# 317: What Do You Mean by Disintegrated?

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2020-01-17
- Length: 1h 10m
- Episode: 317
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-01-17-317-what-do-you-mean-by-disintegrated
- Listen: https://makingembeddedsystems.libsyn.com/317-what-do-you-mean-by-disintegrated

## Summary

Lenore Edman and Windell Oskay of Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories discuss their business model of creating high-quality hobby electronics kits, such as the disintegrated 555 Timer and 741 Op-Amp, which are faithful transistor-scale replicas of classic chips. They explain how they design products like the AxiDraw pen plotter to ensure a successful user experience, often choosing to sell complex items as assembled units rather than kits. The conversation also covers the evolution of PCB aesthetics, the shift from gEDA to KiCad for open-source hardware design, and their personal hobby of studying seaweed through the Jepson Herbarium.

## Chapters

- [0:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-01-17-317-what-do-you-mean-by-disintegrated#t=7) Introduction and Company Overview
- [3:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-01-17-317-what-do-you-mean-by-disintegrated#t=208) Design Philosophy for Kits vs. Assembled Products
- [7:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-01-17-317-what-do-you-mean-by-disintegrated#t=435) The AxiDraw Pen Plotter and Its Origins
- [23:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-01-17-317-what-do-you-mean-by-disintegrated#t=1409) PCB Artistry and Materials
- [37:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-01-17-317-what-do-you-mean-by-disintegrated#t=2279) Disintegrated Circuits: 555 and 741 Kits
- [45:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-01-17-317-what-do-you-mean-by-disintegrated#t=2747) PCB Design Software: gEDA to KiCad
- [52:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-01-17-317-what-do-you-mean-by-disintegrated#t=3130) Seaweed Class and Maker Wellbeing

## Topics

- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Founder wellbeing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/founder-wellbeing)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories (company)
- AxiDraw (product)
- EggBot (product)
- 555 Timer kit (product)
- 741 Op-Amp kit (product)
- KiCad (tool)
- gEDA (tool)
- OSH Park (company)
- Jepson Herbarium (company)
- Kong Money (product)
- Mega Menorah 9000 (product)
- Diavolino (product)
- Eric Schlaepfer (other)
- Sher Minn (other)
- Ruth Kassinger (other)
- Josie Iselin (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Open Circuits with Eric Schlaepfer and Windell Oskay](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-11-14-open-circuits-with-eric-schlaepfer-and-windell-oskay) (The Amp Hour)
- [Don't Turn It On, Don't Take It Apart](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-05-13-dont-turn-it-on-dont-take-it-apart) (The Amp Hour)
- [Timing is Everything](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-08-31-timing-is-everything) (The Amp Hour)
- [Recycle All Your Microcontrollers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2015-08-07-recycle-all-your-microcontrollers) (The Amp Hour)
- [062 - Keymap Rain Dance](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2022-12-30-062-keymap-rain-dance) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)

## Citing this page

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