# New Year, New Gear

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2021-02-01
- Length: 1h 13m
- Episode: 528
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-02-01-new-year-new-gear
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/528-new-year-new-gear/

## Summary

Hosts Chris Gammell and Dave Jones review new test equipment, including a Siglent active load and a Thermaltronics soldering iron, discussing their technical specs and utility. They then analyze the Raspberry Pi Pico and its RP2040 microcontroller, debating its classification as a microcontroller versus a microprocessor due to its lack of internal flash. Finally, they discuss Seeed Studio's StarFive RISC-V board and the broader implications of open-source instruction sets in the semiconductor industry.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-02-01-new-year-new-gear#t=0) Introduction and High-Voltage Probe Issues
- [7:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-02-01-new-year-new-gear#t=423) Siglent Active Load and Battery Testing
- [12:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-02-01-new-year-new-gear#t=757) Thermaltronics Soldering Iron Review
- [25:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-02-01-new-year-new-gear#t=1540) 3D Printed Bench Mounts and Test Gear
- [34:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-02-01-new-year-new-gear#t=2072) Analog Discovery 2 Pro and Portable Test Gear
- [39:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-02-01-new-year-new-gear#t=2374) Raspberry Pi Pico and RP2040 Chip Analysis
- [59:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-02-01-new-year-new-gear#t=3572) Teijotron 6502 Simulator and Open Source Hardware
- [1:04:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-02-01-new-year-new-gear#t=3869) StarFive RISC-V Board and Industry Trends

## Topics

- [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)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Maker community & events](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/maker-community)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Siglent (company)
- Thermaltronics (company)
- Metcal (company)
- Raspberry Pi (company)
- RP2040 (chip)
- Raspberry Pi Pico (product)
- Analog Discovery 2 Pro (product)
- Seeed Studio (company)
- StarFive (company)
- BeagleBoard.org (company)
- RISC-V (chip)
- Ben Eater (other)
- Teijotron (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [New RISC-V Raspberry Pi/Pico Alternative, Arduino Web Arcade Game, and More!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-electromaker-show/2023-06-21-new-risc-v-raspberry-pi-pico-alternative-arduino-web-arcade-game-and-more) (The Electromaker Show)
- [Raspberry Pi Pico 2 released! Particle Tachyon 5G SBC! So Many RP2350 devkits! Hoorah!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-electromaker-show/2024-08-14-raspberry-pi-pico-2-released-particle-tachyon-5g-sbc-so-many-rp2350-devkits-hoor) (The Electromaker Show)
- [Ep 221: The Future of the Raspberry Pi, Sniffing a Toothbrush, Your Tactical Tool Threshold](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2023-06-02-ep-221-the-future-of-the-raspberry-pi-sniffing-a-toothbrush-your-tactical-tool-t) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Analog Clock goes Digital, Nordic goes WiFi, Espressif goes NO-WIFI?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-electromaker-show/2023-02-01-analog-clock-goes-digital-nordic-goes-wifi-espressif-goes-no-wifi) (The Electromaker Show)
- [Big Arduino Uno changes, STM32 power management, Pi Pico Security, and more!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-electromaker-show/2023-04-13-big-arduino-uno-changes-stm32-power-management-pi-pico-security-and-more) (The Electromaker Show)

## 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/2021-02-01-new-year-new-gear. 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.