black market products and their relation to e-waste - Component engineers? What are they and why your company might need them - Why EE hardware engineers might be undervalued in the market - Advice for early career and student engineers…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
Intel VP Aims to Deliver AI Everywhere and to Everyone 57:32

3 years ago57:32

57:32

Wei has always been at the cutting edge of hardware and software as Intel transformed from a PC-based hardware company to a world leader in data centers, cloud, mobile, and now AI solutions. He spearheaded compiler development that set world records for performance on parallel servers and supercomputers. How impressive are his accomplishments at Intel? Wei and his teams have received not one, not two, but FIVE of the prestigious Intel Achievement Awards. Perhaps more importantly, Wei always seems to be having fun, even if he might be “stuck in the Matrix.” In this Moore’s Lobby episode, Wei provides his insights on hardware and software co-design, AI reference kits, and advances in CPUs and GPUs. You will enjoy this interview with host Daniel Bogdanoff as they discuss not only AI, but also: - Hardware is an accelerator for software. “It's not the other way around. It's not!” - Why Wei and Intel are encouraging and investing in the AI open-source movement - Wei’s three key pieces of advice for early-stage engineers or students…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
AMD Low-Power Guru Addresses the Looming Electronics Power Challenge 1:13:19

3 years ago1:13:19

1:13:19

Starting his engineering education by taking classes at Caltech under Carver Mead, one of “one of the luminaries of computer VLSI design,” Sam Naffziger “really got excited about the VLSI design field” early in his career. That excitement hasn’t waned a bit as he continues to tackle important challenges in low-power circuit and system design. Low-power design techniques like boost and adaptive clocking were brand new in the early 2000s, and not much interest to teams focused almost solely on performance. So, Sam had to sneak some of those low-power features into early designs: There was another engineer who had a little tiny little microcontroller for other functions to manage the I/O interfaces, and so I managed to get a backdoor path into that microcontroller and some code space so we could actually sneak in, so that the design leads didn't actually know we had this back door. And the rest, as the saying goes, is history: So we got this stuff in there, and it proves so valuable…that suddenly it became an essential element for all future processors. So valuable that it is now used in everything from smartphones to desktop PCs and the latest supercomputers. Naffziger has had such a fascinating career in the integrated circuit world that you will not want to miss a minute of this Moore’s Lobby interview with our host Daniel Bogdanoff. Some of the other great topics in this episode are: -Early developments of in-order and out-of-order computer architectures -Why AMD pays attention to the overclocking community -Is performance per watt more important than raw performance? -Sam’s key role in one of the most famous Caltech pranks of all time!…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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From the Ground Up—Zoox Turns a Corner with New AV and Sensor System Designs 40:55

3 years ago40:55

40:55

Zoox is designing cars with autonomy as a primary requirement from the outset. That means no drivers, no steering wheel, and no gas or brake pedals. As their motto highlights, Zoox builds cars for riders, not drivers. In this interesting keynote interview from Industry Tech Days 2022, Ryan McMichael of Zoox and our Moore’s Lobby host, Daniel Bogdanoff, discuss sensor systems for high-altitude balloons and next-generation autonomous vehicles. While Ryan is having a fascinating career in engineering, his original dream was to pursue something entirely..and I mean, entirely…different in college. And even after transitioning to engineering, it was a “happy accident” that led him to specialize in optics. There are many other interesting tidbits in this interview that definitely make it worth a listen, including: -How ADAS sensors now include much more than cameras and lidar these days -Why Zoox is focusing on mobility-as-a-service -The favorite pop culture autonomous vehicle at Zoox…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
Bringing Design Order to a Chaotic World: Insights From Top Execs at Digi-Key and Molex 46:14

3 years ago46:14

46:14

In this keynote interview from Industry Tech Days 2022, we hear from two leaders at electronics industry heavyweight companies—Digi-Key and Molex. Dave Doherty is the President and COO of distributor Digi-Key Electronics while Joe Nelligan is the CEO of Molex, a leading supplier of connectors and interconnect components. Both of these gentlemen started their careers as engineers and still have an enthusiasm for and understanding of the challenges that design engineers face today.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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US Semi Fab SkyWater Seeks to Co-Innovate in Quantum, Photonics, and…Free Silicon? 58:35

3 years ago58:35

58:35

As we think about advancements in the semiconductor world, it is typically focused on nanometer feature sizes and new transistor technologies like FinFETs and RibbonFETs. But, Steven Kosier, CTO of SkyWater points out that: At any particular technology node, there are all sorts of other things that silicon can do to improve the world…power management efficiencies…superconducting chips…silicon photonics chips…and microfluidic chips. There are all sorts of things that you can do with the same equipment set and a little ingenuity. In this Moore’s Lobby interview, host Daniel Bogdanoff and Steven Kosier discuss the unique challenges and opportunities available at a pure-play semiconductor fab that focuses on technology co-creation with customers that need to develop and manufacture new technologies. In one of the most interesting sections, Steven explains how chip designers can get access to free EDA tools, download free IP libraries, and manufacture free 130nm silicon ICs in collaboration with Google and eFabless. Did I mention free? Here I will echo Steven’s comment: There's nothing stopping you from designing a chip and changing the world with it…You can go do it right now. And it's just awesome!” Other highlights from this engaging discussion about semiconductor technology and foundry business include: -SkyWater’s collaboration with Purdue University to create a new innovation center for creating new technologies and educating the next generation of semiconductor engineers -Steven’s interesting entrance into the electrical engineering world - Why accelerated radiation testing for satellite electronics doesn’t always work…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Season 5 of Moore's Lobby is Coming Soon 2:54

3 years ago2:54

2:54

Season 5 of Moore's Lobby brings you new conversations with some of the most fascinating leaders in the electronics industry. Join host Daniel Bogdanoff as he geeks out with CTOs, inventors, engineers, and more about the hottest trends and most interesting technologies that are shaping our future.

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 50 | AWS VP of Engineering Bill Vass on AI, Quantum Computing, and the Metaverse 1:15:38

3 years ago1:15:38

1:15:38

While he is currently the VP of Engineering at what is probably the largest computing company in the world, Bill Vass was not always convinced a career in computing was a good option: My primary major was in geology, actually, because I never thought people would actually pay you just to do computers. I always thought it would be using computers for other things. So, I studied marine biology, geology, and computer science. In this episode of Moore’s Lobby, we get to hear from one of the tech gurus at Amazon Web Services (AWS) on topics that include artificial intelligence; machine learning; portable, ruggedized, high-density storage; quantum computing; and explosions. Yes, explosions! Other fun topics include a discussion of Bill’s view of the Metaverse. I won’t give it all away, but it is definitely more than AR/VR goggles and involves everyone’s favorite spy, 007. After you listen to Bill explain how he graphs out his time on his calendar, you will get some insight into how he has forged such an amazing career. It might even get you to start graphing your own calendar and time usage! And, be sure to listen to the end for a truly fascinating story about how Star Trek influenced the technology we use every day. Other highlights from this fast-paced episode include: Why it would be fun to visit Bill’s barn A 5-pound snowcone and a 50-pound snowball? The best engineers and coders are also…well, you will have to listen to find out how Bill completes this sentence!…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
Ep. 49 | Driven and Connected, Arm VP Talks Intersection of Automotive and IoT 57:43

3 years ago57:43

57:43

Dipti Vachani fell in love with technology during her high school years when the idea of being able to write code and magically make something do what she wanted amazed her. Her programming skills, typing speed, and…...running ability?...helped her win computer science contests around the nation. This was just the beginning of a remarkable career that is still going strong. After graduating from Texas A&M with a BS in Computer Engineering where she was the only woman in her graduating class, Dipti spent 17 years at Texas Instruments . During her time at TI, she worked on numerous projects including automotive audio systems and low-power digital signal processors. As she worked her way up to a Vice President role, Dipti also led the creation of TI’s Sitara brand of Arm microprocessors. In this podcast, Dipti reflects fondly on that early work: “It was fun and no day was the same. You came in and you took technology to solve problems for your customers…and when you figured it out and they were happy, it felt like joy, like you accomplished something.” Now, in her current role at Arm , Dipti is helping bring the automotive and IoT worlds together as they both begin “to look like a network of networks.” With IoT, Arm is looking to transform every industry including industrial, retail, home, cars, and agriculture. While Dipti is active in mentoring younger women in engineering, in this interview she provides important guidance for all engineers about setting boundaries in your career and knowing when it might be time to move on to another position. Other highlights from this lively episode include: -How corporate “frenemies” must come together to grow markets -The important distinction between mentorship and advocacy, particularly as it relates to women in engineering -Why Arm is the place for Vachani as she looks to leave a legacy -The “Junk in the trunk” of automotive compute applications…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

1
Ep. 48 | Argo AI’s Hardware VP Talks Autonomous Vehicles and Single Photon Lidar 53:29

3 years ago53:29

53:29

When your junior high school balsa wood bridge is the envy of MIT professors, it is probably a good bet you will have a distinguished engineering career. Argo AI ’s VP of Firmware and Hardware Zach Little knew from a pretty early age that he wanted to work in technology. But not even he could have imagined the diverse set of companies he would work for. Zach already had a fascinating career arc prior to joining Argo AI. And now he is working on advanced hardware and firmware to make fully autonomous driving a reality. In this entertaining interview with Moore’s Lobby’s Daniel Bogdanoff, Zach retraces his career path and talks about the current challenges and opportunities when building AVs in collaboration with Volkswagen and Ford. There are a lot of good tech discussions that you will not want to miss including single-photon lidar detection and the challenges of detecting black cars at long range. Other highlights include: How the west coast beckoned this midwestern young man with…free soda? The different challenges posed by developing AVs for both Miami and Munich The connection between USB keyboards and AVs Zach’s uncomfortable first ride in an autonomous vehicle…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 47 | Universal Robots CEO Kim Povlsen on Collaborative Robots for the 98% 46:58

3 years ago46:58

46:58

“I think you're going to see a world where people work side by side with robots,” says Povlsen. Collaborative robots, like those made by Universal Robots, will take care of the “3D” tasks - dull, dirty, or dangerous. This will allow people to “take on more fulfilling tasks” and use their creativity. In this episode, Povlsen discusses the early years of Universal Robots and the ambitious goal to create collaborative robots that would be easy to install and fun to program. “They wanted to change that entire paradigm of how to program robots into something that pretty much anyone can do with just minimum training.” Before joining Universal Robots, Povlsen spent some of his early years at Schneider Electric working on embedded IoT devices “where I think we could all see the great potential of connecting devices in general,” but “back then it was a pain in the neck to connect anything.” Povlsen’s father was an electrical engineer whose workshop was filled with interesting equipment and project. This early exposure created his passion for technology; even though his first project as a young boy was less than a success. “I thought I could build this new fancy program and I totally failed..But, I thought it was great.” In this lively Moore’s Lobby interview, the charismatic Povlsen also expounds on: The IKEA of cobots From ship building to robotics - how a Danish community transitioned from world leadership in one industry to a completely different one The conceptual connection between noise-canceling headphones and better cobots And, why he doesn’t want to play squash with a robot…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 46 | Microsoft VP Marcus Fontoura on Architecting Azure, the “World’s Computer” 44:47

3 years ago44:47

44:47

Marcus Fontoura has spent time at many of the world’s leading technology companies including IBM Research, Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft. In this episode of Moore’s Lobby, Daniel goes on a deep dive with Marcus into Microsoft’s cloud computing platform, Azure . In this episode, they discuss the hardware, software, and infrastructure behind what Marcus considers to be the “world’s computer.” By effectively integrating both hardware and software, they are enabling other engineers and technologists to “do the science fiction work” that they dream of doing. Fontoura’s passion for his work comes through in this lively discussion and in his goals to create technology to make our lives better. Reflecting on the immense challenges that occurred during Covid when internet traffic spiked, Fontoura considered it one of his “proudest moments:" “This became a very challenging couple of months as we had to manage the capacity. But you know, for me it was super exciting because this was putting to the test everything that I'm talking to you about. We really have this deep knowledge of the workloads that we are running on Azure. We know how to manage, we know how to manage power efficiently…we coped brilliantly.” Did you know that overclocking CPUs isn’t just for gamers, but is used in Azure data centers? Fontoura explains how selective overclocking actually improves efficiency. We’ll bet you can’t guess what intense computing applications demand this overclocking! But, it will make perfect sense after you hear his explanation. The episode touches on many other fascinating topics including: Ambient intelligence that will make our lives better, without being “creepy” “Our most efficient data centers are...” –sorry, you will have to listen to hear Fontoura finish this statement! Democratizing high-performance computing Immersion cooling How the combination of edge and cloud is “a beautiful vision” Fontoura’s view on the skills that the next generation of technologists will need to succeed Tune in and let us know your thoughts from the episode on Moore’s Lobby Linkedin or Facebook pages.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 45 | The “Ideal Switch”? GE’s Spinoff, Menlo Micro, Looks to Disrupt the Power Industry 56:18

3 years ago56:18

56:18

Chris Keimel may have dreamed of being a veterinarian, but he is undoubtedly making a bigger impact on the world through his work on micro-electromechanical systems, also known as MEMs. In this episode of Moore’s Lobby, our host, Daniel Bogdanoff, speaks with Chris about his career developing cutting-edge nanotechnology. Chris recounts the technology development behind their Ideal Switch and the creation of Menlo Micro, a company that traces its lineage and name back to Thomas Edison, “The Wizard of Menlo Park”. The work began at General Electric’s Global Research Center, where Keimel and his co-workers were asking the question: “How do you reinvent the circuit breaker, something that's been in existence for decades or even a century, kind of back to the times of Thomas Edison?” “We Were Just Blowing Them Up” In this conversation, Chris noted that “Almost no one in their right mind would…go make a circuit breaker smaller.” Typically, if you want to put more power through a device you make it bigger and add more metal. But the GE team was “thinking outside the box…how do we reinvent this?” As they first started testing the technology available at the time, they were definitely not successful. “When we started pushing watts…or hundreds of watts through these relays, we were just blowing them up in the labs…Okay, this is a transformational moment. We either stop and move on to something else because this is not going to work or we dig in and we figure out why this is not working.” The Humble Switch and Its Impact on the World In our increasingly electrified world, nearly everything includes a power switch. From our lights and our phones to our cars and coffee makers. Taking on big projects like this is what motivates Chris: “What I love about this technology is I get to have an impact on developing a technology and looking to transform a technology that we use every day…The switch is the interface between us as humans in a society.” Both engineers and business leaders will find interesting takeaways from this fascinating conversation with Chris Keimel including: - “We had Eureka moments every year, almost every month.” - The unique aspect of GE’s business culture that allowed the Ideal Switch technology to develop over a decade, despite not producing income.- Why Chris compares the product development to an orchestra.- The process behind commercializing the metal MEMs technology and the decision to spinout from GE. So listen in and tell us what you think!…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 44 | Blue Origin’s SVP Brent Sherwood on Engineering to Live and Work in Space 51:34

3 years ago51:34

51:34

3… 2… 1… Liftoff! In this episode of Moore’s Lobby, a veteran of the aerospace industry, Brent Sherwood, Blue Origin ’s Senior Vice President of Advanced Development Programs, discusses the barriers and breakthroughs for all nations, companies, and people to (literally) get outta’ this world. Sherwood shares how his childhood dream to “build cities on the moon” led him on an unorthodox journey to become an aerospace engineer and one of the world’s leaders in the field of space exploration. Sherwood’s career has been spent living out his grown-up dreams. First at Boeing, then NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and now Blue Origin. Architecting for space exploration and habitation requires a lot of people, money, and resources. It also takes a deep knowledge of hardware, mechanical, electrical, and industrial engineering in this new “space architecture” field. Sherwood brings us behind the scenes of both his experiences and Blue Origin’s projects and goals. Sherwood addresses earth's fragility and space’s potential for human civilization and the development of new energy and material resources. Blue Origin is looking to dramatically reduce the cost and risk for people to pursue these goals and turn these dreams into reality. Science Fiction is Becoming a Science Reality Listen in on this great conversation with Brent Sherwood. Highlights include: -Why part of space is like “living inside of a VCR” -How many sunrises and sunsets happen in space each day -How power sources (e.g., sun and nuclear) will play critical roles in creating and maintaining space architecture -Design for reusable liquid rocket engines, microgravity, and timeless aesthetics -The vision behind Blue Origin’s Orbital Reef - a commercially developed, owned, and operated space station scheduled to orbit by the end of this decade (that’s 2030—less 8 years away!) -Sherwood discusses his favorite celestial body (everyone has one of those, right?)…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 43 | Mark Papermaster: The EE and Exec Behind Apple, IBM, Cisco, and AMD’s Success 51:19

3 years ago51:19

51:19

The decades of perspective Mark Papermaster offers in this episode of Moore’s Lobby is something to pay attention to: from reminiscing on the early days of microprocessors to bringing the iPhone and iPod into the pockets of millions as humanity’s first “mini computers.” Papermaster provides a throwback to the epic AIM Alliance ( Apple , IBM , and Motorola ), a deep dive on AMD’s APU (accelerate processing unit), the breakdown of the buzz around designing “chiplets,” and how AMD learned to “punch above their weight” to take on competitors on who are 10X their size. Are you one of those EEs who gets "religious about one approach versus another”? Papermaster may influence your philosophy as Host Daniel Bogdanoff aims to uncover why Mark won’t stop “preaching modularity” as it is “a critical facet of scale and goes back to the history of engineering innovation.” Other topics include the importance of specialists and multidisciplinary engineering teams working together to solve the toughest problems and the fun behind AMD’s high-performance processors. You won’t want to miss Papermaster’s unfiltered stories on: -The risk of redesigning AMD’s Zen architecture -Hear why many attorneys tell Papermaster “he is famous” for a landmark legal case ( IBM vs Papermaster (Apple) ), followed by lots of laughter because “engineers do not care” -What it’s like to be recruited by Steve Jobs -Get his take on what makes a great chip designer -How his current chapter as AMD’s CTO and EVP of Technology and Engineering are “the most exciting years of his life” -How AMD’s acquisition of ATI Graphics and Xilinx has set them apart in the market -And, make sure to listen until the end of the episode as Papermaster shares his opinion on the most crucial skill engineers need to have in their portfolio today…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 42 | Groq CEO and Ex-Googler Jonathan Ross on the Petaflop AI Chip and First Ever TPU 51:42

3 years ago51:42

51:42

In this episode of Moore’s Lobby, Daniel speaks with Jonathan Ross whose journey as a hardware and software engineering expert is revolutionary and something to behold. Ross is a self-described “successful college dropout” with entrepreneur DNA who designed Google’s first TPU (tensor processing unit) and was a $10B idealist for X - the moonshot factory . After believing he was done with chips, Ross founded Groq and is now their fearless CEO leading the creation of some of the most ambitious AI hardware in the world. What could you accomplish if you could dedicate 20% of your job to new ideas? While at Google, Ross was allowed to take on a “20% project”—an initiative that could take 20% of his time, if he thought it could benefit the company in some way. His 20% project ended with the creation of the first Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), a key hardware component on which Google built their world-changing data center processing (and what he affectionately calls “a successful disaster”). Now at Groq, Ross is leading a groundbreaking AI and high-performance computing company that’s tackling AI hardware with some surprising tactics. Their chips boast hundreds of times the processing power of current-gen processors. The kicker? It isn’t about using the most advanced transistors! According to Ross, the secret is in the chip architecture. Ross speaks to how “no one ever thinks of solving their problems with hardware”, yet he believes hardware can solve a plethora of technical problems that software can’t. Daniel and Ross go down the rabbit hole of comparing Groq’s chip to CPUs and GPUs. “People still use CPUs because they take less time to give an answer than a GPU, but they give fewer. And what we've (Groq) done is, we've actually built a chip that does both. It gives you the answers quicker than even a CPU does, but it actually gives you the throughput of the parallel performance of a GPU, or better.” He also brings a unique approach to new projects including the design of their unique processor. “If you want to design a car, do you ask a bunch of mechanics or do you ask drivers?” Some of Groq’s groundbreaking technology is powering autonomous vehicles, computing, data centers, drug discoveries, and even nuclear fusion. And, with investment topping $350 million, Groq stands to make big waves in the industry. Learn from Ross’ fountain of wisdom on chip architecture and large-scale industry trends. End enjoy lots of engineering jokes that are actually funny and notable stories including: -The evolution of a Google project from ”sea star” to “squirrel brain” and “superfluid”, before finally settling on something better -The domain Elon Musk refuses to sell to Google -Why Ross encourages everyone to accept a job at X - the moonshot factory aiming for $10B business ideas (yes, that’s with a B); but why it felt too much like retirement for him -Hear Ross’ definition of machine learning that Daniel thinks is “the best he’s ever heard” -A somewhat stinging reminder that a human hasn’t beat a computer in chess in decades -Learn what “Groq” (a play on grok) means as a term and as a company -And, how Ross believes in balancing products with talent: “The better the product, the better the talent; the better the talent, the better the product. Because the best talent wants to work on the best products, and the best products are built by the best talent.” Do you want to learn more about Groq or real-time AI, ML, & HPC solutions? Register HERE for GroqDay coming up fast this Thursday, March 31st, 2022 . The second GroqDay is a series of virtual events bringing together enthusiasts and early adopters in the communities of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and high-performance computing.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 41 | Qualcomm’s VP of XR Hugo Swart Explains How VR, AR, MR, and Metaverse Will Change The World 54:46

3 years ago54:46

54:46

The Metaverse is coming! It may be a virtual universe, but it has to run on real, physical, high-performance hardware. Tech mega-giant Qualcomm, led by Hugo Swart, is developing the chips behind new XR technology that has “the opportunity to change the world”, similar to the smartphone era. XR, for those still trying to catch up with the terminology, stands for “extended reality,” a concept that encompasses VR (virtual reality), AR (augmented reality), and sometimes MR (mixed reality). In this episode of Moore’s Lobby, Daniel talks with Hugo about his background and the steps that led up to heading one of Qualcomm’s most forward-facing divisions—and when they realized they were “onto something” with this whole XR thing. Topics of discussion include cutting-edge IC design, the difference between designing for AR vs. smartphones, and the nitty-gritty of parameters like “common illumination.” In this Moore’s Lobby Season 4 opener, there are numerous highlights that Daniel and Hugo cover that you won’t want to miss: -Get that definition of the Metaverse you crave. (Spoilers: You’ll need to make room in your brain for more buzzwords, like “spatial internet.”) -Hear Hugo explain Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 platform’s impact on XR, the first mobile AR/VR chip uniting AI and 5G broadband connectivity with twice the CPU and GPU performance, and why TIME named it one of the “Best Inventions of 2021”. -Discover how Magellan inspires engineers to sail for the “New New World” and why Hugo looks into the future and believes “your audience of engineers…they’re going to have a lot of fun.” -Learn what it takes to build a chip suitable for multiple XR use cases, protect IP, and Hugo’s take on why ”power is king”. -Gain more knowledge on why Qualcomm’s key partnerships with Microsoft, Meta, and other Silicon Valley partners are significant—years before they hit the mainstream.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Get Ready For Season 4 of Moore's Lobby 2:25

3 years ago2:25

2:25

Season 4 of Moore's Lobby serves up conversations with some of the most fascinating leaders in the electronics industry. Join host Daniel Bogdanoff as he geeks out with CTOs, inventors, engineers, and more about the hottest trends and most interesting technologies that are changing the world.

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 40 | AWS VP of Engineering Wayne Duso on Managing ⅓ of the Internet's Cloud Storage 1:01:28

3 years ago1:01:28

1:01:28

A huge amount of the internet—up to a third of it, in fact—is run by Amazon Web Services. But the cloud, as Wayne Duso puts it, is not magic pixie dust. It works because of the blood, sweat, and tears of engineers. Hear all about it in this Season 3 finale of Moore's Lobby. Wayne Duso is one of the leading minds behind AWS, someone deeply familiar with the technical challenges and heavy responsibility of handling a third of the internet’s traffic and data. AWS runs some of the top online services on the planet, including Netflix, Twitch, Facebook, Twitter, and more. In the last episode of 2021, we welcome Wayne to talk about AWS’s astronomical growth, Amazon’s “working backward” philosophy, and why data storage never gets boring. Wayne also explains what caused the internet to “burn down” recently when AWS servers went down and the mentality of approaching such a crisis like a firefighter. Also included in this can’t-miss episode: How Wayne ended up in the data storage business (i.e., looking up “C for computer” in the phone book and more jokes about clam bakes than you’d expect) An inside look at AWS’s world-conquering success (including stories about Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and clearing up rumors of AWS’s origins) Stories from the early days of the internet (Who the heck are the Four Horsemen of the internet?!) Which one patent Wayne keeps on his wall when he threw away the other 35+ Why hardware engineers are more important than ever in a software-driven world…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 39 | General Motors’ Vehicle Chief Engineer on the Tech and Passion of Automotive Design 42:58

3 years ago42:58

42:58

Everybody knows cars are becoming more like computers than mechanical devices. Few know this better than Mark Allen, Global Vehicle Chief Engineer at GM, a company that’s been defining the American automotive business for a century. As an engineer who is also a car nut raised in the heart of American automotive manufacturing, Mark has a long view on the history and challenges of vehicle design. The engineering that goes into making modern cars has changed enormously, to the point that Mark claims there are few purely mechanical systems left as electromechanical systems take over. This trend has also resulted in a blending of mechanical and electrical engineering tasks and skill sets, to the point that Mark says they barely distinguish between the two disciplines on the job. But, no matter what field they hail from, he says, engineers will never stop perfecting their craft, which is why the automotive industry has the performance and safety it does today. In this episode of Moore’s Lobby, catch conversation between Daniel and Mark about: How new technologies like backup cams evolve from novelties to luxuries to expected to mandated The cost of electronics in modern cars (and why that’s harder to quantify than you might think) Designing cars vs. designing smartphones and how durability impacts product lifespan Mark’s pure love of automotive carries through in this episode as he explains the lofty goals of the automotive industry, the difference having an EE CEO can make, and the (sometimes literal) highs and lows of vehicle testing.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 38 | Comedy, Shocks, and Educating EEs on YouTube with ElectroBOOM's Mehdi Sadaghdar 42:09

3 years ago42:09

42:09

"Want to subconsciously learn while being entertained?" says the ElectroBOOM YouTube page. "Then subscribe!!" Mehdi Sadaghdar is well-known for several things: his YouTube videos, his habit of accidentally shocking himself in said videos, his sense of humor, his impressive unibrow. But Sadaghdar is also one of the few electrical engineer celebrities alive today and he's made a name for himself by creating electronics educational videos on YouTube. Just as his YouTube page promises, ElectroBOOM makes over 4.8 million subscribers laugh with his particular brand of hijinks while also teaching them about concepts like current limiting and magnetic fields in BLDC motors. The result is somewhere between Bill Nye, Mythbusters, and the Marx Brothers. In this episode of Moore's Lobby, Mehdi and Daniel chat about the role of YouTube and social media in modern engineering education, especially the idea of teaching by showing (occasionally shocking) mistakes. Also included in this episode: The story of that one time Mehdi nearly died building a Jacob's Ladder Answering the question, "Is it the current or the voltage that kills you?" Throwing shade at mechanical engineers Rage at "free energy" products The challenges of being an introverted engineer in the limelight…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 37 | Hypergiant and Colossal's Ben Lamm on Industrial AI and Resurrecting Woolly Mammoths 47:19

4 years ago47:19

47:19

Turning science fiction into engineering reality is a complex business, but Ben Lamm has made it into a career. In this episode of Moore's Lobby, Daniel chats with Lamm, a serial entrepreneur who has founded several technology and science startups all through his 20s and 30s. One of these companies is Hypergiant, which helps governments and companies integrate cutting-edge AI into their aerospace, defense, and infrastructure. Now, Lamm has set his sights on bioengineering, where he's partnered with one of the leading experts in genomics, George Church, to bring back woolly mammoths in the form of engineered arctic elephants designed with mammoth DNA. Yes, Ben has seen Jurassic Park . Yes, they get that question all the time. And, yes, you have got to hear how they're pulling this off. Join us to hear Ben recount his favorite projects throughout his career (so far) and explain his addiction to what's next in pursuing "the art of the possible."…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 36 | Cryptography in the Cloud Age with Intel Federal's Steve Orrin 59:30

4 years ago59:30

59:30

Steve Orrin (self-described former hacker and undeniable math zealot) stands firmly at the crossroads between the public and private sectors, precisely where cybersecurity intersects with them both. From his viewpoint, it's a myth that the government is slow to adopt progressive technologies. Or, more accurately, reality resides in a nuanced gray area where Predator drones are outfitted with cutting-edge security and, somehow, painfully slow cloud adoption is actually a blessing in disguise. In this episode, you'll hear about the impact of AI and quantum computing on cybersecurity, the "new math, new hardware" of next-gen cryptography, and how the heck to bring classified materials into the work-from-home environment of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional highlights from this episode include: A shockingly accessible explanation of homomorphic cryptography The unique joys of having Bruce Schneier rip one's carefully crafted cryptography stack to shreds How a security expert chooses a baby monitor these days Why maybe we should be designing security systems with our moms in mind…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 35 | The Impact of Chip Shortages on the Electronics Industry 59:05

4 years ago59:05

59:05

In this Industry Tech Days Keynote, we have an all-star panel of industry experts to talk about the ramifications of the global chip shortage and what lessons we can learn from them. You'll hear from Dave Doherty, President and COO of distributor Digi-Key Electronics, Steve Sanghi, Executive Chair of semiconductor manufacturer Microchip Technology, and Michael Knight, Corporate Senior Vice President of Business Development of distributor TTI.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 34 | The Latest from the Lab: How IBM Research Is Inventing What's Next 53:15

4 years ago53:15

53:15

2021 brought us the first functioning 2 nm chip, a milestone accomplished by a team at IBM Research, one of the foremost research institutions on the planet for the electronics industry. In the upper echelons of this prestigious group is Dr. Jeffrey Welser, the Vice President of Exploratory Science and University Partnerships for IBM. In this episode of Moore's Lobby, Dr. Welser talks with Daniel about everything from quantum computing to CMOS devices to neural networks.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 33 | From Autonomous Golf Carts to Semis: The Journey to the Self-Driving Truck 43:07

4 years ago43:07

43:07

Two engineering students developed an autonomous golf cart system to transport people across campus. One accelerator program and a lot of engineering later, the same two engineers founded Embark, an autonomous trucking company that rapidly grew into a $5 billion endeavor. In 2018, when the company was only two years old, Embark claimed an industry-first: a 2,400-mile coast-to-coast journey for an autonomous truck from LA to Jacksonville, Florida. For the first time in many people's minds, autonomous trucking seemed to have arrived. This is the story of Brandon Moak and Alex Rodrigues, CTO and CEO respectively of Embark. Moak joins us in the Lobby to talk about the challenges of scalable autonomous systems, gaining acceptance in the transportation industry, and the differences between passenger autonomous vehicles and those meant for the infrastructure of shipping.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 32 | HP's Journey from Birthing Silicon Valley to Powering 21st Century Entertainment, Aerospace, and Remote Work 1:04:27

4 years ago1:04:27

1:04:27

What do Lady Gaga, DreamWorks, and SpaceX have in common? Would you believe us if we said the answer was tech? In this episode, two top HP execs talk about the unexpected ways this giant in the industry has gone from the inventors of the inkjet printer to Oscar-winning staple in Hollywood, healthcare, and some out-of-this-world applications. Joining Daniel in the Lobby today are Jim Nottingham, Global Head & General Manager of HP’s Advanced Compute & Solutions, and Bruce Blaho, HP Fellow and Chief Technologist for the Advanced Compute & Solutions Business Unit in HP Personal Systems. Daniel guides Jim and Bruce through a conversation about HP's monolithic presence in the history of the electronics industry and how precision engineering has revolutionized display technology just in time for the age of remote work. This trio of engineers delves into color fidelity across displays, data capture and storage, AI and machine learning, high-performance and edge compute, and the new wave of AR/VR. Highlights you won't want to miss: What are HP's plans for an EGOT? (No, seriously.) What does "the HP way" mean nowadays? How does DreamWorks keep Shrek's signature green the same from one display to another? How do you get unneeded workstation equipment off the ISS? What's next after keyboards and mouses?…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 31 | NASA Astronauts Victor Glover and Michael Hopkins Talk Engineering at 17,000 mph 1:04:39

4 years ago1:04:39

1:04:39

In their conversation, Victor, Michael, and Daniel will discuss what it's like to walk in space, the technologies that are propelling space exploration, and the importance of engineers in making aerospace history.

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 30 | Arduino Goes Pro: Disrupting the World of Automation 57:41

4 years ago57:41

57:41

Arduino recently announced a monumental change in its new efforts towards producing affordable, scalable hardware for industrial automation applications. Hear the how and why of Arduino's jump from the hobbyist bench to the factory floor.

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 29 | NVIDIA CTO Michael Kagan on the New Age of AI and Supercomputers 43:36

4 years ago43:36

43:36

The advent of AI is forcing us to rethink the way we design hardware and changing the way we think of processing. After all, data-hungry applications are processor-hungry applications. In this episode of Moore’s Lobby, Daniel speaks with Michael Kagan, the CTO of NVIDIA, a tech giant and household name in processing. Kagan’s career spans foundational work across Intel, Mellanox, and now NVIDIA as they forge new technologies to enable accelerated compute. Learn about the three core pillars of data center computing (spoilers: “GPU” might not mean what you think it means anymore). And learn why compute will soon need to become service-based as the burden of processing shifts increasingly to supercomputers. And, of course, hear the historic reasons Kagan asserts that “chips without software is just expensive sand.” You won’t find a more qualified voice on the intersection between processing, compute-hungry applications, and data centers, so don’t miss this episode.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 28 | How DARPA Stops IC Hardware Hackers in Their Tracks: Insights from Serge Leef 1:01:47

4 years ago1:01:47

1:01:47

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. How do you get hardware engineers to attend a seminar about security? Tell them it's a free buffet and then lock the doors behind them before you start the slide deck. To put it mildly, security is not hardware designers' favorite topic. But with millions of unsecured devices in the market, it's quickly becoming an issue the industry can't ignore. Join our new host for Season 3, Daniel Bogdanoff, for this episode of Moore's Lobby that kicks off Season 3 with DARPA Program Manager at the Microsystems Technology Office (MTO), Serge Leef. Leef's storied background in design automation gives him a unique perspective on his current work as someone who helps select promising projects in the competitive world of DARPA funding. Tune in to get a clear breakdown of the security issues facing hardware devices, including a look at the types of attacks DARPA has on its radar. You'll hear about the similarities and differences of securing missile control systems compared to smart toilets. And, perhaps most importantly, you'll be faced with the very real question of whether hardware security is something we should entrust to design engineers at all. Along the way, you'll get answers to burning questions you never knew you had, like: How is a DARPA program manager like a movie producer? How is IC-level hardware design like fluoride? And How is designing for security like selling vitamins?…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Tune in for Season 3 of Moore's Lobby 2:07

4 years ago2:07

2:07

Season 3 of Moore's Lobby serves up conversations with some of the most fascinating luminaries in the electronics industry. Join host Daniel Bogdanoff as he geeks out with CTOs, inventors, astronauts, and more about the technologies that are changing the world.

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 27 | Two Google Senior VPs of Engineering: From Shipping Containers to Today's Data Centers 58:50

4 years ago58:50

58:50

Google is one of the most prominent corporations in history. Since its founding in 1998, it's gone from a scrappy startup in Silicon Valley to the portal through which most people access the internet. How do you even begin to design compute infrastructure that massive? This week on Moore's Lobby, Dave talks with TWO Google Senior VPs of Engineering, Google Fellows Luiz Barroso and Amin Vahdat. In this conversation, you'll hear about the early days of Google, back when their data centers were barely more than broom closets and the team was "unencumbered by expertise" in data center design. You'll hear about the off-the-wall iterations of their early data center ideas (like that time Google put their data centers into shipping containers, which is way more reasonable than it may sound at first). You'll hear about the incredible promise of the applications Google's tackling today—and the costs that come with that world-changing power. On the way, you'll learn more about two electrical engineers who came from very different backgrounds, pursued different specialties in academia, and yet ended up working together on some of the most extraordinary challenges facing compute in the modern era. This episode will illuminate the past and future of Google from the engineering side and how “healthy hubris” leads to "a healthy disregard for the impossible.” Meet Luiz Barroso and Amin Vahdat Luiz Barroso Luiz André Barroso is a Google Fellow leading the office of Cross-Google Engineering (XGE) from where he coordinates key technical initiatives that span multiple Google products. Over his two decades at Google he has worked as a VP of Engineering in the Core and Maps teams, and was a technical leader in areas such as Google Search and the design of Google’s computing platform. Luiz has published several technical papers and has co-authored “The Datacenter as a Computer”, the first textbook to describe the architecture of warehouse-scale computing systems, now in its 3rd edition. Luiz is a Fellow of the ACM and the AAAS, and holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica of Rio de Janeiro and a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from the University of Southern California. Recently he was awarded the 2020 Eckert-Mauchly Award. Amin Vahdat Amin Vahdat is a Google Fellow and Technical Lead for networking at Google. He has contributed to Google’s data center, wide area, edge/CDN, and cloud networking infrastructure, with a particular focus on driving vertical integration across large-scale compute, networking, and storage. In the past, he was the SAIC Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at UC San Diego and the Director of UCSD’s Center for Networked Systems. Vahdat received his PhD from UC Berkeley in Computer Science, is an ACM Fellow and a past recipient of the NSF CAREER award, the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, and the Duke University David and Janet Vaughn Teaching Award.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 26 | Microchip's Steve Sanghi on How to Bring a Company from Debt to Billions 37:26

4 years ago37:26

37:26

Microchip Technology is so recognizable in the semiconductor industry that it's hard to contemplate that it struggled rather a lot in its early years. From its split from General Instrument to its rocky beginnings as a company teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and on through its remarkable 121 consecutive profitable quarters, Microchip has fought for every inch of success it's achieved. In the middle of it all has been Steve Sanghi, CEO from 1990 until 2021, when he took on the role of Executive Chair. Steve has been an active driver in the industry, taking a "different-by-design"—or even straight-up risky—perspective in his approach to technology and leadership. In this episode of Moore's Lobby, Dave guides us through highlights of Steve's storied history of guiding Microchip into the modern era. Hear stories that paint a clear, oftentimes surprising portrait of the industry.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 25 | Microsoft US's CTO Gina Loften on Identifying the Next Big Tech 36:01

4 years ago36:01

36:01

Identifying what technology is going to change the world next is a superpower everyone wishes they had. If you could see where advancements were being made and where funds were being invested—and if you had the vision to act on what you saw—what could you accomplish? This is basically a job description for the CTO of Microsoft US, who is our guest this week on Moore's Lobby. Gina Loften is an electrical engineer, leader, author, and executive whose purpose is to identify the next big technologies, lead one of the most advanced teams of engineers on the planet to create solutions for them, and then help the largest corporations adopt them into their processes seamlessly. Loften has been on the front lines of AI for years, from the public introduction of IBM's Watson to the new battlefield of bringing AI to the edge, which stands to affect everything from healthcare to retail. She has a unique perspective on what it means for engineers to specialize in a particular field and why they should care about what the next technological revolution brings. In this episode, Loften discusses the rapidly evolving technology industry and how engineers should see themselves within it. As Loften puts it, "The world does not work without engineers."…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 24 | GE Renewables' VP & CTO Danielle Merfeld on Engineers in Power 43:02

4 years ago43:02

43:02

About five years ago, we reached the tipping point where it became cheaper to build a new wind farm than to build a conventional thermal power plant. Now we’re staring down the barrel of a second tipping point, where it will be cheaper to build a new wind farm than it will be to operate an existing conventional power plant. In this episode, Dave speaks with the VP and CTO of GE Renewable Energy, Dr. Danielle Merfeld, about the current state of renewables. You’ll hear valuable advice about following your passions from an executive at one of the largest technology corporations on the planet who is both young and an electrical engineer. From her decision to pursue her Ph.D. to the role of company culture in finding the right people to work with, Dr. Merfeld humanizes the engineering processes that are driving the future of renewables. Learn about where we stand on the key concepts of energy diversity, storage, and transmission. Hear the challenges of educating people on a subject that’s often misunderstood and also evolving rapidly. And listen in as an executive truly nerds out about “imminently manageable” power electronics in renewables.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 23 | Arduino Co-founder Massimo Banzi on How Arduino Took the World by Storm 52:49

4 years ago52:49

52:49

For some, it's a prototyping tool. For others, it's a gateway to freedom of expression. It's been a powerful tool for STEM education, an object of scorn, and the hardware platform that's launched a thousand Kickstarters. But no matter what your expectations are, Arduino will surprise you in 2021. Hear all about the origins of Arduino as an exercise in usability and open-source philosophy. Learn how Arduino transformed the maker movement and vice versa. And listen in as the co-founder of one of the most popular hardware platforms on Earth talks about the beauty and backlash of making hardware simple enough for all. This episode has a wealth of insights about the nature of creativity in design, but it also has several excellent quotes from Massimo Banzi, including: “So I showed up with a bunch of potatoes and lemons…” "When they looked at Arduino, they said, 'What the hell is this thing?'" "...you, as a developer, were expected to be a professional. So you were supposed to suffer a little bit, you know?" "The world is full of grumpy engineers." and, of course, "Baby talk for potheads." Meet Massimo Banzi Massimo Banzi is the co-founder of Arduino, one of the most popular hardware platforms in history. He is an electrical engineer and educator, as well as a self-described open-source advocate. An important part of Massimo's career is his background in interaction design, which has provided him formal training on how to make hardware accessible to everyone. Banzi has been a professor at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design, the Domus Academy, and the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea. He's also co-founded two FabLabs—digital fabrication labs—in his home country of Italy. In addition to his work with Arduino, Massimo has served as a consultant for brands like Prada, Whirlpool, and Adidas.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 22 | Cruise’s Sr. VP of Engineering, Mo ElShenawy, on Developing Autonomous Vehicles 53:48

4 years ago53:48

53:48

To say that autonomous vehicles represent a huge number of engineering challenges is an understatement. To some engineers, they seem insurmountable. To others, like Mo ElShenawy, they're part of another day at the office. This week, Dave speaks with Mo ElShenawy, Senior VP of Engineering for Cruise. Cruise began as a startup out of Y Combinator and rose to prominence as a powerhouse of machine vision and data processing for autonomous vehicle development. Acquired by GM in 2016, Cruise today works with companies like Honda and Microsoft to bring fully autonomous (and zero emissions) vehicles to scale. Mo runs Cruise's largest department, leading 1,000+ engineers in what is arguably one of the most significant engineering challenges of our generation. In this episode, you’ll hear Dave and Mo discuss the hardware and software challenges of designing AVs, why AVs should be safer than human drivers, and why Mo doesn’t believe in “tech for tech’s sake.” Meet Mo ElShenawy Mohamed “Mo” ElShenawy’s career has spanned several unique industries that share a unifying need for scalable automation technologies. He joined Cruise in 2018, where he now leads over 1,000 engineers as Senior Vice President of Engineering as the team tackles safe, scalable AV deployment, starting with San Francisco.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 21 | Carnegie Mellon's Karen Lightman on the Intersection of Tech and Policy for Smart Cities 35:23

4 years ago35:23

35:23

"Smart city" isn't exactly an engineering term. And yet engineers are responsible for developing the technologies that take a city from being advanced to being "smart," including wireless communications, sensor fusion, and machine-learning algorithms implemented to serve public life. But it turns out the real hurdles in the way of smart city technologies are much more human and complex than we may realize. In this episode, Dave speaks with Karen Lightman, the Executive Director of Carnegie Mellon's Metro21 Smart Cities Institute about how engineering and public policy work hand-in-hand in smart cities. Hear about the tragedies of falling in love with a chip design that doesn't have a market, the dangers of avoiding standards in the tech industry, and the importance of testing smart city technologies in real-world "living laboratories"—or "living sandboxes," as Karen prefers to call them.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 20 | Dr. Aaron Edsinger, CEO & Co-founder of Hello Robot and Former Head of Robotics at Google on Humanity in Robots 33:25

4 years ago33:25

33:25

Dr. Aaron Edsinger spent years at MIT CSAIL's Humanoid Robotics Group, building robots in the shape of human torsos under the tutelage of world-renowned roboticist Rodney Brooks. It may seem strange, then, that the flagship product at his latest startup, Hello Robot, doesn't look human at all. Listen in to hear about how Edsinger views the difference between startups and corporate life when it comes to innovation that truly serves people and communities well, from the iterative design process down to the pragmatism of simple design. Edsinger has run the gamut from founding robotics startups to Head of Robotics at Google to founding robotics startups acquired by Google. Throughout, he's gained unique perspective on what it means to design robotics that are designed for the market and how that differs from designs that are market-ready.…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 19 | Open-Source Machine Learning with BeagleBoard Co-Founder Jason Kridner 33:51

4 years ago33:51

33:51

This week in the Lobby, we have one of the original leaders of the single-board computer (SBC) industry, Jason Kridner of BeagleBoard.org, whose BeagleBone line of open-source SBCs is manufactured by Texas Instruments in partnership with Digi-Key and Newark element14. In this episode, Jason and Dave get into the importance of rapid prototyping for embedded systems in an era where time-to-market trumps all. Core to this episode is the democratization of working with neural networks through SBCs like BeagleBoard AI. How will the industry change as access to developing machine learning algorithms becomes more common? And how responsible are developers for bias in AI, anyway? Tune in for a great conversation about hardware, ethics, and embedded prototyping!…

Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits

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Ep. 18 | Seth Coe-Sullivan and NS Nanotech Are Revolutionizing Display Technology 44:20

4 years ago44:20