Hardware Podcasts

An Interview with Zach Fredin

The Amp Hour · 6 Jan 2017 · 1h 49m · Episode 330

What this episode covers

Zach Fredin of NeuroTinker explains how he and partner Joe Berto built NeuroBytes, open-source electronic neuron simulators using ATtiny44A and ATtiny88 microcontrollers, to teach neuroscience in high schools and colleges. They secured an NSF SBIR grant by demonstrating commercial viability through pilot runs with Keytronic EMS, navigating strict R&D spending rules and component shortages like the doubling price of Atmel chips. The team is now developing curriculum and preparing for Phase 2 funding while managing manufacturing challenges with JST connectors and firmware optimization on STM32 platforms.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
NeuroTinker, Keytronic EMS, National Science Foundation, Boston College, Boston Dynamics, Little Bits, Adafruit, SparkFun, Seeed Studio
Products
NeuroBytes
Chips
ATtiny44A, ATtiny88, STM32F0, FLIR Lepton, ESP32
Also
JST, Hackaday, SketchUp, DigiKey

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