# An Interview with Vic Aprea - Federated Firmware Functionalism

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2015-05-22
- Length: 1h 32m
- Episode: 250
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2015-05-22-an-interview-with-vic-aprea-federated-firmware-functionalism
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/250-an-interview-with-vic-aprea-federated-firmware-functionalism/

## Summary

Vic Aprea of Wicked Device discusses his journey from Lockheed Martin to building the Air Quality Egg, a distributed sensor network for monitoring air pollution. He details the technical challenges of using low-cost metal oxide sensors, the decision to manufacture 1,000 units in-house after failing to find a contract manufacturer for that volume, and the architectural shift from a modular 'federated' firmware design to self-contained units with Wi-Fi. Aprea also recounts his experience building high-altitude weather balloons for Project Blue Horizon and the regulatory hurdles involved.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2015-05-22-an-interview-with-vic-aprea-federated-firmware-functionalism#t=0) Introduction and Early Life
- [11:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2015-05-22-an-interview-with-vic-aprea-federated-firmware-functionalism#t=709) Lockheed Martin and Project Blue Horizon
- [24:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2015-05-22-an-interview-with-vic-aprea-federated-firmware-functionalism#t=1440) High Altitude Balloon Engineering
- [40:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2015-05-22-an-interview-with-vic-aprea-federated-firmware-functionalism#t=2400) Air Quality Egg Kickstarter and Manufacturing
- [57:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2015-05-22-an-interview-with-vic-aprea-federated-firmware-functionalism#t=3467) Sensor Technology and Firmware Architecture
- [1:13:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2015-05-22-an-interview-with-vic-aprea-federated-firmware-functionalism#t=4425) Federated Firmware and Future Roadmap

## Topics

- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Wicked Device (company)
- Air Quality Egg (product)
- Lockheed Martin (company)
- Project Blue Horizon (product)
- Arduino (tool)
- Eagle (tool)
- Mancorp (company)
- Spec Sensors (company)
- Wildfire (product)
- AVR (chip)
- RFM 12B (chip)
- ENC 28J60 (chip)
- CC3000 (chip)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [100: Unintentional Radiator](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-05-06-100-unintentional-radiator) (Embedded.fm)
- [S2 E1: From Code to Creation: The Building Blocks of Firmware with Elecia White](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2023-11-28-s2-e1-from-code-to-creation-the-building-blocks-of-firmware-with-elecia-white) (The Builder Circle)
- [T-26-012 : Founders From The Show Floor - CES 2026](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-02-04-t-26-012-founders-from-the-show-floor-ces-2026) (TRADEOFFS)
- [293: Skateboard Tricks](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-06-27-293-skateboard-tricks) (Embedded.fm)
- [173: Everything's Amazing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-10-26-173-everythings-amazing) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

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