- 02/23/2026
- Expert knowledge
- Hardware Design
embedded award 2026: Hardware nominees
Increasing softwareisation does not change the fact that hardware platforms are the basis for every embedded system. The fact that this category had the most entries for the embedded award this year underlines the importance of embedded hardware products. These three nominees convinced our jury.
An on site electrochemical impedance tool, a processor platform that unifies fragmented automotive ECUs, and a modular antenna enabling wireless communication in fully sealed metal enclosures
eiscube & ioneis cloud
Exhibitor: ioncentric
Hall/Booth: 5-282
The eiscube closes a critical gap in today’s battery and electronic systems by enabling Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) directly in the field. While traditional methods such as voltage or DCIR measurements provide only rough status indicators, EIS “looks” inside the cell and detects degradation, reaction resistance, and safety relevant changes at an early stage. This transforms maintenance from reactive to truly predictive and significantly extends the lifetime of electronic and electrochemical systems.
All measurement data is processed directly on the device, cryptographically signed, and transmitted in a tamper proof manner. Through the ioneis cloud, the data feeds into analytics, digital product passports, and automated lifecycle documentation.
The combination of EIS intelligence at the edge and zero trust communication is unique in the market. It enables precise, autonomous diagnostics outside of laboratory environments—for batteries, converters, inverters, and motors. A European patent is currently being prepared to protect the underlying process.
With modular, repairable hardware and trustworthy lifecycle data, the eiscube supports sustainable value chains, reduces material consumption, and extends the usable life of industrial assets.
S32N7 Super-Integration Processor Series for Software-Defined Vehicles
Exhibitor: NXP Semiconductors
Hall/Booth: 4A–222
The S32N7 processor series breaks the fragmentation of today’s vehicle architectures, where motion, body, gateway, and ADAS functions run on separate ECUs. Instead of isolated domain silos, the S32N7 consolidates up to eight domains on a single platform—with hardware enforced isolation, deterministic real time performance, and integrated edge AI. This allows OEMs to orchestrate data and functions across the entire vehicle, accelerate innovation, and reduce total cost of ownership by up to 20%.
The processor combines 12 Arm R52 cores (1.4 GHz), an always on low power island, an AI acceleration unit, and a many core RISC V block for parallel tasks such as analytics, sensor fusion, and virtual sensors. An integrated PCIe backbone enables scalable upgrades without redesigning the ECU and ensures seamless connectivity to ADAS, IVI, and AI SoCs.
Its USP is a unique cross domain architecture with true hardware level partitioning that securely runs safety critical real time functions, adaptive applications, and AI extensions in parallel. A family of fully compatible SoC variants ensures optimal scalability across all vehicle segments.
By replacing multiple standalone ECUs with one highly integrated processor, the S32N7 significantly reduces material usage, wiring, weight, and energy consumption—supporting more sustainable vehicle architectures.
FERRAD - Modular Antenna System with Tuning Element and Housing Based Radiation
Exhibitor: Synzen Precision Technology Ltd
Hall/Booth: 3-411
FERRAD is a modular, patent pending antenna system that enables stable wireless communication inside completely sealed metal housings—without plastic windows, openings, or structural compromises. While conventional internal antennas detune, lose efficiency, or fail entirely inside metal enclosures, FERRAD transforms the housing itself into an active part of the radiating system, preserving the full robustness of an uninterrupted metal design.
A tuned PCB element couples RF energy into the enclosure using simple mechanical contacts such as screws, pogo pins, or spring pins. Adaptive matching networks ensure stable performance across key frequency bands including Wi Fi 7 (2.4/5/6 GHz), LTE, and 5G sub 6 GHz. Throughout this process, the enclosure remains fully metallic and DC grounded, maintaining mechanical strength, EMC behavior, and electrical safety.
Compared with solutions that require external antennas, plastic windows, or segmented frames, FERRAD offers a completely internal and structurally uncompromised architecture. It scales across different enclosure sizes, materials, and applications, preserving design freedom while delivering predictable RF performance.
By reducing material usage, eliminating composite housing elements, and simplifying recycling through a single material enclosure, FERRAD supports sustainable product design. It ensures consistent, repeatable wireless performance even in demanding environments—ideal for industrial IoT, robotics, automotive, and defense applications.