Ep. 13 - Hardware Release Cycle

Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast · 1 Feb 2024 · 1h 06m

What this episode covers

Stephen Oz and Lucian Chepar of Opulo explain the rigorous process of managing hardware release cycles for their open-source Lumen and Feeder machines, contrasting the permanence of hardware with the fluidity of software. They detail the internal workflows involving PLM software like Alaini and tools like Auto Bomb, as well as the external impacts on inventory, documentation, and product pages. The discussion highlights specific engineering challenges, such as managing scope creep, handling legacy stock, and ensuring full permutation compatibility across complex dependency trees of parts and firmware.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 23m

    Product Lifecycle Management with Michael Corr

    Michael Corr, founder and CEO of Duro Labs, explains how Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software can streamline hardware development by integrating CAD, bill of materials, and supply chain data. He argues that legacy PLM systems are too complex for early-stage teams, leading many to use error-prone spreadsheets, and positions Duro as an out-of-the-box solution that automates engineering change orders and supplier communication. Corr highlights specific pain points like part shortages and binary CAD file formats, which cause costly PCB respins and delays, and advocates for open APIs to reduce friction between engineers, distributors, and manufacturers.

  • The Amp Hour

    A Benchtop Pick and Place with Stephen Hawes

    Stephen Hawes, founder of Opulo, discusses the development and business of the Lumen Benchtop Pick and Place machine, an open-source device for low-to-medium volume PCB assembly. He explains how the company evolved from a garage prototype to a scaling operation, detailing the technical challenges of software integration with OpenPnP and the pragmatic decision to use Marlin firmware. Hawes also shares insights on manufacturing operations, the importance of dogfooding, and his experiments with making PCBs using fiber lasers.

  • OnTrack · 41m

    AI-Powered PLM: The Future of Hardware Product Lifecycle Management

    Michael Corr, CEO and founder of Duro, explains how his cloud-based PLM platform simplifies hardware product lifecycle management by centralizing bill of materials (BOM) data and integrating with supply chain APIs like Octopart and Nexar. He details the transition from traditional, complex legacy PLM systems to a simplified, opinionated tool that enforces best practices to reduce production errors. The conversation highlights the use of AI to automate data normalization, analyze change orders, and optimize Design for Manufacturing (DFM) by leveraging tribal knowledge. Corr also discusses Duro's Vendor Integration Engine (DVE), which connects directly to contract manufacturers for instant quoting and ordering of PCBAs.

  • The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast · 50m

    Git for Hardware Engineers with Valentina Ratner and Kyle Dumont

    Valentina Ratner (CEO) and Kyle Dumont (CTO) of Allspice explain how they adapted Git version control for hardware engineers, addressing the challenges of binary and graphical file formats. They discuss Allspice's platform-agnostic approach supporting Altium, KiCad, and OrCAD, and their strategy for migrating hardware teams from legacy systems like SVN to Git-based workflows. The conversation covers specific pain points such as supply chain volatility, the need for visual diffs, and the importance of traceability in design decisions.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 09m

    AI Tooling with Matt Liberty and Luke Beno

    Matt Liberty of Joulescope and Luke Beno of Tundra Labs and Werewolf.us discuss building custom AI-driven ERP systems to manage small-scale hardware businesses. They detail how AI tools like Claude Code and OpenClaw automate firmware debugging, protocol analysis for Juki pick-and-place machines, and inventory tracking via DigiKey and Mouser APIs. The guests emphasize that while AI accelerates software and operational workflows, it currently struggles with hardware design, arguing that engineers must retain fundamental physical intuition to effectively guide and debug AI-generated code and designs.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.