Lattice Blog

Edge AI is reshaping how machines interact with the world, bringing intelligence closer to the data source and enabling real-time, context-aware decision-making. In Automotive and Industrial environments, this shift is driving smarter sensors, automation, and enhanced Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI). But deploying AI at the edge comes with constraints: limited computing capacity, strict power budgets, and compact hardware footprints. In our latest LinkedIn Live panel discussion, Lattice expert...

The evolution of modern transportation is accelerating the need for control systems that are not only fast and accurate, but also highly adaptable and efficient. Lattice FPGAs empower engineers across industries with low power, programmable logic that enables real-time data processing, intelligent system coordination, and rapid hardware adaptability. One standout application is High-speed Hyperloop transit, a futuristic transportation concept. Swissloop, a student-led initiative supported by E...

Given the broad range of roles Lattice Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) play in modern systems—like industrial robotics, automotive networking, communications infrastructure, and beyond—there are countless ways for system and application designers to leverage our silicon. To streamline FPGA adoption, we offer best-in-class, easy-to-use software solutions with a variety of helpful design features. These software offerings include the Lattice Radiant™ software an...

Quantum computing has long been discussed as a far-off development in computer science. The claim that widespread accessibility and use is “just five years away” is a common refrain among many practitioners. But with recent advancements in the field—including Microsoft’s Majorana 1, Google’s Willow chip, and IBM's plans to release the largest-ever quantum computer in 2025— we are closer to realizing its potential than ever before. While exciting, these advance...

Embarking on a new FPGA design can be an exciting yet challenging journey, especially for beginners. The world of FPGAs offers immense potential for creating complex and high-performance digital systems, but it also requires a solid understanding of various design principles and tools. Whether you are a new designer or a seasoned FPGA expert, at times, you might find yourself navigating through unfamiliar territory, from understanding timing constraints to managing multiple clock domains, or in ...

As with many types of devices, it’s easy to fall into the trap that bigger chips are better and more impactful than smaller semiconductor devices. In the case of FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) however, it’s often the smaller versions that have the largest range of applications and the most influence. Small FPGAs are used across a huge range of devices, applications, and industries because they reliably perform critical functions that are essential to the speedy operation of m...

The telecommunications industry is undergoing a significant transformation with the adoption of Open Radio Access Network (ORAN) architecture. This innovative approach to network design promotes disaggregation and interoperability, allowing components from different vendors to work together seamlessly. As 5G networks continue to expand and evolve to support diverse use cases — from non-terrestrial networks (5G-NTN) to connected vehicles (5G C-V2X), railways (5G FRMCS), and industrial appli...

Are you a developer who is new to Lattice Semiconductor products and wants to evaluate our Software Development Tools? At Lattice, we offer industry leading low power Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) products and Development Tools that will help you with your design, whether you are a seasoned FPGA developer or a first-time user.  From general purpose and ultra-low power FPGA designs to video connectivity and control & security designs, we offer a robust set of advanced, easy-to-use...

As global interconnectivity and dependence on digital technologies increase, so does the prevalence of cybercrime. In fact, 2023 witnessed a 72% rise in data breaches compared to 2021, which previously held the record, according to Forbes. As cyber threats become more sophisticated and frequent, organizations must adopt proactive approaches to safeguard their systems, data, and operations. One of the proactive approaches includes implementing cyber resilience—the ability to withstand attac...

The rapid digitalization of enterprise environments, coupled with a surge in sophisticated cyber threats, evolving security regulations, and the rise of quantum computing technology, has created a perfect storm in the cybersecurity landscape that demands heightened levels of agility and resiliency. To combat this, organizations must remain proactive in their approach to cyber defense and compliance. In the latest Lattice Security Seminar, Lattice security experts sat down with partners from AMI ...

AI is evolving at a rapid pace not just from continued technology advancements, but also by various industries’ demands and requirements. With the surge of Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative AI, the industry is grappling with the intense compute capabilities these cloud-based AI applications require to process big data, as well as train and deploy advanced AI models. Now, the industry is seeing AI being implemented into client devices including PCs and smartphones, and Edge applic...

On August 13, 2024, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released the eagerly awaited Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standards. These standards introduce three new encryption algorithms designed to secure systems against both classical and future quantum computer attacks, providing a necessary evolution from RSA and ECC asymmetric encryption algorithms. In this blog, we outline the impact of these standards and the essential steps for system designers to transition to PQ...

Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) play an important role in a multitude of today’s technology. From aerospace and defense to consumer electronics to critical infrastructure and the automotive industry, the prevalence of FPGAs in our lives is growing. Also growing are the threats to those FPGAs. The resources spent to create the IP (Intellectual Property) that runs (firmware) inside FPGAs are vast, as is the technology protected by these FPGAs. This makes FPGAs a potential target for ...

The cyberthreat landscape is reaching unprecedented levels, underscoring the need for resilient security strategies across all sectors. Forbes has reported a shocking 72% increase in data breaches year-over-year since 2021. With the average data breach inflicting a staggering $4.45 million loss on an organization, it’s clear that cyber resilience is not just important but essential for the survival and health of any enterprise in today’s digital age. However, building that resilienc...

In the world of FPGAs, design software plays a crucial role in the overall system development process, making end-to-end programming easier with advanced features to enable design flexibility while fully utilizing the device capabilities. However, oftentimes, non-FPGA designers or first-time users can experience a steep learning curve as FPGA-based System-on-chip (SoC) design is a multidisciplinary undertaking, requiring expertise in hardware architecture, embedded software, system integration,...

In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, this year’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook from the World Economic Forum provides crucial insights into the multifaceted challenges facing leaders across the globe. Geopolitical instability, rapidly advancing technologies, and an increasing gap in organizational cyber capabilities reinforce the need to build resilience and enable systemic global collaboration. As threats like sophisticated ransomware, firmware attacks, and the expanded use of...

Smart cameras are gaining widespread adoption in our technology-driven world. These standalone vision systems are equipped with sensors, computing power, and AI-driven decisioning capabilities, and do more than just capture images – they extract information and execute actions. Consider this: In 2022, the smart camera market was valued at $3.48 billion, but projections indicate it will soar to $8 billion by 2031. With an unprecedented deployment of AI-powered smart cameras, the demand for ...

Space exploration has always captivated humanity’s imagination and our fascination continues to drive technological advancements in the industry. Over the past several years, we’ve witnessed groundbreaking advancements in the space industry – so much so that the global space technology economy is expected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035. As the sector grows, there is rising demand for advanced microcircuits to build the next generation of space systems – like satellites &...

In today’s data-driven world, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and digital twin technologies are transforming industries, revolutionizing processes, and reshaping enterprise business environments. With more than 328 million terabytes of data created each day, it has become the new “oil” – providing the energy needed to fuel next generation digital systems. However, the effectiveness and reliability of these technologies heavily depends on the quality ...

The global Industry 4.0 market is estimated to exceed USD $279 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 16.3%. While this meteoric rise is no surprise to developers and manufacturers, its impact is only just beginning to unfold. By combining the capabilities of cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI), Industry 4.0 will continue to increase digitalization, automation, and connected computing within manufacturing in the years to come — driving more enterprises to ...

Every year, the global embedded technology ecosystem gathers at the Embedded World tradeshow and we are excited to share the latest advanced programmable solutions from Lattice that we announced and showcased this year. Advancing the Next Generation of Motor Control Solutions Lattice and ADI collaborated to announce a new intelligent motion control reference platform to accelerate flexible, efficient closed-loop motor control design development. Combining secure, low power Lattice FPGAs a...

Hyperloop technology, a futuristic transportation concept, promises to redefine the future of mobility with its high-speed, low-pressure system. At its core, the Hyperloop utilizes a network of sealed tubes through which pod-like vehicles travel at incredible speeds, propelled by electric propulsion and magnetic levitation. Ensuring the seamless operation and safety of such a complex system requires advanced control and monitoring capabilities, and this is where FPGAs step in. FPGAs offer unmat...

The introduction of Lattice Nexus™ and Lattice Avant™ platforms marked a significant advancement in the realm of Aerospace technology. These devices offer developers a powerful combination of low power dissipation and robust performance against Single Event Effects (SEEs), common in the harsh space environment. Understanding the Challenge of SEEs Space applications demand unparalleled reliability, as even a minor error can lead to catastrophic failures. The Certus-NX, CertusPro-NX, a...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is making its way onto a multitude of applications at a rapid pace. Seventy-three percent of U.S. companies use AI in some aspect of their business and almost a quarter (22 percent) of technology companies are aggressively pursuing integration of AI across a wide variety of devices. As AI continues to permeate modern technology, tailoring on-device AI to meet specific use cases and device requirements becomes imperative as the need for real-time processing, analysis,...

Car tech is hot again. After a hugely hyped build-up around fully autonomous driving several years back and then a starkly different reality, a sense of technology equilibrium is returning to the automotive world. There’s a more realistic perspective on what technologies can bring meaningful value to cars now and which ones are still a few years off. Even more important is the widely growing recognition of how important it is to bring more advanced technology into our automobiles. One of ...

5G technology is set to revolutionize the digital world with its core promises of ultra-high speeds, extremely low latency, and the capacity to connect a massive number of devices simultaneously. Today, the 5G rollout has made significant strides, with extensive networks in urban areas and growing coverage in suburban and rural settings. However, achieving global, uniform 5G coverage remains an ongoing effort, marked by regional disparities due to various challenges like sparse coverage in rural...

Living in a digital era where we continue to see a rapidly expanding number of devices and systems integrating into every aspect of our lives, new security challenges are emerging and exposing system and application weaknesses. It is crucial for security architects, engineers, program managers, and business managers to keep pace with the latest regulations and requirements to design compliant solutions. To support this, Lattice security experts recently sat down to discuss the security-related h...

As we enter the new year, there’s one topic in the tech world that no one seems to be able to get off their mind: AI. Indeed, AI has been talked about so much by so many different companies that people are now starting to notice when companies don’t mention it! In the semiconductor world, most of the AI attention has been focused on GPUs or dedicated AI accelerator chips like NPUs and TPUs. But it turns out there’s quite a range of components that can directly impact and even r...

It is a widely held misconception that companies have more than a decade to migrate to Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC) solutions to protect against quantum computers easily breaking RSA (Rivest–Shamir–Adleman) and ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography), the currently used asymmetric encryption algorithms. The reality is that quantum computing technology development is speeding up and we must begin adopting the new PQC algorithms now, as the transition takes time. Many of the devices under...

With Lattice recently hosted other industry leaders and the vibrant FPGA ecosystem during the inaugural Lattice Developers Conference to explore the latest trends and opportunities for programmable solutions. Joined by experts in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Security, Advanced Connectivity, and more, the Lattice Developers Conference showcased Lattice’s strong and growing global ecosystem of customers, IP & reference platform partners, and developers fostering power efficiency, p...

With the explosion of data being generated by billions of connected devices, sensors, and systems, major technology inflection points like AI at the Edge, sensor to cloud connectivity, and resilient security are creating new opportunities. With these trends, the demand for FPGAs is significantly growing thanks to their inherent programmability as customers and developers look for more flexible and adaptable solutions. FPGAs help to improve the longevity of product lifecycles and accelerate time-...

Cyberthreats are accelerating amidst the rise of enterprise digital transformation. In order to keep pace with increased attacks, the cybersecurity market is evolving its standards and protocols to ensure protection in this new digitalized world. Each October, Lattice recognizes Cybersecurity Awareness Month by hosting critical discussions on the cyber threat landscape. In our latest LinkedIn Live panel discussion, the Lattice team sat down to discuss the cybersecurity market evolution and the ...

The highly anticipated Lattice Developers Conference is right around the corner, and we just announced our full agenda, including an incredible lineup of keynote speakers, technical breakout sessions with notable industry experts, and a robust demo showcase running from December 5 to 7. During the 3-day virtual event, attendees will gain valuable insights, advance their skills, and hear directly from technology leaders across multiple industries about the latest trends, opportunities, and ...

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, the importance of cyber resilience cannot be overstated. The rise of modern technology – including automation, machine learning (ML), 5G, and artificial intelligence (AI) – has provided us with a host of benefits and advancements, but it has also opened doors for increased vulnerability to cyberattacks. In fact, nearly 75% of organizations have experienced a cyberattack in the past year and, even further, the global average cost o...

There’s a complex regulatory storm on the horizon as nation-states and industry leaders announce a slew of new cybersecurity requirements. Primarily driven by three key trends: Growing vulnerability in firmware, an expanding attack surface due to 5G connectivity, and the arrival of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) – these incoming regulations will deeply impact developers. Lattice hosted its quarterly security seminar with Secure-IC and Xiphera to discuss incoming security requirement...

Today, Lattice extended its embedded vision FPGA leadership with the launch of the Lattice CrossLinkU™-NX FPGA family, our latest FPGAs based on the award-winning Lattice Nexus™ platform. CrossLinkU-NX FPGAs build on the best-in-class capabilities of Lattice CrossLink-NX FPGAs, adding a USB interface to help developers design innovative USB-equipped embedded vision and AI solutions for Compute, Industrial, Automotive, and Consumer markets. As part of our launch preparations, we sat ...

A new era of innovation is on the horizon amid the rise of quantum computing. This emerging technology harnesses the laws of quantum mechanics by fusing aspects of computer science, physics, and mathematics to rapidly solve problems too complex for classical computing. Google, for example, has already developed a quantum computer that operates 158 million times faster than the world’s most powerful existing supercomputer. The convergence of quantum computing with artificial intelligence (A...

The continued AI and machine learning evolution is reshaping lifestyles and workplaces, now more than ever with the emergence of foundation models and generative artificial intelligence (AI). To keep up with the significant rise in computational throughput this still-evolving digital transformation is causing, the demand for hardware efficiency is increasing. Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are an ideal silicon solution to help developers to navigate this shift and design reprogrammable e...

As technology continues to rapidly advance and intersect all parts of our lives, accelerated by the recent exponential growth of AI, more and more energy is needed to power the enabling systems and datacenters. This is resulting in an increase in e-waste and production of carbon dioxide. In fact, servers and cooling systems make up the greatest share of direct electricity usage in U.S. datacenters and are one of the most carbon-intensive aspects of business today. More and more, companies are l...

“The Automotive industry is rapidly evolving and cars are getting smarter than ever with new technological advancements, notably with zonal architectures, improved sensors for ADAS, and the increasing use of high quality displays across vehicle models. Now more than ever, manufacturers need solutions that enable them to innovate while maintaining flexibility for future updates.” - Bob O’Donnell, President and chief analyst, TECHnalysis Research Demand for electric and hybrid ve...

5G is the fastest-growing mobile technology of all time and due to its rapid growth, we’re experiencing a major paradigm shift in in the way telecom networks are designed and implemented for addressing use cases such as robotics, connected cars, smart factories and cities, and Metaverse experiences. Lattice hosted its quarterly security seminar with ADI and NXP to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and latest hardware security solutions for the global telecommunications industry, as th...

As FPGA devices have expanded in both their density and complexity, design teams are choosing to migrate design principles previously handled by other types of semiconductors – like ASICs and MCUs – to these more sophisticated FPGAs. However, as is often the case, increased complexity can bring to light new challenges, and designers rely on software tools to efficiently implement designs that maximize the advanced capabilities of the FPGA devices. Lattice Radiant® software offer...

Over the past few years, we’ve continued to see disruptive advancements like AI models including natural language processing, computer vision, and other workloads come to market. As these technological innovations grow, both in popularity and computational throughput, the demands and importance of advanced, complex system design and system control architecture will only increase further. In our latest LinkedIn Live panel discussion, the Lattice team sat down with Bob O’Donnell, Pre...

Over the last few years, we’ve seen dramatic evolutions of large cellular networks on several different fronts. Most notably, of course, has been the transition to 5G, a faster, more responsive and more powerful network architecture. 5G has enabled faster download speeds, opened up new applications like Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) mobile broadband, and is poised to bring important new innovations like network slicing to companies around the world. Another big move that coincided with the l...

Designing and implementing a complex solution on an FPGA can be tricky. The learning curve for first-time FPGA users can be steep and advancing deeper into FPGA design techniques require time and effort. At Lattice Semiconductor, we want to make your journey of learning and designing with FPGAs a seamless and gratifying experience. Lattice Insights, the official training academy for Lattice Semiconductor, is created to enable that experience - to empower FPGA developers to fully utilize Lattice...

Over the past few years, we’ve seen disruptive advancements in AI models – now more than ever with the rise of generative AI tools in the market such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Bard, and other new models being announced daily. AI models including natural language processing, computer vision, and other workloads that will drive further proliferation of AI, but this requires the system infrastructure to keep up as the system control complexity grows in parallel with memo...

As we continue to embrace the fast evolving technology in our daily lives, we must also recognize and mitigate the risks that come with it – particularly when it comes to keeping our information secure. Amidst these technological enhancements and challenges, there are two major trends that stand out: Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC) and cyber resilience. The rapid growth of the IoT ecosystem, fueled in part by the rise of 5G, has created a complex and highly distributed network of devices ...

Embedded World is one of the tech industry’s largest tradeshows focusing on embedded systems ranging from hardware, systems, distribution, application software, and more. We’re excited to share with you the latest Lattice innovations we had on display at the show this year. From cutting-edge hardware to sophisticated software solutions, we collaborated with our ecosystem partners to showcase demos covering a wide range of applications, including Automotive, Industrial, and Security. ...

There’s a lot of recent buzz around Industry 4.0, a common term used to describe the increasing digitization, automation, and connected computing intelligence that’s emerging in the manufacturing industry. With Industry 4.0, the value and capabilities of cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), secure connectivity, and AI have the potential to come together to bring about smarter, more reliable, and more efficient operations in manufacturing. However, with the rise of Industry...

Today, we are seeing 5G Open Radio Access Network (ORAN) change the landscape of cellular and mobile networks. Specifically, the opening, disaggregation, and virtualization of the RAN architecture is creating a paradigm shift in the mobile network infrastructure. Many functions of the traditional RAN network are being de-coupled between the hardware and software components. This decoupling of functions is bringing about flexibility and innovation to the network deployments as hardware and softwa...

In today’s highly competitive technology industry, being first to market can mean the difference between success or failure. However, getting to market fast comes with its challenges, particularly when it comes to system and application design. With the increasing proliferation of AI, Edge computing, cybersecurity threats, and automation, now more than ever, designers need the freedom to tweak and fine-tune their design’s throughout its development cycle. The components system archi...

The increasingly autonomous nature of vehicles is a major trending topic in the Automotive industry and, despite the challenges the industry faced during the pandemic, the disruptive technologies behind autonomous features have advanced dramatically in recent years. Earlier this year, McKinsey & Company issued a report on how advanced autonomous features in vehicles brings enormous growth potential not just for consumers or the manufacturers, but also to transform transportation and society ...

The past decade has brought about some incredible innovations to the industrial technology sector. From artificial intelligence and cloud computing to the Internet of Things (IoT) and 3D printing, these advancements are all part of Industry 4.0 – the fourth industrial revolution that focuses heavily on interconnectivity, automation, and real-time data. Due to this increased interconnectedness, particularly between sectors like technology and manufacturing, Industry 4.0 has also had a mass...

As the low power programmable leader, sustainability is a core guiding principle for product innovation at Lattice. Over the past few years, we’ve proudly partnered with Swissloop to support their Hyperloop research. It has been another year of milestones for the student organization. Read on for an update on the team’s 2022 program and award-winning work from Swissloop leaders, Roger Barton, and Hanno Hiss. The Swissloop team Swissloop is a student organization at ETH Züric...

As we begin 2023, I realized that this year is my 27th Year in semiconductors with a focus on Aerospace and Defense (A&D). One of my proudest accomplishments during this time is the impacts I’ve had on the end states for military forces, which continue to this day in my work at Lattice. Did you know that 72 percent of all A&D platforms (Radar, Electronic Warfare, military communications software defined radio, etc.) use FPGAs and FPGAs represent approximately 35 percent of the U.S....

One of the hottest topics in tech is the concept of Industry 4.0, which essentially refers to digitization, automation, and connected computing intelligence being brought to the world of manufacturing. The idea is to blend the value and capabilities of cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) together in a way that allows for smarter, more reliable, and more efficient operations in manufacturing and other industrial environments. An essential part of the Indust...

Organizations face more cyberattacks today than ever before as cyber criminals and bad actors develop new ways to attack systems with each new software and hardware device deployed. In fact, a 2021 Cyber Resilient Organization Study found that 61% of respondents were forced to pay the ransom in a ransomware attack. This metric underscores the fact that being cybersecure is no longer enough, companies today must also be cyber resilient so they can quickly respond to and recover from attacks as th...

It’s no secret that Edge computing continues to experience rapid growth as enterprises seek lower latency, and more secure and private processing than centralized cloud datacenters can provide. Billions of Edge compute devices are being deployed in the market, and they’re only getting more advanced with time. Advancements in machine learning and deep neural networks have helped pave the way for this trend, enabling more intelligence to be processed at faster speeds than ever before....

“Enormous amounts of data are being generated every day by billions of connected sensors, devices, and systems supported by AI algorithms, creating an accelerated need for intelligence at the Edge. This trend requires developers and OEMs to look for more flexible and adaptable solutions.” Pat Moorhead, CEO and Chief Analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy Companies today are challenged by a fast-evolving technology landscape, a seemingly insatiable hunger for more connectedness a...

As public cloud servers and edge computing systems proliferate throughout the datacenter landscape, the importance of security, power efficiency, and overall system performance grows. The rise of IoT and 5G connections demand immense processing capabilities and add pressure to servers like never before. And with quantum computing shaping up to come online by the end of the decade, system designers find themselves tasked with keeping up with these demands as securely and efficiently as possible. ...

Ahead of National Cybersecurity Awareness month in October, Lattice held its latest security seminar focusing on the evolving security landscape of 5G networks and ORAN. If you missed the live event, you can watch a recording of the “Reimagining Telecom Security Solutions for 5G Networks & ORAN with FPGAs” seminar here, or read on to explore some of the highlights. Centralized network security models of the past are becoming increasingly vulnerable as the rollout of 5G and ORAN c...

One of the many interesting things we all learned during the pandemic is that supply chains can cause problems for lots of people. Automotive industry supply chains in particular are, well, really complicated. Even general consumers started to learn how important semiconductors are to the production of today’s increasingly intelligent cars and how, if chips are in short supply, vehicles can’t get produced. What they probably didn’t quite get to is what a critical role FPGAs pla...

With the increasing mandates for and adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles (EV), the demand for automotive applications development from power management maximizing battery life, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and human-machine interfaces (HMIs) for infotainment systems that support technologies like voice control and gesture recognition features are growing significantly. Car manufacturers are exploring the use of in-cabin vision systems and AI for a variety of use cases. Some e...

Every year, PC manufacturers introduce an array of new laptops packed with the latest technologies and features, all designed to deliver great user experiences. Historically, these came in the form of form factor innovations, screen enhancements, and user interface improvements. However, the growing popularity of AI (artificial intelligence) and ML (machine learning) has opened a new world of possibilities and PC manufacturers and ecosystem giants are all looking for ways to add these advance ne...

At this year’s Embedded World 2022, Lattice presented a keynote address by Steve Douglass, head of R&D, the importance of flexibility and adaptability in embedded system design – both at the software layer and the hardware layer – to keep pace with the major technology trends of today and tomorrow. This blog provides a high-level recap of the presentation. We are living in a time in our industry with some of the most profound changes in technology that are fundamentally re...

On-device AI inference capability is expected to reach 60% of all devices by 2024, according to ABI Research. This underscores the rapid speed of AI innovation to take place in the last few years that has required engineers to come up with flexible design models as they transition from the cloud to the edge. The trend is driven by advances in ultra-low latency, security, bandwidth limitations, and privacy. Lattice FPGAs and software solutions help enable acceleration of future models with exist...

Lattice’s latest security seminar, during which we were joined by our partner AMI focused on cybersecurity topics for firmware and supply chain protection in the compute and datacenter applications. If you missed the live event, you can watch a recording of the “Cyber Resiliency for Firmware Protections & Supply Chain Security” seminar here, or read on to explore some of the highlights. Today’s global supply chain has become a very fragile and brittle environment as ...

The importance and adoption of FPGA technologies are growing exponentially in space applications thanks to their on-orbit reconfigurability, responsiveness, and flexibility. This is especially true for the latest space application development aimed at Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Operators in LEO typically deploy fleets of satellites to perform applications from ship and asset tracking to weather, environment, and ecosystem monitoring. However, developing applications for space brings challenges ...

At two of the most important connectivity conferences in the world this year, Mobile World Congress 2022 and ETSI (the European Telecommunications Standards Institute) Cyber Security Standards Conference, one topic was top-of-mind for everyone in attendance: open radio access networks, or ORAN. Projected to become a $22 billion market by 2028, this year is an inflection point for the industry, with outlets like Forbes citing 2022 as the decision-making year for ORAN capabilities in the marketpla...

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted industries and economies across the globe, pushing a large portion of formerly office-based workforces into remote-work setups. A large segment of the workforce becoming decentralized put immense pressure on servers, datacenters, networks, and communication systems, at large. In America, for example, 71% of workers doing their jobs from home all or most of the time put a strain on connectivity and created a more reliance on services in the cloud, as well as 5G and...

The importance of AI and ML, the rise of edge computing, and the need for flexible programming in AI. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the biggest buzzwords in the technology industry today and is often thought of in broad terms to describe connected “smart” technology. However, when you think about all the different features enabled by AI and the outcomes AI solutions are designed to deliver, it becomes clear that the AI landscape and AI development is incredibly complex. The ...

In the electronics industry, time-to-market is invaluable. Learn how Lattice software tools like Lattice Propel™, Lattice Diamond™, and Lattice Radiant™ enable customers to bring their products to market faster. Today’s electronics industry is tremendously competitive. Electronic systems are more common than ever in both consumer and commercial products across a range of markets and applications. Further complicating the landscape is the growing need for hardware flexibi...

The global smart toy market is projected to grow to nearly $70 billion by 2026, per Transparency Market Research. Smart toys take a variety of shapes, like electronic pets, robots, smart train kits, and more. When you hear the word toy, you likely automatically think these are for kids, however some are developed specifically targeting older generations. The current senior toy marketplace contains products that range in utility from providing companionship to increasing cognitive skills to facil...

The world has become in many ways more fragile, and a quick look into recent Supply Chain issues highlights this very well. The global growth of interdependencies and complexities of enterprises has introduced fragility into many cyber-systems. Cybersecurity has been top of mind for years across all markets and industries, but we’ve reached an inflection point. Cyberattacks have continued to grow in velocity and veracity as bad actors find new invasive ways to penetrate systems and take ad...

A new space race is officially upon us, one that brings the “Final Frontier” much closer to home than ever before. While we regularly see headlines about shuttle launches, there is another space application that’s much more common today – the growing number of satellites occupying the space sector known as “low Earth orbit,” aka “LEO.” This is where most of the “action” is taking place, making what once seemed remote and inaccessible to...

Security is an increasingly important consideration for design engineers across all technology applications as the frequency and sophistication of cyber and physical attacks increases. In the aerospace and defense industry, robust hardware security is mission critical to field success and for protecting sensitive information. Security is a top priority at Lattice and is part of what makes Lattice the FPGA industry leader. Today our security offerings span hardware, software, solution stacks, and...

Traditionally, FPGA design was simple. Designers set a basic clock constraint that was propagated across the chip. But now, FPGA designs have become much more complex. There are multiple clocks, and relationships between those clocks. There may be clock domain crossings that need to be accounted for. So, FPGA design tools today must feature much greater analysis capabilities to show the designer, for example, where those clock domain crossings are, to be able to constrain for multiple clocks, an...

One of the most exciting topics in the tech world is Artificial Intelligence, or AI. From its science-fiction like promise of intelligent machines to its more practical implementations as additional smarts in connected devices, AI is one of the most powerful technologies now available. But, as the well-known Peter Parker principle dictates, “With great power comes great responsibility” and so it is with AI. Companies building AI-enabled products and services, in particular, have star...

The AI/ML revolution continues to gain traction across multiple applications, particularly Edge applications. Edge devices like security cameras, robots, industrial equipment, Client PCs, and even toys can now support AI/ML capabilities that provide users with new capabilities and experiences. According to industry analyst firm ABI Research, the Edge AI chipset market “has experienced strong growth in the past and is expected to continue to grow to US$71 billion by 2024, with a CAGR of 31%...

Lattice low power FPGA technology helped the Swissloop design team engineer an award-winning hyperloop pod.

This blog post focuses on how to implement a clock domain SPI interface between a DAC and a Lattice FPGA.

Combining Micron LPDDR4 memory with Lattice FPGAs can enable Edge applications with low power consumption and strong performance characteristics.

This blog post focuses on how to implement a two clock domain SPI interface between a DAC and a Lattice FPGA.

Lattice Certus-NX general purpose FPGA family now offers automotive grade versions of its FPGAs that are AEC-Q100 qualified for use in wide range of automotive applications.

Learn how FPGAs can help address size, weight, power, and cost challenges for aerospace and defense applications.

In a virtual seminar on cyber security trends and standards in automotive FPGAs, Lattice Semiconductor highlighted how OEMs can keep Lattice FPGAs used in automotive applications secured against cyber attack as they move through the global supply chain.

Lattice is committed to helping our customers in the defense market to ensure they have the support they need to keep legacy defense systems available after components are discontinued.

Enhancements to version 4.0 of the award-winngin Lattice sensAI solution stack include support for the Lattice Propel design environment and the Lattice sensAI Studio design environment for end-to-end ML model training, validation, and compilation.

Lattice FPGAs are ideal for sensor fusion applications because their programmable fabric can be configured to perform sensor processing algorithms in a massively parallel fashion.

Lattice CrossLink-NX automotive FPGAs can help reduce the overall system cost of automotive smart vision systems for ADAS and in-vehicle infotainment (ICI) applications.

Lattice Mach-NX secure control FPGAs help datacenters and servers protect, detect, and recover from attacks against system firmware.

Lattice CrossLink-NX FPGAs deliver class-leading low power, instant-on performance, and reliability to compute, industrial, automotive, and consumer applications.

Lattice’s low power, small form factor FPGAs and easy-to-use design software make implementing IoT applications a breeze.

Lattice Certus-NX FPGAs reinvent the general purpose, low power FPGA by delivering twice the I/O density per mm² of similar competing FPGAs.

The Lattice Propel design environment lets hardware and software developers quickly and easily develop Lattice FPGA-based applications in minutes.

Low power Lattice FPGAs can enable new AI-powered laptops that improve productivity, security, battery life, and enable compelling new form factors.

The Lattice sensAI solution stack for always-on Edge AI applications is available on the Lattice CrossLink-NX family of FPGAs to enable fast and easy development of low power, smart visions systems for the industrial, automotive, and IoT markets.

Read the latest consumer news from Lattice: CrossLink reference designs boost design options, CrossLink-NX: unmatched design versatility, Lattice mVision Solutions Stack accelerates embedded vision development.

It’s not so long ago that systems equipped with embedded vision capabilities were physically huge and ferociously expensive. As recently as 10 years ago, few people would have believed that things like home doorbells would be vision-enabled, yet now...

Not all FPGAs are the same. Some FPGAs feature lightweight, low-power designs and can draw as little as one milliwatt (1/1000th of a watt).

Read the latest industrial and automotive news from Lattice: CrossLink-NX FPGA brings benefits to Lattice Nexus Platform, Radiant 2.0 adds key enhancement.

One of the truisms of modern business is that as industries mature, they tend to specialize. Customer demands typically become more sophisticated over time and that leads to products optimized to meet those specific needs.

As the leader in low power programmability, Lattice has set the standard for what low power, small form factor FPGAs can do in terms of performance and power consumption. We earned and maintained that position through a culture committed to customer support and consultation. For example, before we began active development of the Lattice Nexus platform, we met over 100 different customer design teams to get their input on the

Read the latest industrial and automotive news from Lattice: Enhanced sensAI stack packs 10X performance boost, Integrate AI into smart applications, CrossLink FPGA simplifies use of embedded vision, Lattice showcases sensAI at Microsoft Hackathon.

We live in an increasingly connected world, filled with communication systems, cloud computing and Edge devices working together to increase safety, comfort and convenience. But with that connectivity comes risk. We’re all familiar with how hackers exploit vulnerabilities in software to illegitimately access systems, but hardware is also vulnerable.

We’ve published a couple blog posts exploring how support for AI-powered imaging systems in embedded devices operating at the network edge can benefit specific applications in smart factories and smart homes. But embedded vision can also benefit the retail customer experience.

How often is low power the determining factor for success? Certainly when designing solutions for AI inferencing in always-on edge devices, the power consumption must be measurable in milliwatts. Think about it: AI at the edge solves real world problems, and is – or very soon will be – everywhere.

There is an emerging, though not widely known attack vector for hacking a server: firmware. Last month, researchers at ESET published a report on Lojax, a rootkit (firmware hacking tool) believed to have been developed by Sednit, the notorious cyberespionage group linked to Russian military intelligence.

A new generation of AI-based edge computing applications demand a wide range of performance requirements. But how can developers build edge solutions that consume little power and occupy minimal footprint at low cost without compromising performance?

Over recent decades system design has evolved from one processing topology to another, from centralized to distributed architectures and back again in a constant search for the ideal solution.

New Technology Promises to Accelerate Deployment of Machine Learning Inferencing Across Mass Market, Low-power IoT Applications

You may be asking yourself, “What does a nineteenth century architect have to do with FPGAs?” A key decision facing many system architects is which FPGA families to use in their next project. Lattice currently offers four classes of FPGAs: iCE, ECP, Mach and CrossLink. It is often tempting to think of FPGAs as just a blank canvas, ready to be filled with digital logic.

We recently introduced our next generation FPGA design software: Lattice Radiant software. Embracing our corporate mission of enabling edge connectivity and computing designs, the Radiant software was specifically created for the development of edge applications. It is a full-featured FPGA design tool suite and yet simple to use.

On December 21, 1983, a young engineer with a long mullet and bell-bottoms flew to Portland, Oregon to join a start-up, Lattice Semiconductor, as employee #31. He left a steady job at Harris Corp. in Melbourne, Florida to go where he thought he could have the most significant impact. Lattice was a using an EEPROM technology that he had an idea for.

The first “computer” I ever owned was a slide rule. By today’s standards you could say my pencil served as my terminal and the slide rule was my computing agent. People laugh about it now, but my trusty slide rule served its purpose. In the business world, server-based computing was all the rage. Those early systems represented some of the first centralized computing architectures.

I keep running into engineers who say “we can’t use FPGAs because they are too big, power hungry, and expensive!” While that’s true for many FPGAs, there are some FPGAs which defy the size, power, and cost stereotype. Thanks to these pioneers, FPGAs are no longer limited to network centers and are now becoming pervasive in edge devices you interact with daily.

Building designs around state of the art microcontrollers and embedded processors brings along a specific challenge: not enough I/Os and interfaces. Today’s embedded systems have more real-time data and control requirements than ever.

In our continuous quest to provide our users with the best design tools possible, we are very excited to announce the latest release of the Lattice Diamond software. The Diamond 3.10 software continues to focus on low power consumption with various power-aware design methods, supports a broader range of automotive products, and offers increased productivity and better user experience via the improved logic analyzer tool.

Imagine you’ve been given the responsibility to develop a new video bridging solution. Initially, you have a specific application in mind, but as cameras emerge in a growing number of intelligent applications, ranging from object recognition and depth perception to lane detection and collision avoidance, you know you will need prototypes for a wider variety of functions.

In this 6 part series we are looking at the challenges of implementing an efficient power management architecture in today’s complex circuit board designs.

The first time I read Isaac Asimov's I, Robot as a teenager, I was instantly fascinated by the humanoid robots in the stories. These machines could see, hear and interact with the surrounding world with human-like abilities. These astonishing capabilities fed my imagination. I even recall asking my dad if these machines could really “see.” Now, as an engineer, I understand the importance of machine vision and the power of "sight” for robotics.

In our 5^th post, we will look at one final attempt to develop an efficient power management solution for a modern circuit board. In this model we have come full circle. The control PLD is back in charge of all power management functions.

CSI-2 cameras are a hot commodity. Driven by new regulations requiring backup cameras on new cars and continual improvements in camera-based Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) functions, the global vehicle camera market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11 percent between 2015 and 2020. Growth in the camera market is also driven by the rapidly escalating use of drones, which market research firm Radiant Insights expects to jump from $2B in 2016 to over $21B by 2022.

It’s tough being a mobile designer. Whenever new and exciting functionalities are identified, it is up to them to figure out how to implement those new elements into an already “crowded” design. Take a smartphone and new always-on monitoring functionality, for example. Every sensor the designer adds to support always-on monitoring and context awareness must continuously send data to the applications processor (AP).

Our previous post covered a hybrid architecture, where the control PLD was splitting the power management responsibilities with a dedicated power manager IC. This next option is used by some designs to replace the dedicated power manager IC with a software driven MCU.

Many of today’s most extraordinary inventions have been developed by independent makers, inventors, designers and tinkerers, who used collaborative tools and knowledge to create exciting, new products.

Over my 28 year career in tech, I have learned that it takes much more than just an engineering degree to change the world. The people who succeed and advance in my field are innovators, who always find creative ways to solve problems and achieve their goals.

In our last post, we looked at an architecture where the control PLD controlled all of the power management functionality and identified any weaknesses around congestion and crosstalk. Today, we will review a hybrid architecture that attempts to solve the congestion/crosstalk problems by ...

For many consumers, smart speakers are the gateway device to smart home management. Using these elegant devices, users can control their music, quickly order staple items online, and get answers to burning questions through the power of the Internet.

I grew up in India and my first car was an old white 80’s Suzuki 800 cc that belonged to my parents. It was very basic and didn’t even have a radio because my father thought it was a distraction.

In this 6-part series, we are looking at the challenges of implementing an efficient power management architecture in today’s complex circuit board designs.

The consumer’s desire for new technology is insatiable. To meet this demand, engineers are constantly striving to make things smaller, faster, cheaper, and better. As sizes shrink and complexity increases, we often find that techniques that have served us well for a long time no longer meet our needs. We must evolve alongside our designs.

The pieces are falling into place for the Virtual Reality (VR) market. As designers move to higher bandwidth designs, integrate higher resolution displays, reduce system latency, and improve gesture and head tracking, they are beginning to deliver truly immersive experiences to VR users. And as new technologies mature and more systems come to market, industry analysts are beginning to quote some compelling numbers.

How many times have you seen this scene in a movie or police procedural? The police is reviewing footage looking for a suspect and think they have found him. The detective leans over the shoulder of the tech and asks to zoom in closer on the face of the suspect. Suddenly the blurry image resolves into a crystal clear image of the perpetrator’s face. It’s one of the most common tropes in Hollywood; and it’s completely fake.

Change is constant for embedded video system designers. Over the last few years designers have seen systems that incorporate mobile application processors with an entirely new level of capability, the adoption of new standard interfaces originally developed for the mobile consumer market, and the introduction of a new generation of lower cost image sensors and displays.

Today’s designers face a major challenge: How do I pack more functionality into a board, and do it faster and cheaper? The go-to approach to solving this problem is to implement data path or payload functions using highly integrated ASICs and SoCs. However, the design is not complete by simply connecting all the large devices together.

It is hard to overstate the importance of the modern industrial production line. Virtually every product you own was crafted in whole or in part using this sort of technique. Yet from the earliest days industrialization has brought risks for the workers.