# An Interview with Art Kay

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2017-06-18
- Length: 1h 13m
- Episode: 348
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-06-18-an-interview-with-art-kay
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/348-an-interview-with-art-kay/

## Summary

Art Kay, an application manager at Texas Instruments, discusses his career starting at Burr Brown and the transition to TI, highlighting the shift from laser-trimming bipolar devices to digital trimming in CMOS. He details the evolution of test engineering, from homemade GPIB systems to modern high-speed parallel testers, and explains the distinction between characterization and production test. Kay also introduces TI's Precision Labs, a comprehensive training program featuring video courses and hands-on evaluation modules, designed to teach precision analog design and SAR data converter fundamentals to new engineers and students.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-06-18-an-interview-with-art-kay#t=0) Introduction: Art Kay and Texas Instruments
- [2:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-06-18-an-interview-with-art-kay#t=129) Burr Brown Heritage and Wafer Fab History
- [4:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-06-18-an-interview-with-art-kay#t=279) Laser Trimming vs. Digital Trimming in Analog Devices
- [11:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-06-18-an-interview-with-art-kay#t=712) Evolution of Test Engineering and Production Testing
- [17:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-06-18-an-interview-with-art-kay#t=1030) Career Transition from Test to Applications Engineering
- [26:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-06-18-an-interview-with-art-kay#t=1597) Precision Labs Training Program and Interns
- [32:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-06-18-an-interview-with-art-kay#t=1950) Analog Engineer's Pocket Reference and Calculator Tools
- [43:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-06-18-an-interview-with-art-kay#t=2584) Precision Labs: Op-Amp and SAR Converter Courses
- [56:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-06-18-an-interview-with-art-kay#t=3387) Trends in SAR Data Converters and Delta Sigma Comparison
- [1:09:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-06-18-an-interview-with-art-kay#t=4145) Hiring, Rotational Programs, and Analog vs. Digital Education

## Topics

- [Analog & power electronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/analog-and-power-electronics)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Texas Instruments (company)
- Burr Brown (company)
- Precision Labs (tool)
- Analog Engineer's Pocket Reference Guide (product)
- Analog Engineer's Calculator (tool)
- Hewlett Packard (company)
- National Instruments (company)
- Virtual Bench (product)
- SAR (chip)
- Delta Sigma (chip)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [376: Left Half of My Brain Is Digital](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-06-10-376-left-half-of-my-brain-is-digital) (Embedded.fm)
- [S4E28 Kevin Distelhurst | Semiconductors – What They Are & How They’re Manufactured](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-07-28-s4e28-kevin-distelhurst-semiconductors-what-they-are-how-theyre-manufactured) (Being an Engineer)
- [379: Monstrous Cable Corporation](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-07-08-379-monstrous-cable-corporation) (Embedded.fm)
- [How Automation And Flying Probe Are Redrawing ICT Strategy with Seica's Luca Corli](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2026-02-24-how-automation-and-flying-probe-are-redrawing-ict-strategy-with-seicas-luca-corl) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [Breaking Down Electronics Manufacturing with Jay Patel](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-12-23-breaking-down-electronics-manufacturing-with-jay-patel) (OnTrack)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-06-18-an-interview-with-art-kay. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Amp Hour.