359: You Can Never Have Too Many Socks (Repeat)

Embedded.fm · 18 Nov 2022 · 1h 05m · Episode 359

What this episode covers

Thea Flowers, founder of Winterbloom, discusses her open-source hardware synthesizer modules, including Castor & Pollux and Big Honking Button, which utilize the SAMD21 microcontroller and CircuitPython. She explains the hybrid analog-digital design of Castor & Pollux, which emulates the Roland Juno 106 voice, and details her transition from software engineering to hardware manufacturing. Flowers highlights the challenges of scaling production, such as the difficulty of assembling the Sol module, and her strategy of using contract manufacturers while maintaining open-source transparency to build a profitable small business.

Mentioned

Companies
Winterbloom, Adafruit, Arduino, PCBWay, Royal Circuits, OSH Park
Products
Castor & Pollux, Big Honking Button, Sol, Roland Juno 106, Feather M0, Teensy
Chips
SAMD21
Tools
CircuitPython
Also
Sanwa

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