Archive for July, 2010

The 23rd Interoperability Forum is coming – October 21, 2010. I have it in my head to reinvent it, and I’d like to know what you would like. What would bring you value from the event? Who would you like to hear from? Is there a better format than the traditional keynote, panel, speakers?

We created the Interoperability Forum a long time ago with the goal to bring news and technical information to EDA tool developers so they could produce products with improved interoperability. All, of course, because design engineers want smooth data transfer between the tools of their choice.

Today, I believe we’ve achieved that goal. There are certainly new standards and interoperability challenges – and there always will be. Yet I wonder if the Forum should continue in its current form or if it should morph into something different. Rather than make assumptions about what the industry needs and wants, I thought I’d ask the potential audience.

So, you tell me. What would you like the Interoperability Forum to become? Or, if you like it just the way it is, we’ll be happy to continue as is.

Here’s a brief survey – no worries, I’m not collecting personal information, just your anonymous suggestions. Feel free to post a comment below instead. I appreciate the opportunity to serve the industry even better with the Interoperability Forum.

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Our first post-DAC show on Conversation Central aired this morning. It was great – the 30 minutes just flew by! If you missed it, don’t worry. The show was recorded and is ready for listening here.

Our esteemed guest today was Brian Fuller, and Rick Jamison and I were delighted to talk with him about social media and engineers. Brian shared his insights and experiences, plus we got to talk about his return to EETimes.

Overall, we heard that engineer engagement with social media is up and to the right (increasing). EETimes, with their redesigned (and very nice, I might add) website, is taking an interesting approach in using Web 2.0 to engage with engineers. After the show, Brian told me they’re taking risks that he hasn’t seen elsewhere. That’s exciting!

Feel free to post comments and questions for Brian here or on his own blog, Greeley’s Ghost. I’ll be sure to bring him back for another Conversation Central show.

Speaking of the next shows, they will air on the third Thursday of each month. Listen in on August 19 at 11:00 am Pacific (18:00 GMT) by calling within the US: toll free (877) 439-2972 or internationally: +1 (646) 200-4379 for another interesting conversation.

Just a brief update on Conversation Central, the online radio show that brings you interesting guests and topics, broadcast live and recorded for later listening. We introduced Conversation Central online at DAC 2010, and I’m delighted to report that as of today, there have been 1,511 listens to our 27 shows! They can all be found by going to the Conversation Central link.

The show with the most listens so far is “UVM: Verifying the Universe”, followed by “A New Era of SoC Design” and “Unconventional Blogging”. As you can see, there’s something for everyone on Conversation Central.

Our first post-DAC guest on Conversation Central will be Brian Fuller. He’s best known as the former Editor-in-Chief of EETimes and he’s now with Numetrics. He’s a wonderful guy, and his show is sure to be interesting. The 30-minute session will be held on July 22 at 11:00am Pacific time. To listen in, simply call within the US: toll free (877) 439-2972 or internationally: +1 (646) 200-4379 when the show starts. To ask Brian a question, just press 1 on your phone or Skype and we’ll put you on the air.

As always, I’m open for suggestions for guests and topics as Conversation Central rolls on.

Toyota has been in the news a lot lately. Something you might not have heard about is the standards battle they’re involved in. It’s an interesting situation and the stakes are high. The automobile industry is moving into a new era of engine technologies. And there’s an “engine format war” being waged. Which will win – the petroleum/electric hybrid or pure electric?

Toyota firmly believed in the hybrid engine and invested huge sums in its development.To date, it has produced more than 25 million hybrid vehicles. Yet other companies, such as Mitsubishi, and Nissan, thought otherwise and have since developed affordable all-electric vehicles.

In May of this year, Toyota announced an alliance with a small startup company, Tesla, to jointly develop all-electric cars. And Toyota is making a sizable ($50M) investment in Tesla. Tesla, based in Palo Alto CA, has delivered more than 1,000 sporty roadster vehicles which currently retail for about $110K. (That’s expensive for most auto consumers.)

Last year, the state of Colorado gave residents a $42,000.00 tax credit to those who bought a Tesla. It was part of an incentive program to get people to buy low-emission cars. (I didn’t buy a Tesla, even at the “bargain” price of $68,000.00.)

In Colorado, where I live, the name Tesla has special meaning. Nikola Tesla moved to Colorado Springs in 1899 to do research and experiments with high-frequency high-voltage (millions of volts!) electricity. Tesla is well-known as the brilliant scientist who invented the AC motor. Without this invention, the world’s electrical power might have been DC instead of AC. Talk about a standards war – the DC-AC one was a doozy, with animal electrocutions, life-threatening challenges, and eccentric personalities being the order of the day.

In the present standards struggle, does Toyota’s interest in Tesla mean they have conceded the hybrid’s days are doomed? Is Toyota making a bold move into the all-electric vehicle to prevent losing the engine format war? Or will the automobile industry continue to support two standards? We’ll know in a few years.