# Oxide and the Chamber of Mysteries

- Show: [Oxide and Friends](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends)
- Published: 2023-02-07
- Length: 1h 40m
- Episode: 4
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-02-07-oxide-and-the-chamber-of-mysteries
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/96ccbcf2

## Summary

Bryan Cantrill, Adam Leventhal, and the Oxide Computer Company team (Eric Aasen, Nathanael Huffman, Robert Keith, Arjen Roodselaar, Josh Clulow, CJ Mendez) detail their journey through EMC and safety compliance for their rack-scale computer. They discuss the challenges of pre-compliance testing in Texas, debugging a critical component mismatch in the 'shark fin' drive connectors, and surviving a catastrophic power-on failure that destroyed 14 FPGAs. The team ultimately passes FCC certification with minimal margin after addressing antenna effects in the rear doors and implementing spread spectrum clocking.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-02-07-oxide-and-the-chamber-of-mysteries#t=0) Introduction to EMC and Pre-Compliance in Texas
- [11:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-02-07-oxide-and-the-chamber-of-mysteries#t=709) The Chamber: How EMC Testing Works
- [37:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-02-07-oxide-and-the-chamber-of-mysteries#t=2272) Debugging the 'Shark Fin' Component Mismatch
- [45:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-02-07-oxide-and-the-chamber-of-mysteries#t=2734) The First Power-On: Blown FPGAs and Abuse Testing
- [55:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-02-07-oxide-and-the-chamber-of-mysteries#t=3301) First Compliance Run: Door Antennas and SSC
- [1:15:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-02-07-oxide-and-the-chamber-of-mysteries#t=4532) Safety Testing and Thermal Challenges
- [1:23:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-02-07-oxide-and-the-chamber-of-mysteries#t=5011) Final Compliance Pass and Conclusion

## Topics

- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Certification & compliance](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/certification-and-compliance)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Oxide Computer Company (company)
- Murata (company)
- Franklin's BBQ (other)
- FCC (other)
- TUV (other)
- Intertek (other)
- UL (other)
- GE (company)
- Facebook (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [299: Reasonably Foreseeable Misuse](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-08-15-299-reasonably-foreseeable-misuse) (Embedded.fm)
- [342: That Girl's Brain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-08-27-342-that-girls-brain) (Embedded.fm)
- [Ep. 42 - Certifications](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2025-07-18-ep-42-certifications) (Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast)
- [Photon Rich, Cash Poor](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-10-14-photon-rich-cash-poor) (The Amp Hour)
- [Why 90% of Electronics Fail EMC Tests and How to Fix It](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2026-02-03-why-90-of-electronics-fail-emc-tests-and-how-to-fix-it) (OnTrack)

## 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/2023-02-07-oxide-and-the-chamber-of-mysteries. 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.