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#364: Product of many Imaginations
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 dig…
EP#363: Breadboarding for Success
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 …
EP#362: It is 2023, Why Does Footprint Design Still Suck?
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, …
EP#361: Cold Welding This Podcast Together
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…
EP#360: Current Conscience Comparator
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 …
EP#359: Datasheet Lore
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 f…
EP#358: The Social Media Nightmare
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 mill…
EP#357: Seventh Annual MacroFab Star Wars Christmas Special – We're the Rebel Codebreakers!
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…
EP#356: Don't Let AI Brew Your Beer
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 / te…
EP#355: The One They Talk About Football Fields For a Long Time
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 u…
EP#354: A Consumable For Your Wallet
Louis Rossmann’s fresh start in Austin, Tx
- Moved his business from New York to Austin, Texas
- Learn how to open and fix things
- Classes will be free
EP#353: The Name Will Arrive
Jeep Prop Fan Thingy
- Jeep Prop Fan thingy
- Spec Sheet
- Connectors
- The Quest for 25 Amps
- TE Connectivity 1-1418362-3
- Pg 63 of this catalog
- Haltech released a new PDM
- 10 8A
- 4 25A
- 2 Push Pull
- Arduino's …
EP#352: CNC Crafting
November 5, 2022 - Extra Life Recap
- Improvements to the script
- Thank you to everyone that hung out, supported, and donated!
What is next for CNC
- Parametric cnc model in fusion
- Model by Ed Frazier
- https://…
EP#351: Signal Switching for Maximum Offness
Python Demo for Extra Life API
- Stream Date: November 5th, 2022
- Python to OBS functioning!
- Websockets. What are they?
- HTTP is unidirectional where the client sends the request and the server sends the re…
EP#350: Estimating Effort
Python Demo for Extra Life API
- Stream Date: November 5th, 2022
- Functionality so far
- Check Extralife API for donations
- This is done with the requests module
- This endpoint seems to return old and new dona…
- Check Extralife API for donations
EP#349: Connector Catalogs
- Haven't had a chance to work on this yet
- Going to stream working on it?
Adventures in injection molding
- PINNACLE 5112C3
- 8% haze - this is pretty low. Any lower and it would b…
EP#348: AVRDUDE All The Way Down
- Content for the stream
- API for Extralife
- Custom plugin that goes to a Duke Nukem Sound Board
- Trying to get it to play gifs
- Working with Open Broadcast Software now
Live podca…
EP#347: Out Of Bounds Engineering
- I play games for children's hospitals
- Raised $5,169.42 last year
- Was the number one raiser for the Texas Children's Hospital
- What game for this year?
- What should I make for t…
EP#346: Calibrating CNCs with PCB Rulers
November 5, 2022 - Extra Life
- I play games for children's hospitals
- Raised $5,169.42 last year
- Was the number one raiser for the Texas Children's Hospital
- What game for this year?
CNC
- Calibration
- 90
- Dust Col…
EP#345: The Hot List of Tasty Chip Fabs
Pool Shark Update!
Wolfspeed fab for NC is latest on CHIPS Act list
- 668,000 domestic manufacturing jobs
- Global Unemployment. Do we have enough people for this?
- What technology are they aiming for?
Here’s …