Circuit Break Podcast #431

Timing Tariff Modulations

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May 17, 2024, Episode #431

In this episode, Parker Dillmann and Stephen Kraig delve into the fascinating world of time modulation, discussing recent advancements in capacitor technology. They explore a new dielectric structure made from barium titanate and its potential impact on energy density and efficiency. The hosts also discuss the implications of new tariffs on semiconductors and other goods from China. Additionally, they touch on new developments from the Raspberry Pi Foundation and share updates on Parker's personal projects, including his work on a 1965 Checker Marathon engine.

News/Announcements

  • New tariffs announced by the U.S. government: 50% on semiconductors, 25% on steel and aluminum, 100% on EVs, and 50% on solar panels from China.
  • The Raspberry Pi Foundation announced an M.2 hat for the Raspberry Pi.

Key Discussion Points

  • Time modulation in capacitors and the new dielectric structure using barium titanate.
  • The concept of heterojunctions and homojunctions in semiconductors.
  • Efficiency improvements in capacitors and their potential applications.
  • The practical implications and future prospects of new capacitor technology.
  • Discussion on AI-generated content and the dead internet theory.
  • New tariffs on semiconductors and other goods from China and their potential impact.
  • The Raspberry Pi Foundation's new M.2 hat and its benefits for storage solutions.
  • Parker's personal project updates, including the digital control upgrade for a 1965 Checker Marathon engine.
  • The use of flatbed scanners for reverse engineering enclosures and components.
  • The potential future of neural interfaces and their ethical implications.

Relevant Links

Community Questions

  • Would you be willing to integrate a smartphone into your body if it was 100% safe and reversible?
  • Have you used a flatbed scanner for any unique engineering applications?
  • What are your thoughts on the new semiconductor tariffs? How do you think it will impact the industry?

About the Hosts

Parker Dillmann
  Parker Dillmann

Parker is an Electrical Engineer with backgrounds in Embedded System Design and Digital Signal Processing. He got his start in 2005 by hacking Nintendo consoles into portable gaming units. The following year he designed and produced an Atari 2600 video mod to allow the Atari to display a crisp, RF fuzz free picture on newer TVs. Over a thousand Atari video mods where produced by Parker from 2006 to 2011 and the mod is still made by other enthusiasts in the Atari community.

In 2006, Parker enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin as a Petroleum Engineer. After realizing electronics was his passion he switched majors in 2007 to Electrical and Computer Engineering. Following his previous background in making the Atari 2600 video mod, Parker decided to take more board layout classes and circuit design classes. Other areas of study include robotics, microcontroller theory and design, FPGA development with VHDL and Verilog, and image and signal processing with DSPs. In 2010, Parker won a Ti sponsored Launchpad programming and design contest that was held by the IEEE CS chapter at the University. Parker graduated with a BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Spring of 2012.

In the Summer of 2012, Parker was hired on as an Electrical Engineer at Dynamic Perception to design and prototype new electronic products. Here, Parker learned about full product development cycles and honed his board layout skills. Seeing the difficulties in managing operations and FCC/CE compliance testing, Parker thought there had to be a better way for small electronic companies to get their product out in customer's hands.

Parker also runs the blog, longhornengineer.com, where he posts his personal projects, technical guides, and appnotes about board layout design and components.

Stephen Kraig
  Stephen Kraig

Stephen Kraig is a component engineer working in the aerospace industry. He has applied his electrical engineering knowledge in a variety of contexts previously, including oil and gas, contract manufacturing, audio electronic repair, and synthesizer design. A graduate of Texas A&M, Stephen has lived his adult life in the Houston, TX, and Denver, CO, areas.

Stephen has never said no to a project. From building guitar amps (starting when he was 17) to designing and building his own CNC table to fine-tuning the mineral composition of the water he uses to brew beer, he thrives on testing, experimentation, and problem-solving. Tune into the podcast to learn more about the wacky stuff Stephen gets up to.

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