Hardware Podcasts

422: It's Not a Bug, It's a Feature

Embedded.fm · 28 Jul 2022 · 55m · Episode 422

What this episode covers

Hosts Elecia White and Chris White discuss the 'Zone of Proximal Development' using origami as an analogy for learning to code from scratch. They review news about reanimating dead spiders for robotics and continuous ultrasound imaging, while also addressing the semiconductor inventory glut. The conversation shifts to practical tooling, specifically Elecia's disappointment that her SEGGER J-Link debugger is no longer supported, leading to a debate on future-proofing hardware purchases versus buying cheap.

Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
SEGGER, AdaCore, Rice University, SGX Sensortech, Newark, 3M, CERN, Classpert
Products
MICS-5914, Large Hadron Collider, Raspberry Pi Pico, ESP32, STM32
Tools
Wokwi, J-Link, Saleae, Digilent Analog Discovery
Also
Ada, Robert Lang, Ilan Garibi, Uri Shaked, Daniel Preston

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast · 44m

    016 - Supercon 2018 Part 1

    Jen and Alvaro interview Chris Svec of SEGGER, Josh Lifton of Crowd Supply, Richard Whitney of the Happy Robot Company, Alex Glow of Hackster, and Chris Gammell of Contextual Electronics at the 2018 Hackaday Superconference. They discuss reverse engineering tools like the SEGGER J-Link and Analog Discovery 2, and projects including the Open Steno Project, Charmware, and the Happy Robot's cuddly robots. The guests share personal anecdotes about electronics mishaps, such as shorting high-voltage rails and dealing with thermal printer integration issues at Crowd Supply.

    Debugging & failure analysisPCB design & layout
    5 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 09m

    Feed the Mouse

    Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the ongoing chip shortages, highlighting how part scarcity forces engineers to redesign products or pay exorbitant prices on the gray market. They review the Luna USB analyzer from Great Scott Gadgets, an open-source tool using an Lattice FPGA for debugging USB 2.0, and critique the Illume COVID-19 home test for its unnecessary electronics and environmental waste. The conversation also covers career advice, including the value of debugging skills, the 'embedded resume' project by Aaron Vorce, and the importance of right-to-repair initiatives like the WAS conference.

    Sourcing & supply chainDebugging & failure analysis
    10 chapters

  • Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast · 35m

    010 - T0015! Part 0x3 - Debug Interfaces

    Hosts Alvaro Prieto and Jen Castilla discuss debugging interfaces like JTAG and SWD, explaining their history from boundary scan testing to modern in-circuit emulation. They review key hardware tools including Segger J-Link, BlackMagicProbe, ST-Link, and the BusBlaster, noting how open-source alternatives have drastically reduced costs. The conversation highlights the JTAGulator for finding hidden debug pins and argues that affordable, accessible tools have lowered barriers for hardware startups and security researchers.

    Debugging & failure analysisMicrocontrollers & dev platforms
    7 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 17m

    Living Through Chipageddon

    Hosts Chris Gammell and Dave Jones discuss the ongoing semiconductor shortage, dubbed 'Chipageddon,' analyzing its impact on industries like automotive and consumer electronics, and the supply chain dynamics driving it. They then shift to technical tooling, debating the challenges of importing Eagle files into KiCad and best practices for managing hardware version control in Git. Finally, Gammell promotes his new consulting course, 'Hang Your Technical Shingle,' while Jones shares advice on resume building and showcases high-quality PCB renders created with Blender.

    Sourcing & supply chainEDA & CAD tools
    7 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.