# 276: Playing a Song on a Potato

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2019-01-31
- Length: 1h 17m
- Episode: 276
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-01-31-276-playing-a-song-on-a-potato
- Listen: https://makingembeddedsystems.libsyn.com/276-playing-a-song-on-a-potato

## Summary

Jesse Rutherford, founder of Bentronics.com and author of The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to the 555 Timer, explains the internal architecture of the 555 timer IC, detailing its comparators, flip-flop, and discharge transistor. He discusses how the chip's hysteresis and control voltage pin allow for creative applications like the Atari Punk Console and playing music on a potato, while offering advice to hobbyists to ignore credential barriers and start building. The conversation covers the transition from his early component store to writing a color-printed book with Fritzing breadboard layouts to help beginners bridge the gap between schematic and physical assembly.

## Chapters

- [0:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-01-31-276-playing-a-song-on-a-potato#t=7) Introduction: Jesse Rutherford and Bentronics.com
- [5:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-01-31-276-playing-a-song-on-a-potato#t=324) Internal Architecture: Comparators, Flip-Flop, and Pins
- [19:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-01-31-276-playing-a-song-on-a-potato#t=1151) Bistable Mode, Hysteresis, and the Control Voltage Pin
- [34:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-01-31-276-playing-a-song-on-a-potato#t=2049) Monostable and Astable Modes: Timers and Oscillators
- [46:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-01-31-276-playing-a-song-on-a-potato#t=2773) Creative Applications: Atari Punk Console and Potato Music
- [54:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-01-31-276-playing-a-song-on-a-potato#t=3286) Writing the Book: Fritzing, Breadboards, and HTML
- [1:04:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-01-31-276-playing-a-song-on-a-potato#t=3860) Jesse's Background: From Commodore 64 to Component Store
- [1:14:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-01-31-276-playing-a-song-on-a-potato#t=4473) Advice for Hobbyists and Giveaway Details

## Topics

- [Analog & power electronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/analog-and-power-electronics)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Bentronics.com (company)
- 555 timer (chip)
- Texas Instruments (company)
- Arbitrary (other)
- Atari Punk Console (product)
- Fritzing (tool)
- Commodore 64 (product)
- RadioShack (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep 222: VCF East Special Edition](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2023-06-09-ep-222-vcf-east-special-edition) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Bowie and The Brown Note](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-02-02-bowie-and-the-brown-note) (The Amp Hour)
- [555 Contest, Computer Museum, Octopart - The Green Pen Hornswoggle](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-01-25-555-contest-computer-museum-octopart-the-green-pen-hornswoggle) (The Amp Hour)
- [Ep109: Cars that Suck, a Synth Packed with 555s, X-ray Letter Reading, and Pecking at a PS/2 Keyboard](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2021-03-12-ep109-cars-that-suck-a-synth-packed-with-555s-x-ray-letter-reading-and-pecking-a) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Timing is Everything](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-08-31-timing-is-everything) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-01-31-276-playing-a-song-on-a-potato. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Embedded.fm.