419: Fission Chips

Embedded.fm · 30 Jun 2022 · 1h 03m · Episode 419

What this episode covers

Eric Schlaepfer and Windell Oskay, authors of the book Open Circuits, discuss the process of cross-sectioning electronic components to reveal their internal structures. They detail the technical challenges of preparing samples, including resin impregnation, vacuum degassing, and hand-sanding with grits up to 10,000, as well as the macro photography techniques involving focus stacking and custom robotic rigs. The conversation covers specific components like the μA702 integrated circuit, tantalum capacitors, and cathode-ray tubes, highlighting the blend of engineering failure analysis and artistic photography.

Mentioned

Companies
No Starch Press, Evil Mad Scientist Laboratory
Products
Open Circuits
Chips
μA702
Tools
Helicon Focus, AxiDraw, Canon EOS R, Processing

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 05m

    Open Circuits with Eric Schlaepfer and Windell Oskay

    Eric Schlaepfer and Windell Oskay, authors of the book Open Circuits and creators of Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories, discuss their work in open source hardware and retro computing. They detail the design and production of kits like the discrete 555 timer and the Monster 6502, explaining how these projects serve as educational tools for understanding internal chip architecture. The conversation also covers the meticulous process of cross-sectioning electronic components for their book, highlighting the safety hazards and artistic effort involved in revealing the inner workings of electronics.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 14m

    An Interview with Ken Shirriff

    Ken Shirriff, who runs the blog Righto.com and formerly worked at Google, discusses his reverse engineering of vintage silicon and restoration of historical computing hardware. He details his process for creating die shots of 1970s chips using metallurgical microscopes and chemical etching, and explains the technical challenges of restoring a Xerox Alto computer, including replacing decaying foam and fixing incompatible TTL logic boards. Shirriff also analyzes the internal architecture of Apple power supplies, noting the presence of microcontrollers for safety handshakes, and compares the varied internal designs of standard components like the 555 timer and 741 op-amp across different manufacturers.

  • Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast · 1h 28m

    058 - Technically Met the Specs

    Eric Schlaepfer and Windell Oskay discuss their book 'Open Circuits,' detailing the process of cutting components in half with sandpaper and grinding wheels to reveal internal structures, while Jacob Creedon, Spencer Moss, Ken, and Will McGuiness share their perspectives on reverse engineering tools like IDA Pro and Ghidra, and the legal and social implications of technology. The group debates the future of AI, the validity of NFTs, and the importance of right-to-repair legislation, with Spencer Moss from Google and Ken from Somerset Recon highlighting the increasing complexity of hardware security. Mike Ryan from Ice 9 Consulting joins to discuss Bluetooth security, the obsolescence of passwords, and the dual-use nature of technology in the context of government regulation.

  • 005 - Circuits That Go Nowhere

    Ken Shirriff, a reverse engineer and blogger, details his process for reverse engineering vintage integrated circuits, from decapping chips using safe acids to analyzing die photos with metallurgical microscopes. He discusses the restoration of the Xerox Alto computer, explaining how he and collaborators resolved hardware mismatches and reverse-engineered its complex microcode using logic analyzers. The conversation covers specific historical chips like the 8008 and Z80, highlighting design quirks such as 4-bit ALUs in 8-bit processors and the use of current mirrors in analog circuits.

  • Hackaday Podcast · 1h 03m

    Ep 241: Circuit Bending, Resistor Filing, the Butterfly Keyboard, and the Badge Reveal

    Hackaday editors Elliot Williams and Tom Nardi discuss a variety of hardware hacks, including circuit bending with a Philips SA1099 sound chip and a technique for determining the value of burnt through-hole resistors by filing them. They highlight a comprehensive restoration of the IBM ThinkPad 701C 'Butterfly' by Project Butterfly, which provides open-source documentation and new parts, and review the Air Gradient project's lessons on overseas injection molding. The episode concludes with the reveal of the 2023 Hackaday Supercon badge, a Vectorscope featuring a Pico, an oscilloscope, and a function generator.

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.