154: Physics Is a Big Pain
Jeff Keyzer, an electrical engineer at Valve and founder of the open-source electronics kit company MightyOhm, discusses the challenges of designing and manufacturing consumer hardware like the Steam Controller. He shares insights on the importance of clear specifications for vendors, the difficulties of managing complex electromechanical assemblies, and the critical role of embedded software in facilitating manufacturing test and programming. Keyzer also provides detailed technical advice on soldering techniques, flux selection, and the physics of RF antenna design.