# Pulled From A Working Environment

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2019-07-01
- Length: 1h 11m
- Episode: 449
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-07-01-pulled-from-a-working-environment
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/449-pulled-from-a-working-environment/

## Summary

Chris Gammell of Contextual Electronics discusses his recent FPGA workshops at Teardown, highlighting the rise of open-source toolchains like Yosys and NextPNR for Lattice and Xilinx parts, and the FOMU dev board's multi-layered architecture. Dave Jones of EEVblog details the Rich Tech RT1716 USB-C PD controller used in his Micro Supply, explaining how cross-vendor register compatibility allowed them to bypass poor documentation by leveraging Texas Instruments' reference code. The hosts also cover the used test equipment market, specifically finding deals on Vector Network Analyzers, and new open-source hardware projects like the STM32 multimeter and Great Scott Gadgets' USB debugging tools.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-07-01-pulled-from-a-working-environment#t=0) Introduction: Chris Gammell and FPGA Open Source Toolchains
- [3:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-07-01-pulled-from-a-working-environment#t=180) Yosys, NextPNR, and Reverse-Engineered Bitstreams
- [18:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-07-01-pulled-from-a-working-environment#t=1114) Rich Tech RT1716 USB-C PD Controller and Cross-Vendor Code
- [24:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-07-01-pulled-from-a-working-environment#t=1489) FOMU Dev Board: Python, RISC-V, and FPGA Layers
- [44:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-07-01-pulled-from-a-working-environment#t=2656) Buying Used Test Equipment: VNAs and Auction Houses
- [53:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-07-01-pulled-from-a-working-environment#t=3235) Great Scott Gadgets USB Debugging Tools and Open Source Multimeters

## Topics

- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Test & measurement](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/test-and-measurement)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Contextual Electronics (company)
- EEVblog (other)
- Yosys (tool)
- NextPNR (tool)
- Lattice (company)
- Xilinx (company)
- Intel (company)
- Rich Tech (company)
- RT1716 (chip)
- Texas Instruments (company)
- FOMU (product)
- Tomu (product)
- SparkFun (company)
- Artemis (product)
- Udemy (other)
- Great Scott Gadgets (company)
- STM32 (chip)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep002: Curious Gadgets and the FPGA Brain Trust](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-01-15-ep002-curious-gadgets-and-the-fpga-brain-trust) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [024 - Cars, Servers, and FPGAs!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2019-07-15-024-cars-servers-and-fpgas) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [025 - Opaque Magisterium](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2019-08-14-025-opaque-magisterium) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [129: Atoms Not Bits](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-12-09-129-atoms-not-bits) (Embedded.fm)
- [337: Not Completely Explode](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-07-16-337-not-completely-explode) (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/2019-07-01-pulled-from-a-working-environment. 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.