# Electrical Archeology

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2022-03-07
- Length: 1h 08m
- Episode: 580
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-03-07-electrical-archeology
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/580-electrical-archeology/

## Summary

Chris Gammell and Dave Jones discuss the challenges of finding replacement components, specifically a Sino Power MOSFET with built-in ESD protection, and the broader issue of obscure semiconductor sourcing. They analyze the technical and economic trade-offs of using SO8 packages versus power packages, and the scarcity of ideal diode controllers. The conversation shifts to the practical failures of floating solar farms and the complexities of grid management, before concluding with an analysis of the current hardware engineering labor market, focusing on the disparity in compensation between software and hardware engineers and the impact of remote work mandates on retention.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-03-07-electrical-archeology#t=0) Introduction: The Amp Hour and the MOSFET Challenge
- [1:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-03-07-electrical-archeology#t=70) Sino Power MOSFET and Sourcing Obstacles
- [4:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-03-07-electrical-archeology#t=265) Component Substitution and SO8 vs. Power Packages
- [8:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-03-07-electrical-archeology#t=511) Electronic Archaeology and Design Intent
- [14:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-03-07-electrical-archeology#t=848) Ideal Diode Controllers and Supply Chain Scarcity
- [18:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-03-07-electrical-archeology#t=1090) Battery Recovery and Capacitor Failure Analysis
- [25:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-03-07-electrical-archeology#t=1537) Floating Solar Farms and Grid Infrastructure
- [50:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-03-07-electrical-archeology#t=3032) Hardware Engineering Labor Market and Compensation

## Topics

- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Sino Power (company)
- VB Semi (company)
- LCSC (other)
- DigiKey (other)
- Mouser (other)
- LT (company)
- TI (company)
- OnSemi (company)
- ABB (company)
- Altium (company)
- Google (company)
- Apple (company)
- F-150 Lightning (product)
- Cybertruck (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [The Spark Gap - Episode 32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-spark-gap/2015-05-06-the-spark-gap-episode-32) (The Spark Gap)
- [IMEC & the End of the Road(map) | EDS and the Trade War | Restoring Notre Dame](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2019-05-17-imec-the-end-of-the-road-map-eds-and-the-trade-war-restoring-notre-dame) (EE Times Current)
- [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)
- [052 - Twitter Is My Lab Notebook](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2021-10-26-052-twitter-is-my-lab-notebook) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [471: Bicycle Built For Two](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2024-02-22-471-bicycle-built-for-two) (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/2022-03-07-electrical-archeology. 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.