# The Power of Proto Boards!

- Show: [Oxide and Friends](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends)
- Published: 2023-01-17
- Length: 1h 41m
- Episode: 2
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-01-17-the-power-of-proto-boards
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/f290b7dd

## Summary

Bryan Cantrill, Adam Leventhal, and the Oxide Computer Company engineering team review a gallery of custom prototype boards built to accelerate the development of their rack-scale servers. The group discusses the evolution from the highly integrated 'Gemini' board to modular 'Gimletlet' development platforms, highlighting how tools like KiCad and an in-house OpenPnP pick-and-place machine enabled rapid iteration. They detail specific hardware solutions for critical path issues, including the 'Dimlet' for SPD proxy testing, 'Kludge.2' for M.2 programming, and 'Donglet' for VPD programming during the semiconductor shortage.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-01-17-the-power-of-proto-boards#t=0) Introduction and OpenPnP Pick and Place
- [11:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-01-17-the-power-of-proto-boards#t=696) Gemini and the Root of Trust Carrier
- [20:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-01-17-the-power-of-proto-boards#t=1230) Power Modules and Supply Chain Challenges
- [27:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-01-17-the-power-of-proto-boards#t=1650) SPI MUX and Gimletlet Development
- [56:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-01-17-the-power-of-proto-boards#t=3392) DIMMlet and SPD Proxy Testing
- [1:15:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-01-17-the-power-of-proto-boards#t=4539) Kludge.2 and Donglet Manufacturing Tools
- [1:29:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-01-17-the-power-of-proto-boards#t=5342) Test Adapters and Load Slammers
- [1:33:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-01-17-the-power-of-proto-boards#t=5606) Refined Kludge.2 and Future of Prototyping

## Topics

- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Oxide Computer Company (company)
- OpenPnP (tool)
- Opulo (company)
- KiCad (tool)
- OrCAD (tool)
- Gimletlet (product)
- Gemini (product)
- DIMMlet (product)
- Kludge.2 (product)
- Donglet (product)
- STM32G0 (chip)
- iCE40 (chip)
- VSC7448 (chip)
- CircuitHub (company)
- Hubris (product)

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- [Pull The Trigger](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-02-19-pull-the-trigger) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-01-17-the-power-of-proto-boards. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Oxide and Friends.