Chiplets are here, and more are coming. They can overcome the yield limitations of large ASICs, support a mix-and-match strategy for heterogeneous semiconductor IPs and multiple process nodes, improve thermal performance, and speed time to market. They are being used in a range of high-performance computing (HPC) applications, notably generative artificial intelligence (AI) and machine […]
Securing devices for the IoT – FIPS 140-3 and common criteria
For developers of IoT devices and networks, the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-3 and the Common Criteria (CC) serve different but complementary functions. FIPS 140-3 is designed for validating software and hardware in cryptographic modules, while CC is designed to evaluate security functions in IT software and hardware. In both cases, there are related […]
Securing devices for the IoT — IEC 62443, SESIP, and PSA
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 62443 series of standards is focused on security for Industrial Automation and Control Systems (IACS); the Security Evaluation Standard for IoT Platforms (SESIP) provides a method for trustworthy assessment of the security IoT platforms, including the industrial IoT (IIoT), and Platform Security Architecture (PSA) certification requires strict adherence to the […]
Securing devices for the IoT – managing memory
Memory management is important in all digital electronic devices including devices designed for use on the Internet of Things (IoT). It supports efficient resource allocation and memory utilization and prevents memory fragmentation, improving efficiency. It also supports memory protection and device security. This FAQ briefly reviews the common weakness enumeration (CWE) scheme for identifying software […]
Securing devices for the IoT – firmware, software, and OTA
Over-the-air (OTA) updating of firmware and software on Internet of Things (IoT) devices is a requirement, not an option. The large number of IoT devices makes manual updates impractical and even dangerous. This FAQ reviews two key tools for managing and implementing OTA for IoT devices: open-source standards for managing resource-constrained devices and industry standards […]
Securing devices for the IoT — minimize the attack surface
An attack surface is the sum of all the attack vectors or ways that an attacker can gain malicious access to a network or system. The growth in remote work and the adoption of cloud services have increased the number of attack vectors and the size of the attack surface for most organizations and applications. […]
What are the four types of machine learning, and what are they used for?
Machine learning (ML) is a subset of artificial intelligence (AI). It’s used to enable machines to independently improve their performance using data and experience to modify future actions. ML applications range from autonomous vehicles to business processes. Various approaches to ML use different learning styles, require different levels of data input, and are optimized for […]
What are the top five neural network architectures?
There are many artificial neural network (ANN) architectures, each suited for specific tasks. This FAQ begins with a review of the components of the neurons that make up ANNs, looks at the basic elements of ANNs, and then presents the top architectures. There are several forms of neurons with slightly different mathematical structures. Most neurons […]
What is Rust used for in an embedded system?
Rust is an emerging systems programming language that’s mostly used for memory management, safety, and performance. It’s a statically typed programming language like Java, C, and C++, where variable types are known at compile time, and it’s designed for performance and safety, especially safe concurrency and memory management. Rust’s low-level control and memory safety make […]
What’s the difference between IEC 61508 and 61511 and ISO 26262 and 13849 functional safety standards?
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 […]
