There are numerous functional safety standards. Most are based on IEC 61508, the foundational safety integrity level (SIL) standard. IEC 61511 is the SIL standard for the process industry. ISO 26262 is applicable to safety in automotive systems. ISO 13849 is a safety standard that applies to parts of machinery control systems that provide safety […]
What is the MIPI I3C HCI good for?
The mobile industry processor interface (MIPI) improved inter-integrated circuit (I3C) host controller interface (HCI) provides a scalable, low-power, medium-speed, two-wire I3C utility and control bus interface for connecting peripheral devices to application processors in smartphones, computers, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, automotive systems, and similar applications. MIPI I3C HCI supports faster design times for applications […]
How does MISRA fit into automotive and industrial systems?
MISRA is a set of C and C++ coding standards developed by the Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA). Today it’s being maintained and expanded by the MISRA Consortium. MISRA has grown into a standard for embedded industries as well as automotive systems. For example, ISO 26262 Functional Safety – Road Vehicles cites MISRA C […]
Post-quantum crypto standardization — background
At some point in the not-too-distant future, it’s expected that quantum computing will pose a security risk to all currently used encryption techniques. Most current encryption methods are based on the challenges associated with factoring large numbers into their prime factors. They provide good levels of security when classical computers are being used, but quantum […]
Post-quantum crypto standardization — what’s the end game?
The post-quantum cryptography (PQC) standardization program being run by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is developing encryption algorithms to protect classical computers from attacks by quantum computers. NIST has announced the first four PQC algorithms and is preparing them for final development. In the meantime, organizations of all types are analyzing the […]
What’s a quantum processing unit?
Quantum processing units (QPUs) are the quantum equivalent of microcontrollers (MCUs) in electronic equipment. QPUs and the quantum computers that use them are evolving and heading toward large-scale computing. This FAQ looks at current quantum computing architectures and how they are evolving and reviews currently available QPUs and efforts to develop QPUs based on superconductivity […]
How does the PCIe protocol stack work?
The Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard. It’s the common motherboard interface in systems from personal computers to servers and storage devices and is used with graphics cards, sound cards, hard disk drive host adapters, SSDs, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet hardware connections. It uses a three-layer protocol stack to […]
What are the five types of quantum computers?
There are several ways to make the quantum bits (qubits) that comprise quantum computers. The classic image of the “chandelier” descending into a cryostat only represents qubits that need to operate near 0 Kelvin (K). They are used by IBM, Google, and others, but those pictures present a very limited view of quantum computing. This […]
What’s a PCIe root complex?
The root complex in PCI Express (PCIe) is the intermediary between the system’s central processing unit (CPU), memory, and the PCIe switch fabric that includes one or more PCIe or PCI devices. It uses the link training and status state machine (LTSSM) to manage connected PCIe devices. The LTSSM detects, polls, configures, recovers, resets, and […]
Post-quantum crypto standardization — what’s next?
Analysis and possible pushback from users may be among the next steps in the development of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST has started the process of standardizing the four finalist algorithms. That’s the last step before developing the mathematical tools and making the tools available so developers […]
