503: The Tiniest Laptops

Embedded.fm · 13 Jun 2025 · 1h 03m · Episode 503

What this episode covers

Dr. Emily Lovell, Associate Director of the Open Source Program Office at UC Santa Cruz and luthier at Aberdeen Guitars, discusses her journey from creating the LilyTiny e-textile microcontroller with Leah Buechley to her current work in open source education and guitar building. She details the design and educational impact of the LilyTiny, a low-cost, pre-programmed sewable board designed to bridge the gap between simple circuits and coding for K-12 students. Lovell also shares insights on her research into the LilyTiny's long-term sales data from SparkFun, her transition into lutherie through Aberdeen Guitars, and her philosophy on encouraging diverse participation in tech through open source.

Mentioned

Companies
SparkFun, Aberdeen Guitars, Santa Cruz Guitar Company, Sylvan Music, UC Santa Cruz, Berea College
Products
LilyTiny, LilyPad Arduino
Chips
ATtiny
Tools
Processing
Also
Women in Lutherie, TeachingOpenSource.org

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 41m

    An Interview with Adam Wolf - Brick & Board Biuners

    Adam Wolfe of Wayne and Lane discusses his work creating open-source educational electronics kits, such as the Blinky Kit and Lego Mindstorms shields, to lower barriers to entry for engineering. He details his dual role at Ethereos, where he works on embedded Linux and Android projects, and his side business designing affordable hardware for the Lego ecosystem. Wolfe also highlights his contributions to the KiCad open-source EDA tool, specifically maintaining nightly builds and advocating for features like native library support and GPU acceleration.

  • The Electromaker Show · 41m

    MNT Pocket Reform, Apple E-Ink display, Pi Pico Midi Step Sequencer, and more!

    The host of The Electromaker Show reviews the August Electromaker of the Month winners, including a QR code access system by SwAWEC 13, a smoke detection project by Blatz 01 using Nordic Semiconductor kits, and a light-based audio transmission project by Yeshvanth M. He also discusses the MNT Pocket Reform, a modular open-source mini laptop, and GlowStich LEDs, which are sewing-machine-compatible conductive strips for wearable tech. Additionally, the episode covers Femto, an ultra-compact RP2040 development board, and a 3D-printed electronic guitar built with multiple ESP32 microcontrollers.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 36m

    An Interview with Luke Valenty

    Luke Valenty of TinyFPGA.com explains how open source toolchains like Ice Studio and APIO lower the barrier to entry for FPGAs, enabling makers to build custom microcontrollers and high-speed interfaces without proprietary software. He details the design of the Tiny FPGA BX board, which integrates a USB device directly into the FPGA fabric to eliminate expensive external chips, and discusses the challenges of manufacturing small QFN and BGA packages. Valenty also outlines his roadmap for the upcoming EX board, which will utilize Lattice ECP5 high-speed transceivers to support USB-3 and PCIe, aiming for a crowdfunding campaign in the fall.

  • 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.

  • Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast · 1h 25m

    Ep. 16 - Open Hardware with Thea Flowers

    Thea Flowers, president of OSHWA and founder of the open-source hardware synthesizer company Winter Bloom, discusses her journey from high school Linux contributions to working at Google and launching her own business. She details the design and construction of 'Hubble,' a custom test jig for calibrating analog synthesizer modules, and explains her strategy for managing firmware updates across different hardware revisions like the Castro and Pollux. Flowers also shares her philosophy on open source, addressing cloning, community contribution, and the importance of empowering users to own and repair their devices.

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.