# Bob Widlar, Electronic Design, FIRST Robotics - Monday, Meta Monday

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2011-03-08
- Length: 1h 03m
- Episode: 33
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-03-08-bob-widlar-electronic-design-first-robotics-monday-meta-monday
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/the-amp-hour-33-monday-meta-monday/

## Summary

Hosts Chris Gammell and Dave Jones discuss format changes to The Amp Hour, including the potential removal of Workbench of the Week and the introduction of sponsorship. They review low-cost PCB manufacturing from IT'd Studio, noting the $12 fixed-price service for small boards, and discuss the logistics of automated assembly. The conversation also covers the FIRST Robotics competition, Bob Widlar's legacy, and the value of practical engineering education over pure theory.

## Chapters

- [0:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-03-08-bob-widlar-electronic-design-first-robotics-monday-meta-monday#t=27) Introduction and Technical Setup Issues
- [3:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-03-08-bob-widlar-electronic-design-first-robotics-monday-meta-monday#t=231) Show Format Changes and Workbench of the Week
- [21:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-03-08-bob-widlar-electronic-design-first-robotics-monday-meta-monday#t=1306) IT'd Studio PCB Service Review
- [29:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-03-08-bob-widlar-electronic-design-first-robotics-monday-meta-monday#t=1769) Automated PCB Assembly Logistics
- [36:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-03-08-bob-widlar-electronic-design-first-robotics-monday-meta-monday#t=2181) Bob Widlar and Engineering History
- [50:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-03-08-bob-widlar-electronic-design-first-robotics-monday-meta-monday#t=3042) FIRST Robotics and Engineering Education

## Topics

- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Rigol (product)
- PCB Cart (company)
- Advanced Circuits (company)
- Sunstone (company)
- Bob Widlar (other)
- FIRST Robotics (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [123: Banished from Running Linux](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-10-28-123-banished-from-running-linux) (Embedded.fm)
- [069 - Canned Cheese and Onion Rings](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2024-04-17-069-canned-cheese-and-onion-rings) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [92: Everybody Behave, Please](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-03-11-92-everybody-behave-please) (Embedded.fm)
- [Chris Denney | PCB Design, Fabrication, & Manufacturing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-12-16-chris-denney-pcb-design-fabrication-manufacturing) (Being an Engineer)
- [Episode 173: Concrete Bandsaw](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2018-06-29-episode-173-concrete-bandsaw) (Making It)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-03-08-bob-widlar-electronic-design-first-robotics-monday-meta-monday. 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 The Amp Hour.