182: Sorry Little Diodes

Embedded.fm · 4 Jan 2017 · 1h 13m

What this episode covers

Hosts Elecia White and Chris Svec discuss a variety of embedded systems topics, including the use of the RTL-SDR dongle for software-defined radio and the challenges of low-quality Chinese Ham radios. They analyze the industry's need to 'grow up' regarding security and ethics, citing the ESA Schiaparelli lander failure as an example of integration testing gaps. The conversation also covers the utility of Compiler Explorer (Godbolt.org) for comparing assembly output and addresses the prevalence of imposter syndrome among engineers.

Mentioned

Companies
Nordic, ESA, STM
Products
RTL-SDR, Schiaparelli, Arduino
Tools
Godbolt.org, CubeMX

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 01m

    Our First Call In Show

    Hosts Dave Jones and Chris Gammell attempt their first call-in show, fielding questions from listeners on electronics design and ethics. They advise a caller on protecting low-level analog sensors from high-voltage induction in substations, troubleshoot I2C bus issues for a rocket stabilization prototype, and discuss the ethics of responsible disclosure for hardware security vulnerabilities with former guest Brandon Harris. The episode concludes with a discussion on the future of through-hole components for education and the challenges of judging the Hackaday Prize.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 20m

    Photon Rich, Cash Poor

    Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss a Keysight U1272A multimeter that suffers from severe susceptibility to conducted and radiated EM fields, a flaw inherent to its design that bypassed standard compliance testing. They also examine the Allwinner R8 processor and the new Chip Pro module, noting how the latter's System-on-Module design with integrated DDR3 makes previously inaccessible consumer chips viable for small-batch production. Finally, they critique the Wi-Fi kettle's usability failures and Solar Roadways' non-functional public installation, attributing these to marketing-driven product decisions rather than engineering value.

  • Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast · 1h 06m

    012 - Cheese vs. SDR

    Jared Boone, founder of Sharebrained Technology, discusses the HackRF software-defined radio and the Portapack, a portable handheld device he developed to make SDR accessible without a laptop. Alvaro, who runs a cheese project called Ostur, joins the conversation to discuss embedded development using STM32 and Nordic nRF52 platforms, while also sharing his passion for cheesemaking. The group explores the history of interactive TV, Blu-ray authoring, and the technical details of various radio technologies, including Iridium satellite interception and TPMS signal analysis.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 44m

    Pedantic or Andrantic

    Chris Gammell, a developer advocate at Hologram and founder of Contextual Electronics, joins Elecia and Chris White of Embedded.fm to discuss hardware prototyping, learning strategies, and industry tools. The conversation covers the challenges of cellular IoT connectivity, the utility of the HackRF software-defined radio, and debugging techniques using the J-Trace Pro. They also explore pedagogical concepts like the Dreyfus model for learning programming and hardware, emphasizing the importance of iteration and mental health in engineering careers.

  • Hackaday Podcast · 53m

    Ep052: Shorting Components, Printing Typewriter Balls, Taking Time Lapse, and Makerspace Movie Prop

    Hackaday editors Mike Szczys and Elliot Williams discuss several hardware projects, including Elliot's discovery of Chinese clone STM32 microcontrollers (CS32, GD32) on 'Blue Pill' boards that caused programming failures with standard tools. They also explore Top Point TV's zero-ohm jumpers in various SOT packages, which offer creative but risky PCB layout solutions. The episode highlights a 3D-printed Selectric typewriter ball, an ESP32-based time-lapse camera project by Bitlooney that battles a shared GPIO bug, and a detailed look at RF modulation using RTLSDR dongles.

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.