# An Interview with Vincent Himpe - Escaped Electron Elocution

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2013-10-30
- Length: 3h 18m
- Episode: 169
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-10-30-an-interview-with-vincent-himpe-escaped-electron-elocution
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/169-an-interview-with-vincent-himpe-escaped-electron-elocution/

## Summary

Vincent Himpe, a staff engineer at a multinational semiconductor company, recounts his journey from a Belgian hobbyist to designing DSL and hard drive components. He details his early work at Metech and Alcatel, where he contributed to the development of ADSL technology and later moved to On Semiconductor. Himpe discusses the technical challenges of analog design, the obsolescence of legacy components like the XR2206, and the importance of practical troubleshooting experience in hardware engineering.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-10-30-an-interview-with-vincent-himpe-escaped-electron-elocution#t=0) Introduction: Vincent Himpe and Early Electronics Hobby
- [9:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-10-30-an-interview-with-vincent-himpe-escaped-electron-elocution#t=586) Semiconductor Fab Maintenance and Safety Protocols
- [45:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-10-30-an-interview-with-vincent-himpe-escaped-electron-elocution#t=2750) Transition to Component-Level Troubleshooting and Automation
- [1:01:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-10-30-an-interview-with-vincent-himpe-escaped-electron-elocution#t=3704) ADSL Development and FPGA Design in 1995
- [1:26:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-10-30-an-interview-with-vincent-himpe-escaped-electron-elocution#t=5163) Alcatel, DSL Modems, and the Telecom Bubble Burst
- [1:52:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-10-30-an-interview-with-vincent-himpe-escaped-electron-elocution#t=6760) Legacy Chip Obsolescence and Rochester Electronics
- [2:12:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-10-30-an-interview-with-vincent-himpe-escaped-electron-elocution#t=7925) Hard Drive Technology and Staff Engineer Role
- [2:56:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-10-30-an-interview-with-vincent-himpe-escaped-electron-elocution#t=10565) Q&A: Open Source Tools and Legacy Microcontrollers

## Topics

- [Analog & power electronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/analog-and-power-electronics)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Metech (company)
- Alcatel (company)
- On Semiconductor (company)
- XR2206 (chip)
- Max038 (chip)
- 8051 (chip)
- 6502 (chip)
- Protel (tool)
- Altium (tool)
- KiCad (tool)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [376: Left Half of My Brain Is Digital](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-06-10-376-left-half-of-my-brain-is-digital) (Embedded.fm)
- [Ray Kampmeier | The Humble Transistor](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-07-ray-kampmeier-the-humble-transistor) (Being an Engineer)
- [029 - Old Timey Name Droppin'](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2019-10-17-029-old-timey-name-droppin) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [EP 372: Pop Tubers, Shifty Semiconductors, and Shelving Shelf Labels](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-06-05-ep-372-pop-tubers-shifty-semiconductors-and-shelving-shelf-labels) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Ep 222: VCF East Special Edition](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2023-06-09-ep-222-vcf-east-special-edition) (Hackaday Podcast)

## Citing this page

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