Sipping Coulombs

The Amp Hour · 23 Apr 2018 · 1h 08m · Episode 389

What this episode covers

Dave Jones of EEVblog and Chris Gammell of Contextual Electronics discuss the business realities of hardware, including the bankruptcy of Chip Board and the supply chain constraints facing Jones's own multimeter production. They analyze the economics of low-cost single-board computers like Raspberry Pi and the challenges of designing for long battery life, using a hypothetical keychain device to illustrate power budgeting with primary lithium cells and BLE. The conversation also covers the culture of Defcon badges, debunking pseudoscientific wireless charging claims, and the importance of validating product requirements early.

Mentioned

Companies
EEVblog, Contextual Electronics, Chip Board, Broadcom, Espressif, Olimex, Texas Instruments, DigiKey, Mouser, Indiegogo, Kickstarter
Products
Raspberry Pi, Batterizer, WeCharge
Chips
ESP32, MediaTek
Tools
Integromat, Zapier
Also
Defcon, Joe Grand

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Predictable Designs Podcast · 40m

    Hard Earned Lessons Learned with Wayne Frick of ChirpSounds – Part 2

    Wayne Frick of ChirpSounds details the operational and technical hurdles of bringing his long-range Bluetooth bird call device to market, specifically focusing on supply chain complexities and component selection. He explains the challenges of sourcing a certified, weatherproof 18650 battery and selecting a UV-stable plastic that allowed for cost-effective painting rather than custom compounding. Frick also discusses the critical importance of building an audience and maintaining cash flow through strategic production scaling and manufacturer financing rather than relying on crowdfunding.

  • Hackaday Podcast · 56m

    EP014: Keeping Raspberry's SD Card Alive, We Love MRRF, and How Hot Are Flip Chips?

    Elliot Williams and Mike Szczys review weekly hacks, including a delay pedal by Electro Smash using the PT 2399 chip and a project by Tegwin Jolly Roger Twom Fat using AI to identify garden slugs. They discuss extending Raspberry Pi SD card life via log-to-RAM scripts and explore the complexities of metal 3D printing and flip chip technology. The episode features an interview with Scotty Allen of Strange Parts, who walks through the Shenzhen electronics markets, explaining how specialized small businesses network to manufacture products.

  • Coredump Sessions · 58m

    #018: The Hidden Complexity of Sleep Tech: Power, Comfort, and 8 Hours of Reliability

    Charles Taylor, co-founder of Ozlo Sleep, explains how his team revived Bose’s discontinued Sleepbuds by balancing extreme miniaturization, power efficiency, and firmware-driven reliability. He details the engineering challenges of designing earbuds smaller than AirPods that last 8-10 hours, the critical role of Kickstarter in building a beta community for real-world testing, and the strategic decision to pursue FDA clearance for software-based therapies rather than classifying the hardware as a medical device.

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 06m

    278: Bricks' Batteries Last Forever

    Matt Liberty, founder of Jet Perch, discusses the challenges of measuring ultra-low power consumption in embedded systems and introduces his new tool, Joulescope, designed to solve dynamic range issues. He explains how software strategies like clock gating and GPIO state management, alongside hardware choices like shunt resistors and isolation, are critical for extending battery life. The conversation covers the technical pitfalls of traditional multimeters and the importance of accurate measurement in achieving nanoamp-level sleep states.

  • TRADEOFFS · 40m

    T-26-012 : Founders From The Show Floor - CES 2026

    Chris and Nate interview founders from Eureka Park at CES 2026, including Rajeev Ramanath of Blueberry Technology, Cole Ashman of Pila Energy, and Scott Hickle of Throne. They discuss specific products like the autonomous Blueberry Go airport robot, Pila Energy's modular home batteries, and Throne's toilet health tracker. The episode highlights trade-offs in hardware design, such as Pebble's Eric Migicovsky choosing ODMs for speed over control, and Roam's Aaron Pollack accepting thickness for battery life. Other founders like Niclas Bertelsen of Naya and Michael Churchill of Kombu discuss modular ecosystems and material choices for fermentation.

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.