When print just works

Circuit Break Podcast #282

When Print(); Just Works

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June 24, 2021, Episode #282

The print function of a programming language. Used by engineers everywhere as a universal debugging tool. Is there a better way maybe... but nah.
  • SMT Connector Considerations
    • Switching from Though Hole connectors to Surface Mount connectors
    • Price difference
    • How many insertions?
    • Via Stitching pads
  • Plastic actuator update
    • 420,000 presses and going strong
    • 300 PPM
    • Damn arduino  Serial.println()
  • Do Not Use Print For Debugging In Python Anymore
    • Automatic verbose print statements for python!
    • Easy disable
  • Bipolar load switch with multiple enables 
    • Would rather not do this in discrete but probably going to have to
    • +/-12V in with a time delay 
    • on switching in the load
    • Second time delay that enables regulators after
    • Preferably one control signal (capacitors charging)
    • Considering SSR solution
  • Tasty Chips segment
    • Keystone 9081
      • Plastic standoffs that have double sided sticky foam
    • Keystone 7693
      • Screw Terminal PTH 6-32 Thread
  • Banana Jack Install Tool?
    • No one makes a socket driven one? ¼” drive?
  • Question for the future.
    • What would it take to design your own Multimeter?
Doom sao rendered
Via switching
Actuator mep 282
Socket mep 282
Socket mep 282 1
Socket mep 282 2

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!

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