Hardware Podcasts

Idiorhythmic IPC Inconcinnity

The Amp Hour · 22 Nov 2011 · 1h 04m · Episode 70

What this episode covers

Hosts Abraham and Dave Jones discuss the realities of engineering consulting, contrasting hourly billing and tax implications in the US with Australian sole trader structures, while highlighting the risks of fixed-price quotes and spec creep. They explore the challenges of standardizing PCB footprints across different EDA tools like Altium and KiCad, noting the lack of universal libraries and the influence of PCB assemblers on design choices. The conversation also touches on Apple's supply chain dominance, the technical limitations of tiny microcontrollers like the ATtiny10, and the business model behind Amazon's Kindle hardware.

Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Apple, Amazon, Cree, iRobot
Products
Kindle, Roomba
Chips
ATtiny10
Tools
Altium, KiCad, Eagle
Also
EEV Blog, Element14

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 13m

    20: Soldered Together By Monkeys

    Phil King of Weekend Engineering advises host Elecia White on the end-to-end process of designing and fabricating a custom PCB, from schematic capture to assembly. They discuss the trade-offs between professional EDA tools like OrCAD and Altium, free options like EaglePCB and KiCad, and vendor-specific tools like DigiKey's SchemeIt and ExpressPCB. The conversation covers the critical importance of net lists, PCB layout challenges such as trace spacing and via types, and the logistical complexities of sourcing components and managing fabrication costs.

    EDA & CAD toolsPCB design & layout
    6 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 20m

    123: Banished from Running Linux

    Bob Coggeshall, co-author of sudo and founder of Small Batch Assembly, explains how he transitioned from a career in software to running a boutique electronics assembly service for makers. He details the technical challenges of automating low-volume PCB assembly, including building a custom pricing engine in Python and integrating with the Octopart Common Parts Library to streamline customer workflows. Coggeshall also discusses his personal projects, such as driving Nixie tubes with high-voltage circuits and using microcontrollers like the ATmega328 and Atmel SAM D20.

    Starting a product companyEmbedded firmware
    6 chapters

  • OnTrack · 44m

    Code-Based PCB Design with AI: Inside atopile

    Ioannis Papamanoglou and Narayan Powderly, co-founders of atopile, explain their code-based, AI-driven approach to PCB design, arguing that hardware has lagged behind software in tooling automation. They discuss how capturing engineering intent in code allows for deterministic design and seamless integration with tools like Altium Designer and LTspice, shifting the designer's role from boilerplate tasks to system architecture. The founders highlight the importance of connecting disconnected tools to improve supply chain resilience and firmware integration, while noting that the bottleneck for AI in hardware is orchestration rather than model capability.

    EDA & CAD toolsAI & machine learning
    8 chapters

  • The Spark Gap · 1h 32m

    The Spark Gap - Episode 52

    Hosts Carl and Corey discuss the strategic transition from using development kits to custom hardware designs. They analyze the risks of supply chain dependency, the importance of selecting dev kits based on final product requirements rather than convenience, and the software implications of hardware abstraction layers. The conversation also covers practical advice for first-time PCB designers, including managing power supplies and simplifying assembly processes.

    Microcontrollers & dev platformsPCB design & layout
    7 chapters

  • OnTrack · 50m

    Solving PCB Library Issues: Expert Advice from Elizabeth Bustamante

    Elizabeth Bustamante, a CAD technical consultant at Altium, explains that inconsistent PCB libraries lead to costly manufacturing errors and project delays due to a lack of unified standards for footprints and land patterns. She highlights that while tools like Altium Designer’s Footprint Wizard offer transparency, many third-party libraries lack traceability regarding input parameters like fabrication tolerances, causing significant variance in pad sizes and courtyard definitions. Bustamante advises teams to rigorously verify third-party sources against internal checklists and standardize adjustments to ensure consistency, noting that failing to do so can result in failed prototypes and wasted budget.

    PCB design & layoutEDA & CAD tools
    8 chapters

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