The first North American embedded world conference has come to a close. As always, the multi-day exhibition brought together some of the world's leading embedded systems design and development experts.
Attendees who visited were able to explore the latest embedded tools and products while learning more about application and prototype development through Mouser’s Empowering Innovation Together series. They were also given a firsthand look at the new Circuit Showdown competition—a design contest where three engineering students battle it out, designing innovative projects under tight deadlines.
Of course, Mouser also showcased a wide range of products via a “Spin-to-Win” game and retro arcade with “Pick, Pack, Stack.”
As for the show itself, we previously set the stage for this first-of-its-kind embedded world. Here, we look closer at some of the key takeaways from last week’s exhibition and conference in Austin, Texas.
As expected, open-source technology and artificial intelligence (AI) played major roles in the conference, with topics ranging from sustainability and edge processing to cyber resilience.
One of the conference’s keynotes, hosted by Kate Stewart, VP of Dependable Embedded Systems at The Linux Foundation, discussed how open-source projects will be central to achieving the UN’s climate goals. The UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs set ambitious targets with its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including objectives that provide clean and affordable energy and create more sustainable communities.
Stewart examined how open-source technologies can support sustainable research and development with products that conserve natural resources. The keynote also covered implementation strategies, requirements, and potential challenges. Particular focus was given to The Linux Foundation’s Zephyr Project, an open-source real-time operating system (RTOS) designed for resource-constrained devices like microcontrollers.
One use case for the Zephyr RTOS revealed around the conference came courtesy of the BeagleBoard.org Foundation. Based on the Texas Instruments SimpleLink™ CC1352P7 microcontroller, BeagleConnect™ Freedom eliminates low-level software development for Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications. Developers working with use cases such as building automation have traditionally relied on multiple microcontroller software libraries to support devices like sensors and actuators and enable network communication.
BeagleConnect Freedom offloads this burden onto Zephyr. Compatible with all BeagleConnect-enabled sub-GHz wireless gateways, the board can be used with over a thousand MikroBUS™-based click boards. It also provides Bluetooth® Low Energy-enabled Linux computers at 2.4GHz and long-range, low-power sub-GHz IEEE 802.15.4 wireless connections at up to 1km with data rates of 1kbps.
When it comes to AI, one point discussed at the show was its intense hunger for resources. For example, AI adoption in the United States is expected to more than triple the power usage of data centers by 2030.[1] Developers looking to incorporate AI technology into resource-constrained edge systems have their work cut out for them.
The tinyML foundation seeks to change that. By enabling global collaboration between industry leaders, academics, and policymakers, the non-profit organization has spurred the development of new model architectures, software orchestration functionality, and semiconductor capabilities. A fireside chat between tinyML’s Pete Bernard and Qualcomm’s Nakul Duggal explored some of these innovations, which included an ultra-low-power neuromorphic microcontroller, automated model discovery for edge devices, and new systems-on-chip (SoCs), systems, and solutions developed specifically for edge AI.
ST Microelectronics, for example, unveiled a new family of 32-bit high-performance microcontrollers that combine real-time capabilities, digital signal processing, low power usage, and low voltage operation.
Another topic featured at embedded world North America was how designers and engineers must build from a secure foundation to protect embedded systems from malicious actors. But what happens once those systems are deployed? How do we prevent these actors from finding and exploiting a previously undetected vulnerability?
To answer this question, Tanmaya Mishra of Analog Devices (ADI) talked about how machine learning can enable cyber resilience in microcontrollers, explaining how AI can help automatically identify and remediate intrusion attempts for edge devices. Mishra outlined how ADI’s solution acts as a digital immune system, dealing with most intrusion attempts without human intervention. This spares security teams from the workload associated with monitoring a massive network of connected endpoints.
The 2024 embedded world North America conference provided an optimistic vision of what the technology industry can expect in the coming year. Supported by open-source hardware and software and new processor architectures, we will likely see a greater focus on sustainable development and design. Along the way, we will get a firsthand look at AI, further advances in the realm of sustainability, and improvements in everything from open source to security as we develop new ways to support technology at the edge.
Sources
[1] https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/private-capital/our-insights/how-data-centers-and-the-energy-sector-can-sate-ais-hunger-for-power.
Brandon Lewis has been a deep tech journalist, storyteller, and technical writer for more than a decade, covering software startups, semiconductor giants, and everything in between. His focus areas include embedded processors, hardware, software, and tools as they relate to electronic system integration, IoT/industry 4.0 deployments, and edge AI use cases. He is also an accomplished podcaster, YouTuber, event moderator, and conference presenter, and has held roles as editor-in-chief and technology editor at various electronics engineering trade publications. When not inspiring large B2B tech audiences to action, Brandon coaches Phoenix-area sports franchises through the TV.