Hardware Podcasts

An Interview with Ben Eater

The Amp Hour · 27 May 2019 · 1h 17m · Episode 444

What this episode covers

Ben Eater, known for his YouTube series on building an 8-bit computer from scratch, discusses his journey from a networking career to creating educational hardware content. He explains how he designed the computer using TTL logic chips and breadboards to teach computer architecture, addressing the gap between high-level software and low-level hardware understanding. Eater also reflects on his time at Khan Academy, where he focused on educational theory and growth mindset, and details the community that has formed around his DIY computer kits.

Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

Topics

Mentioned

Also
Ben Eater, Chris Gammell, Khan Academy, TTL, CMOS, SAP, Mindstorms, Logo

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 16m

    119: Do Your Neighbors Have Any Idea?

    Ben Krasnow, a hardware engineer at Google Life Sciences and creator of the Applied Science YouTube channel, discusses his diverse projects ranging from scanning electron microscopes to liquid nitrogen generation. He details his time at Valve, including the development of the Lighthouse tracking system and unconventional input devices like tongue and butt controllers. Krasnow also shares insights on his cookie-making robot, the technical challenges of SEM imaging, and his approach to building educational content.

    Embedded firmwarePrototyping & iteration
    7 chapters

  • OnTrack · 28m

    Behind the Tech: Passion & Perseverance in Electronics Design

    Ben Kitzinger, Producer and Director of Altium Stories, discusses the philosophy behind Altium's documentary-style video series, which focuses on the personal journeys and humanitarian impact of engineers rather than product promotion. He highlights specific stories, including Joe Grant hacker mindset, Light Matter's optical computing, and Project Vive's affordable assistive technology for people with cerebral palsy. Kitzinger explains how this approach aims to inspire electrical engineers and celebrate the real-world impact of electronics design.

    Marketing & brand
    8 chapters

  • Being an Engineer · 1h 03m

    S6E41 James Davis | Living in Ukraine for $12/Day to Become An Engineer

    James Davis, the creator behind the YouTube channel FluxBench, discusses his journey from a finance graduate to an embedded systems engineer and educator. He explains his mission to bridge the gap between DIY hobbyists and professional manufacturing by teaching practical electronics and design for manufacturing. Davis shares anecdotes about his early career, including traveling through Eastern Europe to learn programming and a failed solar optics project, while emphasizing the importance of hands-on experience and communication in engineering.

    Embedded firmwarePrototyping & iteration
    8 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 59m

    136: Let's Try Out Some Broccoli

    Simone Giertz, an inventor and YouTuber known for building 'shitty robots,' discusses her process of creating humorous, often dangerous devices like a vegetable chopping machine and a wake-up alarm that hits her with a rubber arm. She explains that her non-engineering background allows her to learn through enthusiastic, idea-driven prototyping using Arduino, embracing failure as a key part of the process. Giertz also touches on her experience working at Punch Through, the challenges of filming and editing solo content, and how she uses comedy to make electronics accessible to a broader audience.

    Prototyping & iterationMicrocontrollers & dev platforms
    8 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 09m

    492: Octopus Army

    Nathan Jones, an active-duty Army officer and West Point instructor, discusses his proposal for a computer architecture book centered on the Voja4, a 4-bit computer built from the 2022 Hackaday SuperCon badge. He explains the educational value of physical hardware over simulation, comparing his approach to 'Nand to Tetris' and 'Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach,' while also sharing his experience overhauling a university curriculum. The conversation covers the challenges of writing technical books, the importance of understanding low-level architecture for debugging, and the results of a community survey regarding the Embedded.fm podcast.

    Careers & educationAI & machine learning
    6 chapters

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.