关于KiCad电子开发应用的Wayne Stambaugh访谈

在我担任Digi-Key数字设计工具项目经理期间，我有机会与我们的许多供应商和开发人员进行互动。
最近，我有机会采访了Motion Sensors公司的高级电子工程师和软件开发人员Wayne Stambaugh，他也是基于C ++的开源电子开发应用程序KiCad的项目负责人。
在这个由三部分组成的系列文章的第1部分中，我与Wayne讨论了他最初如何对电子和编码感兴趣。
JP（Jeremy Purcell）：你有什么编码？
WS（Wayne Stambaugh）：我在校外第一份工作时开始编写我的第一个项目。
我做的所有编码都是前几年的摩托罗拉681X和680X0组装。
当时的C编译器非常昂贵，主要用于应用而不是嵌入式开发。
一旦C编译器变得无处不在，我自学了C（从最初的K＆amp; R书开始！）然后在它可用时转移到C ++。
最后我开始使用Python编写自动测试设备（ATE）代码。
我一直很喜欢硬件和软件的集成。
实际上，KiCad是我用过的第一个纯软件应用程序，而不是我为工作编写的一些简单脚本和小帮助软件应用程序。
我所有的其他编码都直接涉及硬件。
JP：你修复过的最难/最棘手的错误是什么？
WS：使用优秀的调试器解决软件错误往往不那么成问题。
我发现硬件错误要难以排除故障。
我有一些有趣的杂散电容硬件错误要解决。
这种古老的格言“振荡器放大和放大器振荡”变化多样。
JP：你从哪里开始使用EE？
WS：我一直很喜欢探索事物的设计方式。
在我上学成为工程师之前，我的主要兴趣是机械。
成为机械或电子工程师是一种折腾。
在80年代早期，很明显电子产品将成为一个巨大的领域，所以我选择了这条路。
我很高兴我做到了。
我的第一份工作让我为工业控制器设计自动测试设备（ATE）。
那时候，一切都是从头开始设计和构建的。
通常情况下，测试设备远比它们设计用于测试的产品复杂得多。
随着时间的推移，GPIB，RS232等测试设备变得越来越便宜，然后工作变得更多的是关于软件设计而不是硬件设计。
作为一名测试设计工程师当然教会我如何不设计东西。
最终我进入了产品设计角色。
JP：你有任何想要分享的电子故事吗？
WS：没有什么能真正突出的。
只是通常的组件喜剧“poof”和其他常见的设计错误！
我自己做的一些和其他一些工程师在做。
JP：大多数人不了解你的一件事是什么？
WS：我已经足够大了，当它们被引入时，实际上已经使用了原始的Apple II和IBM PC。
当她还在专业打高尔夫球时，我还为我的妻子参加了女子美国公开赛和LPGA高尔夫锦标赛。
JP：除了KiCad，你的空闲时间是多少？
WS：KiCad并没有给我很多空闲时间，但是当我不和家人共度时，我是一个狂热的公路自行车手。
几年前我真的参加比赛了，但我很快意识到我没有足够的时间训练成为我想要的竞争对手，但我仍然会出去和所有赛车手一起训练。
我也很喜欢和家人一起打高尔夫球，但现在这种情况发生的频率要低得多。
在第2部分中，我们将与Wayne一起探讨他对开源编码和团队合作的看法。
然后在第3部分中，我们将与Wayne一起深入探讨实际的KiCad电子开发应用。
敬请关注！



以下为原文

In my role as Program Manager of Digital Design Tools at Digi-Key, I get the opportunity to interact with many of our providers and developers. Recently, I had the opportunity to virtually interview Wayne Stambaugh, a Senior Electronics Engineer and Software Developer with Motion Sensors, Inc., who is also the project leader of the C++ based open source electronics development application, KiCad. In Part 1 of this three-part series, I talked with Wayne about how he first got interested in electronics and coding.

JP (Jeremy Purcell): What got you into coding?
WS (Wayne Stambaugh): I started coding for my first project at my first job out of school. All of the coding I did was Motorola 681X and 680X0 assembly for the first few years. C compilers at the time were very expensive and primarily used for application rather than embedded development. Once C compilers became ubiquitous, I taught myself C (from the original K&R book no less!) and then moved to C++ when it became available. Eventually I started using Python for writing automated test equipment (ATE) code. I’ve always enjoyed the integration of hardware and software. Actually, KiCad is the first pure software application that I ever worked on other than some simple scripts and small helper software applications that I wrote for work. All of my other coding directly involved hardware.
JP: What is the hardest/trickiest bug you have ever fixed?
WS: Software bugs tend to be less problematic to resolve with good debuggers. I’ve found hardware bugs are far more difficult to troubleshoot. I’ve had some interesting stray capacitance hardware bugs to resolve. The kind of the old adage “oscillators amplify and amplifiers oscillate” variety.
JP: Where did you get your start in EE?
WS: I’ve always enjoyed exploring how things were designed. Before I went to school to be an engineer, my primary interest was mechanical. It was a toss-up to become either a mechanical or an electronics engineer. In the early ’80s, it was pretty obvious that electronics was going to be a huge field, so I chose that path. I’m glad I did. My first job had me designing automatic test equipment (ATE) for industrial controllers. Back then, everything was designed and built from scratch. More often than not, the test equipment was far more complex than the products they were designed to test. As time went by, GPIB, RS232, etc. test equipment became affordable and then the job became more about software design and less about hardware design. Being a test design engineer certainly taught me how not to design things. Eventually I moved into the product design role.
JP: Do you have any electronics stories you’d like to share?
WS: Nothing that really sticks out. Just the usual comedy of components going “poof” and other usual design mistakes! Some of my own doing and some of other engineers doing.
JP: What is one thing that most people wouldn’t know about you?
WS: I’m old enough to have actually used both an original Apple II and an IBM PC when they were introduced. I also caddied in a Women’s US Open and an LPGA golf tournament for my wife when she was still playing golf professionally.
JP: What do you with your free time besides KiCad?
WS: KiCad doesn’t leave me much free time, but I when I’m not spending time with my family, I am an avid road cyclist. I was actually racing a few years ago, but I quickly came to the realization that I didn’t have enough time to train to be as competitive as I would like to be, but I still go out and drill it with all racers. I also enjoy playing golf with my family but that is happening far less frequently as my children are adults now.
In Part 2, we’ll explore with Wayne his thoughts on open source coding and teamwork. Then in Part 3, we’ll take a deeper dive with Wayne on the actual KiCad electronics development application. Stay tuned!