Hardware Podcasts

387: Bucket of Spiders

Embedded.fm · 23 Sept 2021 · 58m · Episode 387

What this episode covers

Hosts Elecia White and Christopher White discuss Christopher's recent experience fulfilling a Kickstarter order for vinyl records using BackerKit, and his ongoing technical struggles with reading CAN bus data from an automotive radar in Python on a NVIDIA Xavier. They also answer a series of career-focused questions about embedded systems, covering topics like debugging hardware, the importance of microarchitecture knowledge, and the frustrations of learning embedded programming. Finally, Elecia introduces TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) as a structured methodology for invention, illustrated by an example of filling liquid-filled chocolate bottles.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies and makers and hobbyists

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Kickstarter, Hackaday, Avinger
Products
Arduino
Chips
NVIDIA Xavier
Tools
BackerKit
Also
TRIZ, Genrich Altshuller

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 01m

    Rubber Ducking

    Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss engineering troubleshooting methodologies, including 'rubber ducking' and the importance of engineering notebooks, illustrated by Chris's debugging of an STM32 timer using GDB. They examine the market for low-cost electronics from China, with Dave Jones analyzing an $8.70 precision instrument found on AliExpress, and discuss the history and current state of companies like Motorola and Atari. The hosts also cover Jerry Ellsworth's new Kickstarter for the Cast AR augmented reality headset and the commercial availability of Boston Dynamics' Spot robot.

    Debugging & failure analysisSourcing & supply chain
    10 chapters

  • Hackaday Podcast · 38m

    Ep 031: Holonomic Drives, Badges of DEF CON, We Don't Do On-Chip Debugging, and Manufacturing Snafus

    Hosts Mike Szczys and Kerry Scharfglass record from DEF CON, discussing Kerry's small-scale holonomic drive robot project and the complex manufacturing of the Car Hacking Village's SUV-shaped badge. They debate the merits of on-chip debugging versus print-based debugging in embedded systems, with Kerry advocating for unit testing with Valgrind on desktop builds. The episode concludes with interviews about manufacturing snafus, including a badge maker struck by lightning during assembly and another delayed by a contract manufacturer ordering the wrong microcontrollers.

    Embedded firmwareManufacturing partners & offshoring
    6 chapters

  • 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.

    Embedded firmwareDebugging & failure analysis
    7 chapters

  • Hackaday Podcast · 53m

    Ep010: XKCD Graphs, Turing Complete Meta Computers, False Finger Printing 3D Printers, and Jargon

    Hackaday editors Mike Szczys and Elliot Williams review the week's hacker projects, including a 12-channel LED spectrum mixer, an omni-wheeled pen plotter, and a Turing-complete system built from hospital nurse call devices. They analyze a paper claiming to fingerprint 3D printers, arguing the method is flawed because it ignores filament variability, and discuss NASA's engineering philosophy of over-specifying hardware for long mission lives, citing the Opportunity rover and Voyager probes. The episode also features a jargon quiz on 'astrictive robotic prehension' and a new '$50 Ham' column.

    PCB design & layoutMechanical engineering
    8 chapters

  • The Electromaker Show · 42m

    Pi Powered Jägermachine, Anti-tracking hardware, Trojans inside AVR bootloaders, and more!

    The host reviews several maker projects including Pegor’s Pi-powered Jägermeister pouring machine, Naveen’s Thingy53 snoring detector, and Zach Freedman’s Mirage Mark3 modular keyboard. He also covers crowdfunding campaigns like the Edge Pro 1 and Juicy Crumb’s iMac drop-in, before analyzing Amazon’s new Fire TV Cube and Halo Sleep Tracker from a hardware repurposing perspective.

    Microcontrollers & dev platformsAI & machine learning
    1 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.