# Sowing Discord

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2020-04-13
- Length: 1h 13m
- Episode: 488
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-04-13-sowing-discord
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/488-sowing-discord/

## Summary

Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the challenges of home electronics storage, highlighting the difficulty of finding specific components like high-current surface-mount inductors and the trade-offs between component size and current rating. They analyze the 'myth of three capacitor values' for bypassing, explaining why simple rules of thumb often fail in high-speed designs due to parasitic inductance and resonance, despite being necessary for practical engineering. The hosts also announce the launch of a patron Discord server and global virtual hardware meetups to maintain community connection during lockdown, while reviewing free simulation tools like Micro-Cap and essential industry application notes from Texas Instruments and Microchip.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-04-13-sowing-discord#t=0) Introduction: Lockdown, 3D Printing, and IPA Costs
- [3:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-04-13-sowing-discord#t=205) Open Source Ventilators and Legal Traps
- [8:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-04-13-sowing-discord#t=509) Repairing Laptops: Finding High-Current SMD Inductors
- [12:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-04-13-sowing-discord#t=748) Home Component Storage: Kits, PartsBox, and Lab Management
- [23:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-04-13-sowing-discord#t=1389) PCB Layout: IPC Footprints, Density, and Heat Maps
- [35:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-04-13-sowing-discord#t=2126) Patron Discord and Global Virtual Hardware Meetups
- [42:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-04-13-sowing-discord#t=2560) The Myth of Three Bypass Capacitor Values
- [57:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-04-13-sowing-discord#t=3448) Free Simulation Tools and Industry Application Notes

## Topics

- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Analog & power electronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/analog-and-power-electronics)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Maker community & events](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/maker-community)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Formlabs (company)
- KiCad (tool)
- Medtronic (company)
- PartsBox (other)
- Micro-Cap (tool)
- LTspice (tool)
- Falstad Circuit Simulator (tool)
- Texas Instruments (company)
- Microchip (company)
- Tektronix (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [115: Datasheeps](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-08-26-115-datasheeps) (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-cb8186ab) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [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)
- [The Spark Gap - Episode 10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-spark-gap/2014-08-20-the-spark-gap-episode-10) (The Spark Gap)
- [The Spark Gap - Episode 41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-spark-gap/2015-10-14-the-spark-gap-episode-41) (The Spark Gap)

## 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/2020-04-13-sowing-discord. 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.