Circuit Break - A MacroFab Podcast

MEP EP#276: Skippy DocumentationFake LM338 Voltage Regulators? X-RAY results Should we Xray legit LM137 and see if the XRAY matches? SCPI or Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments IEEE 488.2-1987 Send command strings over serial to configure and get results from test equipment Test equipment mostly adhere to this with some weird gotchas COM port snooper / sniffer? Is there good software out there that can sniff the buffers / communication string between Windows and a hardware device? Is bad documentation worse than no documentation? “With no documentation you know immediately you're fucked.” Bringing back the Tasty Chips segment - E-Z Hook Insulation Piercing Wire Clamp - 8507 Spring loaded clamp that has teeth When you insert a wire the teeth slice into the insulation making contact Datasheet specifications are interesting to say the least! Max Current 1 AMP Max Voltage 0 V ?!? Covering the Amplifier Update on Parker’s Amp “refinishing” project Adventures in plastic molding Getting custom actuator parts injection molded First prototype parts got shot this week What to expect Provide model to company Initial review DFM report Release for prototype 5 to 6 weeks for the initial mold to be cut Prototype units are shot and sent for approval Second round of mold adjustments are cut - 2 weeks Second prototype units are shot and sent for approval Mold is sent to US Production is run Mold cost ~12k Half up front Remainder at time of delivery Includes all DFM and both prototypes Previous solution was about $35/unit New solution with dome snap switches and injection molded plastic is about $23 to $27/unit

12 Touko 20211h 6min

MEP EP#275: Log Stepping Revision ControlLog stepper Exercise in madness 24 position stepped attenuator 1db steps with step 0 being -infinite and step 24 being 0db attenuation Requires lots of non standard resistor values Constant total resistance Excel sheet Make before break operation Revision workflow How do you document and handle revisions for schematics and pcbs? Process Get new rev Go to testing Find issues and document Make new revision Repeat Venturing into hobby level SLA printing Elegoo Mars 2 Quality is amazing Print speed is interesting Will have to experiment with different resins to find a high strength, high temperature Plating process to test Amplifier update Live next week on parts replacement? Recovering it

5 Touko 202157min

MEP EP#274: The Pinch LoadThermal Management Part two! Interesting thermal management designs and devices Copper “fingers” Thermal Jumpers Common DRC Problems Annular ring Copper to Board Edge Tolerances of the checks? Why? -0.1mil or -0.00254mm Record Player Deconstruction Tube Amp Schematic Possible Fake components? From the thermal discussion from last week's podcast LM338 or LM317... Opamp Stability Interesting issue with opamps and comparators with latest design Make sure to add extra component pads for analog design prototyping!

28 Huhti 202154min

MEP EP#273: Beating the HeatDelta Pag Fan Controller Hack Override inverter mod was a success! PinoTaur is in PRODUCTION Gotta start putting together the website to host the documentation Pinotaur.com Supply chain issues! RGB Lighting connector Beating the Heat Talking about thermal management

21 Huhti 20211h 6min

MEP EP#272: The Digital MattressRight To Repair Ease of opening for repairs This sounds great but I have some thoughts Reason why phones are hard to open now Security screws only keep out people that probably shouldn’t be opening the device anyways Ultrasonic welding and potting? Access to manuals What if repair manuals don't exist for a product? Small and medium volume products don’t have the revenue or volume to make this kind of documentation Schematics, Circuit Diagrams, and Firmware Accessible What if the schematic is the secret sauce? Schematics are easily reverse engineered from a PCB assembly. What mechanics will be put in place to prevent cloning? Hardware Vs Software Tesla Software unlock to increase motor output by 50HP August software update License Make all contracts clearly identify which elements of the machine are not included in the sale Do not allow companies to create contract language (End User License Agreements) that modify or limit support options in the future Most of the problems the Right to Repair movement wants to fix could be solved here If this was more upfront to customers then they could make a better purchasing decision Parts and Tools Make service parts and tools available at non-discriminatory pricing to equipment owners and third parties. Design Integrate Design for Repair principles into eco-design product design practices. DFR - Design for Recycle Right to Repair VS Right to be Repaired It's easy to say we should have a right to repair something but is it OK to force companies to make something repairable? NFTs WUT? Non Fungible Token

14 Huhti 20211h 20min

MEP EP#271: The Right to RepairRight To Repair Dot Org The Right to Repair Electronics refers to government legislation that is intended to allow consumers the ability to repair and modify their own consumer electronic devices, where otherwise the manufacturer of such devices requires the consumer to use only their offered services. This already exists for Autos for the most part Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act Ending the "unfair monopoly" of car manufacturers maintaining control over repair information that could result in independent shops turning away car owners due to lack of information. IFIXIT Manifesto Movement: Major Players Apple Do you really own your cell phone? Withholding repair information Requiring that all repairs happen at designated service centers ISL9240 charging chip from renesas John Deere Requiring repairs be done with approved contractors Louis Rossmann of Rossmann Repair Group Go Fund Me 1.55M subscribers $317,000 Direct Ballot Initiative in Mass Impact? Designers at the companies? Who is held liable for not providing the right information? Documentation How “perfect” does it need to be? How much is enough? When can manufacturers say no? Suppliers Does every single part for your product need to be available off the shelf in singles all the time? Mouser/Digikey?

7 Huhti 20211h 11min

MEP EP#270: Radio Frequency EyeballsCool XLR connector with a smart method of assembly NC3MD-H-BAG NC3FD-H-B XLR with two parts - one for mounting to the enclosure and the actual connector. Assemble separately - allows you to test the electronics on the board Insert and turn a small screw and lock the connector to the body Keysight scopes are now “dark mode” Jeff Keyzer comment on Twitter It is like the evolution of PC cases for test equipment Chipmakers are hustling to make auto chips--and say it’s not a hustle Some resellers have resorted to buying up used chipmaking gear by stalking old factories in the U.S., Japan and Europe and waiting for them to close in hopes of purchasing the gear inside. Chips used in braking and engine systems are typically made using older tech that is sufficient to meet automaker reliability requirements, while newer infotainment and assisted driving technologies require modern chips made in cutting-edge chip factories. New American Chip Fabs Intel Will build two new 7nm fabs in Arizona (per March 23, 2021 announcement) TSMC Will build a new 5nm fab in Arizona (per 2020 annoucements) Rumors of up to 6 fabs might be built Samsung Wants to build a 3nm fab in either Texas / Arizona / New York (per 2021 announcements) A few weeks ago, it was reported that Samsung / Infineon / NXP fabs in Texas had not been restarted after their fabs were shutdown during the historic state-wide power loss in February Fabs still offline since Texas freeze How much water they take. TSMC stated they use 156,000 tons of water a day 37,454,981 gallons/day Are they able to recycle water use? Water Management report from TSMC

1 Huhti 202137min

MEP EP#269: Illuminati MomentFan controller for Jeep MCU P/N: G80F960AP 8051 core Chinese Generic MCU Override signal passes through a diode then pulled up with a 10K to 5.0V Diode to prevent back feeding voltage if you slap 12V onto it Mosfet inverter as the fix! PinoTaur REV 4 has Arrived! Goes into final testing for production certification! RGB LED boards testing Mind the details - Cross talk Actually ran into this as a unique problem Those values in datasheets can creep up Beat head on table trying to figure it out How long is it reasonable for a project owner to support their open source design? 10 years? More Automotive Woes 2/3rds of the facility was dedicated to automotive parts Toyota and Tesla affected

24 Maalis 202155min