The concerning news of a missing submarine near the Titanic wreck site this week sparks conversation about the implications of using a $30 Logitech gamepad for steering, the importance of regulatory bodies for deep sea exploration and why backups are essential for critical systems. We also explore the question; is an engineer a scientist? Lastly, we discuss a breakthrough in laser-based data transmission that could revolutionize internet connectivity. Submarine Safety: Unconventional Controls an...
Jul 06, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 384
MEP EP# 383: Screaming into the Social Media Void AutoDesk is dropping support and development for the dedicated Eagle EDA tool and moving efforts to the AutoDesk Fusion 360 Electronics. This has set the electronic enthusiast online communities ablaze with KiCad users and supporters frothing at this opportunity to take market share away from Eagle in the EDA space. Parker and Stephen discuss this and more on this week’s episode of the MacroFab Engineering Podcast! Topics: Parker was on The Corio...
Jun 15, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 383
MEP EP#382: The Danger Pool The CHIPS act is in full swing with Texas Instruments, TSMC, Intel and other chip manufacturers scaling up and building new facilities in the United States. There is just one problem however, the engineering manpower required to run these high tech facilities. TSMC is struggling to fill hiring quotas and articles are citing TSMC working conditions as the reason. Stephen and Parker decide to explore the possibility of more reasons for this on this week’s episode of the...
Jun 09, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 382
MEP EP#381: Bil Herd - Back Into the Storm Bil Herd, one of the early engineers of Home Computers, joins as a guest on this week’s episode of the podcast. Bil led the hardware design for the Commodore C128 and Plus4 Series of computers in the 1980’s and currently co-hosts a weekly webcast which can be seen at Coriolis-effect.com Topics: Back Into the Storm: A design engineers story of Commodore Computers in the 1980’s Vintage Computer Festival Returning to Texas this June June 23rd - 25th VCF So...
Jun 02, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 381
MEP EP#380: The Simplest SMT Component… In The World Stephen’s CNC steps closer to being completed on this CNC electronics centric podcast! We discuss design snafus and problems with poorly constructed CNC controllers and design misses in the mechanical assembly. Then Parker receives a newsletter that has the simplest SMT component in the world. What could that component even be used for? Topics: Stephen’s CNC - What remains? The 2000 mm ball screws in right before the episode Drives/drivers/pow...
May 26, 2023•48 min•Ep. 380
MEP EP#379: Taking pictures with magnetic flux Two major topics this week! Major Box Truck updates and going over the Texas DMC Occupations Code for what a Motor home is. Then we flash back to the year 2000. Parker was only 13 years old when he took a photography merit badge class for scouts and was introduced to digital photography through the Sony MVC-FD5. This Sony camera stores images on a floppy disk. Will this archaic storage media sink Parker’s nostalgia for this camera or will it just sp...
May 20, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 379
MEP EP#378: Crawfish Conundrum Cooking crawfish a mile above sea level? How will the crawfish cook differently? On this episode of the MacroFab Engineering Podcast, Parker and Stephen discuss the different seasoning, boil and soak times, and building an inexpensive boil pot from materials and supplies Stephen already has. Parker also makes the Box Truk an official project on the podcast even though it has nothing to do with electrical engineering. The last topic is on 3D printing and what is the...
May 12, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 378
MEP EP#377: Countdown to Hype Component selection for your next product design is difficult as is with having to juggle temperature requirements, supply chain availability problems, and functionality parameters. Now consider your product in an environment that will actively destroy the semiconductors. This episode we dip our toes into Radiation exposure for electronics! Topics: Electronics and radiation Radiation Handbook for Electronics Silicon does strange things in the presence of radiation F...
May 03, 2023•59 min•Ep. 377
MEP EP#376: Starting From The Beginning When did you start listening to the podcast? Have a favorite episode? Let Stephen and Parker know which is your favorite. Also, we are going to do another design contest! The Box Truck also gets an update from Parker. May the Fab be with you! MacroFab event page. Topics: Favorite Episodes from listeners? When did you start listening to the podcast? Stephen’s Favorite episode? Brandon Sander of Inheritance Machining Idea Tank episodes Episode #77 Episode #2...
Apr 26, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 376
MEP EP#375: From Zero to Hero in Python Topics: Why is python requested in embedded software/firmware engineer jobs? The Complete Python Bootcamp From Zero to Hero in Python - Udemy Rapid Harness Software Designing some pinball harnesses Powerful for a single task Has a free version but limited CNC stuff Critical speeds on ball screws Length Diameter End supports SFU2010 got 700in/min which is almost a foot a second. Rotational speed of 1778 RPM Power supplies for stepper motors Shared axis powe...
Apr 19, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 375
MEP EP#374: Brandon Sander of Inheritance Machining Brandon Sander: Classically trained in mechanical engineering, Brandon inherited his grandfather’s personal machine shop in the winter of 2021. He created a Youtube channel to document restoring these machines, continuing his grandfather’s legacy, and getting back to his metalworking roots. Topics: How inheritance machining came about Making drawings by hand Projects Useful items - knurling tools/ tap follower/ etc Tool upgrades - tool holders/...
Apr 14, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 374
Joel Westerberg is head of IT at teenage engineering. Joel started at teenage engineering in 2013 by working on the OD-11 loudspeaker project. Joel has been involved in building the teenage engineering factory system and various other projects. Joel does everything from backend services, embedded development, to pcb design. David Eriksson is the head of hardware and co-founder of teenage engineering. A DJ and synth enthusiast since age 12, David started teenage engineering in 2006. David is resp...
Apr 05, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 373
News: May the Fab Be With You May 4th, 2023 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM CDT 10305 Round Up Ln Suite 400 Houston, TX Topics: Bud Industries - Board-ganizer Enclosure Kit Combine breadboards and evaluation boards into an enclosure Fluke 87V multimeter Vs Centech 61593 (also got a rigol DS2072 oscilloscope) $520 vs $39.99 6000 count vs 2000 count Fluke can do “High Res” mode and go to 20,000 count Autorange vs range select Benefits of both Manual range might be better for keeping your ducks in a row. Main di...
Mar 30, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 372
Riley Hall Riley is the Director of Product Marketing for Fictiv. He has over ten years of experience working in highly technical manufacturing engineering environments at companies including Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, Hilti North America, and Markforged. Riley holds a B.A. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan as well as an MBA from the University of Colorado Boulder and lives with his wife Hannah in Denver, enjoying hiking, skiing, and the occasional Colorado brewe...
Mar 24, 2023•45 min•Ep. 371
Denes Szabo Denes was born and raised in Colorado. His parents owned a machine shop where Denes worked from a young age till 50. Denes now runs the tooling department at the US Mint Denver. Topics What is the process of getting US currency made? Making changes and updates? How does this differ from other currencies? What goes into creating the tooling? Materials Files for creating the tools How are they approved Quality controls on currency manufacturing Producing at scale Inventory and Logistic...
Mar 15, 2023•59 min•Ep. 370
News May the Fab be with You Show off the new factory! Star Wars theme of course Contest for best Star Wars Costume Food and Drink Possible Cantina Band? The State of Electrical Engineering Jobs Denver Industries Medical Aviation Space Communications Manufacturing Commonalities Design - Hardware Design - Firmware Board stuff Cad/Cam and mechanical Regulations Most stuff Secret clearance Repair Manufacturing practices Knowledge High speed electronics RF Communication protocols - Some board level ...
Mar 10, 2023•53 min•Ep. 369
News May 4th, Bringing back the MacroFab meetup. Stephen Kraig looking for a job. Email stephen.l.kraig@gmail.com Another thought on ground planes Finally tried an honest to god ground plane on an amp and the results are what you would expect. Realizations Component placement matters as much if not more than trace routing Pool analogy Understanding current is key Trade offs Makes ground easier while making signaling harder It is possible to have too much ground Venting of Sealed (washable) Relay...
Mar 02, 2023•57 min•Ep. 368
News May 4th, Bringing back the MacroFab meetup. Question From slack: Eric Smith How do you find new machines for the factory lines? Google Youtube Vendors Resellers Do you guys get mailed catalogs? Auctions yes. New machines no Do you go to conferences? I have been but never to purchase a machine if you find something which could be potentially good, how do you evaluate it? Is there something like a trial period with the manufacturer? Research is key. Evaluation is difficult to do. Do you have ...
Feb 22, 2023•57 min•Ep. 367
MacroFab News May 4th, Bringing back the MacroFab meetup. MacroFab moved into the new headquarters and we already produced our first products! Checker Battery Box Materials arrived Monday, will need to weld it Designing for laser cutting / welding New Project Car - 2021 Chevy Express 4500 RV / Camper / Tow Rig build The CNC is coming together! Finally got all of the extrusions Been taking my time and savoring it. Have to rearrange basement to get everything to fit 4 rounds of buying hardware Wha...
Feb 17, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 366
MacroFab News May 4th, Bringing back the MacroFab meetup. MacroFab is moving headquarters! New Website! The podcast and all that content looks sexy now. Chat GPT NPC Instead of the standard tree format of communication - just use ai AI dungeon master? How easy would it be to break? Segway announcement on Good Morning America Checker Battery Box Relocation of the battery Tool Storage ⅛” 304 Stainless Steel Cat Feeder Unreminder Schematic completed Been “bench testing” for the past couple weeks En...
Feb 11, 2023•59 min•Ep. 365
Previous Episodes Misha last heard on MEP EP #142: Supply Chain Conspiracy Securities Chris last heard on MEP EP#212: The End of Electronics Manufacturing?! The State of Digital Manufacturing What is digital manufacturing? Is there a definition of digital manufacturing? Other players in this space. Some business models are winning, some models are stuck in neutral. New Round of Investment Why does a manufacturer need investment? The nature of investors Does anyone actually care about this? What ...
Feb 03, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 364
Breadboarding your circuits Why even do it? Time savings Quick check of your ideas Leave breadboard assembled for future pcbs Breadboards do not break physics - all the same rules apply What you put into it you get out Cleanliness matters Plan out your circuits You will likely find that you do not need extra jumpers if you plan the circuit Measure and bend leads - 0.1” pitch Use good components Use the bus strips for power and ground You can get away with high voltage if you plan for isolation K...
Jan 29, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 363
First R2R bill passes and it is… NY gov Kathy Hochul signed into law one of the first R2R bills Hochul agreed to sign the bill with some last minute changes Hochul wrote in a memo that the legislation, as it was originally drafted, "included technical issues that could put safety and security at risk, as well as heighten the risk of injury from physical repair projects." Changes Stripping requirement for OEMs to provide to the public any passwords, security codes or materials to override securit...
Jan 21, 2023•49 min•Ep. 362
Adding Cold Welding Function to any Welder Cold spot weld function Most tig welders interface with a 5 pin foot controller 3 pins for potentiometer - analog signal telling how much amperage 2 pin switch for initiating the arc Made a circuit to spoof the footswitch 555 timer to set the duty cycle Monostable mode Capacitively coupled to allow for single button presses Range: 1ms to 100ms...
Jan 14, 2023•49 min•Ep. 361
Framework, Noctua, and other brands add official 3D models to Printables Prusa Research’s “Printables” website added a new section called “Brands” Manufacturers and OEMs can upload verified models for their products CNC Update All of the fasteners arrive this week along with the aluminum extrusions Build weekend Developed a 3d printable cable tie for 4040 t-slots 3d prints with planned bending sections Other than iteration and experience is there a way to design this? Elastic deformation in the ...
Jan 06, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 360
Picking a part for your design What is your process for selecting a part for your design? What is your preferred method of learning about electronics? How would you make the process of selecting parts for your design easier? The Return of the Cat Feeder Unreminder Experimenting with the AEM10941 User Interface changes? Segmented LCD VI-422DPRCS Driver? Need 3VAC - 6VAC Made an oscillator with a 4049 hex inverter More power reduction? CD4047 oscillator, mxshift from slack says it will pull around...
Dec 31, 2022•52 min•Ep. 359
Porsche’s synthetic gasoline factory comes online today in Chile Way back on episode 265 (Feb 2021) we talked about this announcement from Porsche. Production 34,000 gallons (130,000 L) a year 14.5 million gallons (55 million L) a year by 2024 145 million gallons (550 million L) a year by 2026 Wind power to electrolysis water into hydrogen and oxygen The hydrogen is then combined with carbon captured from the air or industrial sources to synthesize methanol Then be converted into longer hydrocar...
Dec 24, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 358
Spoilers for recent Star Wars shows like Andor included for free! This Year's Guests Josh Rozier A business intelligence and data analytics professional for a large, east-coast insurance monolith. In his spare time, Roz spends his time building and tweaking guitar amplifiers and pedals. Co-owner of Empire Engineering with Stephen. Chris Kraft A tinkerer currently working as a software engineer in the financial services industry. Extensive background in 3d printing and building anything that seem...
Dec 16, 2022•3 hr 8 min•Ep. 357
PDA - Parkers Death Amp Going to do a restoration on it and a recover Need to get rid of the death parts Some scary stuff after looking at the schematic Chat GPT-3 AI computer model for conversations / text generation People have been putting assembly into and and asking for notes on what the code does The AI sounds very sure of itself when giving completely wrong answers Suggested as a replacement for general internet searching How do you know what data it is pulling from or if it is even corre...
Dec 10, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 356
End of 2022 Engineering Questions? What trends in the past few years have changed PCBAs the most in the last few years? Weird SMT packages are starting to become more normal PCBs themselves are being used more as a structural part of the overall product What do you think will be the next “big” thing that will change the way EEs design PCBs? Rigid Flex changed the way compact consumer devices where designed Advancements in mosfet technologies and materials increased power densities PDM Listener Q...
Dec 02, 2022•56 min•Ep. 355
