Electronics News Roundup: Week of March 20, 2026
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Another week, another batch of exciting developments in the world of electronics, microcontrollers, and embedded systems. From AI-powered MCUs hitting the market to new Raspberry Pi boards pushing GPIO limits, there’s plenty to keep makers and engineers buzzing. Let’s dive into the five most interesting stories that caught our attention this week.
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Texas Instruments Launches AI-Enabled Microcontrollers with TinyEngine NPU
Texas Instruments dropped some serious hardware this week at Embedded World 2026 in Nuremberg, introducing two new microcontroller families that bring edge AI capabilities to a wider range of devices. The MSPM0G5187 and AM13Ex MCUs integrate TI’s TinyEngine neural processing unit (NPU), a dedicated hardware accelerator that can run AI models with up to 90 times lower latency and more than 120 times lower energy utilization compared to similar MCUs without an accelerator. That’s not a typo—we’re talking about dramatic efficiency gains that could make local AI inference practical in everything from wearable health monitors to home circuit breakers. The MSPM0G5187 is available for purchase now, with the AM13E23019 in preproduction quantities. TI’s also rolling out CCStudio Edge AI Studio with over 60 pre-configured AI models to help developers get started quickly. This is a big deal for anyone building IoT devices that need to make smart decisions locally without constantly phoning home to the cloud. Check out the full details in our microcontroller tutorials section.
First Raspberry Pi RP2354B Board Offers 48 GPIOs in Pico Form Factor
Clintech Ltd. in Bulgaria just unveiled what appears to be the first development board based on the Raspberry Pi RP2354B chip with 2MB on-chip flash—the Clintech Pico. What makes this board special is its commitment to exposing all 48 general-purpose GPIOs provided by the RP2354B chip while maintaining the familiar Raspberry Pi Pico form factor. The standard 40 castellated holes on the sides handle GPIOs 0–22 and 26–28, but Clintech added 27 extra through-holes to break out the remaining GPIOs (23–25 and 29–47) plus the QSPI interface for external memory. If you’ve ever run out of pins mid-project (and who hasn’t?), this board could be a game-changer. It’s perfect for complex robotics projects, elaborate LED installations, or any application where you’re juggling sensors, motors, and peripherals. Learn more about maximizing GPIO usage in our Raspberry Pi Pico projects guide.
Denso Makes $8.2 Billion Bid for Power Semiconductor Maker Rohm
In a move that signals just how critical power electronics have become for the automotive industry, Japanese auto parts supplier Denso reportedly made an offer to buy power semiconductor manufacturer Rohm for around $8.2 billion. Denso confirmed it’s “considering various strategic options including the acquisition of Rohm shares,” which is corporate-speak for “yes, we’re serious about this.” Rohm specializes in silicon carbide (SiC) power devices—the kind of components that are absolutely essential for electric vehicle inverters and charging systems. As EVs continue their march toward dominance and vehicle electrification intensifies, securing a reliable supply of high-performance power semiconductors isn’t just smart business—it’s survival. This acquisition could reshape the power electronics supply chain and give Denso a significant advantage in the EV race. For makers working on power electronics projects,