# 466: Attacked by a Goose on the Way to the Office

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2023-12-14
- Length: 1h 08m
- Episode: 466
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2023-12-14-466-attacked-by-a-goose-on-the-way-to-the-office
- Listen: https://embedded.fm/episodes/466

## Summary

Ralph Hempel, formerly Senior Manager of Firmware at the Lego Group and currently a staff firmware engineer at Edwards Fire and Safety, discusses the engineering and community hacking surrounding Lego Mindstorms. He details the reverse engineering of the original RCX brick, the transition to Linux-based NXT and EV3 systems, and the integration of MicroPython which led to the fan-created Pybricks firmware. Hempel also shares his experiences implementing Test-Driven Development (TDD) and automated CI/CD pipelines at Lego, while contrasting the safety-critical constraints of fire alarm systems with the playful openness of toys.

## Chapters

- [0:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2023-12-14-466-attacked-by-a-goose-on-the-way-to-the-office#t=7) Introduction: Ralph Hempel and his career at Lego and Edwards Fire and Safety
- [7:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2023-12-14-466-attacked-by-a-goose-on-the-way-to-the-office#t=453) Reverse engineering the original Lego RCX brick and Usenet community
- [12:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2023-12-14-466-attacked-by-a-goose-on-the-way-to-the-office#t=724) Comparing safety regulations and testing between Lego Mindstorms and fire alarms
- [18:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2023-12-14-466-attacked-by-a-goose-on-the-way-to-the-office#t=1138) The evolution of Mindstorms processors and the introduction of MicroPython
- [28:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2023-12-14-466-attacked-by-a-goose-on-the-way-to-the-office#t=1684) Fan-created Pybricks firmware and the open-source philosophy
- [30:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2023-12-14-466-attacked-by-a-goose-on-the-way-to-the-office#t=1831) Implementing Test-Driven Development (TDD) and automated CI/CD at Lego
- [42:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2023-12-14-466-attacked-by-a-goose-on-the-way-to-the-office#t=2543) Agile methodology, sprint goals, and cross-functional team dynamics
- [50:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2023-12-14-466-attacked-by-a-goose-on-the-way-to-the-office#t=3032) Advice for technical leads transitioning to management and avoiding burnout

## Topics

- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Quality & yield](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/quality-and-yield)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Lego Mindstorms (product)
- RCX (product)
- NXT (product)
- EV3 (product)
- Pybricks (product)
- MicroPython (tool)
- Edwards Fire and Safety (company)
- Hasselin (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep. 4 |The Future Is Coding: Experts from iRobot and STMicroelectronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2020-06-25-ep-4-the-future-is-coding-experts-from-irobot-and-stmicroelectronics) (Moore's Lobby)
- [Ep 250: Trains, RC Planes, and EEPROMS in Flames](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2023-12-29-ep-250-trains-rc-planes-and-eeproms-in-flames) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Christmas Special](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-12-22-christmas-special) (The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast)
- [039 - Changing the Nature of Reality](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2020-09-13-039-changing-the-nature-of-reality) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [Ep 387: Superhuman Clocks, CAN in USB-C, and the Joys of Bare Metal](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-09-18-ep-387-superhuman-clocks-can-in-usb-c-and-the-joys-of-bare-metal) (Hackaday Podcast)

## Citing this page

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