EP#13: Picture Books for Engineers

Podcast Notes

• Our guest this week is Dustin Holliday, a Production Line Engineer at MacroFab, INC. Dustin programs the My200 paste jetter, the My500 pick and place, and the Rhythm Selective Solder. See Figure 1.
• Stephen is working on a customers test fixture and is using the Parallax Propeller. He really likes how it is easy to route the package since each pin is just general I/O and you can change around the pin definitions.
• Parker is almost done with the first test fixture article. Should be out soon.
• Parker has also been testing the ESP-12E WiFi module which uses the ESP8266 IC. Seems that some USB ports don't provide enough power even though they enumerate for 500mA at 5V. The ESP-12E is on his Prop Dev Stick Bit Flicker. Code is a port of Bylnk written by Roy Eltham. See Figure 2.
• On the Prop Fan board Parker has been working on he needed to read an analog signal without a ground reference. Instead of setting up an isolated supply and an isolated data buss he is going to try an isolated opamp. Part number ACPL-C870-000E. Have to compress the 0-14V input range to 0-2V with a voltage divider but Parker isn't looking for high resolution.
• Stephen and Parker are probably overly excited about the fact that Digi-Key now has pictures for categories on the connectors page.
• Another ink to circuit board project via paint pen project. This pops up every 6 to 87 months but this time they solved some of the technical issues but not all of them.
• The Current Source, an engineer out of Florida sent us a crappy Kickstarter idea! He calls it the "Microprocessor Launchpad" and it is basically a DIY kit for making your own microprocessors from scratch. Included is a sheet of metal, micro drill bits, some bond wire, and a sharpie. Stretch goals include silicon wafers and a hack saw to cut out your die.