# The Toggle Boggle

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2018-03-05
- Length: 1h 04m
- Episode: 382
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-03-05-the-toggle-boggle
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/382-the-toggle-boggle/

## Summary

Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the importance of rigorous testing and skepticism in engineering, illustrated by Jones's experience with a 'free energy' claim and a test jig failure for his 'Toggle the Bot' project. They analyze the collapse of UK electronics retailer Maplin, Amazon's acquisition of Ring (and its subsidiary Blink) for its low-power chip technology, and Microchip's acquisition of Microsemi. The hosts also debate user interface design for power supplies, the value of Gantt charts in hardware development, and Gammell's personal efforts to learn embedded firmware using tools like the J-Link debugger and TI development boards.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-03-05-the-toggle-boggle#t=1) Introduction: Free Energy Skepticism and Scientific Method
- [3:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-03-05-the-toggle-boggle#t=204) Amazon Acquires Ring and the Value of Technology vs. Brand
- [12:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-03-05-the-toggle-boggle#t=733) Amp Hour Survey Results and UI Design for Power Supplies
- [25:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-03-05-the-toggle-boggle#t=1505) The Collapse of Maplin and the Shift to Online Distributors
- [32:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-03-05-the-toggle-boggle#t=1950) Test Jig Failure: Toggle the Bot and Contact Wear
- [37:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-03-05-the-toggle-boggle#t=2275) Chris Gammell's Journey Learning Embedded Firmware
- [45:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-03-05-the-toggle-boggle#t=2759) Manufacturing Documentaries: The Art of the State of Electronics
- [51:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-03-05-the-toggle-boggle#t=3107) Chip Industry Consolidation: Microchip, Microsemi, and Atmel

## Topics

- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Connected products & IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/connected-products-and-iot)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- AEV Blog (other)
- Contextual Electronics (other)
- Ring (product)
- Amazon (company)
- Shark Tank (other)
- Blink (product)
- Maplin (company)
- Radio Shack (company)
- Adafruit (company)
- SparkFun (company)
- Pimoroni (company)
- Jcar (company)
- Bantam Tools (company)
- Other Mill (company)
- Glowforge (company)
- Rigol (product)
- Toggle the Bot (product)
- J-Link (tool)
- TI (company)
- BeagleBone (product)
- Jason Kreidner (other)
- Robert Nelson (other)
- Jerry Ellsworth (other)
- Ben Krasnow (other)
- Carl von Möller (other)
- The Art of the State of Electronics (other)
- LifeX (company)
- Andy Goh (other)
- Microchip (company)
- Microsemi (company)
- Atmel (company)
- Actel (company)
- iCE40 (chip)
- Clifford Wolf (other)
- Xilinx (company)
- Altera (company)
- Echo (product)
- The Prepared (other)
- Zach (other)
- Spencer (other)
- DigiKey (company)
- Oshpark (company)
- Keithley (company)
- DigitalOcean (company)
- user testing (other)
- Patreon (other)
- STEM-based charities (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [The Spark Gap - Episode 32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-spark-gap/2015-05-06-the-spark-gap-episode-32) (The Spark Gap)
- [016 - Supercon 2018 Part 1](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2018-11-10-016-supercon-2018-part-1) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [422: It's Not a Bug, It's a Feature](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2022-07-28-422-its-not-a-bug-its-a-feature) (Embedded.fm)
- [405: Bacta Tank for Your Brain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2022-03-11-405-bacta-tank-for-your-brain) (Embedded.fm)
- [Ep023: Everything Breaks... Raspberry Pi, ADS-B, Hackaday Website, and Automotive Airbags](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-06-14-ep023-everything-breaks-raspberry-pi-ads-b-hackaday-website-and-automotive-airba) (Hackaday Podcast)

## 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/2018-03-05-the-toggle-boggle. 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.