# Ep020: Slaying the Dragon of EL, Siege Weapon Physics, Dis-entangled Charlieplex, Laser Internet

- Show: [Hackaday Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast)
- Published: 2019-05-24
- Length: 1h 06m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-05-24-ep020-slaying-the-dragon-of-el-siege-weapon-physics-dis-entangled-charlieplex-la
- Listen: https://hackaday.libsyn.com/ep020-slaying-the-dragon-of-el-siege-weapon-physics-dis-entangled-charlieplex-laser-internet

## Summary

Hackaday editors Elliot Williams and Mike Szczys discuss a range of hardware hacks, including Ben Krasnov's difficult recreation of the Apollo DSKY electroluminescent display, Drew Dunn and colleagues' FPGA-based poker hand evaluator, and Tom Stanton's physics experiments with a trebuchet. They also cover the 'Uncovering the Silicon' booth at Maker Fair Bay Area, which used 3D models to explain transistor physics, and reflect on the history of the Zork text adventure game. The episode concludes with interviews from attendees of the first Maker Fair in 2006 about the event's impact on the maker community.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-05-24-ep020-slaying-the-dragon-of-el-siege-weapon-physics-dis-entangled-charlieplex-la#t=1) Intro and Maker Fair Recap
- [7:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-05-24-ep020-slaying-the-dragon-of-el-siege-weapon-physics-dis-entangled-charlieplex-la#t=431) FPGA Poker Bot and Charlieplexing
- [16:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-05-24-ep020-slaying-the-dragon-of-el-siege-weapon-physics-dis-entangled-charlieplex-la#t=964) Ben Krasnov's DSKY Electroluminescent Display
- [22:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-05-24-ep020-slaying-the-dragon-of-el-siege-weapon-physics-dis-entangled-charlieplex-la#t=1372) Trebuchet Physics and Tracker Software
- [27:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-05-24-ep020-slaying-the-dragon-of-el-siege-weapon-physics-dis-entangled-charlieplex-la#t=1655) Uncovering the Silicon Booth at Maker Fair
- [33:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-05-24-ep020-slaying-the-dragon-of-el-siege-weapon-physics-dis-entangled-charlieplex-la#t=2034) Flying Spot Scanner and Camera Obscura
- [39:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-05-24-ep020-slaying-the-dragon-of-el-siege-weapon-physics-dis-entangled-charlieplex-la#t=2393) Quick Hacks: IoT Bulb, Risonic Wheel, DIY Vacuum
- [46:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-05-24-ep020-slaying-the-dragon-of-el-siege-weapon-physics-dis-entangled-charlieplex-la#t=2765) SpaceX Starlink Laser Internet
- [51:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-05-24-ep020-slaying-the-dragon-of-el-siege-weapon-physics-dis-entangled-charlieplex-la#t=3090) Zork and the Z Machine History
- [56:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-05-24-ep020-slaying-the-dragon-of-el-siege-weapon-physics-dis-entangled-charlieplex-la#t=3413) Maker Fair Bay Area Retrospective

## Topics

- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [Maker community & events](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/maker-community)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Wireless & RF](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/wireless-and-rf)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Ben Krasnov (other)
- DSKY (product)
- Apollo (product)
- Drew Dunn (other)
- Jacob Gleck (other)
- Michael Solo Mentstev (other)
- Cornell (company)
- Bruce Land (other)
- M Rule (other)
- Charlieplexing (other)
- Tom Stanton (other)
- John McMaster (other)
- Ken Shirriff (other)
- Eric Schlepfer (other)
- Wendell and Lenore (other)
- Nicholas Roy (other)
- Fermata (tool)
- SpaceX (company)
- Starlink (product)
- Zork (product)
- TRS 80 (product)
- Apple 2 (product)
- Maker Fair Bay Area (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Apple HQ and Vintage Arcade Games - The Mothership Manifesto](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-06-15-apple-hq-and-vintage-arcade-games-the-mothership-manifesto) (The Amp Hour)
- [81: Two of Those People Can't Be Ducks](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-12-17-81-two-of-those-people-cant-be-ducks) (Embedded.fm)
- [033 - All Over the Place](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2020-04-27-033-all-over-the-place) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [030 - Supercon 2019](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2019-12-01-030-supercon-2019) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [An Interview with Greg Davill](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-01-06-an-interview-with-greg-davill) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-05-24-ep020-slaying-the-dragon-of-el-siege-weapon-physics-dis-entangled-charlieplex-la. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Hackaday Podcast.