Circuit Break Podcast #184

Like a Satellite Out of Hell

Related Topics
Logic Commander

Slow/soft Start devices and circuits, Shark Fin sound effects, and Belt Buckle Badge Designs.

Arduino, The Gateway Drug To #BadgeLife

AND!XOR comes to Texas to talk about #Badgelife, the craziness of DEFCON, and their new badge design.

The One Man Entertainment Machine

John Adams joins Parker and Stephen to discuss IoT Security, Crappy IoT Devices, and WS2812B LEDs.

Other Resources

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

August 7, 2019, Episode #184

Parker and Stephen gear up for DefCon 27 and discuss how custom transformers can change design philosophy.

The MacroFab Engineering Podcast Design Contest sponsored by Mouser Electronics currently going on! The topic is Useless Machines! We have cash prizes up to $1000 for the winners. The deadline is August 10th and it is closing fast! Here's more information!

Parker

  • Trophy Software?
  • PinoTaur
    • LED boards using the APA-102C-NEW-260
      • Make them low cost and easy to assemble
    • Build up 2 more REV1 for testing purposes
  • Next project Sponsored by Mouser
    • IoT Compressor revitalization
    • Started on MEP EP#68
    • Uses a Particle Photon
    • PX3AN2BS250PAAAX
      • HoneyWell Pressure Transducer
    • 6225AXXSZS-DC3
    • Need a new enclosure that is industrial and ruggedized

Stephen

  • Linear power supply design
    • Roz transformer and the appropriate taps
    • How do you estimate the dc output voltage given a transformer spec?
    • Vdc = 2*Vmax/pi
    • Power supplies for valve amplifiers Page 38
      • Very cool chart for determining DC output voltage from rectifiers with series resistance
    • Design Guide for Rectifier Use
  • Drilling and tapping the trophy
      • Just got the parts day of recording

R.F.O.

  • Glasgow tongue has a taste for whisky
    • Glasgow University researchers have made a bionic tongue which can tell the difference between Glenfiddich, Laphroaig, Glen Marnoch and between different vintages of each brand sampled at the ages 12, 15 and 18.
    • Sub-microscopic slices of the two metals, arranged in a checkerboard pattern, act as the tongue’s tastebuds despite being 500x smaller than the tastebuds on a human tongue.
    • The researchers poured samples of whisky over the bionic tastebuds and measured how they absorb light while submerged.
  • So, you want to build a CubeSat? 
  •  How to Master PCB Repairs and Why You Should
    • Hardest thing about repairing circuit boards is knowing what the part was before it let the smoke out!

Visit our Public Slack Channel and join the conversation in between episodes!

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

Joe grand origin story

Joe Grand: The Origin Story

Guest Joe Grand aka "Kingpin" discusses the beginnings of DEF CON electronic badges.

One man entertainment machine

The One Man Entertainment Machine

John Adams joins Parker and Stephen to discuss IoT Security, Crappy IoT Devices, and WS2812B LEDs.

Arduino gateway drug badgelife

Arduino, The Gateway Drug To #BadgeLife

AND!XOR comes to Texas to talk about #Badgelife, the craziness of DEFCON, and their new badge design.

Greek tragedy adcs

The Greek Tragedy of ADCs

Battery less Cellphones, Raspberry Pi Compute Modules, ENOBs, and a 100W USB Type C eval board!

Incognito mode

Incognito Mode

Zapp and HyR0n of AND!XOR talk about #BadgeLife and Defcon.

Logic commander

Logic Commander

Slow/soft Start devices and circuits, Shark Fin sound effects, and Belt Buckle Badge Designs.

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.