Hardware Podcasts

376: Left Half of My Brain Is Digital

Embedded.fm · 10 Jun 2021 · 59m · Episode 376

What this episode covers

David Comer, a retired engineer with a career spanning from the Galileo mission to the semiconductor industry, discusses his journey from early electronics hobbyist to chip designer at Texas Instruments and Signetics. He reflects on the evolution of embedded systems, comparing legacy architectures like the 8051 and 4-bit microcontrollers to modern ARM and FPGA technologies, while emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and professional resilience. Comer shares anecdotes about working on the Galileo probe's memory control system, the impact of alpha particles on space electronics, and the shifting landscape of major tech companies like HP and Intel.

Most relevant to

large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Texas Instruments, Signetics, Intel, HP, Xilinx, National Instruments, Ettus, Silicon Labs
Products
Galileo, HackRF, Arduino, LoRa
Chips
ARM, 8051
Also
Miro Samek

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 33m

    An Interview with John Day

    John Day, a technical fellow and Field Applications Engineer at Microchip Technology, discusses his 27-year career and the evolution of microcontroller development. He details the history of Microchip's spin-off from General Instruments, the shift from ROM to EEPROM and Flash, and the invention of in-circuit debugging with the PIC16F877. Day also shares insights into silicon errata processes, the role of FAEs, and his personal passion for restoring vintage pinball machines using modern embedded systems.

    Microcontrollers & dev platformsDebugging & failure analysis
    8 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 09m

    Really long needle nose pliers

    Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the Voyager 1 probe's recent recovery from a memory chip failure, highlighting the sustaining engineering efforts required to maintain 46-year-old space hardware. They analyze the decline of US-based electronics trade shows, noting the cancellation of events like Embedded Systems Conference and the consolidation of others like Embedded World, driven by reduced corporate travel budgets. The conversation also covers the discontinuation of the Zilog Z80 processor, the practicality of niche hardware like the 'jumperless' breadboard, and the challenges of running complex software like Sigrok on low-power microcontrollers.

    Debugging & failure analysisRetail, wholesale & distribution
    7 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 06m

    An Interview with Jack Ganssle - Embedded Elchee Epexegesis

    Jack Ganssle, a veteran embedded systems engineer and author, discusses the enduring relevance of 8-bit microcontrollers against the hype of 32-bit ARM processors, arguing that low-end parts remain cost-effective and power-efficient for many applications. He critiques the high cost and power consumption of FPGAs, noting their shift toward integrating hard processor cores, and shares a specific frustration with Actel (now Microsemi) Igloo Nano parts requiring higher voltage for programming than operation. Ganssle also reflects on the global engineering landscape, contrasting the hunger and practical education of engineers in India and Brazil with the Western trend of moving engineers into management, while emphasizing the importance of technical writing and communication skills for career success.

    Microcontrollers & dev platformsChips, FPGAs & semiconductors
    7 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 19m

    An Interview with Steve Leibson - Impavid Ideopraxist Insider

    Steve Leibson, marketing director at Cadence and author of the EDA360 Insider and Denali Memory Report, recounts his career from designing early HP computers like the HP 9825 and HP 9845 to working at early EDA firms like Cadnetics and later as a technical editor for EDN Magazine. He discusses the evolution of the semiconductor industry, the challenges of scaling to 20nm and below, the future of memory technologies like magnetic RAM and memristors, and the business dynamics of the EDA market. Leibson also shares anecdotes about the Design Automation Conference (DAC) and his unexpected appearance on a TV show with Leonard Nimoy.

    Chips, FPGAs & semiconductorsEDA & CAD tools
    11 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 11m

    Apple HQ and Vintage Arcade Games - The Mothership Manifesto

    Dave Jones and Jeff Kaiser discuss the passing of legendary analog designer Jim Williams and the upcoming third edition of The Art of Electronics by Wyn Hill. They explore the use of FPGAs to recreate vintage arcade hardware, specifically mentioning the Jammer board and FPGA Arcade, contrasting this with software emulation. The hosts also analyze the new Apple 'Mothership' headquarters, Agilent's responsive handling of a firmware bug in their U1272A multimeter, and the economic and technical arguments for retaining 8-bit microcontrollers over 32-bit ARM architectures.

    PCB design & layoutMicrocontrollers & dev platforms
    9 chapters

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.