Hyperscale data centers around the globe are in the middle of a foundational transformation that is changing the way data is communicated both internally and externally. Copper cables have traditionally served most network links between servers, routers, and switches. With data centers that are now measured in acres and house several hundred thousand devices, systemRead More

The well-attended event featured coax and waveguide technology for 220 GHz applications, plus presentations and exhibits on terahertz and quantum technologies. The International Microwave Symposium (IMS), the foremost symposium for high frequency communications, test equipment, and microwave IC/chips, met in person at the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver June 19-24 as part of MicrowaveRead More

The 2020s will be a decade of transformation in every aspect of life. In 2022, we’ll see technology continue to play a role in solving humanity’s challenges. We entered 2021 with the expectation that the COVID-19 pandemic would recede and the world’s people and economies would be on the road to normalcy. Multiple highly effective vaccines became availableRead More

From rabbit ears to streaming sticks and smart TVs, the technologies that bring us broadcast programming expand our access to everything all of the time. This is the 12th and last installment of the Technology Trends series by Bob Hult, a series of articles that review leading technology trends that have had a significant impact onRead More

After more than 50 years of miniaturization, the transistor and Moore’s Law may be nearing their technical and economic limits. However, new innovations in silicon photonics promise to extend the evolutionary timeline into the future.  This is the eleventh in a series of articles that review leading technology trends that have had a significant impactRead More

Backplanes using copper conductors have come a long way over the past 50 years and will likely remain the most common form of system architecture well into the future. This is the 10th installment in the Technology Trends series by Bob Hult, a collection of articles that review leading technology trends that have had a significantRead More

Bob Hult looks at how a commitment to backward compatibility, choice of copper and fiber optic media, and adoption of new signaling protocols have enabled Ethernet to keep pace with increasing bandwidth demands. This is the eighth installment in the Technology Trends series by Bob Hult, a collection of articles that review leading technology trends thatRead More

Sometimes a custom connector design will remain a limited-use product. Other times, it may become a popular proprietary connector. In some instances, the evolution continues and the connector experiences widespread use as a commercial or open-source product. This is the eighth installment in the Technology Trends series by Bob Hult, a collection of articles thatRead More

A new generation of the PCIe specification is arriving this year, just in time to keep up with the growing demand for data fueled by 5G, cloud computing, AI, and other data-intensive connected technologies. This seventh installment in the Technology Trends series by Bob Hult, a collection of articles that review leading technology trends thatRead More

The rise of the internet spawned the incredible growth of central data centers. Initially a key tool for companies that could not afford the hardware or expertise required to operate their own facility, data centers ultimately opened the door to consumer internet access. This sixth installment in the Technology Trends series by Bob Hult, a collectionRead More

This is the fifth installment in a series of articles that address leading technology trends that have had a significant impact on the electronic connector industry over the past 20 years. This latest installment in the Technology Trends series by Bob Hult examines the trends and technologies that have pushed copper to the limits and ushered inRead More

The connector industry continues to refine backplane and I/O connectors to provide a migration path to the next generation of high-speed architectures. This is the fourth in a series of articles that review leading technology trends that have had a significant impact on the electronic connector industry. high-speed 112Gb/s 3.125Gb/s NRZ to 112Gb/s PAM4 ItRead More