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Circuit Break - A MacroFab Podcast
Circuit Break - A MacroFab Podcast episodes
- MEP EP#234: Bashing LEDs
MEP EP#234: Bashing LEDs
Parker
- Didn’t get to work on the Cat Feeder Unreminder but there are lots of interest and ideas in our slack channel!
- TheStumbler
- Found a 12hr egg timer. Defeats the purpose of building and learning a new embedded skill.
- Eric McFall
- E-Ink for the persistent display.
- This is a great idea. I will look through my parts bins for a e-ink. Might have one.
- Derek
- Does it count as feature creep if the project is still doing the same thing but is way more complicated?
- Tony W
- Jack in the box
- DJ
- Has been working with Flip Dot displays. Kinda power hungry in short bursts. 4A for only 5ms.
- Bombledmonk
- Go solar
- Sanyo / Panasonic has panels for indoor lighting
Stephen
- Snap dome buttons
- Interesting requirements for footprints. Not sure how to do it.
- Snaptron BL-series
- 0.07 or 0.01” hole for LED - not a whole lot…
- One week product
45 min - MEP EP#233: Good Enough for a Bagel
MEP EP#233: Good Enough for a Bagel
Parker
- The Cat Feeder Unreminder
- Bagel Pin Toaster Controller usable?
- PT8A2514APE
- MC14536B
- 24 stage stage counter with on board RC oscillator
Stephen
- SPI Code Bytes
- Working on the second PCB revision of a product
- Code that worked on previous revision didn't work on the new prototype!
- Changed Chip Select pin for the SPI buss
R.F.O.
- Grant Imahara passes at 49
- Maxim is being purchased by Analog for 21 billion dollars
43 min - MEP EP#232: Chonky Motherboards
MEP EP#232: Chonky Motherboards
Parker
- The Cat Feeder Unreminder
- Different implementations to accomplish the goal
Stephen
- Synth DSP replacement
- Korg MS2000
- Was pulling an additional 500mA on the power supply
- Found a blown surface mount fuse
- The DSP chip XCB56362PV100 was hot to touch
- Replaced with part found on ebay
- Wasn’t sure if this part needed programming
- LED Matrix Driver - IS31FL3741
- 39x9 LED matrix = 351 individual color leds or 117 RGBs
- QFN-24 package
- 256 levels of PWM control and 256 levels of DC current control
- Layout vs code
R.F.O.
- Brew Day Updates!
52 min - MEP EP#231: Throw The Bacon Across The Stage
MEP EP#231: Throw The Bacon Across The Stage
Danny Rankin
An instructor in the creative technologies and design program at the University of Colorado Boulder
The courses he teaches and his individual research reflect a diverse array of expertise, including graphic design, material fabrication, game design, hardware hacking, sustainable agriculture and large-scale installation art
Danny was a guest on MEP episode #171: Mayonnaise Drone (And Other War Crimes)
Danny’s experience with teaching during COVID-19
What the end of the semester looked like
What is happening now?
Summer
What does next semester look like
How will it be the same?
How will it differ?
Technology
What happens when your education requires technology that is only on campus?
The lab
What does it look like in the future?
Do you expect it will go back to “normal”?
- Dinosaur Costume Racing
46 min - MEP EP#230: We Are All Idiots Together On This Planet
MEP EP#230: We Are All Idiots Together On This Planet
Parker
- Brewery is autotuned and sight gauges calibrated
- New Alternator for Wagon
- Brewery is “done” from a build standpoint for this season
- Parker’s next podcast project
Stephen
- On track to brew on Saturday!
- Got the whole box built and wired over the weekend
- Cheapo pump from amazon just arrived today
- EDA workflow and footprints
- Do you do things based on the footprint?
- When is it ok to rely on someone else's footprint?
- Standards?
- JEDEC
1 hr 5 min - MEP EP#229: Get Cute This Weekend
MEP EP#229: Get Cute This Weekend
Parker
- Brewery Lives!
- Test boil and Process
- Issues with the current iteration of the brewery
- What is next
- Take Inventory of Brew Equipment
- Spare parts
- Storage on cart
- Clean and Fire up Fermentation chamber
- Clean the brewery
- Ingredients
- BREW
- Future?
- Motorized valves to simplify the fluid transfer process
- Drains at bottom of vessels?
- Better way to change set points on the PID controllers?
- A/C window unit Wine Chiller
- Parker Kool 2800
- Issues and gotchas for future
Stephen
- My (Stephen's) Jelly Project
- Cutting panels tomorrow
- Two cncs at Stephen's disposal
- That is unfair!
- Inkscape/Corel Draw for component layout
- Fusion 360 for CAD/CAM
58 min - MEP EP#228: Weapons of Mathewson Destruction
MEP EP#228: Weapons of Mathewson Destruction
William Mathewson
- An entrepreneur, electrical engineer, and user experience designer for his company William Mathewson Devices otherwise known as WMD
- Began WMD in 2007
- Designed over seventy products that inspire artists and sound designers throughout the music industry
Starting A Hardware Manufacturing Company
- The name WMD
- How did William arrive at deciding to start WMD?
- What do y'all do at WMD?
- The story? How did it all start?
- Pedals to modular synth
- Products
- Fatman Envelope Filter
- Geiger Counter Distortion
- Protostar
- Services
- Manufacturing Business
- Hardware is Hard
- How did this begin?
- How did you build this service?
- Best thing about it all
- Worst thing about it all
- War stories
- The future?
50 min - MEP EP#227: Ultrasonic Beer Science - Eli Hughes of Tzero
MEP EP#227: Ultrasonic Beer Science - Eli Hughes of Tzero
Eli Hughes
- The CTO of TZero Research and Development
- TZero was founded in 2016 by 3 Penn State University graduates who have training and experience in embedded systems, acoustics, mechanical engineering and software
- Technical background is in electronics, software and acoustics
- Currently also does work for NXP semiconductors
- Worked at the Penn State Applied Research Lab where he worked on applications in sensors, condition based maintenance, robotics, undersea vehicles and space science
- Taught part time in the Penn State University EE Department
- Plays guitar and keyboard and enjoys woodworking.
1 hr 15 min - MEP EP#226: Chickens and Tea leaves, Al's Simulation Recipe
MEP EP#226: Chickens and Tea leaves, Al's Simulation Recipe
Al Williams
- One of the authors behind Hackaday, a website that features electronic projects and other things that appeal to people interested in computers, electronics, and technology
- Ham radio operator
- Author of many books
- Has worked on everything from underwater technology to the International Space Station and just about everything in between
- Was on previous episodes
- EP#57: Mr. Williams, your book changed my life
- EP#94: Al Williams and the Field Programmable Gate Arrays
- EP #160: Al Williams and the One Instruction Wonder
Simulations
- What do you think of simulation?
- Analog?
- Digital?
- Different simulation software
- LTSpice
- Xyce from Sandia
- TINA from TI
- KiCad integrated spice
- Microcap 12
- EasyEDA
- FALSTAD
- LTSpice to Python bridge
- Hackaday's Circuit VR
- Where simulated or logical performance doesn’t match real world behavior
59 min - MEP EP#225: Clipping and Clamping OpAmps
MEP EP#225: Clipping and Clamping OpAmps
Stephen
- DC heaters continued
- Tested the new values
- Last episode was shooting for ~250mW of dissipation in the regulator and transistor
- Measuring closer to 350mW
- Quiescent current and some balancing and tolerance
- Opamp clamping circuit
- A useful voltage clamping circuit with independent upper and lower thresholds
- Pros
- Much more accurate than the simple clipping circuits
- Hard turn on characteristics
- Can be overdriven without much issues
- Not terribly expensive
- Downsides
- 3 or 4 opamps needed
- Not particularly fast - starts to show issues past 20k and is pretty bad at 30k
- Small overshoot that is frequency dependent
- Does not work with opamps that have input protection diodes
Parker
- Brewery Updates!
- Installed
- Tubing
- Pumps
- Pots
- Waiting on
- Stainless mesh basket
- What is left
- Design and build the grain crane
- Mount electrical box
- Finish wiring
- Paint and sealant
- Electrical Box
- Might have put the power input in the wrong spot!
- Need to finish the wiring.. Need to order more wire I think...
R.F.O.
- Rules of thumb - Are they obsolete?
- Next week we have Al Williams on from Hack a Day
- If anyone has any questions for him let us know in slack!
56 min
About Circuit Break - A MacroFab Podcast
From the publisher's feed
Dive into the electrifying world of electrical engineering with Circuit Break, a MacroFab podcast hosted by Parker Dillmann and Stephen Kraig. This dynamic duo, armed with practical experience and a palpable passion for tech, explores the latest innovations, industry news, and practical challenges in the field. From DIY project hurdles to deep dives with industry experts, Parker and Stephen's real-world insights provide an engaging learning experience that bridges theory and practice for engineers at any stage of their career.
Whether you're a student eager to grasp what the job market seeks, or an engineer keen to stay ahead in the fast-paced tech world, Circuit Break is your go-to. The hosts, alongside a vibrant community of engineers, makers, and leaders, dissect product evolutions, demystify the journey of tech from lab to market, and reverse engineer the processes behind groundbreaking advancements. Their candid discussions not only enlighten but also inspire listeners to explore the limitless possibilities within electrical engineering.
Presented by MacroFab, a leader in electronics manufacturing services, Circuit Break connects listeners directly to the forefront of PCB design, assembly, and innovation. MacroFab's platform exemplifies the seamless integration of design and manufacturing, catering to a broad audience from hobbyists to professionals.
About the hosts: Parker, an expert in Embedded System Design and DSP, and Stephen, an aficionado of audio electronics and brewing tech, bring a wealth of knowledge and a unique perspective to the show. Their backgrounds in engineering and hands-on projects make each episode a blend of expertise, enthusiasm, and practical advice.
Join the conversation and community at our online engineering forum, where we delve deeper into each episode's content, gather your feedback, and explore the topics you're curious about. Subscribe to Circuit Break on your favorite podcast platform and become part of our journey through the fascinating world of electrical engineering.
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