# Moving Down The Stack with Scott Williams

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2023-09-05
- Length: 1h 22m
- Episode: 645
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-09-05-moving-down-the-stack-with-scott-williams
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/645-moving-down-the-stack-with-scott-williams/

## Summary

Scott Williams, founder of the Australian electronics consultancy Zentronics, discusses the technical and business realities of running a growing design firm. He details the company's shift toward integrating IoT platforms and managing complex supply chain issues, such as sourcing Hirose connectors for Raspberry Pi Compute Modules during shortages. Williams also shares insights on component selection strategies, the ethical implications of using expensive compute modules for simple tasks, and the critical importance of EMC design and testing in ensuring product compliance.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-09-05-moving-down-the-stack-with-scott-williams#t=0) Introduction and Company Growth
- [4:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-09-05-moving-down-the-stack-with-scott-williams#t=278) Consultancy Management and Technical Involvement
- [6:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-09-05-moving-down-the-stack-with-scott-williams#t=400) Project Case Study: Container Rebate System
- [10:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-09-05-moving-down-the-stack-with-scott-williams#t=606) Sustainability and Industrial Monitoring Projects
- [15:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-09-05-moving-down-the-stack-with-scott-williams#t=919) Prototyping with Raspberry Pi Compute Modules
- [18:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-09-05-moving-down-the-stack-with-scott-williams#t=1126) Supply Chain Challenges and Component Sourcing
- [22:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-09-05-moving-down-the-stack-with-scott-williams#t=1346) Custom vs. Off-the-Shelf Hardware Decisions
- [25:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-09-05-moving-down-the-stack-with-scott-williams#t=1553) Camera Interfaces and CSI Complexity
- [32:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-09-05-moving-down-the-stack-with-scott-williams#t=1936) Component Selection and Reuse Strategies
- [43:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-09-05-moving-down-the-stack-with-scott-williams#t=2635) RTOS Adoption and Firmware Architecture
- [58:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-09-05-moving-down-the-stack-with-scott-williams#t=3497) IoT Platform Evaluation and Cloud Infrastructure
- [1:10:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-09-05-moving-down-the-stack-with-scott-williams#t=4219) EMC Design, Testing, and Failure Analysis
- [1:15:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-09-05-moving-down-the-stack-with-scott-williams#t=4540) Recommended EMC Training and Resources

## Topics

- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Connected products & IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/connected-products-and-iot)
- [Test & measurement](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/test-and-measurement)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Zentronics (company)
- Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (product)
- ESP32 (chip)
- STM32 (chip)
- Nordic (chip)
- ThingsBoard (other)
- Golioth (other)
- AWS (other)
- Azure (other)
- Side Hive (company)
- Punch Through (company)
- Keith Lee Instruments (company)
- Samsung (company)
- Apple (company)
- DigiKey (other)
- Mouser (other)
- Todd Hubing (other)
- Keith Armstrong (other)
- Ken Wyatt (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [How the Chip Shortage is Affecting the IoT Industry | MistyWest's Taylor Cooper](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2022-05-03-how-the-chip-shortage-is-affecting-the-iot-industry-mistywests-taylor-cooper) (IoT For All Podcast)
- [322: Learn Assembly Code](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-02-28-322-learn-assembly-code) (Embedded.fm)
- [Microchip Technology's Patrick Kennedy | Designing IoT Products to Scale](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2020-07-13-microchip-technologys-patrick-kennedy-designing-iot-products-to-scale) (IoT For All Podcast)
- [How A Cornwall EMS Company Scales With Defense And Aerospace Demand, with Jon Hurrell, Sellectronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2026-07-13-how-a-cornwall-ems-company-scales-with-defense-and-aerospace-demand-with-jon-hur) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [251: I Agreed at the Time](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-06-29-251-i-agreed-at-the-time) (Embedded.fm)

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