Circuit Break - A MacroFab Podcast

MEP EP#340: Necrobiotic SynthesizersProject Snackey See y'all at defcon 30! Stuff you want to learn about? Canbus FPGA design AWS web development Manim - python My Spider-sense is Tingling Spiders are just hydraulic animals

6 Aug 202259min

MEP EP#339: Educated CompromisesProject Snackey Announcement video lands before this podcast gets released. Project Diffprobe Looking at teardowns of other diff probes ADA4817 2pA input bias -3dB bandwidth of 1050MHz Very low input capacitance Combine to make an instrument amp Perhaps going with an integrated instrument amp INA12 Page 27 of the datasheet -  Right-Leg Drive Hardware subscriptions? BWM to offer heated seat subscription 18/mo 180/year 300/3year 415/unlimited These subscriptions are for “luxury” items in the car, what is next? Subscription based displacement?  Displacement as a Service - DaaS Thanks I hate it.

29 Jul 202252min

MEP EP#338: Feature Complete or Minimal Viable ProductsProject DiffProbe Landed on the topology Stephen wants High voltage dividers Compensation capacitors CMRR calibration (120dB rejection) Offset correction Buffers and Instrumentation Amplifiers Differential Stage 10x and 100x attenuation means offsets have to be bang on Opamps (3 of them) Buffers Low input bias current Low offset Bandwidth? Differential amp Low offset. Capable of driving 50 ohm load to the scope Gain setting resistors Vishay ACAS 0612 - Precision resistor network 4x0603 resistors to make a diff amplifier with a gain of 2 Relative tolerance of 0.05% Worst case relative temp-coefficient 15ppm Project Snackey Firmware is “feature complete” Display Commands How the vending motors actually work INA219 Current Sensor Interrupts Improved method for next revision? The one byte Serial Buffer problem NEOPIXEL (WS2812) vs APA102 (SK9822) Blocking functions DMA - Direct memory access Importance of full system integration testing Timer Lockouts for motors Is there a better way?

22 Jul 202258min

MEP EP#337: CSV File WoesProject Snackey Input Firmware is completed Output Firmware is skeltonized/frameworked Need to add a “Power Good” signal Auxiliary circuits need software resets on power cycling Due to how Arduino hardware/software works The Dangers of Basing your Project on Someone Else’s ExtractModel Fortran No Github One CSV file change causes script to break Is it really broken? What to do? DIY Meat Smoker Ideas ~$1600 for the smoker body “round” part Currently 534lbs JWST sends its first official photos Incredible engineering feat Had to start with “what do we need to invent” to make this

15 Jul 20221h 1min

MEP EP#336: Heirloom DocumentationUtracerV6 The right way to do instructions Full table of contents Broken out into sections. The ref designators match the section Build Test At the end is a full calibration section Section for logging your calibration values A whole section for building enclosures and wiring dos4ever.com Project Snackey PCBA completed! Smoke monster is still contained within the circuit Wrapping up the wiring inside the machine before moving onto code Installed a kiosk receipt printer where the coin return used to be and got it working Microswitches - The fidget spinner for electrical engineers? DIY Meat Smoker Ideas? Introducing the Low Poly Smoker! Nvidia could spend $10 billion to secure RTX 4000 components Hold there place in line at TSMC?

9 Jul 20221h 4min

MEP EP#335: Your Toaster is ToastProject: Diff Probe Circuit Cellar design Hack a Day project Active Differential probe with 600V Common mode and 600V differential mode Measure virtually any two points. No need for ground reference. Perhaps a battery system with a boost converter? Excuse to finally use that 3d printer to make a case Basically all precision components UtracerV6 enclosure Decided to make an enclosure that better suits my use case Stripped down from last time. It does not need all the bells and whistles from last time. Fixed sockets FTDI and SMPS for 6.3V and 19.5V EOL: The Chip Shortage You Don’t See Coming Instant obsolescence No phase-out period Foundries are booked three years out Suppliers are working on their most profitable lines and filling standing orders New fabs coming online won’t be buying old wafer equipment New foundries will be making new parts Avoiding instant obsolescence What parts are more readily available and are continuity coming back into stock Look at the market segments using the components you need Put out orders for the components that you need regardless of lead times. Ask and Engineer on MIT website

2 Jul 202247min

MEP EP#334: Double as good!Project: SNACKEY PCBs and Components arrived All PTH components fit Assembly starts tomorrow Nichicon Obsolescence Removing 8 and partial 2 of there SMT Aluminum Electrolytic lines Nichicon has 43 lines of SMT Electrolytic capacitors alone Lines they are getting rid of have these qualities: Standard range High reflow temp Low impedance New series is UBH which seems to partially cover what they are removing High Temperature Range Vibration Resistance Low temperature ESR specification Jeep A/C Troubles? Jeep AC started acting weird Vacuum leak Replaced the controller module and introduced new problems! uTracerV6 New version arriving soon 1000V @1A Check out the previous version Stephen modified on episode 135

25 Jun 20221h

MEP EP#333: Cody's Corner - Q2 2022Cody Endlich 10 years experience in electronic component distribution and commodities trade Currently the head of strategic sourcing at Macrofab Last seen on episode 318 to discuss Strategic Component Sourcing and MacroFab joining the ERAI What we saw in Quarter 2 2022 Russia's invasion of Ukraine Ukraine and Neon gas Neon gas is used in semiconductor production for running the lasers required for the lithography Lockdown hits Shenzhen as Covid Infections Increase Components that come out of China directly effected Raw material shortages causing ripple effects in other countries manufacturing New Earthquakes hit Japan and Taiwan Magnitude 7.3 earthquake occurred off the coast of Fukushima, Japan on the evening of March 16 Renesas and Murata operate factories close to the epicenter Took 3 days to reestablish production A Logistical Headache biggest problem for MLCC suppliers at this stage is they cannot deliver materials to Shanghai and Kunshan Magic 8-Ball Cody thinks there will be a loosing of supply chain due to the impeding recession Parker see's the industry streamlining catalogs of components similar to 2018 Ceramic Capacitor shortage

18 Jun 202247min