Hackaday Podcast · 22 Apr 2022 · 49m · Episode 165
Hackaday Editor-in-Chief Elliot Williams and Assignments Editor Kristina Panos discuss a wide range of hardware hacks, including a KiCad plugin for wavy PCB traces, a 3D-printed robotic cat, and a Raspberry Pi synthesizer. They also cover retro computing history, specifically Bill Hurd's insights on Commodore, and critique Microsoft's removal of taskbar customization in Windows 11.
makers and hobbyists
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Chris Gammell returns from Maker Faire to discuss the proliferation of 3D printers, the Intel Edison development board, and low-cost pick-and-place machines. Dave Jones addresses viewer complaints about his YouTube content, analyzes the technical specs of the Intel Edison, and reviews the new Altium cloud-based design tool. The hosts also touch on the challenges of open-source test equipment and the future of hardware kits.
At KiCon 2019, Anool Mahidharia discusses using FreeCAD with KiCad, while AJ Keller from Neurosity explains the challenges of integrating 3D models for wearable headset PCBs. Uriel Guy presents KiCadShop, an open-source library for programmatic PCB layout, and Ste Kulov of HD Retrovision details the hardware and reverse-engineering efforts behind retro console video cables. Craig Bishop shares his perspective on PCB design tools, auto-routing, and the future of open-source hardware development.
Greg Davill, an engineer at an Australian aero surveying company, discusses his hobbyist work with KiCad, detailing how he uses Fusion 360 and Python scripts to create realistic renders of PCBs by converting SVG layers. Michael Ossmann, founder of Great Scott Gadgets, announces the shipping of the GreatFET One, a high-performance USB hacking tool, and discusses the company's transition from garage to scaling, highlighting collaboration challenges and testing failures with the HackRF.
David Ray of Cyber City Circuits explains his company's transition from a kitchen-table hobby to a small-scale manufacturing hub for electronics and escape room props. He details a specific reverse engineering workflow for PCBs involving high-resolution photo scanning, GIMP, and Inkscape to recreate designs in KiCad, illustrated by his TI-83 calculator project. The conversation also covers the challenges of legacy component obsolescence, the utility of online communities like electronics Twitter, and the technical aspects of building interactive escape room hardware.
Greg Davill, an electronics engineer and hobbyist from Adelaide, discusses his recent hardware projects including the Arctic Koala FPGA breakout board, the Orange Crab, and a complex LED Icosahedron sculpture. He details the technical challenges of integrating a camera module into the Hackaday Supercon badge using an Icebreaker FPGA and shares his specific soldering techniques and tooling preferences for surface mount assembly. The conversation also covers his workflow for creating photorealistic KiCad board renders and the state of the electronics community in Australia.
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