Use The Protection Circuit

The Amp Hour · 18 Mar 2019 · 1h 04m · Episode 434

What this episode covers

Dave Jones of EEV Blog and Chris Gammell of Contextual Electronics discuss the technical and logistical challenges of hardware development. They detail a Gerber file compatibility issue with JLC PCB when using Altium's plane layers, the high cost of prototyping with custom components like transformers and connectors, and the critical safety implications of using unprotected 18650 lithium cells. The conversation also touches on the cancellation of the Open Source Hardware Summit in China, the rise of USB 4, and the precision required for home-milled PCBs.

Mentioned

Companies
JLC PCB, EEV Blog, Contextual Electronics, SparkFun, DigiKey, AliExpress, Panasonic
Tools
Altium, KiCad
Also
USB 4, Thunderbolt

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Hackaday Podcast · 1h 00m

    Ep047: Prusa Controversy, Bottle Organ Breakdown, PCBs Bending Backwards, and Listen to Your LED

    Hackaday editors Mike Szczys and Elliot Williams discuss the Prusa 'Buddy' board controversy, where Prusa Research locks firmware flashing behind a physical 'appendix' trace to prevent safety hazards, sparking debate in the maker community. They also cover Paul Bryson’s technique of using flexible PCBs for complex board rework, Nick Poole’s tips on building enclosures from PCB material, and the world's largest grid-scale battery backup at the Hornsdale Power Reserve.

  • Hackaday Podcast · 48m

    Ep 333: Nightmare Whiffletrees, 18650 Safety, and a Telephone Twofer

    Hosts Elliot Williams and Kristina Panos discuss the 3D printing industry's shift toward patenting, James Brown's talking robot using IBM Selectric wiffle tree mechanics, and a PDP-1 replica built from PCBs. They analyze the safety risks of unprotected 18650 batteries in the WHY 2025 conference badge, review various hardware hacks including a fluid-simulation business card, and debate the hackability of modern smartphones and the history of early telephone media services.

  • The Spark Gap · 1h 04m

    The Spark Gap - Episode 44

    Hosts Carl and Corey discuss a grab bag of embedded electronics topics, starting with their new remote recording setup using Shure and MXL microphones. They review the TI ADS1263 32-bit ADC and the Lattice iCE40 FPGA ecosystem, highlighting the open-source Project Ice Storm toolchain. The hosts then critique the Raspberry Pi Zero's limited I/O and the safety issues surrounding lithium-ion batteries in 'hoverboards', before Corey airs a grievance about poor PCB differential pair routing practices.

  • Predictable Designs Podcast · 46m

    Hardware Startup Horror Stories and How to Avoid Them with Dave Millman of BizDev.Global

    Dave Millman of BizDev.Global joins host John Teel to discuss seven hardware startup horror stories, ranging from a health wearable transmitting unencrypted data to a Power Computing clone failing due to swapped capacitors. They analyze specific failures including offshore developers passing off off-the-shelf boards as custom designs, logistics nightmares from excessive SKUs, and shipping rejections due to lithium-ion battery regulations. The conversation highlights the importance of independent design reviews, managing inventory complexity, and navigating changing tariffs and certification requirements for global markets.

  • Hackaday Podcast · 55m

    Ep 313: Capacitor Plague, Wireless Power, and Tiny Everything

    Hosts Elliot Williams and Jenny List recap Hackaday Europe, detailing the logistical chaos of delivering 4 SAOs and badges, including customs delays and last-minute programming jigs. They analyze a retrospective on the 2000s capacitor plague, discussing how thermal design failures and electrolyte chemistry issues led to widespread component explosions. The episode also covers innovative uses of PCB spring connectors in resistance boxes and bendy PCBs, and explores the potential of extracting rare earth elements from century-old coal fly ash.

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.