Circuit Break - A MacroFab Podcast
Dive into the electrifying world of electrical engineering with Circuit Break, a MacroFab podcast hosted by Parker Dillmann and Stephen Kraig. This dynamic duo, armed with practical experience and a palpable passion for tech, explores the latest innovations, industry news, and practical challenges in the field. From DIY project hurdles to deep dives with industry experts, Parker and Stephen's real-world insights provide an engaging learning experience that bridges theory and practice for engineers at any stage of their career.
Whether you're a student eager to grasp what the job market seeks, or an engineer keen to stay ahead in the fast-paced tech world, Circuit Break is your go-to. The hosts, alongside a vibrant community of engineers, makers, and leaders, dissect product evolutions, demystify the journey of tech from lab to market, and reverse engineer the processes behind groundbreaking advancements. Their candid discussions not only enlighten but also inspire listeners to explore the limitless possibilities within electrical engineering.
Presented by MacroFab, a leader in electronics manufacturing services, Circuit Break connects listeners directly to the forefront of PCB design, assembly, and innovation. MacroFab's platform exemplifies the seamless integration of design and manufacturing, catering to a broad audience from hobbyists to professionals.
About the hosts: Parker, an expert in Embedded System Design and DSP, and Stephen, an aficionado of audio electronics and brewing tech, bring a wealth of knowledge and a unique perspective to the show. Their backgrounds in engineering and hands-on projects make each episode a blend of expertise, enthusiasm, and practical advice.
Join the conversation and community at our online engineering forum, where we delve deeper into each episode's content, gather your feedback, and explore the topics you're curious about. Subscribe to Circuit Break on your favorite podcast platform and become part of our journey through the fascinating world of electrical engineering.
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 55 minutes
- Episodes
- 448
- Years Active
- 2016 - 2024
EP#28: Dissolving Energon Cubes
Podcast Notes
- Stephen has been running tests on the Energon Cube for the SSPS. So far everything is working great. Check out Stephen's blog post update: Super Simple Power Supply "SSPS" Design (Part …
EP#27: If There is a Bug, You Can Fix It
Podcast Notes
- Our Guest this week is Kwabena Agyeman who runs OpenMV. See Figure 1.
- The OpenMV project is about creating low-cost, extensible, Python powered, machine vision modules and aims at becomin…
EP#26: Super Simple Buss Bars of Power
Podcast Notes
- Stephen has been working on making the copper buss bars for the SSPS Energon cube. See Figure 1.
- We calculated that the resistance of the copper buss bars is 0.00458 ohms or 4.58 mohm. Ou…
EP#25: Lousy Datasheet Buyouts
Podcast Notes
- Stephen has completed the SSPS Analog board. See Figure 1. Testing will begin early next week.
- The Macro Amp that Stephen has been working on is almost done. He just needs to solder the t…
EP#24: Pokey Datasheets and Incognito Arduinos
Podcast Notes
- Parker and Stephen have been working on the Super Simple Power Supply. Parker has the test panel done and working. See Figure 1. Stephen has the Analog "Energon Cube" PCB made. See Figur…
EP#23: Interview with Ben Heck of The Ben Heck Show
Podcast Notes
- Dactyl nightmare - One of the first demonstrations of virtual reality used in a video game at the mall of America in the early 90s.
- Sony/Nintendo console – Before Sony created the Playst…
EP#22: Quirky Quadcopters with Scott Shawcroft
Podcast Notes
- Scott Shawcroft of Chickadee Tech is our guest on this weeks podcast. He is working on a modular flight control system called polystack. It has 13 different boards that can be stacked to…
EP#21: Let The RF Hit The Noise Floor
Podcast Notes
- Dustin Holliday is our guest this week. He was on EP#13 of MEP. Dustin has been working on MacroFab's KiCad parser and is currently researching the KiCad Python API Documentation.
- Stephen…
EP#20: I Will Never Know You Viper
Podcast Notes
- Matt Keas is a onboarding instructor over at The Iron Yard. Matt has a background in software and startups. He runs tech related conferences like Space City JS.
- Brian Dorton is the campus…
EP#19: Panning for Caps
Podcast Notes
- With the broken tap removed progress continues on the SAIM. Parker almost has the upper gantry is almost done.
- The SSPS front panel test is is scheduled to be built next week. Should have…
EP#18: Classy Capacitors and Lab War Stories
Podcast Notes
- Parker has been working on the SAIM (Semi-Automatic Inspection Machine) this week. Work had to pause as Parker broke off a M5 x 0.8MM drill/tap combo bit off inside the extrusion. Should…
EP#17: System-in-Package (SiP) Platforms with Greg Sheridan
Podcast Notes
- This week Stephen and Parker have a guest. Greg Sheridan of Octavo Systems.
- Greg is the Marketing and Sales Manager for Octavo Systems.
- Octavo Systems builds "System-in-Package" or SiP sty…
EP#16: Fixtures of Echoing Tubes
Hosts:
Parker Dillmann
Stephen Kraig
Guests:
N/A
Figure 1: Non working Space Echo RE-201 Figure 2: A NuTube 6P1 straight from KORG. Figure 3: The constant current source Stephen is using for his NuTu…
EP#15: Ridiculously Blinking LED
Hosts:
Parker Dillmann
Stephen Kraig
Guests:
N/A
Figure 1: SSPS front panel test layout. Miniature version of the real front panel to test physical placement and new parts. Figure 2: Two TPS65982-EVM …
EP#14: Discrepant Diodes
Hosts:
Parker Dillmann
Stephen Kraig
Guests:
N/A
Figure 1: SSPS front panel layout. Traces to come soon. Figure 2: Inconsistencies in the LTST-C171CKT datasheets.
Podcast Notes
- Stephen is still working o…
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. Se…
EP#12: Silicon Condensors
Podcast Notes
- Stephen built a power supply for an old school tube microphone for Josh. Josh does the recordings for the Podcast. See Figure 1 for the schematic.
- Microphone is a Sony C37 tube condenser …
EP#11: False Fuses and Kitschy Kickstarters
Podcast Notes
- Parker has been hard at work on the PinHeck Test Fixture. It uses over 160 pogo pins to test every single function of the PinHeck Pinball System. There will be an article about designing…
EP#10: IoT’s Cloudy Future
Podcast Notes
- First Guest for the MacroFab Engineering Podcast! Trey German is working on a IoT platform using BLE and a small coin cell.
- Trey's device worked on the first revision! How often does that…
EP#9: Robots with Feelings
**Podcast Notes**
* Parker and Stephen continue work on the [Super Simple Power Supply](https://github.com/MacroFab/SSPS). There is a full on simulation of the analog section on MultiSim.
* Stephen fou…