Hardware Podcasts

523: Bad Experience With Donuts

Embedded.fm · 2 Apr 2026 · 1h 10m · Episode 523

What this episode covers

Elecia White and Christopher White discuss the LeapFrog LeapPad and Odyssey Globe, recalling Elecia's work on their capacitive sensing and custom ASIC technology around 2001. They analyze the governance models of open source projects like Valetudo, ESPHome, and Zephyr as analogies for large company politics, and review Bunnie Huang's Dabao Evaluation Board for its verifiability features. The hosts also cover practical tools like Merlin Bird ID and Excel data bars, while debating the use of Ethernet in embedded systems and the state of Renesas MCUs.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
LeapFrog, VTech, Renesas, NXP, STM
Products
LeapPad, Odyssey Globe, Dabao Evaluation Board, Valetudo, ESPHome, Zephyr, Merlin Bird ID
Chips
Baochip-1x
Also
Pragmatic Programmer

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