# Ep107: FTDI Plays Music, LED Dimming Ain't Easy, Measuring Poop Calories, and Sketchy Laser Cutters

- Show: [Hackaday Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast)
- Published: 2021-02-26
- Length: 53m
- Episode: 107
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2021-02-26-ep107-ftdi-plays-music-led-dimming-aint-easy-measuring-poop-calories-and-sketchy
- Listen: https://hackaday.libsyn.com/ep107-ftdi-plays-music-led-dimming-aint-easy-measuring-poop-calories-and-sketchy-laser-cutters

## Summary

Hackaday editors Mike Szczys and Elliot Williams discuss the NASA Perseverance Mars landing and the closure of Fry's Electronics before diving into a series of hardware hacks. They cover using an FTDI USB-to-serial cable to output audio via pulse density modulation, Ben Krasnow's experiment measuring human calorie consumption through bomb calorimetry of feces, and Mirage C's magnetic bearing solution for correcting ball screw wobble in 3D printers. The episode also details hacking non-dimmable LED fixtures to support dimming, building high-voltage doorknob capacitors for TEA lasers, and the safety and performance trade-offs of cheap blue diode laser cutters.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2021-02-26-ep107-ftdi-plays-music-led-dimming-aint-easy-measuring-poop-calories-and-sketchy#t=1) Introduction: Mars Landing and Fry's Electronics Closure
- [7:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2021-02-26-ep107-ftdi-plays-music-led-dimming-aint-easy-measuring-poop-calories-and-sketchy#t=452) Pollution Monitoring with Sentinel Clams
- [10:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2021-02-26-ep107-ftdi-plays-music-led-dimming-aint-easy-measuring-poop-calories-and-sketchy#t=609) Audio Output from FTDI USB-to-Serial Cable
- [14:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2021-02-26-ep107-ftdi-plays-music-led-dimming-aint-easy-measuring-poop-calories-and-sketchy#t=886) Measuring Poop Calories with a Bomb Calorimeter
- [19:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2021-02-26-ep107-ftdi-plays-music-led-dimming-aint-easy-measuring-poop-calories-and-sketchy#t=1147) Magnetic Bearing for Ball Screw Wobble Correction
- [24:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2021-02-26-ep107-ftdi-plays-music-led-dimming-aint-easy-measuring-poop-calories-and-sketchy#t=1484) Hacking Non-Dimmable LED Fixtures
- [29:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2021-02-26-ep107-ftdi-plays-music-led-dimming-aint-easy-measuring-poop-calories-and-sketchy#t=1769) Building High-Voltage Doorknob Capacitors
- [33:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2021-02-26-ep107-ftdi-plays-music-led-dimming-aint-easy-measuring-poop-calories-and-sketchy#t=1990) Quick Hacks: LED Skirt, Macro Keyboard, and Calculator Repair
- [37:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2021-02-26-ep107-ftdi-plays-music-led-dimming-aint-easy-measuring-poop-calories-and-sketchy#t=2277) Optical Communication History and Laser Cutter Safety

## Topics

- [Analog & power electronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/analog-and-power-electronics)
- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- FTDI (company)
- NASA (company)
- Perseverance (product)
- Fry's Electronics (company)
- Ben Krasnow (other)
- Mirage C (other)
- Hevort (product)
- Soylent (product)
- Pic16F1454 (chip)
- Al Williams (other)
- Auteur (company)
- K40 (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [73: That's a Waste of Bits](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-10-22-73-thats-a-waste-of-bits) (Embedded.fm)
- [Space Difficulties and Lost Heroes - Wanzing Workshop Whemmle](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-11-06-space-difficulties-and-lost-heroes-wanzing-workshop-whemmle) (The Amp Hour)
- [147: Bolts for Tuco](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-04-13-147-bolts-for-tuco) (Embedded.fm)
- [507: Turn Our Data Into Predators](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2025-08-07-507-turn-our-data-into-predators) (Embedded.fm)
- [Melbourne, Hackerspace & Calibration - Vacuuous Vortex Verification](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-02-12-melbourne-hackerspace-calibration-vacuuous-vortex-verification) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

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