20: Soldered Together By Monkeys

Embedded.fm · 26 Sept 2013 · 1h 13m

What this episode covers

Phil King of Weekend Engineering advises host Elecia White on the end-to-end process of designing and fabricating a custom PCB, from schematic capture to assembly. They discuss the trade-offs between professional EDA tools like OrCAD and Altium, free options like EaglePCB and KiCad, and vendor-specific tools like DigiKey's SchemeIt and ExpressPCB. The conversation covers the critical importance of net lists, PCB layout challenges such as trace spacing and via types, and the logistical complexities of sourcing components and managing fabrication costs.

Mentioned

Companies
DigiKey, Hildy Licht, SparkFun, Adafruit, Future Electronics, SEMTec, Broadcom, Qualcomm
Products
Electric Imp
Chips
STM32
Tools
EaglePCB, KiCad, SchemeIt, ExpressPCB, OrCAD, Altium, gEDA
Also
PCB West

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 16m

    Pull The Trigger

    Dave Jones of EEVblog and Chris Gammell of Contextual Electronics discuss the practical challenges of hardware development, including PCB design checklists, the shift to web-based CAD tools like Fusion 360 and Onshape, and the critical importance of cash flow management in manufacturing. Jones details his experience with the long lead times for his rebadged Bryman multimeter and the risks of inventory, while Gammell shares insights on prototyping, component sourcing, and the value of community meetups.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 03m

    Once Every Couple Months

    Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the lack of an online marketplace for custom LCDs, noting that while PCB prototyping is commoditized, custom displays require direct manufacturer engagement and high-volume orders to justify tooling costs. They also cover the discontinuation of Altium's Circuit Maker in favor of Upverter, the impact of 25% tariffs on electronic components and manufacturing equipment, and the release of KiCad 5 and CircuitPython 3. The conversation touches on hardware hacking games like NAND Game and Exapunks, and the challenges of teaching engineering to deaf students via ASL.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 05m

    Senseless Saccadic Shemozzle

    Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss a mix of topics including the East Gippsland Makerspace, smart meter privacy concerns, and new EDA tools like Orcad's marketplace and Mayhew Labs' 3D Gerber viewer. They analyze the manufacturing challenges of the tiny NXP SOT 1226 package and the pricing dynamics of high-volume component purchasing. The episode concludes with a review of an STMicroelectronics smart reset chip and advice for visiting Maker Faire in San Francisco.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 05m

    Layout, CAD & Raspberry Pi - Kedogenous Kinetic Knowledge

    Hosts Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the challenges of PCB layout, specifically the transition between Imperial and metric units in CAD software, and the iterative nature of schematic design involving component substitution. They analyze the Raspberry Pi's massive commercial success through Farnell and the ethical implications of established companies like Crystal Fonts using Kickstarter for publicity rather than funding. The conversation also covers the history of PCB design tools, patent trolling by Intellectual Ventures, and the hosts' personal projects including a new mill and homebrew RF circuits.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 12m

    I've bitten myself

    Hosts Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss PCB design challenges, specifically the critical importance of specifying solder mask expansion to avoid manufacturing rejections. They analyze the economics of PCB fabrication, the technical complexities of routing BGA packages, and the limitations of sharing ECAD footprint libraries across different tools. The conversation also covers the risks of component obsolescence in hardware startups and critiques the 'verified' badges on crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Embedded.fm. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.