Electronic Specifier's Weekly Newsletter!

Happy Friday! You know what that means – it's podcast day! ?? As a special treat to kick off the weekend, we are thrilled to share with you some of our most beloved episodes from our Electronic Specifier Insights Podcast. ??? Whether you're diving into the latest trends or seeking expert insights, these episodes are packed with valuable content for electronic specifiers and enthusiasts alike. Dive in and let us know which one resonates with you the most!

Series 13 – Episode 8 – Automotive insights from u-blox CEO

Paige West speaks with u-blox’s new CEO, Stephan Zizala , about the company, his plans for its future growth, and how the automotive industry is evolving.

u-blox has established itself as a pivotal player in the realm of wireless connectivity and positioning solutions. The company, founded in 1997 as a spin-off from ETH Zurich, has made significant strides in the automotive, industrial, and healthcare sectors. In the past year, u-blox reported a commendable revenue of ￡624 million, with a global presence through its 1,400 employees spread across 33 locations.

The new CEO of u-blox, who took office on 1 January 2023, brings a wealth of experience from a career rooted in semiconductors, notably with Infineon. His expertise in microcontrollers and power discretes, particularly in car electrification, aligns well with u-blox's focus on sustainable and autonomous driving solutions.

Read more and listen here!

Series 13 – Episode 10 – Amplifying women's voices in the electronics industry

Paige West speaks with Linda Johnson , Executive VP Operations, DigiKey about her experiences in the electronics industry and her work with Women in Electronics .

Linda, who has spent 36 years at DigiKey, began her career when the company had fewer than 100 employees. Her initial roles involved learning various aspects of the business, from picking and packaging to customer support.

Reflecting on the early days at DigiKey, Linda noted the male dominance in the industry, especially in technical and supplier-facing roles. However, she also acknowledged the presence of strong female leadership within DigiKey, emphasising the company's internal gender diversity over the years.

With her experience, Linda has witnessed a significant evolution in the industry, with more women and girls being encouraged to participate in STEM programmes, robotics, and engineering. This evolution, she believes, is crucial for expanding the talent pool and diversifying the sector.

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Series 13 – Episode 9 – Unveiling the Raspberry Pi 5 with Founder Eben Upton

Paige West speaks with Eben Upton , CEO and Founder, Raspberry Pi about the release of the new Raspberry Pi 5.

The Raspberry Pi platform has predominantly focused on quantitative upgrades, with the last significant feature addition being Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in 2016. The Raspberry Pi 5 embodies this philosophy, offering a performance roughly three times that of its predecessor. It boasts the ability to drive two 4K pP0 displays, double the USB bandwidth, enhanced camera and display bandwidth, and theoretical improvements in Wi-Fi and SD card speeds.

One striking aspect of the Raspberry Pi 5 is its user experience. Upton highlights that this edition is the first where a power user might forget they are not using a standard PC. The improvements in web browsing and multimedia performance significantly blur the lines between a traditional PC and the Raspberry Pi.

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Series 14 – Episode 2 – Image sensors: why image quality still matters

Paige West speaks with Geoff Ballew , Senior Marketing Director, Intelligent Sensing Group at 安森美半导体 about image quality in sensing technology.

With a career spanning several years in Silicon Valley, working for both large and small companies, Geoff’s expertise lies in aligning business growth with technological megatrends, particularly in the realm of image and depth sensors.

onsemi, as Geoff explains, stands out as a semiconductor device manufacturer, not just for its product range, but also for its unique approach to the market, especially in the sensor area. The company produces a variety of components, some simple, others complex, with sensors being among the more intricate. It has a flexible supply chain, allowing the company to manufacture in-house or source externally, depending on technology fit or capacity needs.

The conversation delved into why image quality remains a priority in the design process. For systems integrating cameras, image quality is the core function, capturing data that is sharp, fast, vibrant, and detailed. This quality serves the system's function, enhancing its performance, energy efficiency, and overall user experience.

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Series 14 – Episode 8 – Bringing factory automation to the masses

Paige West speaks with Adam Gluck , CEO and Founder, Copia Automation about bringing factory automation to the masses.

Adam’s career trajectory has been nothing short of remarkable. Starting as an early hire in Uber's driver engineering team, he witnessed the company's meteoric rise from a few hundred engineers to several thousand. His experience at Uber, dealing with massive scale and real-time data handling, laid a solid foundation for his later ventures. Adam moved on to a pivotal role in Uber’s engineering strategy team, where he played a crucial role in overhauling backend architectures and implementing cutting-edge DevOps practices.

Inspired by the challenges he encountered in Uber’s rapid scaling, Adam, alongside co-founder Matthew Lee, launched Copia Automation in 2020. Their mission was clear: to democratise factory automation by introducing robust, scalable DevOps solutions tailored for industrial environments. Copia Automation aims to address the 'cowboys and firefighters' approach traditionally seen in industrial settings, where changes are made ad-hoc and problems are dealt with reactively.

Read more and listen here!

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