# An Interview with Dave Taylor - Multi-talented Meter Maker

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2014-01-15
- Length: 1h 28m
- Episode: 180
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-01-15-an-interview-with-dave-taylor-multi-talented-meter-maker
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/180-an-interview-with-dave-taylor-multi-talented-meter-maker/

## Summary

Dave Taylor, the designer of the Fluke 8060 multimeter and former engineer at Fluke and WaveTech, discusses the technical and cultural history of test and measurement hardware. He details the design of the revolutionary 8060, including its use of a Sharp SM4 processor, custom silicon, and high-bandwidth analog front-end, as well as the manufacturing challenges like humidity-induced leakage. Taylor also covers his later work at Rice Lake Measurement Systems, where he developed modular 'Scale Core' designs for heavy-duty crane scales.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-01-15-an-interview-with-dave-taylor-multi-talented-meter-maker#t=0) Introduction and Early Career
- [7:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-01-15-an-interview-with-dave-taylor-multi-talented-meter-maker#t=449) Fluke 8020 and the Intersil Lawsuit
- [23:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-01-15-an-interview-with-dave-taylor-multi-talented-meter-maker#t=1380) Designing the Fluke 8060 Multimeter
- [48:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-01-15-an-interview-with-dave-taylor-multi-talented-meter-maker#t=2880) PCB Layout and Leakage Challenges
- [58:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-01-15-an-interview-with-dave-taylor-multi-talented-meter-maker#t=3502) WaveTech and the Model 52 Data Logger
- [1:04:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-01-15-an-interview-with-dave-taylor-multi-talented-meter-maker#t=3843) Rice Lake Measurement Systems and Scale Core

## Topics

- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Analog & power electronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/analog-and-power-electronics)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises, early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Fluke (company)
- Fluke 8060 (product)
- Fluke 8020 (product)
- Fluke 8920 (product)
- ICL 7106 (chip)
- Intersil (company)
- Sharp SM4 (chip)
- WaveTech (company)
- WaveTech Model 52 (product)
- Rice Lake Measurement Systems (company)
- Scale Core (product)
- Beckman (company)
- Datron (company)
- IBM (company)
- Norm Strong (other)
- Jim Williams (other)
- Linear Technology (company)
- Motorola (company)
- Caddick (company)
- Keysight (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep 127: Whippletree Clamps, Sniffing Your Stomach Radio, Multimeter Hum Fix, and C64 Demo; No C64](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2021-07-16-ep-127-whippletree-clamps-sniffing-your-stomach-radio-multimeter-hum-fix-and-c64) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [2: My Little Pony Stopped Outputting](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2013-05-23-2-my-little-pony-stopped-outputting) (Embedded.fm)
- [005 - Circuits That Go Nowhere](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2017-11-06-005-circuits-that-go-nowhere) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [Federico Faggin designed the first microprocessor and the capacitive touchscreen. He joins Go/No-Go to argue that AI cannot be conscious, however capable it becomes.](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/go-no-go/2026-06-26-federico-faggin-designed-the-first-microprocessor-and-the-capacitive-touchscreen) (Go/No-Go)
- [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)

## Citing this page

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