# Inductance and Stuff

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2020-12-06
- Length: 1h 08m
- Episode: 520
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-12-06-inductance-and-stuff
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/520-inductance-and-stuff/

## Summary

Hosts Chris Gammell and Dave Jones discuss a teardown of an aircraft transponder, revealing its use of a Microchip PIC microcontroller and specialized RF power transistors from Gigahertz Technology. They explore the engineering behind high-power RF components, including comb-line filters and PCB stackups, before shifting to the collapse of the Arecibo radio telescope and the impracticality of the Hyperloop. The conversation concludes with observations on current supply chain lead times for parts like the Raspberry Pi Compute Module and the trend of hardware requiring mandatory online registration.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-12-06-inductance-and-stuff#t=0) Introduction and Aircraft Transponder Teardown
- [4:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-12-06-inductance-and-stuff#t=248) RF Components and Comb-Line Filters
- [14:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-12-06-inductance-and-stuff#t=890) RF Interference and Parasitic Diodes
- [21:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-12-06-inductance-and-stuff#t=1279) Dodgy Air Conditioner Wiring
- [28:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-12-06-inductance-and-stuff#t=1685) PCB Design Software and Firmware
- [37:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-12-06-inductance-and-stuff#t=2278) The Precursor Secure Phone
- [43:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-12-06-inductance-and-stuff#t=2582) Arecibo Telescope Collapse
- [49:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-12-06-inductance-and-stuff#t=2962) Hyperloop Critique and Supply Chain
- [1:00:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-12-06-inductance-and-stuff#t=3624) Raspberry Pi Compute Module and KiCad

## Topics

- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Wireless & RF](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/wireless-and-rf)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Microchip (company)
- PIC 16C84 (chip)
- Gigahertz Technology (company)
- Raspberry Pi (company)
- KiCad (tool)
- Altium (tool)
- Raspberry Pi Compute Module (product)
- DJI Pocket 2 (product)
- Arecibo Observatory (other)
- The Precursor (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep023: Everything Breaks... Raspberry Pi, ADS-B, Hackaday Website, and Automotive Airbags](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-06-14-ep023-everything-breaks-raspberry-pi-ads-b-hackaday-website-and-automotive-airba) (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)
- [Ep 158: Phased Array Physics, CRTs Two Ways, A Micro Microcontroller, and a Surgically Implanted Red Herring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2022-03-04-ep-158-phased-array-physics-crts-two-ways-a-micro-microcontroller-and-a-surgical) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [197: Smell the Transistor](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-04-26-197-smell-the-transistor) (Embedded.fm)
- [76: Entropy Is for Wimps](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-11-12-76-entropy-is-for-wimps) (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/2020-12-06-inductance-and-stuff. 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.