Hardware Podcasts

Interview with Alan Wolke - Undulating Utensil Utility

The Amp Hour · 15 Oct 2012 · 1h 27m · Episode 117

What this episode covers

Alan Wolke, a Field Application Engineer at Tektronix and ham radio operator, details his career path from repairing TVs in the late 1970s to working at optical startups like Lytel and Multilink, and finally to his current role supporting RF and high-speed design. He discusses the technical challenges of fiber optic transceivers, hard disk drive read channels, and the evolution of oscilloscope technology from analog to modern mixed-domain instruments. Wolke emphasizes the importance of understanding tool limitations, such as noise bandwidth in scopes and the hidden complexities of simulation software, while sharing anecdotes about debugging EMI issues and his hands-on approach to creating educational YouTube content.

Most relevant to

large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Tektronix, Lytel, AMP, Multilink, Vitesse Semiconductor, GE
Products
Tektronix 465, Tektronix 485, Tektronix 2445, Tektronix 2465, Tektronix 2467
Chips
Motorola 10116
Tools
LTSpice
Also
Allen B. Dumont, dorkage.com

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