# An Interview with Paul Thompson

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2020-02-24
- Length: 1h 14m
- Episode: 481
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-02-24-an-interview-with-paul-thompson
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/481-an-interview-with-paul-thompson/

## Summary

Paul Thompson, CEO of Pacton Technologies, explains the engineering behind high-voltage electric fence controllers, focusing on capacitive discharge circuits, custom transformer design, and microcontroller stability. He details how Pacton ensures safety and fault detection using real current analysis and soliton pulse shapes, while managing EMC challenges from arcing fences. The company balances local Australian manufacturing with Chinese production for price-sensitive markets, selling over 400,000 units under the JVA brand.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-02-24-an-interview-with-paul-thompson#t=0) Introduction: Paul Thompson and Pacton Technologies
- [1:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-02-24-an-interview-with-paul-thompson#t=98) Company History and Electric Fence Fault Finders
- [6:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-02-24-an-interview-with-paul-thompson#t=368) Capacitive Discharge Circuits and Safety Standards
- [12:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-02-24-an-interview-with-paul-thompson#t=738) Custom Transformer Design and Magnetics
- [19:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-02-24-an-interview-with-paul-thompson#t=1166) Custom Optocouplers and Isolation Barriers
- [24:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-02-24-an-interview-with-paul-thompson#t=1484) Lightning Protection and Arc Arrestors
- [32:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-02-24-an-interview-with-paul-thompson#t=1921) Soliton Pulse Shapes and Transmission Line Theory
- [37:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-02-24-an-interview-with-paul-thompson#t=2246) Fault Detection and Security Fencing Applications
- [55:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-02-24-an-interview-with-paul-thompson#t=3323) Manufacturing, Repair Guides, and Market Share
- [1:01:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-02-24-an-interview-with-paul-thompson#t=3715) Microcontroller Stability and WiFi Integration

## Topics

- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)
- [Certification & compliance](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/certification-and-compliance)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Pacton Technologies (company)
- JVA (product)
- Keysight (company)
- PIC (chip)
- ESP32 (chip)
- Farnell Element14 (company)
- Markey Magnetics (company)
- Ferguson (company)
- Plesi (company)
- AT (company)
- Kruger National Park (other)
- South Africa (other)
- Chile (other)
- Peru (other)
- New Zealand (other)
- Australia (other)
- Brisbane (other)
- Narangba (other)
- Texas (other)
- Canada (other)
- Johannesburg (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [309: Nature's Engineers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-11-08-309-natures-engineers) (Embedded.fm)
- [350: The State of the Empire Is Good](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-11-06-350-the-state-of-the-empire-is-good) (Embedded.fm)
- [On Location at ALL Circuits: President & CEO Bruno Racault on Disruption in European Automotive Manufacturing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2026-05-27-on-location-at-all-circuits-president-ceo-bruno-racault-on-disruption-in-europea) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [471: Bicycle Built For Two](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2024-02-22-471-bicycle-built-for-two) (Embedded.fm)
- [Ep 313: Capacitor Plague, Wireless Power, and Tiny Everything](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-03-21-ep-313-capacitor-plague-wireless-power-and-tiny-everything-b56cece1) (Hackaday Podcast)

## 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/2020-02-24-an-interview-with-paul-thompson. 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.