Circuit Break Podcast #257

Viciously Different Creams

Related Topics
The Toilet Mountain of Social Media

The hefty topic of U.S. funding for 'digital twin' chips research under the CHIPS Act, comparing its budget to other big expenditures.

Wizard Trust Falls for PCB Footprints

Parker’s transition from Eagle to KiCad, facing challenges with library management and device layer integration. Also, the new MacroFab Quote Wizard.

Screaming into the Social Media Void

AutoDesk is dropping support and development for the dedicated Eagle EDA tool and moving efforts to the AutoDesk Fusion 360 Electronics.

Other Resources

Circuit Break Podcast
Webinars
Videos
Tour MacroFab's ITAR-Compliant Facility

December 30, 2020, Episode #257

Does anyone actually use the metric sizing for chip components? The ole' 0603 metric and 0201 imperial chip component switcheroo on this episode.

Parker

Stephen

  • Hardware v software – Features and their impact
    • Hardware
      • needs a lot of motivation to make a feature. It is slow and deliberate. Removing features is a big deal
      • features by default cannot break the device unless extreme cases are encountered
    • Software is “easier” to flip the switch on features.
      • Have to consider all the ways this will break things.
  • Kicad – Panelization
    • Moving between layers has hotkeys – yay
    • Middle mouse now by default pans and wheel is zoom
    • Snap to points is huge
    • Creating arrays actually creates arrays
      • There are pluses and minuses to this.
      • Ref Des is maintained!
      • Changes to one board are not copied!
    • Holes are not a function…..They are a footprint and therefore need to be created.
    • Most tutorials suggest that Mouse bites be made a part….
  • Buying new machines
    • Sometimes being an engineer is annoying but you still have to do it
    • Learn from my experience
    • Air Hose
    • Solvent
    • Power Cable
    • If you are a machine provider also consider these things
Us 2000x mep 257
Compressor hose connection

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.

Special thanks to whixr over at Tymkrs for the intro and outro!

Related Podcasts

CB FI 430

The Toilet Mountain of Social Media

The hefty topic of U.S. funding for 'digital twin' chips research under the CHIPS Act, comparing its budget to other big expenditures.

Podcast remove barriers

Removing The Barriers

Electronic bench equipment for hardware development. Stephen and Parker dive into a high level of what kind of equipment is needed to outfit a bench.

CB FI 422

Wizard Trust Falls for PCB Footprints

Parker’s transition from Eagle to KiCad, facing challenges with library management and device layer integration. Also, the new MacroFab Quote Wizard.

Scott hinson of pecan street inc

Scott Hinson of Pecan Street Inc.

Scott Hinson of Pecan Street Inc. joins Parker and Stephen to discuss the most important of topics. Is its Pa-kawn or Pee-can?

Screaming social media void

Screaming into the Social Media Void

AutoDesk is dropping support and development for the dedicated Eagle EDA tool and moving efforts to the AutoDesk Fusion 360 Electronics.

Zero to hero python

From Zero to Hero in Python

Python software language, more and more electrical engineering jobs are requiring this as a skill set but is it just snake oil?

About MacroFab

MacroFab offers comprehensive manufacturing solutions, from your smallest prototyping orders to your largest production needs. Our factory network locations are strategically located across North America, ensuring that we have the flexibility to provide capacity when and where you need it most.

Experience the future of EMS manufacturing with our state-of-the-art technology platform and cutting-edge digital supply chain solutions. At MacroFab, we ensure that your electronics are produced faster, more efficiently, and with fewer logistic problems than ever before.

Take advantage of AI-enabled sourcing opportunities and employ expert teams who are connected through a user-friendly technology platform. Discover how streamlined electronics manufacturing can benefit your business by contacting us today.