# Feels over reals

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2018-12-10
- Length: 1h 03m
- Episode: 419
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-12-10-feels-over-reals
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/419-feels-over-reals/

## Summary

Hosts Chris Gammell and Dave Jones discuss a variety of hardware engineering topics, starting with Jones's experience of a transformer failure in a Weller soldering iron due to a non-fused primary side. They then explore the new LoRa SIP from Microchip, which integrates a Cortex-M0+ and radio, and Microsemi's Polar Fire FPGAs with RISC-V cores. The conversation shifts to the ethics of scavenging electric scooters, the challenges of using a Neoden pick-and-place machine for small batches, and the planning for an upcoming KiCad layout contest.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-12-10-feels-over-reals#t=0) Introduction and Shared Workspace
- [11:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-12-10-feels-over-reals#t=703) Weller Soldering Iron Transformer Failure
- [24:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-12-10-feels-over-reals#t=1457) LoRa SIP and Microchip Integration
- [31:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-12-10-feels-over-reals#t=1887) Microsemi Polar Fire FPGAs and RISC-V
- [40:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-12-10-feels-over-reals#t=2448) Electric Scooter Ethics and Teardowns
- [49:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-12-10-feels-over-reals#t=2989) Neoden Pick-and-Place Challenges
- [57:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-12-10-feels-over-reals#t=3424) KiCad Conference and Layout Contest

## Topics

- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Weller (product)
- Microchip (company)
- LoRa (chip)
- Microsemi (company)
- Polar Fire (product)
- RISC-V (chip)
- Neoden (tool)
- KiCad (tool)
- Semtech (company)
- Things Network (other)
- Bird (company)
- Lime (company)
- Xiaomi (company)
- Rabbit 2000 (chip)
- Zephyr (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [405: Bacta Tank for Your Brain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2022-03-11-405-bacta-tank-for-your-brain) (Embedded.fm)
- [The Spark Gap - Episode 32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-spark-gap/2015-05-06-the-spark-gap-episode-32) (The Spark Gap)
- [197: Smell the Transistor](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-04-26-197-smell-the-transistor) (Embedded.fm)
- [100: Unintentional Radiator](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-05-06-100-unintentional-radiator) (Embedded.fm)
- [182: Sorry Little Diodes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-01-04-182-sorry-little-diodes) (Embedded.fm)

## 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/2018-12-10-feels-over-reals. 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.