Hardware Podcasts

Ep027: Confusingly USB-C, Glowey Displays, Logically VGA, Hackers that Changed Gaming

Hackaday Podcast · 19 Jul 2019 · 48m

What this episode covers

Hackaday editors Mike Szczys and Elliot Williams discuss several hardware hacks, including Jan Enning’s art installation with failing ultrasonic sensors, Ben Eater’s VGA display built from logic chips, and Win Fong Doi’s computer-vision-enabled prosthetic hand. They also analyze the USB-C power delivery failure on the Raspberry Pi 4 caused by mismatched resistor dividers and electronically marked cables, and reflect on the history of Counter-Strike as a mod of Half-Life.

Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Valve, UCSD, ETH Zurich
Products
Raspberry Pi 4, Counter-Strike, Half-Life, Lineage OS, Amazon Fire Tablet, Nexus 5, Teensy, Sonoff, HomeKit, Doom, Wolfenstein, TS 80
Chips
ESP8266, 18650
Also
Galileo, Ben Eater, Jan Enning

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour

    50.0000 Ohms

    Hosts Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss a variety of hardware and tech topics, starting with Jones's DIY LED lighting project and Gammell's purchase of the 'Invisible Computer' e-paper calendar. They analyze the complexity of USB-C and HDMI cable standards, the privacy implications of WiFi-based location APIs, and the CHIPS Act's impact on semiconductor companies like Polar Semiconductor. The episode concludes with a discussion of Raspberry Pi's upcoming IPO and a skeptical look at current AI capabilities.

    AI & machine learningPCB design & layout
    6 chapters

  • Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast · 45m

    033 - All Over the Place

    Hosts Jen Castillo and Alvaro Prieto discuss their pandemic-era projects, including Alvaro's recreation of his father's 7400-series digital clock, a USB-C power adapter using a Cypress chip, and a t-shirt quilt. Jen details her reverse engineering of a greeting card chip, her exploration of Chinese manufacturing via Alibaba, and her choreography of a remote dance piece. They also cover the cancellation of hardware conferences like Hackaday Supercon and HackRF, and recommend movies such as 'Mood Indigo' and '3 Idiots'.

    Prototyping & iterationDebugging & failure analysis
    9 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 01m

    Our First Call In Show

    Hosts Dave Jones and Chris Gammell attempt their first call-in show, fielding questions from listeners on electronics design and ethics. They advise a caller on protecting low-level analog sensors from high-voltage induction in substations, troubleshoot I2C bus issues for a rocket stabilization prototype, and discuss the ethics of responsible disclosure for hardware security vulnerabilities with former guest Brandon Harris. The episode concludes with a discussion on the future of through-hole components for education and the challenges of judging the Hackaday Prize.

    Debugging & failure analysisSensors & measurement in products
    6 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 09m

    Feed the Mouse

    Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the ongoing chip shortages, highlighting how part scarcity forces engineers to redesign products or pay exorbitant prices on the gray market. They review the Luna USB analyzer from Great Scott Gadgets, an open-source tool using an Lattice FPGA for debugging USB 2.0, and critique the Illume COVID-19 home test for its unnecessary electronics and environmental waste. The conversation also covers career advice, including the value of debugging skills, the 'embedded resume' project by Aaron Vorce, and the importance of right-to-repair initiatives like the WAS conference.

    Sourcing & supply chainDebugging & failure analysis
    10 chapters

  • Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast · 1h 40m

    066 - Use Your Scope!

    James Lewis, known as Bald Engineer, details his reverse engineering of the Apple II MegaII chip to build a functional computer, explaining how he used KiCad, JLCPCB, and RP2040 microcontrollers to recreate vintage hardware. He discusses the challenges of debugging with Digilent Digital Discovery and Analog Discovery 2 tools, noting that the MegaII was likely an incomplete chip repurposed for I/O in the Apple II GS. Lewis also shares technical insights on capacitor aging, oscilloscope safety, and the importance of using test equipment correctly to avoid misleading results from logic analyzers.

    PCB design & layoutDebugging & failure analysis
    8 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Hackaday Podcast. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.