# An Interview with Dave Vandenbout - Xceptional XESS Xenagogue

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2014-01-22
- Length: 1h 33m
- Episode: 181
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-01-22-an-interview-with-dave-vandenbout-xceptional-xess-xenagogue
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/181-an-interview-with-dave-vandenbout-xceptional-xess-xenagogue/

## Summary

Dave Vandenbout of XS Corporation (XESS) discusses the history and current state of FPGA development, explaining why FPGAs remain a niche tool compared to microcontrollers due to the parallel vs. sequential programming paradigm. He details his modular board architecture, including the Zula and StickIt boards, which abstracts complex peripherals like SDRAM to lower the barrier to entry for students and engineers. Vandenbout also advocates for open-source hardware and software tools, specifically highlighting his shift from Eagle to KiCad and his interest in using Python-based MyHDL to simplify FPGA learning.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-01-22-an-interview-with-dave-vandenbout-xceptional-xess-xenagogue#t=0) Introduction: Dave Vandenbout and XS Corporation
- [5:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-01-22-an-interview-with-dave-vandenbout-xceptional-xess-xenagogue#t=301) Company History: From Bell Labs to XESS
- [14:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-01-22-an-interview-with-dave-vandenbout-xceptional-xess-xenagogue#t=885) FPGA vs. Microcontrollers: Parallel vs. Sequential
- [24:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-01-22-an-interview-with-dave-vandenbout-xceptional-xess-xenagogue#t=1477) Modular Design: Zula and StickIt Boards
- [34:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-01-22-an-interview-with-dave-vandenbout-xceptional-xess-xenagogue#t=2091) FPGA Tools, Stability, and Legacy Support
- [43:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-01-22-an-interview-with-dave-vandenbout-xceptional-xess-xenagogue#t=2594) Pin Count, Density, and Low-Pin Solutions
- [57:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-01-22-an-interview-with-dave-vandenbout-xceptional-xess-xenagogue#t=3436) Speed, Clocking, and Power Management
- [1:01:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-01-22-an-interview-with-dave-vandenbout-xceptional-xess-xenagogue#t=3707) Education: Books, MyHDL, and Python Notebooks
- [1:25:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-01-22-an-interview-with-dave-vandenbout-xceptional-xess-xenagogue#t=5124) Open Source Hardware and KiCad Migration

## Topics

- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [Open-source hardware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/open-source-hardware)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- XS Corporation (company)
- XESS (other)
- Zula (product)
- Zula 2 (product)
- StickIt (product)
- FPGA (chip)
- Intel (company)
- Altera (company)
- Xilinx (company)
- Lattice (company)
- KiCad (tool)
- Eagle (tool)
- MyHDL (other)
- Python (other)
- SDRAM (chip)
- Spartan 6 (chip)
- Spartan 3 (chip)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [129: Atoms Not Bits](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-12-09-129-atoms-not-bits) (Embedded.fm)
- [66: As Simple as Possible](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-09-03-66-as-simple-as-possible) (Embedded.fm)
- [416: EEs Are From PIC, SWEs Are From Arm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2022-06-09-416-ees-are-from-pic-swes-are-from-arm) (Embedded.fm)
- [134: Diet-Friendly Dog Food](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-01-14-134-diet-friendly-dog-food) (Embedded.fm)
- [The Spark Gap - Episode 28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-spark-gap/2015-03-11-the-spark-gap-episode-28) (The Spark Gap)

## Citing this page

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