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    Natural Sciences

    The Amp Hour

    The Amp Hour is a weekly conversation about electronics and the people who design them.

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    Copyright: Copyright © The Amp Hour Electronics Podcast 2020

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    Latest Episodes:
    A House of FR4 Oct 28, 2018
    Show notes
    • Dave is negotiating a new lease for a lab space. His lab will be combined with his office.
    • Dave also wants to build a mobile phone jammer for the lab, but the ACMA (FCC of Australia) might not like that... CTIC
    • EEVblog video about compliance
    • Chris points out the Water Abundance Xprize winner, which was apparently debunked
    • Thunderf00t's video about Waterseer
    • Fontus
    • Bill Gates on a recent episode of Ezra Klein talking about the real needs for philanthropy (hint: not tech related)
    • OLPC
    • "You're not going to build a house out of FR4"
    • Chris started a forum for individuals who work as consultants (currently at about 50 people). Want to join? Fill out this form. An example topic was them talking about how to take vacation as a consultant, among much more technical topics.
    • Chris will be at the Hackaday Superconference next week
    • Boldport Club is changing
    • Sagan started soldering
    • Dave enjoyed this old magazine article about a DIY chip (it was an April fools joke)
    • A listener asked on The Amp Hour subreddit about "The Fall of PIC Microcontrollers"
    • PIC on wikipedia
    • Dave said they became the defacto because of the standard and the cheap interface
    • "The horse has bolted"
    • People still use PICs regularly. For example, Mike Harrison (guest host for episode 412) uses PIC32s for many of his designs
    • Microchip Masters is a regular conference throughout the world for Microchip products(with the largest one in Phoenix) each year.
    • There is a new Hardware Happy Hour (3H), also in Phoenix. If you're in the area, check it out!
    • Chris got to chat with former guests Joe Grand and Joe Fitzpatrick about the questionable Bloomberg article about implantable spy chips.
    • Both of them are (were) on a panel at BSides Portland about Hardware Implants
    3 Cent Micros And 1000s of LEDs Oct 21, 2018
    Show notes

    Welcome back, Mike Harrison of Mike’s Electric Stuff!

    This week Mike joins Dave to talk about LEDs, low cost parts and tiny tiny components. The links below (links contributed by Mike). Chris is away on vacation and will return next week:

    • UK electronics shows :
      • Engineering Design show UK
      • Southern Manufacturing show
    • 7-segment displays for ants
      • Image from twitter
      • Product page ( bottom of page)
      • 0.8mm high digits :
      • Needs a wire-bonder to use
      • Used for head-up displays etc. for military ( can't use OLED due to limited temp range)
    • News :
      • Jitx "Autorouter".. I think (Hackaday article)
        • Pricing of Jitx
      • World's shortest scheduled flight to go electric
      • Apple iphone warranty fraud
      • $3.7 Billion...!
      • Boston Dynamics at it again!
        • Parkour
        • Dancing dog will kill us and dance on our graves
        • James Bruton's openDog project
    • Useful stuff :
      • Online gerber viewer
      • LCSC (low cost parts site from China, part of JLCPCB)
        • DC-DC converter with chip buried in PCB
      • Mike's Ethernet decoding scope add-on
    • Mike's recent installations, as seen on his consulting site page Whitewint
    An Interview with Chris Denney Oct 15, 2018
    Show notes

    Due to the dual Chris nature of this episode, we’ll refer to Chris Denney as “Chris” and Chris Gammell as “Chris G”

    • Chris got started in high school working at a CM that his friend's family owned .
    • After that he went to school and started selling AOI equipment as an applications engineer at YesTech
    • ACI - Apple Cad
    • He also worked briefly at another unnamed CM
    • He was a manufacturer rep, like former guest John Davis. These roles are quasi sales but also quasi support.
    • Found Worthington Assembly when trying to sell them some equipment and got to know the owners Neil and Rafal.
    • Giving feedback about sales
    • The sales cycle time in the assembly world is pretty long, some people spend a year figuring out what equipment to get.
    • Apex tradeshow in Las Vegas
    • Chris wanted to nerdify the Worthington process. It was originally founded in the 70s by a husband and wife and was briefly named "Moronics".
    • Chris describes the state of CMs in US
    • Chris G has only dealt with a few CMs
    • Where WAI was a few years ago
    • Some shops are fast, some are slow
    • Chris to visit Digikey in Thief River Falls
    • How Worthington has changed over the years?
      • When they started, their reflow didn't have a conveyor
    • What does the best CM look like?
    • Have to be efficient at quoting to make a
    • Andy Seddon, the founder of Circuit Hub was on The Amp Hour back in 2013.
    • The queue of getting quotes done
    • How do you figure out the cost of assembling a component
    • AOI - automated optical inspection
    • SMTAI show at Rosemont
    • How do I get my costs down?
    • Zach Dunham and Spencer Wright have both been on the show, they worked with Chris to get the Public Radio built.
    • "Wicked"
    • Silkscreen matters for assembly
    • Glue layers
    • Don't use online footprints, Chris hates the 0402 footprint in EAGLE.
    • Stay in the middle of availa, that's the best
    • 0402 are easy 0603 are best
    • Chris's email is cdenney@worthingtonassembly.com
    • Follow them on Twitter: @WAssembly
    • Worthington is hiring! They made an intro video with CircuitHub
    Secret Buzzer Handshake Oct 07, 2018
    Show notes
    • Chris not only got sick at the Open Hardware Summit, he also learned about the new OSHWA 2.0 certification process
    • Apparently one product has had its certification revoked
    • Chris is wondering if he should join IEEE as a consultant
    • Dave is a member and has been for a decade. He wonders if he should apply to become a senior member.
    • We discussed IEEE in episode 3
    • They figured out what was going on with the closed observatory...
    • Digital records outliving people
    • Long runs on a PCB
    • Interested in joining a chat with other consultants? Fill out this form
    • There was a soldering competition at IP capex Expo
    • Hayabusa probe recently landed on an asteroid. Dave did a live stream
    • Inertial motors (reaction wheels)
    • Scott Manley
    • Gyro wheels stopped working, cosmic rays impacted bearings
    • Inside a drone battery factory
    • Battery capacity is dependent on surface area
    • Dave has a factory tour coming up at Rode to see how they make microphones.
    • Getting around customs (maaaaybe?) by wrapping batteries in resistors...
    • OpenPnP + CHMT36VA Driver First Demo
    • Strangeparts video inside the JLC PCB factory
    • Do the films used for processing get thrown out?
    Electronics Consultant Impedance Matching Oct 01, 2018
    Show notes

    Welcome (counterclockwise) Piotr, Eric and Dave!

    • Dave is 30% local to 70% remote, 75% fixed, 25% hourly
      • 0h 16m 20s
    • Eric is 80-90 local, 10% remote. 50-50 split on hourly vs fixed.
      • 0h 17m 55s
    • Piotr was 100% remote and , but his remaining job is local and hourly
      • 0h 19m 21s
    • Client archetypes
      • 0h 20m 34s
    • Stability
      • 0h 22m 34s
    • Past guest Philip Freidin wrote about being a consultant
      • 0h 24m 04s
    • "So you want to be a consultant?"
      • 0h 25m 43s
    • Do you bill for software?
      • 0h 27m 17s
    • Time tracking
      • 0h 28m 51s
    • Consulting specialty
      • 0h 29m 31s
    • Dave: likes diversity and depth of work
      • 0h 29m 47s
    • Eric: smaller projects beginning to end
      • 0h 30m 36s
    • Piotr: Vertically integrated
      • 0h 31m 4s
    • 0 hour billable weeks
      • 0h 36m 51s
    • Let's figure out what's best for that
      • 0h 37m 59s
    • Learning the personality of a client
      • 0h 40m 58s
    • Playing the timeline all the way forward
      • 0h 41m 37s
    • Client communication
      • 0h 43m 16s
    • Setting expectations
      • 0h 43m 22s
    • Firing a client
      • 0h 43m 52s
    • 3 strikes
      • 0h 43m 56s
    • Growing empathy for customers
      • 0h 45m 24s
    • Language barriers with clients
      • 0h 47m 37s
    • "This SHOULD be done by..."
      • 0h 48m 2s
    • Dealing with impostor syndrome
      • 0h 51m 58s
    • Known risks
      • 0h 53m 18s
    • Communicating to the client about lack of knowledge
      • 0h 53m 39s
    • When your startup client who suddenly gets funding, is woo’d and ultimately stolen by a bigger design firm promising the world....how does one manage ones anger?
      • 0h 55m 22s
    • Working through some of the design houses
      • 0h 56m 57s
    • Focal points - distributor FAEs, design houses, contract manufacturers
      • 0h 58m 32s
    • Getting recommendations from past clients
      • 0h 59m 38s
    • How to get started
      • 1h 0m 36s
    • Judging potential hires by their pull requests
      • 1h 2m 56s
    • Insurance
      • 1h 8m 51s
    • Usually on a product basis and not the design basis
      • 1h 9m 35s
    • LLCs all around
      • 1h 10m 53s
    • Good resources from IEEE
      • 1h 11m 31s
    • Consultant survey
      • 1h 12m 28s
    • What I really want to know is: why engineers feel they must *undercharge* for time as a consultant? No one should be blanching at $100+/hr.
      • 1h 14m 4s
    • Hourly rate goe down for billing more hours
      • 1h 14m 18s
    • Dave changes billing for if there's more risk
      • 1h 14m 35s
    • Lowering hourly rate for things you like. Piotr does this for open source hardware.
      • 1h 16m 25s
    • Should you work for equity?
      • 1h 17m 18s
    • Working with startups
      • 1h 18m 12s
    • Changes the nature of the relationship
      • 1h 18m 38s
    • Rainy days cash
      • 1h 20m 17s
    • Getting personal finance stuff in order
      • 1h 21m 42s
    • Check out our guests' sites to learn more:
      • 1bitsquared.com
      • LowVoltageLabs.com
      • YoungCircuitDesigns.com
    Tronnort Software Rises Again! Sep 24, 2018
    Show notes
    • Dave's identity was stolen
    • Sneakers
    • Hackers
    • Open Hardware Summit
    • Supercon
    • Humble indicator LED
    • Mike's smallest LED flasher
    • Flashing light prize
    • Macrofab contest
    • Supercap
    • Blinking LED
    • Digikey changed UI
    • Chris started selling on Tindie
    • "the moore's law of ecommerce"
    • Aliexpress stuff
    • Power supply panel
    • Official stores on Aliexpress
    • Discussion about creating footprints in CAD (centroid)
    • Old CAD packages are referenced to pin 1
    • Snap grid is never referenced to the grid
    • ESP32 example
    • The 74HC00 footprint we discussed
    • Open Parts Library
    • KiCad Digikey Library
    • Locally cached libraries?
    • sci.tech.electronics
    • Internal part numbers
    • Tronnort software 14 pin chip analyzer
    • TRON - Trace On
    • eCommerce ruined the need for chip harvesting
    • RPi 3 with PoE video
    • PoE uses 48V
    • Official explanation (might not be right?)
    • Dave just posted the video from the 2nd EEVblog meetup
    • Indiana Jones in the bunker
    • Solar Observatory, white sands
    • Carl Sagan - Contact
    • Yasuka Maezawa is taking 8 artists to the moon with him on the SpaceX BFR
    • Cody wants to go
    Gregory Charvat and Three New Companies Sep 17, 2018
    Show notes

    Welcome back, Dr Gregory Charvat!

    • List of past appearances
      • #115
      • #179
      • #214
    • Greg was an easy hire as he's literally the "guy who wrote the book" on the subject, "Small and Short-Range Radar Systems"
    • He is currently the CTO of Humatics
    • Greg got started with project based learning - coffee can radar
    • He returned and did a stint as a visiting professor with Ramesh Raskar. They developed a camera that allows you to watch microwaves propagate
    • Fields and waves vs optics people
    • Optics make some approximations that EM people can't
    • Phase coherent processing
    • Butterfly Network was a company that developed an Ultrasound module on a chip
    • Jonathan Rothberg
    • They first developed an ultrasound tomography (similar to a CT scan) but the cost of goods was too high.
    • MEMS based sensors, instead of the traditional way of making ultrasound transducers with high frequency quartz.
    • Lots of analog parts onto the chip, the hard part was making them manufacturable.
    • Greg moved on when funding was secured
    • He then went to Hyperfine, another company founded by Jonathan Rothberg but still in stealth mode.
    • Built the first machine in 100 days
    • Built the next in 4-5 months
    • Greg is learning how to hire people
    • It costs more to over-analyze than to just start building (sometimes).
    • Greg wants to take back the term "Technology"
    • You should do a tour in defence because the unlimited budgets leads to cutting edge work.
    • Greg moved onto his current role as CTO of Humatics
    • David Mindell was a professor at MIT. He also wrote a book called Digital Apollo about the flight computer.
    • The Humatics system is a short range, super high precision GPS using microwave transceivers.
    • "That should be a piece of cake"
    • David worked for Bob Ballard, who is known for discovering the Titanic
    • ALVIN
    • HDDG talk about deep water by Nic Bingham
    • Center for marine robotics conference
    • You can see what they see at the control center live via Nautilus Live
    • GPS won't penetrate the water
    • Acoustic based navigation system
    • Perfect recreation of the titanic
    • Gary Cohen does business stuff, James Kinsey is the robotics person
    • Ultrawideband company for sale (Time Domain). Didn't buy the company right away (they did later)
    • Demo'd it at MARS - Machine and Robotics Symposium
    • Kiva Robotics told Jeff Bezos about the demo
    • Build proto in 4 months
    • It is centimeter accurate precision out to 4 nines (99.9999% of the time). It has a coverage area of 500m.
    • SLAM
    • The problem is that things change in a manufacturing scenarios
    • Currently there are humans in the loop
    • The robot is pinned to a line, which is an absolute system
    • For the forthcoming millimeter precision device, it will cover 10 m total
    • This will be used for "virtual fixturing" or said another way, "Where does stuff live in the real world?"
    • Time of flight uses impulses
    • Startups as a career path
    • Interested in learning more and/or joining their the teams discussed here?
      • Humatics
      • Hyperfine
      • Butterfly Network
    Nerds In A Corner Sep 10, 2018
    Show notes
    • Dave had another EEVblog Meetup in Sydney
      • 0:01
    • It was part of Electronex
      • 0:01
    • He did a video with Gav about optics and polarization
      • 0:02
    • The important of bringing something to a meetup
      • 0:05
    • Talking about post offices
      • 0:07
    • Homebrew computer club
      • 0:10
    • Lightning talks
      • 0:11
    • IMTS
      • 0:13
    • Dave and David decided to roll their own modules
      • 0:14
    • Power bricks
      • 0:16
    • BH Curves
      • 0:17
    • Jury duty
      • 0:17
    • Portable power supply
      • 0:20
    • 5-10W
      • 0:21
    • Former guest Gareth was asking on Twitter about a similarly portable power supply
      • 0:23
    • Fo3rmer guest Jason Cerundulo has a new device out that helps illuminate the ins and outs of USB C
      • 0:25
    • USB PD standard
      • 0:25
    • The FUSB302B is a programmable USB Type-C Controller with PD
      • 0:26
    • Chris used a board by Ben Hencke (his company is ElectroMage) called the Pixelblaze 2. It's an ESP8266 based LED controller
      • 0:29
    • Ben Krasnow is back at it again with a video about etching PCBs onto plastics
      • 0:33
    • PWB
      • 0:36
    • Chemicals
      • 0:37
    • Dave saw a 3D printed PCB technology at the trade show called NanoDi
      • 0:38
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLcdm6gB6eE
      • 0:38
    • Can't go through a reflow oven
      • 0:40
    • Targeting IP protection
      • 0:41
    • Chris answered a question on Twitter/Hacker News about milling PCBs: there are still very few cases where it makes sense. Though there are some!
      • 0:43
    • ElectronUpdated did a teardown/decap/explanation of ESP32
      • 0:46
    • FX260 calculator teardown by electronupdate
      • 0:47
    • Former guest David Kronstein made an "Electric Jet" called the Ikarus
      • 0:50
    • There are build instructions in case you want to make your own
      • 0:53
    • VTOL
      • 0:55
    • FlightTest
      • 0:55
    • Chris Anderson was on the show many years ago talking about DIY Drones (and what became 3D Robotics).
      • 0:58
    • GlobalFoundries stops all 7nm development
      • 0:59
    An Interview with Spencer Wright Sep 03, 2018
    Show notes
    • The Prepared. It's both a weekly newsletter and an occasional podcast
      • 0:02
    • Spencer claims he is a fake engineer since he was an english major
      • 0:02
    • Grew up in the Hamptons doing construction
      • 0:06
    • Dealing with subcontractors in the construction industry
      • 0:06
    • Custom bicycle frames for $2K
      • 0:07
    • Mahogany experience from the construction industry led to a job building custom robot doors for a beach house.
      • 0:09
    • This is where he brought in his co-host on the prepared Zach Dunham to do audio design (Zach was a guest on this show on episode 350)
      • 0:10
    • Later they brought in Todd Bailey to do the control electronics (Todd was a guest on this show on episode 194)
      • 0:10
    • This trio decided to take the MIT online electronics course, 6.002x
      • 0:12
    • Zach and Spencer built The Public Radio together, which they are still selling.
      • 0:14
    • This is made and programmed by Worthington Assembly
      • 0:14
    • Sourcing - finding parts for the robot doors
      • 0:18
    • They worked out of an old Northrup Grumman facility that used to make jets
      • 0:19
    • Choice paralysis
      • 0:25
    • Spencer's full time job is at nTopology
      • 0:27
    • They do 3D printing software for non-traditional uses.
      • 0:27
    • We previously talked a little about 3D printing for non-traditional (rocket building at Relativity Space) uses with Brent and Bryce a couple episodes ago.
      • 0:28
    • DMLS
      • 0:29
    • Wrote about the titanium / metal powderbed fusion
      • 0:30
    • CAD software designed for printing implants
      • 0:33
    • Porous hip cup that bones can grow into.
      • 0:35
    • Precision Castparts Corp
      • 0:37
    • Acquired by Berkshire Hathaway in 2015
      • 0:37
    • Flyknit shoes - Nike
      • 0:39
    • Trend spotting
      • 0:42
    • Reducing number of tollgates to bring a product to market
      • 0:43
    • Procuring parts more easily - most software isn't great
      • 0:43
    • MFG.com
      • 0:46
    • Localization of manufacturing
      • 0:48
    • US vs China
      • 0:48
    • Insourcing manufacturing of the Public Radio
      • 0:54
    • Work instructions using Tulip
      • 0:54
    • Spencer talked to Rony from Tulip on The Prepared podcast
      • 0:56
    • Spencer uses PartsBox.io to search for parts in his personal inventory
      • 1:00
    • Find Spencer on most social media channels as pencerw
      • 1:04
    • ThePrepared.org
      • 1:05
    • nTopology.com
      • 1:05
    Proof Of Blink Aug 27, 2018
    Show notes
    • Chris has decided to once again hang his shingle and do design consulting via his company, Analog Life, LLC
      • 0:00
    • This is after a year at Hologram, who have changed directions on hardware, leading Chris to look for design opportunities elsewhere.
      • 0:01
    • Art installation
      • 0:02
    • Dave doesn't like consulting
      • 0:12
    • Startups offering equity
      • 0:17
    • "Proof of blink"
      • 0:17
    • Things to do when you're stressed:
      • Write about how you're feeling
      • Talk to (your significant other)
      • Learn something new
      • Publish something
      • Go for a walk
      • Meditate
      • Go through your contacts, reach out to people you haven't talked to in a while
      • Read a book
      • Ponder the nature of the universe and how massive it is and how not much really matters after all
      • Think of ways to make a difference
      • Mentor younger engineers
      • Ask for advice from more experienced folks
      • Answer forum posts
      • Listen to music
      • Play some music
      • Post a funny tweet about electronics
      • Post a business idea to Twitter
      • Do a live stream
      • Create a silly piece of PCB art
      • Ask Twitter what they want to learn right now
      • Plan a training course
      • Listen to an off topic podcast or audiobook (fiction)
      • Do some pushups!
      • Drink a biiiiiig glass of water
      • 0:24
    • Rightsizing
      • 0:26
    • Magic smoke escape tag
      • 0:27
    • 110 GHz scope from Keysight
      • 0:28
    • Shahriar visited the LeCroy factory to look at a previously "fastest scope" front runner (100 GHz)
      • 0:30
    • Forum post about the inside of the scope
      • 0:31
    • Dave is doing another meetup Weds Sept 5th
      • 0:35
    • IMTS is coming up in Chicago. Chris will be doing a meetup with the folks from Bolt and there is a meetup at mHUB with former guest John Saunders.
      • 0:36
    • Dave did a Live Stream trying out KiCad again
      • 0:38
    • Dave is looking at a learning system using KiCad
      • 0:44
    • Olimex does high end SBC boards using KiCad
      • 0:45
    • Eagle moving upmarket
      • 0:46
    • Altium Nexus
      • 0:47
    • Traps in chips (EEVBlog #1115) showcases why it's important to read the datasheets
      • 0:51
    • Bunnie's talk at ToorCamp
      • 0:56
    • Finding bugs in datasheets
      • 0:58
    • Goodfear badge
      • 1:01
    • Leaded Zeppelin (see below)
      • 1:02
    • Chris just put in a talk for Supercon. You should too!
      • 1:05
    Thanks to Tomás J. Sepúlveda for the picture of the blink man
    Previous 1 32 33 34 35 36 76 Next

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