# Small Scale Electronics Manufacturing with Colin O'Flynn

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2025-05-13
- Length: 1h 18m
- Episode: 693
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-05-13-small-scale-electronics-manufacturing-with-colin-oflynn
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/693-small-scale-electronics-manufacturing-with-colin-oflynn/

## Summary

Colin O'Flynn of Dalhousie University and NewAE Technology discusses his return to academia, his research into side-channel attacks using JTAG and RF phase modulation, and the evolving landscape of hardware security including OpenTitan and compartmentalization with the Cheri architecture. He also details the operational realities of his small-scale electronics manufacturing business in Canada, covering the challenges of tariffs, supply chain logistics, and the strategic value of in-house pick-and-place capabilities. Finally, O'Flynn shares insights on teaching embedded systems in the age of AI, his upcoming book on small-scale production, and the use of open-source RISC-V cores like Ibex.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-05-13-small-scale-electronics-manufacturing-with-colin-oflynn#t=0) Introduction and Colin's Career Path
- [3:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-05-13-small-scale-electronics-manufacturing-with-colin-oflynn#t=195) Side-Channel Attacks via JTAG and RF
- [16:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-05-13-small-scale-electronics-manufacturing-with-colin-oflynn#t=989) Hardware Security and Root of Trust
- [29:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-05-13-small-scale-electronics-manufacturing-with-colin-oflynn#t=1776) Cheri Architecture and Compartmentalization
- [37:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-05-13-small-scale-electronics-manufacturing-with-colin-oflynn#t=2251) Tariffs and Supply Chain Logistics
- [44:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-05-13-small-scale-electronics-manufacturing-with-colin-oflynn#t=2676) Small-Scale Manufacturing Operations
- [1:03:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-05-13-small-scale-electronics-manufacturing-with-colin-oflynn#t=3807) Teaching Embedded Systems with AI
- [58:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-05-13-small-scale-electronics-manufacturing-with-colin-oflynn#t=3487) Upcoming Book and Future Work

## Topics

- [Security & privacy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/security-and-privacy)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- NewAE Technology (company)
- Dalhousie University (company)
- Chip Whisperer (product)
- OpenTitan (product)
- Cheri (other)
- Ibex (chip)
- Neoden (tool)
- Raspberry Pi (product)
- DigiKey (company)
- Mauser (company)
- ESP32-C6 (chip)
- Nordic (company)
- TI (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [044 - Scots Army Knife](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2021-01-03-044-scots-army-knife) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [322: Learn Assembly Code](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-02-28-322-learn-assembly-code) (Embedded.fm)
- [020 - Hardwear.io CTF Interviews](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2019-06-16-020-hardwear-io-ctf-interviews) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [123: Banished from Running Linux](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-10-28-123-banished-from-running-linux) (Embedded.fm)
- [3: Plenty of Candy, No Guns](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2013-05-29-3-plenty-of-candy-no-guns) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

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