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Circuit Break - A MacroFab Podcast
Circuit Break - A MacroFab Podcast episodes
- MEP EP#204: Forth Annual MacroFab Star Wars Christmas Special – C3PO Steals the Show
Spoiler Alert: This podcast contains HEAVY SPOILERS for Star Wars Episode 9 and The Madalorian series up to Episode 7. If you do not want spoilers turn back now.
Josh Rozier
- By day, Roz is a spreadsheet slinger for the Umbrella Corporation
- When he is not wasting way too much time playing Star Wars RPG with your gracious hosts, he is typically doing his best not to burn down his shed with whatever project his ADHD allows him to focus on
Hyr0n
- From 9 to 5 Hyr0n is security researcher, systems engineer, and corporate advisor of First Order security policy via Corellian power points
- From 5 to 9 he is a hardware hacker, designer of AND!XOR embedded system puzzles, and Shyriiwookian voice over of droid holiday VR porn
Topics
- Episode 9 Thoughts
- This became the majority of the podcast somehow
- Why does it seem that all the power in the ship flows through the control panels?
- When ships get damaged, control panels explode
- This is more obvious in Star Trek if anything
- Lack of proper human to machine isolation
- Poor supply chain risk management
- Hardware hacking C3-PO
- Does StarWars have HeathKits for droids?
- Anakin supposedly built C3PO but there are lots of protocol droids like him so is C3PO a kit?
- C3PO is a protocol Droid, essentially a logic analyzer with ML
- The Mandalorian
- What are your thoughts so far (Storyline, length, fan service)?
- IG11 vs IG88
- Fan Service Differences
- Thoughts on manufacturing Mandalorian Armor
- Mando Rifle Scope
- Data Pad Security
- Resistance Reborn book
- New Disney EU meant to bridge EP8 and EP9
- The Energy of a Lightsaber
- How much total energy does the power source in the hilt need to hold?
- How fast does the energy need to be delivered (what is the wattage)?
- What is the total energy needed to cut darth maul in half?
1 hr 44 min - MEP EP#203: Lizard Brain Information - David Gunness of Fulcrum Acoustic
MEP EP#203: Lizard Brain Information - David Gunness of Fulcrum Acoustic
David Gunness
- Vice President of R&D at Fulcrum Acoustic
- Lead Product Designer
- Photographer
- Copy Writer
- Ambassador to Italy
- Facilities Maintenance
- Director of Calculus
- Technical Writer
- Lead Coffee Maker
Fulcrum Acoustic
- Who are they and what do they do?
- What does it take to get into sound design?
- Education?
- Frequency Theory
- Passive Cardioid Technology
- Technology to eliminate rear low frequency radiation
- Where is this an issue?
- Active solution
- Passive solution
- Patent 10,123,111 B2 “Loudspeaker with passive low frequency directional control”
- Building a better coaxial speaker
- What is a coax?
- Beamwidth
- How is this validated/tested?
- Manufacturing enclosures with wood
- Why wood?
- Sourcing materials
- General Design
- Tolerancing considerations?
- Finishing and Covering
- Sanding
- Painting
- Spraying materials
1 hr 4 min - MEP EP#202: Not Into The Meat Loaf
MEP EP#202: Not Into The Meat Loaf
Parker
- PinoTaur Revision 2 is ordered!
- Should be ready early January
- Cable construction and design
- Electrical Components where do they come from?
- COO or Country Of Origin
- Mouser has a new API
- Arrow has an API but...
- Brewery Update
- Electrical box needs wire management
- Majority of the fittings arrived
- Tube straightner
- Parker's house will end up being half tools and half projects
Stephen
- SMPS design with polygons
- Another Ti Webench design to the rescue!
- 12V down to 3.3V
- Need to test the temperature performance
- Power up testing - overshoot?
- Watch out for clearances between components with PCB manufacturers
- JLC PCB multiple design requirements?
- Learn more is blank...
R.F.O.
- Ben’s Single Chip Atari 2600 Portable
- Parker helped figure out how the chip works
- Werma multicolour LED beacon displays 200,000 colors
- The colors duke...the colors
1 hr 6 min - MEP EP#201: The Wheels Are Finally Off
MEP EP#201: The Wheels Are Finally Off
Parker
- Air Raid Siren Update
- Ordered Power System for Badge Testing
- Will post the design when it is verified to work
- Looking for IC’s for the lithium battery version
- Type-C USB and power delivery would be nice features
- Brewery Building
- Soldered some stainless steel
- Electrical Box almost completed
- Need to wire up the pump switches
- The joke is that brewing is 90% cleaning and 10% paperwork
Stephen
- How easy is it to make a game console?
- Had the idea from the pi touchscreen
- Only solder. No electronic design
- LCD Screen
- Power boost 1000
- Lipo Battery
- Raspberry pi zero
- Aluminum - $30
- Buttons and dpad?
- Tactile buttons dont feel right
- I dont like the idea of sawing up a SNES controller pcb
- Adafruit ideas
R.F.O.
- DeepPCB: Pure AI-Powered, Cloud-Native Printed Circuit Board Routing
- 24 hr turn around
- The hardest part of PCB routing is Placement
- Solder mask color clearance?
- Check with your pcb manufacturer!
- Has the water analogy gone too far?
58 min - MEP EP#200: Rotary Alarm System
MEP EP#200: Rotary Alarm System
Parker
- Air Raid Siren Completed
- Working on the power sub system for a D.C. Badge
- Based on the successful DOOM SAO power system
- USB Type-C for “cable” power
- 5.1K on both CC pins
- Gives us 1.5A at 5V which is plenty of juice
- Alkaline Primary Cells
- TPS2113 for switching between cable power and the batteries
- SAO connector implementation with proper current limiting
- Gonna try a small little buck switcher
- TLV62568 to knock the USB and battery voltage down to the 3.3V we need.
- Going to design a lithium powered version that can recharge over the Type-C
- Brewery Building is next project
- MacroFab has guided tours in the platform. Let me know how they work.
Stephen
- Multi Layer PCB
- Finishing up a 6 layer PCB with mixed signal
- Top
- GND
- Inner1
- POWER
- POWER
- Bot
- Multi Transformer solution for preamp power supply
- Should I just go with my already proven SMPS instead?
R.F.O.
- Cheating At Bowling, The Hacker Way
- Star Wars BB8 style robot inside a bowling ball
- Controlled by leaning your body!
- Digikey - Now with more Vacuum!
- Tube Depot - stock on digikey
- NOS
- Matching
- Toshiba TCKE8xx eFuse ICs
- Datasheet is tough to find atm
- Parker has used the Ti TPS25926 in previous projects which is similar
1 hr 22 min - MEP EP#199: High Voltage Gyrators and KiCad Plugins
MEP EP#199: High Voltage Gyrators and KiCad Plugins
Parker
- 50V power pack update
- Managed to safely remove the cells
- Protection circuit is functioning correctly
- One of the 4 banks is “bad”
- Scrapping all the 18650’s for future projects
- Helping Ben debug the Atari Junior 2600 Single Chip system
- Atari 2600's typically have 3 main ICs
- 6507 CPU
- RIOT (RAM and I/O)
- TIA (Graphics and Sound)
- Air Raid Siren all printed
- Needs final fitment and assembly to be completed!
Stephen
- Rackmount case
- Designed a rackmount case for a 1u preamp
- New v-score bend method that works great on aluminum
- A mixture of chamfer and cut relief
- Can be bent by hand
- Back to Gyrators
- 300V 4 band EQ using high voltage Mosfets as gyrators
- Gyrators first mentioned on Episode 173 of the MEP
- Wanted to solve the issue of not having to make more power supply rails
- About +/- 12is db per band
- 80hz, 220hz, 750hz and 2k
R.F.O.
- KiCad Action Plugins
- Run your KiCad Python scripts direct inside the UI now!
- RF tools - a very cool curved trace plugin
- Parker's major complaint about Zoom Centering in KiCad hasn't been an issue for atleast 2 years now
- Why did no one tell Parker :(
- EE Web - now with more TOOLS!
- All about Arrow
- More EDA tools then you can shake a stick at!
- Apple H1 Chip?
- Silly marketing wank
- Its just a custom MCU
1 hr 13 min - MEP EP#198: Digital Razorblades
MEP EP#198: Digital Razorblades
Parker
- Pinotaur REV 2
- REV 1 is being tested inside of a pinball machine
- ABC (Automotive Butt Cooler)
- Idea for DEFCON?
- Lithium battery pack fix?
- Mother’s electric bicycle
- 50V pack all 18650s
- The pack is good but no output
- Carburetor rebuilding trick?
- Stranded copper wire as a "brush"
- 4 wheeler
- Generator
Stephen
- Beer monitor
- Still need a name
- Parker's parts have arrived
- Need to get solid state relays in
- Mount to or case? Need to look further into heat transfer
- Going to machine the cases soon
R.F.O.
- Check Your Halloween Candy For Malicious Payloads
- USB sticks instead of razor blades and drugs in your kids candy
- Yageo buying KEMET?
- 1.8 Billion Dollaros
- USI MT7697H Development Kit for Alexa Connect Kit
- Custom hardware for Alexa
- Arduino Zero Compatible
- $196.98
- 192 MHz Cortex-M MCU and a WiFi/Bluetooth module
- Plea deal for man who sold fake chips to US military
- He instructed suppliers in China to repaint and remark “old, used and/or discarded ICs” to make them appear as new.
- He also told a testing laboratory in China to provide two versions of test reports – one to Vasquez with all the test results, and another “sanitized version” that had could give to the purchaser.
- 60 years in prison
- RPI 4 issues fixed?
- July 17th - RPI Forum
- Released an update package that “solves” a lot of the initial rpi4 launch issues.
- Lower USB power consumption
- Booting over network is now a possibility
- Hat reboot fixes
1 hr 5 min - MEP EP#197: Designing in Color – Greg Paulsen on 3D Printing
MEP EP#197: Designing in Color – Greg Paulsen on 3D Printing
Episode 200 is Coming Up!
- Question / Answer setup like Episode 100
- Send them via Audio Format to [email protected]
Greg Paulsen
- The leader of the Application Engineering team at Xometry an online instant quoting platform for custom manufacturing projects, which utilize a professional network of thousands of manufacturers
- His background is in applied additive manufacturing, having experience as an engineer, running machines, and ultimately using the parts
- Was last on the podcast for episode 181 where we talked Xometry, Pizza, and digital manufacturing
3D Printing as a Service
- What is 3D printing, what makes it different from CNC, molding?
- Specifications for 3D printing
- How does the designer give the specifications/tolerance?
- Screws: 3d printing threads, self tappers, inserts
- Does and don'ts of designing stuff for 3D printing
- 3D printing in scale - how do you scale up?
- The pros and cons of running your own 3D printer versus say using a service to order things
1 hr 1 min - MEP EP#196: Foamy Power Factors - Electrolytic Capacitors with KEMET
MEP EP#196: Foamy Power Factors - Electrolytic Capacitors with KEMET
Episode 200 is Coming Up!
- Question / Answer setup like Episode 100
- Send them via Audio Format to [email protected]
Ivan Quiroz
- Over 19 years of electronic design and development experience in different industries ranging from aviation to industrial automation
- His technical expertise surrounds the intrinsic requirements and detailed development of circuits
- In his down time, he likes to develop escape room puzzles, sensors, and anything he can 3D print
Suzana Jankuloska
- Is an electrical engineer from Macedonia
- Has been with KEMET for 7 years and as a Product Manager of Electrolytic Capacitors for 3 years
- Loves solving problems and sudoku and is a fan of martial arts and the movie Ip Man
Electrolytic Capacitors
- Discuss ESR, ESL, Dissipation factor, Tan Delta, Ripple current, and life span
- How to read the datasheet for an electrolytic capacitor beyond the value/voltage/dimensions
- impedance at a known switching frequency
- Brief introduction to a new type of electrolytic capacitor (polymer)
- Link the electrolytic capacitor to the need for a bank capacitors
- Signals through electrolytics
- Leave on forever vs. multiple inrush cycles preferred for lifetime?
- What drifts out of spec first?
- The wear-out failure mode is loss of electrolyte
- It is possible to measure this by weighing the capacitor before and after operating it at elevated temperature
- When the capacitor loses a certain amount of weight, it is likely to fail
- In the old days, the rule of thumb was to predict failure at 50% of the initial weight
- What's the point of those orange SMD tantalum capacitors?
- On large screw terminal caps, are the screws themselves typically intended to carry current, or just to mechanically tie the cap to the mounting surface (bus bar, PCB, etc.)?
- Is it important to use aluminum screws to match materials to avoid corrosion from dissimilar metals in high current applications?
1 hr 20 min - MEP EP#195: Mach 5 Sandpaper - MIT Rocket Team
MEP EP#195: Mach 5 Sandpaper - MIT Rocket Team
Episode 200 is Coming Up!
- Question / Answer setup like Episode 100
- Send them via Audio Format to [email protected]
Charlie Garcia
- Attended space camp as a kid every year he could and became one of the counselors
- Enjoys sharing his love of space exploration with people of all ages and walks of life through various mediums
- In 2018 he lead the MIT Rocket Team as President to launch Project Hermes to 32,400 f
- Now, as the Publicity Chair of the MIT Rocket Team, Charlie hopes to inspire others to explore the heavens
- When Charlie isn’t building rockets, he is using his telescope, tinkering with his 3D printer, or enjoying a fantasy novel
Luka Govedič
- Is a 20y old sophomore from Slovenia
- Majoring in Electrical engineering and Computer science
- Joined the MIT Rocket Team last fall
- Currently the leader of the avionics subteam
- Also part of the MIT varsity soccer team
- Likes to play frisbee, drums, and compose music
What is the MIT Rocket Team?
- History
- Goals
- Current Projects
- Rocket Design
- Staging
- Important things to remember
- Testing
- Approvals? Who do you let know that you are launching a rocket?
- Accidents?
- What kind of electronic hardware do you run?
- Design considerations
- Microcontrollers
- Power? Batteries?
- YouTube Channel
- Twitter Account
43 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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