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

Connected, smart robots are doing, learning, and even teaching more tasks and processes than ever, with less programming than ever, thanks to AI. At a time when one must lament the dearth of human intelligence being applied to some of the most existential challenges humans have ever faced, artificial intelligence is beginning to have anRead 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

New optical cables, advanced modulation technology, and improved high-density multi-fiber connectors mean that we may be closer than ever to the Shannon Limit. Copper PCB traces and cables have ruled the world of high-speed data transmission by continuing to find ways to reduce signal attenuation, distortion, and sensitivity to external interference. Long predicted to beRead 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

The rescheduled, relocated DesignCon was heavily impacted by the ongoing pandemic. However, high-speed innovation appears to be unstoppable. Bob Hult shares his observations on the 26th annual event and new connector products introduced. DesignCon 2021 was unlike any of the previous 25 years’ events. The continuing prevalence of COVID-19 resulted in the rescheduling of theRead More

The rise of connected car technologies will have enormous implications for the way people and goods travel. This mass exchange of data will create business efficiencies, safer travels, and faster deliveries. But persistent challenges remain before these technologies can be fully implemented. Not so long ago, the only wireless links in a car were theRead More

In a highly successful online format, OFC presents the latest developments in 5G communications, intelligent transportation systems, AI, Industry 4.0, quantum computing, and other high-speed technologies that depend on optical networks. The OFC Conference and Exhibition has been the go-to event for the optics industry since 1979. This forum provides technologists, engineers, product managers, andRead 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

Enhanced versions of pluggable I/O connectors are providing a clear migration path from current 40 and 100 Gb/s Ethernet and InfiniBand EDR specifications to 800 Gb and beyond. A spectacular escalation of data rates has been a hallmark of computing equipment over the past 50+ years. The ability to create literally billions of transistors onRead 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