What's Next in Wireless Communication? An Insider's Perspective

Sensors are shrinking. They are moving into places we never thought possible. In this episode of Moore's Lobby, host Daniel Bogdanoff sits down with Ted Karlin from Infineon. They discuss how 60 GHz radar is changing the electronics landscape. From smart homes to consumer laptops, radar is replacing traditional cameras. Learn why this high-frequency technology is the next big step in hardware design. Breaking Down 60 GHz Pure CMOS Radar Traditional radar systems often rely on BiCMOS technology. However, Infineon is pushing the boundaries. They are bringing a 60 GHz radar device to the market built on a pure CMOS process. This transition provides major benefits for modern system design. It offers higher transmit efficiency, longer range, and a wider field of view. Most importantly, it does this at a much lower power. Pure CMOS also enables massive on-chip processing. This allows the radar sensor to run autonomously. It can perform "wake on motion" tasks while the host MCU stays asleep. This saves valuable battery life. Antenna-in-Package (AIP): This technology integrates antennas directly into the chip packaging, eliminating complex PCB RF layout requirements. Pure CMOS Process: Shifting away from BiCMOS allows engineers to shrink silicon nodes, leading to smaller, more power-efficient devices. Wake on Motion: The radar chip senses movement and processes data autonomously, keeping the host processor asleep to save power. Integrating high-frequency RF components into a compact package is a major challenge. Packaging engineers must isolate multiple die and mitigate mechanical stress. For MEMS and radar, improper packaging can lead to false readings. If designed correctly, 60 GHz radar can transmit directly through non-conductive enclosures. This allows for completely sealed, seamless industrial designs.

The semiconductor landscape is changing faster than ever. Chips now power everything from AI to advanced automotive systems. At the heart of this rapid revolution is semiconductor intellectual property (IP). In this episode, Daniel Bogdanoff sits down with John Koeter of Synopsys. They explore how pre-verified silicon blocks accelerate chip design. They also discuss the massive shift toward multi-die systems and the future role of AI in engineering.

In this insightful interview, embedded computing pioneer Christian Eder sits down with host Daniel Bogdanoff to explore the past, present, and future of modular systems design. As a co-founder of congatec, Christian draws on over 30 years of industry experience to highlight how Computer-on-Modules (COMS) have transformed modern electronics. Christian discusses the strategic decisions that fueled congatec's growth into a leading board manufacturer and outlines why standardizing technology benefits the entire ecosystem. He details the development and roll-out of critical open standards, particularly PICMG's COM-HPC. This standard addresses the ever-growing demand for high-performance edge computing, massive memory throughput, and server-level capabilities in compact footprints. The conversation highlights several key technical insights and future directions, including: The Power of Open Standards: How collaborative standards lower design complexity, prevent vendor lock-in, and accelerate time-to-market.

In this fascinating interview, Sergiy Nesterenko details the journey that ultimately drove him to solve a critical bottleneck in hardware engineering: the manual, slow process of printed circuit board (PCB) layout. In his discussion with our Moore's Lobby host, Daniel Bogdanoff, Sergiy shares engaging anecdotes from his early career, including a SpaceX internship where he was assigned to literally watch paint dry. He also describes his first attempt at PCB layout at SpaceX, where a power switch board caught fire in his hands. This experience fueled his desire to bring robust automation to the PCB design field. Sergiy explains why traditional auto-routers have failed to gain widespread adoption for sixty years. He then explains how Quilter solves this by leveraging reinforcement learning and computational physics. They discuss several major technical insights and future directions, including: -The software compiler analogy. -Physics-based automation. -Tackling complex boards. -His 10-year vision.

In the engineering world, we rely on sensors to acquire data from real-world processes and machines. Deciding how to use that data is very important. The right decisions impact process efficiency, system reliability, and even worker safety. Join Control.com's David Peterson as he chats with Kate Sokolnicki of Rockwell Automation in this episode of the Moore's Lobby podcast. Sokolnicki explains the evolution of industrial sensing and the shift toward data-driven manufacturing. They discuss many key technological advancements, including: -IO-Link as a standard: Simple sensors are transitioning into "smart" devices that provide dual-channel feedback—process data and health analytics—without typical price premiums. -Commoditized vision AI: High-end vision systems are being replaced by affordable cameras capable of quality checks and AI-driven processing at the edge or in the cloud. -Smart safety protocols: Learn how operators can now pinpoint specific faults in a daisy-chained system (e.g., identifying exactly which door is ajar), significantly reducing troubleshooting time. Sokolnicki notes that while AI is powerful, it requires robust metadata (machine, shift, and location context) to be actionable. She highlights how condition monitoring—such as tracking "heartbeats," sensor margins, or cable tension—allows plants to move from reactive repairs to proactive maintenance. She concludes by encouraging young engineers to prioritize back-of-the-napkin math and the common-sense test. Instead of relying solely on theoretical calculations, she advocates for interrogating results to ensure they align with physical reality. Rockwell Automation is committed to enabling the next generation of smart manufacturing. Under their Allen-Bradley brand, Rockwell has a broad portfolio of high-performance sensors and switches. This includes proximity and photoelectric sensors, limit switches, safety switches, and RFID and operator safety devices. Meet Kate Sokolnicki Kate Sokolnicki is the Global Business Director for Rockwell Automation's Sensing & Safety business unit and serves as the site lead for Rockwell's Chelmsford, MA location. She oversees product portfolio strategy and is responsible for global sales growth. Kate joined Rockwell in 2015 as a product specialist and was promoted to portfolio manager supporting Sensing, Safety, and Connectivity. Most recently, she was a business manager responsible for in-cabinet infrastructure products, including single-pair Ethernet/IP. Prior to joining Rockwell, Kate worked in the biomedical industry as an applications engineer. Kate holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and lives in Chelmsford, MA.