The Spark Gap - Episode 20

The Spark Gap · 29 Oct 2014 · 30m

What this episode covers

Hosts Carl and Corey discuss lessons learned from discarding old PCBs, focusing on GPIO expanders, interconnect design, and power protection. They argue against using GPIO expanders due to weak drive strengths and timing gotchas, recommending larger microcontrollers instead. They detail the risks of non-symmetric daughter card connectors and the necessity of robust input power protection to prevent damage from incorrect adapters.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 04m

    Use The Protection Circuit

    Dave Jones of EEV Blog and Chris Gammell of Contextual Electronics discuss the technical and logistical challenges of hardware development. They detail a Gerber file compatibility issue with JLC PCB when using Altium's plane layers, the high cost of prototyping with custom components like transformers and connectors, and the critical safety implications of using unprotected 18650 lithium cells. The conversation also touches on the cancellation of the Open Source Hardware Summit in China, the rise of USB 4, and the precision required for home-milled PCBs.

  • Hackaday Podcast · 55m

    Ep 313: Capacitor Plague, Wireless Power, and Tiny Everything

    Hosts Elliot Williams and Jenny List recap Hackaday Europe, detailing the logistical chaos of delivering 4 SAOs and badges, including customs delays and last-minute programming jigs. They analyze a retrospective on the 2000s capacitor plague, discussing how thermal design failures and electrolyte chemistry issues led to widespread component explosions. The episode also covers innovative uses of PCB spring connectors in resistance boxes and bendy PCBs, and explores the potential of extracting rare earth elements from century-old coal fly ash.

  • OnTrack · 50m

    High Power PCB Design: Pushing the Limits with Caleb Buck

    Caleb Buck, a PCB Design Electronics Engineer at Nidec Aerospace, discusses the complexities of high-power PCB design, ranging from guitar pedal prototypes to aerospace systems handling over 500 amps. He explains how uneven current distribution in parallel switching circuits can cause connectors to melt due to impedance mismatches, emphasizing the need for symmetrical layout. Buck also details the importance of voltage isolation standards like IPC 2221 Revision C and IPC 2152, material selection for thermal reliability, and the pitfalls of conformal coating on high-power components.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 22m

    Call In Show #3

    Hosts Dave Jones and Chris Gammell answer caller questions on The Amp Hour, covering topics from soldering iron recommendations and PCB grounding issues to career advice for transitioning into electronics engineering. They discuss advanced PCB design resources for high-speed signals and BGA layouts, and provide technical solutions for implementing capacitive touch buttons in KiCad for a custom dry-aging meat fridge project.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 14m

    Assembly Chat

    Hosts Dave Jones and Chris Gammell record an episode while Dave assembles a PCB, discussing the utility of the Interactive BOM plugin for KiCad and the board repair software by Paul Daniels. They identify design flaws in Dave's board, including incorrect capacitor voltage ratings and missing silkscreen designators, and share technical tips on reliability, such as using series capacitors to prevent short circuits. The conversation also covers battery selection for cold environments, the OWASP Top 10 for hardware security, and vintage test equipment.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Spark Gap. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.