May 2025

Watchdogs are essential system design components that reset systems for recovery. Originally standalone timer ASICs, they're now integrated into power management devices, voltage supervisors, and microcontrollers to enhance functional safety. This article explains various watchdog timers, their interactions, and design strategies for multiple watchdogs, particularly in functionally safe multicore systems requiring independence.RetryClaude can make mistakes. Please double-check responses.

Legal problems arise as a result of most recalls. These can take the form of regulatory problems, product liability lawsuits, retailer problems, and damage to a company’s brand reputation. Well before undertaking a recall, product sellers need to consider what problems might occur and what they need to do to minimize them.

This article will illustrate why it is necessary to introduce the control-oriented model to hazard-based safety engineering (HBSE), based on a typical large core switching fan-tray architecture design and related failure model. The authors also provide detailed design and evaluation guidelines, which can ensure the control of random hardware failure and avoid systematic failure (both hardware and software), then achieve the safety target (i.e., safety integrity level).

This column examines inductor impedance evaluation using S₂₁ parameters with network analyzers. Comparing two-port shunt and series methods across multiple inductors, it concludes that the two-port series method provides significantly more accurate measurements when compared with manufacturer data.

This article introduces an upcoming Technical Report (TR18) from the ESD Association on Electronic Design Automation checks. It details integrated ESD verification throughout IC design phases, covering schematic-based topological checks and layout-based verification to ensure comprehensive ESD protection in modern circuits.

This article explores a radiated emissions case where unexpected high-frequency noise appeared on low-speed I/O lines. The author discusses how power distribution network design issues can cause emissions problems and shares strategies for improving EMC performance through proper PCB layout.

This article introduces ANSI Z535.7, a new standard released in late 2024 addressing product safety information in electronic media. It complements existing ANSI standards by providing guidelines for digital formats, helping manufacturers create consistent safety messaging across both physical and electronic platforms.