Funding New/Manufacturing Old Projects - Radical Robotic Requisition

The Amp Hour · 18 Dec 2013 · 1h 24m · Episode 176

What this episode covers

Dave Jones of EEV Blog and Chris Gammell of Contextual Electronics discuss launching a Kickstarter for the Microcurrent Gold, highlighting the supply chain risks of securing precision resistors before funding. They analyze the PCB manufacturing process, specifically the cost and control implications of panelization with vendors like PCB Cart and Pool Company, and the use of reflow ovens for small-batch production. The conversation extends to industry trends, including Google's acquisition of Boston Dynamics, the state of semiconductor fabs, and the technical specifications of Xilinx's UltraScale FPGA.

Mentioned

Companies
Contextual Electronics, EEV Blog, PCB Cart, Pool Company, Boston Dynamics, Xilinx, TSMC, Mouser, DigiKey
Products
Microcurrent Gold, UltraScale

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Embedded.fm · 48m

    44: Light Up Strikes Back

    Josh Chan and Tarun Pondicherry, founders of Lightup, discuss the journey of their electronics education kit from a Kickstarter campaign to shipping the MiniKit. They detail technical hurdles including PCB redesigns due to battery supplier changes and supply chain delays for the Mel 32 U4 microcontroller. The founders also explain their strategy for securing retail partnerships with Makershed and their plans to expand the product line with microcontroller blocks for programming education.

  • Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast · 1h 22m

    069 - Canned Cheese and Onion Rings

    Ian from Dangerous Prototypes discusses the evolution of the BusPirate, culminating in the BusPirate 5, which utilizes an RP2040 microcontroller and features an LCD, adjustable power supply, and current sensing. He details the creation of DirtyPCBs and other services like DirtyCables, explaining how he automated PCB ordering in Shenzhen to disrupt the market. Ian also shares anecdotes about his time in Huaqiangbei, including the 'Expressway to Pleasure' project and his experiences with local manufacturing quirks.

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 08m

    92: Everybody Behave, Please

    James Lane Neal, founder of Osh Park, explains how he transformed a local DorkbotPDX community effort into a scalable PCB manufacturing business by panelizing orders from diverse users to reduce costs. He details the technical challenges of his panelization algorithm, specifically the shift from simple space-filling to managing copper coverage balance to prevent etching defects, and discusses the importance of open-source tools like KiCad. Neal also reflects on the operational hurdles of hiring, bootstrapping, and providing fanatical customer service to compete with large manufacturers.

  • 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.

  • Embedded.fm · 57m

    322: Learn Assembly Code

    Ramiro Montes de Oca, CEO and founder of aThing.io, explains his company's 'motionless electronics'—modular, penny-sized components that connect via phone-style connectors without soldering. He discusses the technical architecture of these modules, the emerging chiplet industry standard led by the Chiplet Alliance, and the business challenges of scaling hardware manufacturing during global supply chain disruptions. Montes de Oca also shares insights from exhibiting at CES and the importance of design-for-manufacturing for early-stage founders.

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.