Top 10 Electronic Design articles of 2025

These 10 articles from our partner publication, Electronic Design, will enable a comprehensive understanding of the shift toward a more modular and flexible industrial computing landscape. The coverage of the modular industrial Raspberry Pi and the NVidia Jetson AGX Orin/Thor platforms illustrates how consumer-grade innovation is being ruggedized for the factory floor. These technologies allow engineers to move toward open-source, scalable architectures that support rapid prototyping and high-performance edge artificial intelligence (AI). By leveraging modular carrier boards and stackable form factors like PCIe/104, engineers can customize their control systems with specific I/O and processing power without the overhead of designing a custom printed circuit board (PCB) from scratch.

Industrial networking is evolving, specifically with the implementation of time-sensitive networking (TSN). The articles detail how TSN transforms standard Ethernet into a deterministic medium capable of meeting the strict timing requirements of real-time control. This is vital for modern automation, as it allows for the convergence of high-bandwidth IT data and time-critical operational technology (OT) traffic on a single cable. Understanding the nuances of TSN—such as synchronization via IEEE 1588 and traffic shaping—enables engineers to design more efficient, interoperable networks that eliminate the traditional islands of automation.

The transition to single-pair Ethernet (SPE) and 10BASE-T1L represents another significant learning point, offering a solution for the last mile of industrial connectivity. Engineers will discover how SPE reduces wiring complexity, weight and cost by using just two wires to deliver both data and power over distances up to 1,000 m. This standard effectively bridges the gap between simple field sensors and the broader Ethernet network, allowing for seamless end-to-end IP communication. By understanding these physical layer advancements, a controls engineer can plan for more reliable, long-range links that are easier to install and maintain than traditional multi-pair or serial alternatives.

Get your subscription to Control Design’s daily newsletter.

Finally, this collection of articles from Electronic Design provides essential technical insights into hardware protection and historical context that informs modern design choices. The comparison between power over Ethernet (PoE) and power over data line (PoDL) equips engineers with the knowledge to implement proper circuit protection for sensitive electronics in harsh environments. Furthermore, the then-and-now perspective on minicomputers serves as a reminder of the industry’s cyclical nature, where the move from centralized mainframes to distributed minicomputers mirrors today's shift toward edge intelligence. Collectively, these articles prepare a controls engineer to navigate the convergence of AI, deterministic networking and simplified physical infrastructure to build the next generation of smart manufacturing systems.

Top 10 Electronic Design articles for machine builders and system integrators:

1. Modular Industrial Raspberry Pi Delivers Flexible Customization
2. Jetson Thor AI Comes to Industrial Robotics via Controller Platform
3. Now and Then: Minicomputers
4. Time for Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN)
5. Rugged PCIe/104 SBC Sports 3-Bank PCIe Stacking
6. Modular AGX Orin Carrier Board Speeds Prototyping
7. Inside Electronics: Time-Sensitive Networking Podcasts
8. Single-Pair Ethernet (SPE)
9. 10BASE-T1L Single-Pair Ethernet Cable Reach and Link Performance
10. Differences in Protection: Power over Ethernet vs. Power over Data Line