embedded world is coming to North America for the first time—and Mouser Electronics is excited to announce that we will be there as an exhibitor.
Founded in 2003, embedded world is the industry’s foremost trade show. The conference brings together the world's top embedded system experts, designers, and developers to discuss everything from components to software design. embedded world North America debuts in Austin, Texas, from Tuesday, October 8 to Thursday, October 10.
Attendees can expect expert lectures and panels, plus ample opportunities for insightful discussions with embedded technology leaders. At Mouser Booth #2215, attendees will find inspiration for their next embedded project. Mouser representatives will be on hand to help visitors discover the newest and widest selection of embedded products available today, as well as the online tools and technical information needed to accelerate design. In addition, the booth will feature a gaming kiosk and a video from the first episode of the new design competition, “Circuit Showdown.”
In preparation for embedded world North America 2024, this blog presents a snapshot of some key trends in embedded technology that will be showcased at this year’s event.
The technologies showcased at the Mouser booth reflect significant trends in today’s embedded industry. Here are some of the key themes to watch for at the show.
AI has become a cornerstone of the embedded industry, with its potential applications expanding rapidly as embedded processors evolve to better support the technology.
Computer vision exemplifies this trend, finding applications in diverse areas, such as authentication in secure facilities and defect detection in manufacturing processes. Another significant application is sensor fusion, where AI algorithms combine data from multiple embedded sensors to enhance accuracy, precision, and reliability. In the realm of maintenance, AI enables predictive strategies, allowing manufacturers to proactively identify system components approaching failure.
Generative AI (GenAI), a subset of AI focused on creating new content, presents even more transformative possibilities. Example applications include natural language processing (NLP), AI-enhanced code generation, and synthetic data creation to train traditional machine learning algorithms.
Open-source technologies are a hotbed of innovation within the embedded industry. The Zephyr Project, for instance, is a scalable real-time operating system designed specifically for resource-constrained environments. With support for over 170 hardware devices and a wide range of use cases, the project is also supported by a robust and active community that regularly incorporates a wide range of improvements.
Specialized open-source hardware licenses such as CERN and TAPR also exist, which aligns with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) increasingly embracing greater interoperability in their hardware designs.
Protecting embedded systems against malicious actors requires more than security software. Designers and engineers must bake security directly into embedded hardware with technologies such as secure boot, cryptographic processing, attestation, random number generation, and physical tamper monitoring. Security must also be part of software development and lifecycle management.
Quantum computing represents one of the most significant emerging challenges for embedded system security. Quantum computers will potentially render traditional cryptography obsolete, easily breaking even complex encryption. Developers will need to find a way to incorporate post-quantum encryption into their systems to protect against both quantum systems and traditional intrusion tactics.
Embedded system communication is deceptively complex. On the one hand, a standard array of connectivity technologies exists, such as 5G, Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth®, Ethernet, Zigbee, and low-power wide-area network (LPWAN). On the other hand, there is a massive list of embedded communication protocols,[1] each with its own set of rules.
This complexity makes interoperability something of a logistical nightmare. Fortunately, communication standards that address this complexity have begun to emerge. Keeping track of these evolving and emerging standards will be essential for embedded system designers and developers.
Even an embedded system designed to operate largely autonomously will, at some point, need to be configured or accessed by a human. A well-designed user interface is a must for these scenarios. Numerous frameworks already exist to facilitate the development of human-machine interaction, including Crank, Qt, LVGL, TouchGFX, SLint, Crank, and Flutter.
Designers will need to learn about these HMI frameworks to decide which is best suited for their use case. AI also has the potential to play a part by enabling dynamic personalization for embedded GUIs.
The 2024 North American embedded world conference will help define the course for the embedded industry in 2025. This year's event will feature keynotes hosted by Silicon Labs and The Linux Foundation, as well as multiple expert panels, technical presentations, and product showcases.
Attendees are invited to visit the Mouser Booth #2215 at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas, from Tuesday, October 8 to Thursday, October 10. Stop by to discover the latest products, online tools, and technical information to help accelerate embedded design. Also, catch a sneak peek from the first episode of Mouser’s new Circuit Showdown contest. Circuit Showdown pits three university electrical and mechanical engineering students against each other in a design standoff. Additionally, the Mouser booth will include a gaming kiosk where attendees can go head-to-head in the retro arcade stacking game, “Pick, Pack, Stack.” Visitors will also have the chance to win prizes in Mouser's “Spin-to-Win” game and sign up to win a Bose SoundLink Max Portable Speaker.
To learn more about embedded world North America 2024, view the schedule, or register, visit Mouser’s embedded world 2024 page.
Sources:
[1] https://www.theiotacademy.co/blog/communication-protocols-in-embedded-systems/
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.