# The Future of PCB Design Education: HaSofu Founder Kirsch Mackey

- Show: [OnTrack](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack)
- Published: 2025-05-21
- Length: 51m
- Episode: 299
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-05-21-the-future-of-pcb-design-education-hasofu-founder-kirsch-mackey
- Listen: https://podcast.altium.com/e/the-future-of-pcb-design-education-hasofu-founder-kirsch-mackey/

## Summary

Kirsch Mackey, founder of HaSofu, explains how his educational platform bridges the gap between academic theory and industry requirements for PCB and hardware design. He discusses the realistic limitations of AI in engineering workflows, warning that while AI can accelerate tasks, it cannot replace the deterministic reasoning required for physical design. Mackey details HaSofu's curriculum, which covers topics from basic electronics to embedded firmware using platforms like STM32 and 8051, and outlines future plans for power electronics and AI engineering courses.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-05-21-the-future-of-pcb-design-education-hasofu-founder-kirsch-mackey#t=0) Introduction: Kirsch Mackey and HaSofu
- [1:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-05-21-the-future-of-pcb-design-education-hasofu-founder-kirsch-mackey#t=82) Mackey's Background: Physics, AI, and Industry Experience
- [4:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-05-21-the-future-of-pcb-design-education-hasofu-founder-kirsch-mackey#t=264) AI Expectations: Human-Level vs. Superhuman Hype
- [9:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-05-21-the-future-of-pcb-design-education-hasofu-founder-kirsch-mackey#t=569) HaSofu's Curriculum: PCB, Hardware, and Embedded Systems
- [17:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-05-21-the-future-of-pcb-design-education-hasofu-founder-kirsch-mackey#t=1061) Bridging the Academic Gap: 8051 and STM32 Architecture
- [21:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-05-21-the-future-of-pcb-design-education-hasofu-founder-kirsch-mackey#t=1276) Industry-Education Disconnect and University Incentives
- [30:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-05-21-the-future-of-pcb-design-education-hasofu-founder-kirsch-mackey#t=1810) Future Curriculum: AI, Edge Computing, and Power Electronics
- [43:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-05-21-the-future-of-pcb-design-education-hasofu-founder-kirsch-mackey#t=2583) The Danger of AI Reasoning in Deterministic Design

## Topics

- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- HaSofu (company)
- Altium Designer (tool)
- STM32 (chip)
- 8051 (chip)
- ESP32 (chip)
- ChatGPT (other)
- Python (other)
- C (other)

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- [539: My Ai Powered Ergonomic Chair](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2026-09-25-539-my-ai-powered-ergonomic-chair) (Making It)
- [Changing Course with Shawn Hymel](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2024-08-09-changing-course-with-shawn-hymel) (The Amp Hour)
- [Mixed Signal Education with Philip Salmony](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-01-18-mixed-signal-education-with-philip-salmony) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

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