Don't Turn It On, Don't Take It Apart

The Amp Hour · 13 May 2016 · 1h 13m · Episode 298

What this episode covers

Dave Jones of EEV Blog and Chris Gammell of Contextual Electronics discuss the complexities of open-source hardware, specifically regarding Jones's new professional test equipment product and the tension between community expectations and manufacturer concerns. They analyze why engineers join startups like Ubeam despite knowing the technology is flawed, citing the allure of working with smart people and cool tech. The conversation also covers the practical challenges of using modules versus building from scratch, the pitfalls of CAD software ecosystems like KiCad and Altium, and the importance of complexity as a defensive moat against cloning.

Mentioned

Companies
Ubeam, SparkFun, TechCrunch
Products
Arduino, JBC
Chips
PIC-16, PIC-32
Tools
KiCad, Altium, Eagle, MeowCad, Fritzing, Upverter
Also
IEEE Spectrum

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 15m

    353: Red for the Ones That Might Blow Up

    Seth Hillbrand, lead developer for KiCAD and founder of KiCAD Services Corporation, discusses the evolution of the open-source EDA tool from a physics experiment necessity to a professional-grade design suite. He details how commercial licensing restrictions at Zuken and SolidWorks forced his team to adopt KiCAD for the EBEX balloon experiment, leading to his contributions and eventual leadership role. Hillbrand explains how KiCAD Services provides paid support to professional engineers, creating a sustainable funding model that allows the core team to focus on development while maintaining a welcoming, inclusive community culture that actively moderates against toxic behavior.

  • Embedded.fm · 43m

    293: Skateboard Tricks (Repeat)

    Limor Fried, founder of Adafruit, discusses the company's 13-year history of manufacturing open-source hardware in New York, highlighting recent products like the PyGamer and PyBadge. She explains the engineering philosophy behind TinyUSB, an open-source USB stack developed by engineer Hathach to replace proprietary vendor stacks, and details the business model of supporting a community of 4,000 products. Fried emphasizes that while hardware design is easy, the value lies in firmware, documentation, and tutorials, which she balances with business operations and education.

  • Embedded.fm · 50m

    45: Yanking on a Cat's Tail Is the Only Way to Learn

    Dave Anders, who works for CircuitCo, the manufacturer of the BeagleBone Black and MinnowBoard, discusses the nuances of open source hardware, contrasting fully open designs with 'open source friendly' products like the Flyswatter 2. He explains how CircuitCo manages production scaling for the BeagleBone Black to meet OEM demand and details the transition of the MinnowBoard to a 100% open hardware model in partnership with Intel. Anders also covers the business models of open hardware, noting that while tools like the original Flyswatter were fully open, later iterations restrict fabrication files to prevent poor-quality clones while still allowing software development.

  • Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast · 1h 25m

    Ep. 16 - Open Hardware with Thea Flowers

    Thea Flowers, president of OSHWA and founder of the open-source hardware synthesizer company Winter Bloom, discusses her journey from high school Linux contributions to working at Google and launching her own business. She details the design and construction of 'Hubble,' a custom test jig for calibrating analog synthesizer modules, and explains her strategy for managing firmware updates across different hardware revisions like the Castro and Pollux. Flowers also shares her philosophy on open source, addressing cloning, community contribution, and the importance of empowering users to own and repair their devices.

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 10m

    317: What Do You Mean by Disintegrated?

    Lenore Edman and Windell Oskay of Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories discuss their business model of creating high-quality hobby electronics kits, such as the disintegrated 555 Timer and 741 Op-Amp, which are faithful transistor-scale replicas of classic chips. They explain how they design products like the AxiDraw pen plotter to ensure a successful user experience, often choosing to sell complex items as assembled units rather than kits. The conversation also covers the evolution of PCB aesthetics, the shift from gEDA to KiCad for open-source hardware design, and their personal hobby of studying seaweed through the Jepson Herbarium.

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.