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Circuit Break - A MacroFab Podcast
Circuit Break - A MacroFab Podcast episodes
- MEP EP#194: Adult supervision not required - Tilt 5 with Jeri
MEP EP#194: Adult supervision not required - Tilt 5 with Jeri
Episode 200 is Coming Up!
- Question / Answer setup like Episode 100
- Send them via Audio Format to [email protected]
Jeri Ellsworth
- Self-taught electrical engineer and entrepreneur with over 20 plus years experience designing and building mass market consumer electronics
- Assembled the initial hardware R&D team for the Valve Software and was a key contributor to the technology used in the popular HTC Vive
- While at Valve, she began work on the AR technology that would later become the basis for the technology behind Tilt Five, where Jeri serves as CEO and Co-Founder
Topics
- What is Tilt Five?
- Kickstarter Campaign
- How does it function?
- The Industrial design behind the project?
- How important was getting the weight to < 90 grams?
- How did you do it?
- You have brought lots of products to consumer markets:
- Prototyping your “finalized” product or first article
- Parts with High NRE fees like Injection molding
- Electronics
- Selecting and sourcing the projectors?
- Retro reflective material for the game mat
- How long is the typical timeline for development?
- What is something people don’t think about when they start designing a product?
- War Stories
1 hr 25 min - MEP EP#193: Robots Have Fall Damage
MEP EP#193: Robots Have Fall Damage
Episode 200 is Coming Up!
- Question / Answer setup like Episode 100
- Send them via Audio Format to [email protected]
Matthew Prater
- Started out as a radiochemist making diagnostic Positron Emission Tomography agents for 15 years
- Went to teach chemistry and research classes in public schools for 5 years
- Now teaching at the University of Advanced Technology in Tempe, AZ as a professor of robotics and embedded systems
Topics
- What did you do as a radiochemist?
- Antimatter?
- Your roll at UAT?
- Research
- Robotics and embedded systems degree?
- Student Innovation Projects and Performance studio projects
- What are they?
- What is your contribution?
- Are they assigned or do students pick them?
44 min - MEP EP#192: The Fourth Rule of Robotics
MEP EP#192: The Fourth Rule of Robotics
Episode 200 is Coming Up!
- Question / Answer setup like Episode 100
- Send them via Audio Format to [email protected]
Parker
- Hayward Tigershark
- Hasn’t electrocuted anyone yet!
- Ordered PinoTaur REV 2
- Slight layout tweaks
- Fixed the Relay problem
- Silkscreen labeling changes
- Air Raid Siren
Stephen
- Eepartpicker
- Thinking of what comes first
- Probably a resistor
- Would like to see opamps
- Template?
- Fermentation controller
- Moar parts arriving
- Level Shifter for the screen?
R.F.O.
- Analog engineer's calculator
- Filter calculations
- Amplifier calculations
- Parasitics
- A/D noise calculations
- Inspect AR
- Workbench of the future
- The Little Robot that Lived at the Library
- The Illusion of a Personality
50 min - MEP EP#191: Fork Lift Adventures Narrated by Daniel Hienzsch
MEP EP#191: Fork Lift Adventures Narrated by Daniel Hienzsch
Daniel Hienzsch
- Founder of Rheingold Heavy and Manufacturing Reports
- Is passionate about education, and works every day to demystify technology and teach how to measure the world around you
- Rheingold Heavy and Manufacturing Reports is Dan’s effort to provide the community materials he wished he had when he was first getting started in electronics and technology
- Also drove a forklift for a living and suggests you should give it a try
PCB Manufacturer Reviews
- What is Manufacturing Reports? Brief overview.
- What is Rheingold Heavy and how did that evolve to form Manufacturing Reports
- PCB Manufacturers Reviews
- What Criteria do you look at?
- Things like “How good does it look” are subjective. How do you eliminate this?
- Is there a test PCB?
- Has a PCB manufacturer come back about all the “interesting” features
- What things are on the test pcb?
- Why HASL?
- One criteria I would like to see is resistance to reworking
- Board house modification
- Did you notice any of the board houses making changes to your pcbs?
- What is one of the worst PCBs you have ever seen
- What is next?
1 hr 24 min - MEP EP#190: Sealed Tigersharks
MEP EP#190: Sealed Tigersharks
Recap of the Design Contest
- 29 entries
- Judge List
- Charlyn Gonda
- Joe Grand
- Sophi Kravitz
- Whitney Merrill
- Winner List
- 1st : Parker Newman with the Room Temperature Cup Holder
- 2nd : Dillon with the Clap-Activated Applause Machine
- Third : SirDan with the Unpluginator
- Podcast Fav: Jeffrey Bernath with the Mouse Controlled Mouse Controller
Parker
- Fixing Hayward Tigershark
- One motor not working
- Motor is a “sealed” unit
- MC33887PEK
- UHE1H222MHD6
- Winter Project
- Upgrading a golf cart to 48V
- EZ-GO TFT
- Gotta go fast!
Stephen
- Fermentation controller
- Got enclosure in
- Screen still not fully working
- Kingst LA2016
- 16 channel @ 200MHz
- Can decode 8080 parallel
Rapid Fire Opinion (Or something...)
- Discrete Pong!
- We talked about this way back in episode 108
- Was a bunch of posts on the EEVblog forum
- Now there is a good website with a bunch of good info and schematics
- Discrete op amps!
- Field guide to transistors
- Spark fun released a wall poster for BJT transistors.
- Cool graphics to demonstrate the functionality of transistors
- Manufacturing Reports
- Dan Hienzsch
- Unbiased reviews of PCB Manufacturers
- WAGO Wire Level Nuts
- Been using these on my automotive applications
- Amazon link to get erm
1 hr 5 min - MEP EP#189: Not Even My Final Form - Jeff Garoon on Industrial Product Design
MEP EP#189: Not Even My Final Form - Jeff Garoon on Industrial Product Design
Jeff Garoon
- Y-Combinator alumni from the Winter 2016 batch
- Currently serves as COO of FlowCommand
- At FlowCommand, Jeff is responsible for all hardware design, firmware development, and operations
- Spent his early career as a Production Engineer and Lead Completion Engineer at Oxy USA
- Has been on Y-Combinator’s alumni application review committee for the last 3 cohorts, has raised three rounds of financing, and manages a staff of 17 engineers
- Member of Incubate USC, where he has assisted in writing undergraduate coursework on accelerators and incubators
Industrial product design and testing
- What makes a product an industrial device?
- Prototyping Industrial Hardware
- Arduino and development boards -> First Article
What kind of regulations and certifications do you have to work with?
- How to make it work when you are bootstrapping
- Class 1 Div 1/2 Testing/validation/documentation
- Explosion Proof Devices and Construction
- Intrinsically Safe Barriers
Visit our Public Slack Channel and join the conversation in between episodes!
56 min - MEP EP#188: Design Contest – Useless Machines Wrap Up
Design Contest Wrap Up - Thanks so much to our sponsor, Mouser Electronics for sponsoring the contest.
- Our Judges will be wrapping up there choices by the next podcast.
- Thanks to our judges:
- Joe Grand
- Whitney Merrill
- Charlyn Gonda
- Sophi Kravitz
- Announcements for the winners the Judges pick will be on the Blog and normal Social Media places
- Winner of the MacroFab Engineering Podcast Favorite is.... jeffreybernath with the Mouse Controlled Mouse Controller!
- Thank you to everyone that entered! There is still a chance to win a prize based on who the judges pick.
- To see all the entries check out Hackaday.io
Parker
- Finishing the Design Contest Trophy
- Raspberry Pi with the Touch 7” screen
- Guizero as the application framework
- WiFi connectivity handling with RaspiWiFi
- Hiding the cursor with unclutter
- Getting Mars Weather Data
- Keeping the Pi from turning off the display and sleeping
Stephen
- Fermentation Controller (still needs a name)
- Processor: STM32F091RCT
- 8 UARTS for 6 one wire, one WIFI, one USB
- Got a nucleo board for development
- AMW007 dev board for development
- Takachi FC8-50-25GS enclosure
- 500mm x 250mm x 75.4mm
- 19.68” x 9.84” x 2.96mm
- This size is driven by all the stuff on the bottom panel
- Buy Display ERM320240SBS-2 LCD Graphic display
- Already working*
- Interesting power issue to solve
Visit our Public Slack Channel and join the conversation in between episodes!
56 min - MEP EP#187: Removing the Waterworld from Product Development
Removing the Waterworld from Product Development
The MacroFab Engineering Podcast Design Contest sponsored by Mouser Electronics ends this Friday August 31st! Enter your Useless Machines now! We have cash prizes up to $1000 for the winners. More information can be found here!
Mike Geyer
- Leads Marketing & Business Development for Fictiv
- True passion lies in transforming the manufacturing industry
- Having worked at Caterpillar, Autodesk, and Kaiser Aluminum, he has seen first hand the waste and inefficiencies that permeate the market
- From large Fortune 500 manufacturers to emerging technology startups, Mike has worked to solve a wide array of business challenges across the industry
- Experience with hardware entrepreneurs, manufacturing venture capital firms, large format additive manufacturing, closed-loop sensor networks, and fabrication of generative automotive chassis provide him a unique perspective on the rapidly changing landscape of manufacturing.
- At Fictiv he is currently focused on the disintermediation of traditional manufacturing supply chains and bringing distributed manufacturing to life for manufacturers of all sizes around the world
State of Hardware Report
- Trade and Tariffs
- What has the impact of the recent Tariffs been on companies?
- What are some ways engineers can reduce the impact of the Tariffs?
- Counterfeit materials
- The Production Gap
- What is the production gap?
- Problems scaling up? Manufacturers?
- Staying on Budget
- Time Delays
- Quality
- How are companies overcoming these problems?
- People and Careers
- What does it mean to run lean?
- Do you think that the tariffs will have an emergent effect on lean operations? In the sense that to accommodate the increased cost of overseas business or switching to domestic fab, will business focus on other departments internally to squeeze out the fluff and fat of a product?
- Job Titles/Descriptions
- Happiness or Satisfaction with work?
Visit our Public Slack Channel and join the conversation in between episodes!
54 min - MEP EP#186: So You Want To Eat Electrons?
So You Want To Eat Electrons?
The MacroFab Engineering Podcast Design Contest sponsored by Mouser Electronics date has been extended! The contest is to design Useless Machines! We have cash prizes up to $1000 for the winners. The deadline is August 31st and it is closing fast! More information can be found on here!
Parker
- Been taking a break from Electronics post Defcon Doom SAO Dash
- Installed aftermarket A/C into the Wagon
Stephen
- Fermentation controller for brewing
- Processor STM32F - maybe 0 family because UART
- AMW007 Serial Wifi Module
- Takachi Fc series Aluminum Control Box
- 6 DS18B20 probe inputs via an XLR style connector
- Mindprint DTC
- The first one is fixed! Woohoo!
R.F.O.
- How not to Light Pipe -HAD Fail of the week
- Making PCB light pipes and unique lighting effects
- This can be done well
- The right LEDs
- Brightness
- Reminds Parker of SAO style backlit PCBs
- The “terrible” 3 cent MCU – a short survey of sub $0.10 microcontrollers
- Are cheap MCU's terrible or do they actually fill a roll?
- So you want to pick a ___
- Community Driven Project? What say everyone?
- Chirp Partnership Brings Data-over-Sound to Arduino
- Similar to dial tones and audio coupled modems
- Nano 33 Sense board
- A DSP-optimised Arm Cortex-M4 processor
- Uses board’s mic as receiver
- New Life Found That Lives Off Electricity
- microbe consume electrons
- Parker needs to take more Biology classes clearly
- Elon Musk says he wants to 'nuke Mars' and that he plans to make 'Nuke Mars!' T-shirts
- Is it ethical to nuke a planet?
- Al Williams and the non-FPGA articles!
- That is it.
Visit our Public Slack Channel and join the conversation in between episodes!
1 hr 17 min - MEP EP#185: What You Are Designed To Do – A Joe Grand Manufacturing Adventure
MEP EP#185: What You Are Designed To Do – A Joe Grand Manufacturing Adventure
The MacroFab Engineering Podcast Design Contest sponsored by Mouser Electronics deadline has been extended! We have cash prizes up to $1000 for the winners. The deadline is August 31st and it is closing fast! More information can be found on here!
Joe Grand
- Also known as Kingpin
- Computer engineer, hardware hacker, product designer, teacher, advisor, runner, daddy, honorary doctor, TV host, member of legendary hacker group L0pht Heavy Industries
- Proprietor of Grand Idea Studio.
- Has been creating, exploring, and manipulating electronic systems since the 1980s
- Previous podcast appearance was on MEP EP#73: Joe Grand: The Origin Story
On-shore Verse Off-shore Manufacturing
- Pros and cons?
- Dealing with the difficulties
- Time difference
- Language barrier
- Cultural differences
- Impact of tariffs
- Supply Chain Security
- Delivering instructions for unique and custom designs
- Production: What is it like to spin up 30K units?
Defcon Badge Design and Manufacturing Challenges
- Hardware and Software timeline
- What made you go with the Kinetis KL27 Microcontroller?
- Near field magnetic induction (NFMI)
- What made you go with NFMI verse NFC or RFID type technologies?
- How does NFMI work?
- “How the hell were you able to buy NXH2261UK’s? I’ve been watching this part ever since it came out & I still don’t have a data sheet!” -Tom Paden from Hackaday comment section
- How do you design for abuse knowing ~30k people are going to bang the living hell out of that hardware
Additional Questions
- Based on the talk you gave this year and releasing some information early. Will Defcon change its policy of keeping digital badges super secret? If hardware folks had some lead time we could actually get some crazy stuff done at the con.
- Design reason behind no SAO connector on the badge?
- What do you want to see out of defcon 28?
- Who's a better engineer? Matt Damon from the Martian or Matt Damon from interstellar?
Visit our Public Slack Channel and join the conversation in between episodes!
1 hr 33 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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