Ep 280: TV Tubes as Amplifiers, Smart Tech in Sportsballs, and Adrian Gives Us the Fingie

Hackaday Podcast · 19 Jul 2024 · 55m · Episode 280

What this episode covers

Hosts Elliot Williams and Dan Maloney review a diverse range of hardware hacks, including PCB repair techniques by Mr. Solderfix, the reverse engineering of a Chinese IP camera's firmware by Alex Porto, and the use of a CRT as an audio amplifier. They also discuss Adrian Perez's 'Fingy' 3D-printed robotic finger, the historical scaling of the Bell System, and the integration of smart sensors into sports balls for the Euros.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 04m

    When the TV watches you

    Hosts Chris Gammell and Dave Jones discuss a variety of hardware topics, starting with Jones's experience using a pre-assembled ECG kit from Crowd Supply and the challenges of measuring biological signals. They then cover the spin-off of Nexperia from NXP, the controversy surrounding expensive audio speaker cables, and the rise of automation in Chinese factories. The conversation concludes with a review of Olimex's open-source DIY laptop and a preview of next week's guest, Bunny Hopkins.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 01m

    Rubber Ducking

    Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss engineering troubleshooting methodologies, including 'rubber ducking' and the importance of engineering notebooks, illustrated by Chris's debugging of an STM32 timer using GDB. They examine the market for low-cost electronics from China, with Dave Jones analyzing an $8.70 precision instrument found on AliExpress, and discuss the history and current state of companies like Motorola and Atari. The hosts also cover Jerry Ellsworth's new Kickstarter for the Cast AR augmented reality headset and the commercial availability of Boston Dynamics' Spot robot.

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 05m

    197: Smell the Transistor

    Hosts Elecia White and Christopher White discuss the intersection of science fiction and engineering inspiration, review Digilent's Analog Discovery 2 and Digital Discovery test equipment, and detail Christopher's experience building a QRP Labs Ultimate 3S ham radio kit for WSPR. They also cover Elecia's struggles with Ubuntu and the NVIDIA Jetson TX2, the choice of programming languages for embedded firmware, and Elecia's appearance on the Jennylyn Show.

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 03m

    85: Stalked by Hoopers and Engineers

    Scott Miller, founder of Argent Data Systems, discusses his transition from building ham radio kits to creating the Hyperion Hoop, a smart hula hoop featuring WS2812B LEDs, ColdFire V1 and HCS08 processors, and a Bosch BMX055 motion sensor. He explains the engineering challenges of sensor fusion, persistence of vision, and integrating DMX512 stage lighting control, while noting the shift from a technical, male-dominated ham radio customer base to a passionate, younger, female-skewed performance community. Miller details the product's mass storage interface for Photoshop pattern editing, the decision to use Bluetooth via Microchip RN41/42 modules, and the operational scaling from garage prototypes to managing 80-hour work weeks during peak demand.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 01m

    Look at nature and meet nerds

    Dave Jones of EEVblog and Chris Gammell of Contextual Electronics discuss their upcoming in-person meeting in Australia and New Zealand, highlighting plans for maker meetups and tech tours. Jones details his firmware hack of the Keysight 1000X-Series oscilloscope to unlock higher bandwidth and sample rates, while also noting a footprint error in his Mixy Tube clock project. The conversation shifts to industry news, including the CIA's Vault 7 leaks, the use of silicon carbide electronics for Venus landers, and the security risks of IoT devices like the Cloud Pet teddy bear.

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