Circuit Break - A MacroFab Podcast

MacroFab Design Contest: Blink an LED Sponsored by Mouser ElectronicsMore information can be found on the MacroFab BlogGet your blink on!ParkerMEP SAO was completed and an article was written about itMAX6682 breakout board working Time to finish the Jeep MCU board?Wagon skid plate completeStephenuTracer PCB finishedUpdate on uTracer enclosure printing?RFOLearn FPGA Fast with Hackaday’s FPGA Boot CampFPGA BootcampAl Williams is our Speaker at this months Hardware meetup in HoustonWilliams was on the MacroFab Engineering Podcast episodes #94 and #57Pebble watches get reborn? Rebble.ioProject to revitalize pebble watches IoT functioalityOperation manual improper English translations   Parker's new inexpensive radio for the Wagon has an interesting instruction manualTags: electronics podcast, MacroFab, macrofab engineering podcast, MEP

8 Elo 201829min

Scott SwaaleyElectrical Engineer from California Polytechnic State UniversityStarted his career rewiring 18th century tall shipsDesigned electrical systems for hospitals and data centers before becoming a specialist in renewable energy economicsHad a career in teaching and working with students in makerspacesFounder of MAKESafe Tools  YouTube Channels Scott likesClickspringThis Old TonyWhat is MAKESafe Tools?Bringing industrial-level safety to everyday shop tools with an easy to install plug and play deviceDesign Challenges?High power A/C switchingDC Isolation from the A/C sideTriacs and Hybrid relaysPhysical board layout considerationsDocumentaries and other linksMost Likely To SucceedBeyond MeasureMakerspace workTags: A/C, Clickspring, D/C, electronics podcast, Hybrid Relays, Maake Tools Saafe Aagaain, MacroFab, macrofab engineering podcast, MAKESafe Tools, MEP, relays, This Old Tony, Triacs

1 Elo 20181h 5min

Chris Gammel over at The Amp Hour gave the MacroFab Engineering Podcast a shout out for our podcast with Chris Church for our Tariff discussionThe Amp Hour also hit episode 400! Congrats!ParkerMEP SAO Update Software almost completeWhat kind of LED patterns should I implement?Wagon skid plate weldingStephenuTracer update CNC work on the enclosureFeed rate and speed calculationsR.F.O.Return of RadioShack?HobbyTown will start having a RadioShack Express insideWill be electrical components only but may have cell phone repair as wellBetter for Hobbytown to team up with Adafruit or Sparkfun?Decimis from the Slack Channel asksA lot of times on the MEP, you guys mention what college did not teach you. So not counting the actual degree, do you feel that going to a college is absolutely necessary to learn what you guys know now or is collage nothing more than just a structured way of learning what can be learned elsewhere through personal study, research, and experience?Jarrett from the Slack Channel asks What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?Tags: CNC, College, electronics podcast, feed rate, HobbyTown, Ice Cream, MacroFab, macrofab engineering podcast, MEP, MEP Shitty Add-On, Podcast, RadioShack, uTracer, Wagon skid plate welding

25 Heinä 201859min

ParkerConnectors for the Jeep PCM where a perfect match! P/Ns Black Connector: 4-1437290-5White Connector: 4-1437290-6Grey Connector: 4-1437290-7Still waiting on the MAX6682 breakout boardGitHub RepoOrdered some MEP Shitty Add-OnsZapp and Hyron ordered a set MEP EP#69: Incognito ModeMEP EP#109: Arduino, The Gateway Drug To #BadgeLifeBrandon Satrom ordered one MEP EP#122: Brandon Satrom and the LANoTA/C control module repair for the Wagon A/C compressor was bypassed2N4403 was all explodedReverse engineered the layout of the module Thanks to Tom Anderson who rewrote the schematic!StephenMesa-Boogie Mark IV schematicR.F.O.KiCad 5 has been releasedMolex Connector 1719821142Nano-Pitch I/O42 pins0.5A per pinOnly 50 mating cyclesDecimis from Slack Channel How would you make a device that could shoot flies out of the air? When I hear a fly buzzing around, I find it highly annoying and they keep getting stuck in one room at work. Then they spend all day flying up and down the room.D&D Starwars 5eTags: 1719821142, 4-1437290-5, 4-1437290-6, 4-1437290-7, A/C control module repair, D&D SWD20, electronics podcast, MacroFab, macrofab engineering podcast, MAX6682, MEP, MEP Shitty Add-On, Mesa-Boogie, Molex, Podcast, sN4403, Trebuchet

18 Heinä 201853min

ParkerMEP Shitty Add-On EFM8SB10F2G based like the MacroWatch V215 addressable channels of LED blinking23 Red 0603 LEDs in totalConnectors for the Jeep PCM PCM connector locks are starting to break due to ageFound an eBay auction with replacement connectors for sale that had part numbers printed on the connectorsP/N Black Connector: 4-1437290-5White Connector: 4-1437290-6Grey Connector: 4-1437290-7Update on the Wagon Carburetor rebuildCurrently in a power steering pump saga Removing the pulley off the pump is a painStephenuTracer update Enclosure arrived: P/N 1441-16BK3CWWLayout of the PCB is in progressTormach 770 MillMimaki ujf-3042 printerSwitcher 12V P/N: VXO78012-1000R.F.O.Maxim IC is in the MCU game nowMAX32652DARWIN: A New Breed of MCU, Built for the Evolving IoTArm Cortex-M4 with FPU-Based MicrocontrollerRevision control for Hardware GithubKeeping track of changesUpverter has a histogram featureCadlab.ioTags: 1441-16BK3CWW, 4-1437290-5, 4-1437290-6, 4-1437290-7, CADLAB.io, Carburetor rebuild, DARWIN MCU, EGM8SB10F2G, electronics podcast, GitHub, MacroFab, macrofab engineering podcast, MAX32652, Maxim IC, MEP, MEP Shitty Add-On, Mimaki ujf-3042, PCM, Podcast, SAO, Tormach 770 Mill, Upverter, uTracer, VXO78012-1000

11 Heinä 201853min

Chris ChurchThe Chief Product Officer of MacroFabFounded MacroFab along with ParkerRecent article Decoding Tariff Impacts on US Electronics ManufacturingWhat kind of items in the Tariff list will impact US Electronics Manufacturing?Passives, actives excluding ICs and diodes, mechanical components like switches, connectors, etcAssembled PCBs from ChinaShouldn’t see a huge impact from LEDsShort Term Impacts on the MarketPricing on most things won’t increase until existing stock gets depleted from inventory at US warehousesInitial impacts will be slightly increasing prices, potentially rapidly moving stock as buyers look to lock in current pricingOverall, we’re predicting from about 2%-10% increase in COGS for most electronics produced in the US until all ICs are included, at which point the impact to COGS will increase dramaticallyLong Term Impacts on the MarketWe’ll see more assembly shifting away from US to places like Mexico which have lower tariffs on components between China and them, and little to no tariffs on final goods coming into the USFlex has been downsizing their high margin/mid volume segment, laying off 10% of their workforce as demand for telecom and datacom equipment has dropped, and focusing on higher volume and lower margin builds in the USTariffs this is a boon for NAFTA, but not necessarily for US manufacturingImpacts of Tariffs on the current Component ShortagesExpect the bidding to get hotter on high-volumes of short-supply passives, esp. w/ automotive ratings, and you’ll need to get closer to the manufacturers and other consumers in the supply chain to keep costs from ballooning on these line itemsWe are already seeing parts having gone up from half a cent to 10 cents on some high-demand capacitors at volume, this is before tariffs kick inOverall, it’s not going to affect the availability of passives right now, as passives aren’t discretionary purchases, the increasing price won’t necessarily increase the supply in the short-termConsumer goods?No Tariffs on complete consumer goods yetWill this hurt hobbyist/makers?Those that are sourcing their goods from China, not really - de minimus for customs is $800, so if you’re importing less than $800 a time from an overseas vendor, these tax rates won’t impact youBig issue is going to be around vendors who sell made-in-china boards (not final products), these companies are going to have a harder time covering the spreadCompanies that make a lot of their goods in the US, like sparkfun, adafruit, etc. will have lower overall price increases, which will vary from product to product  Tariff listMadell Pick and PlaceDP2600-2 PNP placing a TQ-100 packageUsing the 3D printerTags: Chris Church, electronics podcast, MacroFab, macrofab engineering podcast, MEP, Podcast, Tariffs

5 Heinä 20181h 16min

ParkerMAX6682 breakout board finished and ordered This is for the thermistorsGitHub repo for the board filesNew Jeep, The Grande Wagoneer A/C doesn’t work as expectedFound the FSM and Schematic Schematic for the A/C controls Page 31Page 32Schematic has four parts that control the A/C Compressor Evaporator thermistor Turns out this is a standard 5K NTC thermistorA/C temperature sensorCompressor Low Pressure Switch Standard part #4773763Climate Control BoxStephenuTracer update Enclosure will be a Hammond Manufacturing 1441-16CWWuTracer PCB will be a daughter board attached to the relay control boardBuilt in USB -> RS-232RFOSpider silk microphone also senses slightest waft of air“most waft-able air movement sensor ever”400V field, ~0.5V/PaResearch paper is behind a pay wall :/Voltage Regulator heatsinks - when are they required?Maximum power dissipation is determined by the maximum junction temperature rating, the ambient temperature, and the junction-to-ambient thermal resistance.PDmax=( TJmax-  TA) / RθJAJunction-to-ambient thermal resistance measured in C/WMaximum Power Enhancement Techniques for SOT-223 Power MOSFETs - AN-1028Constructing Your Power Supply —Layout Considerations - SLUP230Jarrett from slack asks "WTF do you do with 2 million free LEDs?"Tags: 1441-16CWW, electronics podcast, Grand Wagoneer, ITS OVER 9000 LEDS?!, Jeep, MacroFab, macrofab engineering podcast, MAX6682, MEP, Podcast, Spider Silk microphone, uTracer, Voltage Regualtor Heatsinks, waft-able

27 Kesä 20181h 8min

Robert KeimA graduate from the University of California of San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineeringTechnical Director for All About CircuitsExtensive experience in a wide variety of fields, including Analog designFirmware developmentDigital signal processingPower managementMotor controlDigital camera designLow-noise PCB layoutSystem integrationDesigning for harsh environmentsNeural networksSoftware-defined radiosRole of open source information in the EE community What does Open Source mean to you? Robert: Knowledge, that originates from labor and is freely available. True acquisition of knowledge.Parker: A tool for learning - seeing how things were made and creating your own versionStephen:  More emphasis on knowledge and understanding vs the executionDo you think that open source projects can be a long term financial success, or are they a social movement and more about bringing knowledge and functionality to the community?Version control for PCBs and how that workflow may differ from software version controlHow you would collaborate with multiple Electrical Engineers on a single PCB (schematic and layout)?What's one of your favorite articles that you wrote for All About Circuits and why? The Clean Power Series - decoupling capacitorsFavorite Microcontroller/Development Board/ToolchainWhere do you see EDA tools in 5 years? Least favorite EDA tool?Tags: All About Circuits, electronics podcast, MacroFab, macrofab engineering podcast, MEP, Open Source, Podcast, Rober Keim

20 Kesä 201856min