# Artisanal Crystals

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2023-03-13
- Length: 58m
- Episode: 623
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-03-13-artisanal-crystals
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/623-artisanal-crystals/

## Summary

Chris Gammell of Contextual Electronics and Dave Jones of EEVblog discuss the logistical nightmares of shipping trade show prototypes, including Gammell’s lost luggage at Embedded World and Jones’s hand-carried artisanal crystal oscillators. Gammell details a failure where he blew up cheap boost converter modules by incorrectly using a source measure unit with an active load, causing control loop oscillation. The hosts also review new hardware like the Arduino Giga and Beagle Connect, and discuss the rising costs of industrial real estate and shipping logistics for small businesses.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-03-13-artisanal-crystals#t=0) Introduction: Trade Show Logistics and Lost Luggage
- [2:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-03-13-artisanal-crystals#t=145) Dave Jones's Altium Road Trip and Hand-Carried Crystals
- [8:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-03-13-artisanal-crystals#t=493) Blowing Up Boost Converters: Source Measure Unit vs. Active Load
- [19:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-03-13-artisanal-crystals#t=1164) Measuring Low Current: Roden Schwartz NGA100 Power Supply
- [28:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-03-13-artisanal-crystals#t=1683) New Hardware: Beagle Connect, Arduino Giga, and Linus Tech Tips Lab
- [38:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-03-13-artisanal-crystals#t=2289) Industrial Real Estate, Work/Live Spaces, and Shipping Deals

## Topics

- [Logistics & fulfilment](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/logistics-and-fulfillment)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Test & measurement](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/test-and-measurement)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Factory operations & automation](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/factory-operations)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Contextual Electronics (company)
- EEVblog (company)
- Beagle Connect (product)
- Arduino Giga (product)
- Roden Schwartz NGA100 (product)
- Source Measure Unit (tool)
- Active Load (tool)
- ShipStation (product)
- Qantas Cargo (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [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)
- [033 - All Over the Place](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2020-04-27-033-all-over-the-place) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [36: Drive the Boat with a Wii Mote](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-01-22-36-drive-the-boat-with-a-wii-mote) (Embedded.fm)
- [251: I Agreed at the Time](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-06-29-251-i-agreed-at-the-time) (Embedded.fm)
- [Hardware Startup Horror Stories and How to Avoid Them with Dave Millman of BizDev.Global](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2020-03-23-hardware-startup-horror-stories-and-how-to-avoid-them-with-dave-millman-of-bizde) (Predictable Designs Podcast)

## 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/2023-03-13-artisanal-crystals. 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.