# Ep 161: Laser Lithography, Centurion Hard Drive, and Mad BGA Soldering

- Show: [Hackaday Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast)
- Published: 2022-03-25
- Length: 56m
- Episode: 161
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2022-03-25-ep-161-laser-lithography-centurion-hard-drive-and-mad-bga-soldering
- Listen: https://hackaday.libsyn.com/ep-161-laser-lithography-centurion-hard-drive-and-mad-bga-soldering

## Summary

Hackaday editors Elliot Williams and Dan Maloney review community hacks, including Zachary Tong’s DIY laser lithography machine for MEMS fabrication, David Lovett’s restoration of a Centurion minicomputer, and Sprite’s extreme hand-soldering of a tiny BGA microcontroller. They also discuss Dimitri Grinberg’s reverse engineering of Sony Memory Sticks and a submersible data logger optimized for coin cell life. The episode concludes with Dan Maloney’s personal story of hacking a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) notification system after a smartphone upgrade broke the official app.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2022-03-25-ep-161-laser-lithography-centurion-hard-drive-and-mad-bga-soldering#t=1) Introduction: News, Easter Eggs, and Satellite Snooping
- [6:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2022-03-25-ep-161-laser-lithography-centurion-hard-drive-and-mad-bga-soldering#t=407) Sound Drawing Winner and Zachary Tong’s Laser Lithography
- [15:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2022-03-25-ep-161-laser-lithography-centurion-hard-drive-and-mad-bga-soldering#t=941) David Lovett’s Centurion Minicomputer Restoration
- [22:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2022-03-25-ep-161-laser-lithography-centurion-hard-drive-and-mad-bga-soldering#t=1332) Dimitri Grinberg’s Sony Memory Stick Reverse Engineering
- [27:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2022-03-25-ep-161-laser-lithography-centurion-hard-drive-and-mad-bga-soldering#t=1670) Cave Pearl Project’s Ultra-Low Power Coin Cell Logger
- [30:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2022-03-25-ep-161-laser-lithography-centurion-hard-drive-and-mad-bga-soldering#t=1820) Sprite’s Tiny BGA Microcontroller Breakout and Soldering
- [36:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2022-03-25-ep-161-laser-lithography-centurion-hard-drive-and-mad-bga-soldering#t=2200) Hack Chat Recaps and Community Highlights
- [46:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2022-03-25-ep-161-laser-lithography-centurion-hard-drive-and-mad-bga-soldering#t=2788) Quick Hacks: Morse Eyes, 3D Printed Snap Fits, and Books
- [48:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2022-03-25-ep-161-laser-lithography-centurion-hard-drive-and-mad-bga-soldering#t=2929) Dan Maloney’s CGM Smartphone Workaround

## Topics

- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Batteries & low-power design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/batteries-and-low-power)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Medical & health devices](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/medical-devices)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Maker community & events](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/maker-community)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Hackaday (other)
- Windows 1 (other)
- Centurion (other)
- Sony Memory Stick (other)
- Atmel (chip)
- OpenOCD (tool)
- Wireshark (tool)
- Fluke (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [An Interview with MG (Mike Grover)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-08-12-an-interview-with-mg-mike-grover) (The Amp Hour)
- [020 - Hardwear.io CTF Interviews](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2019-06-16-020-hardwear-io-ctf-interviews) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [044 - Scots Army Knife](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2021-01-03-044-scots-army-knife) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [An Interview with Mike Szczys](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-08-13-an-interview-with-mike-szczys) (The Amp Hour)
- [Our first in-person show](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-04-10-our-first-in-person-show) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

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