The Amp Hour · 8 Sept 2014 · 1h 15m · Episode 215
Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the challenges of hardware development, including Chris's experience with a Texas Instruments high-voltage motor control kit that failed due to missing power factor correction, and a SparkFun MicroView firmware recall. They also analyze the economics of crowdfunding 3D printers, the triboelectric noise in cables, and recent industry acquisitions like Infineon buying International Rectifier.
early-stage companies and large enterprises
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Host John Teal outlines 13 common reasons why new hardware products fail, categorized into technical, financial, and sales/marketing challenges. He emphasizes critical pitfalls such as underestimating development time, neglecting design for manufacturing (DFM), and running out of cash flow due to inventory costs. Teal also highlights the importance of validating customer demand early through crowdfunding and building an audience before launch.
Hosts Carl and Corey discuss the LTM2884 isolated USB transceiver and the MSGEQ7 audio spectrum analyzer chip, highlighting their specific technical applications. They then explore the 'burden of knowledge' experienced by electronics experts, using a poorly built $60 headphone amplifier as an example of deceptive product quality. The conversation shifts to a critique of crowdfunding scams, specifically analyzing the technical impossibility of the 'Leaf Hyperdrive' RAM expansion device and discussing the broader issues of trust and delivery in Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns.
Hosts Carl and Corey revisit topics from their first 31 episodes, discussing the NXP acquisition of Freescale, MakerBot's layoffs, and Tesla's certified pre-owned program and Powerwall. They also analyze the John Deere firmware ownership controversy, the performance trade-offs of No-OS and Lua on microcontrollers, and the evolution of the Raspberry Pi. The episode highlights specific components like NXP current-sensing MOSFETs and the PCA8550 I2C dip switch, while addressing software bugs in Boeing 787 generator control units and the importance of checking simple parts like LDOs.
Hackaday editors Mike Szczys and Elliot Williams discuss a week of hardware hacks, including a 3D-printed wire connector design by Harvey Mudrunchka and a tuning fork clock by Chris Slyka. They analyze the Texas power grid failures caused by freezing natural gas infrastructure and wind turbines, and examine Tesla's recall of pre-2018 Model S vehicles due to eMMC flash memory wear-out from excessive logging. The episode also covers reverse-engineering an air quality meter with Ghidra, spinach-based photo prints, and the use of automotive bedliner to finish 3D prints.
Christopher White discusses his viral moment involving a Chevy dealership's ChatGPT-powered chatbot, his struggles with contractor burnout, and the frustrating state of embedded development tools. He details specific technical failures with STM32CubeIDE, CMSIS drivers, and J-Link debuggers, highlighting the lack of standardization in the industry. The episode also covers personal updates, including his music with Flavigula, the Pass the Bricks charity, and Nelson Asinowski's donation of 8051 microcontrollers.
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