https://cushychicken.github.io/Recent content on Wherein The ChickenHugo -- gohugo.ioen-ushttps://cushychicken.github.io/process-is-everything/Sat, 21 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/process-is-everything/One of my former Sonos colleagues once told me the single wisest thing I’ve ever heard about hardware product development: “We’re a product development organization. We don’t actually make speakers. We make instructions for how to make speakers. Our only real output is paper.” (I originally attributed this to Sara Lincoln, but Sara tells me that she got it, in turn, from Ron Roberts, the mechanical guru who’s designed a ton of iconic Sonos products.https://cushychicken.github.io/figure-out-firmware-updates-first/Fri, 21 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/figure-out-firmware-updates-first/the single best long term investment you can make in product team productivityhttps://cushychicken.github.io/webapp-dev-is-hard/Mon, 19 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/webapp-dev-is-hard/it errored out again pls helphttps://cushychicken.github.io/done-differently-rtl-jobs/Wed, 25 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/done-differently-rtl-jobs/I’m closing in on a year - a whole dang year!! - of working on RTLjobs.com. It’s a job board for FPGA and RTL engineers. (If you’re an FPGA engineer, and looking for a new gig, I’d love it if you signed up for our mailing list.) I’ve learned a whole lot about building and shipping webapps that I didn’t know a year ago. Knowing what I know now, here’s what I wish I’d done differently at the outset of this project.https://cushychicken.github.io/ten-lessons-from-a-decade-in-engineering/Mon, 09 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/ten-lessons-from-a-decade-in-engineering/I recognized last week that it’s been ten years since graduating from Montana State University. I have learned a vast amount in the field that I never learned in school. Here are ten things I’ve learned from a decade working as an electrical engineer. Your time is your most valuable resource. Seek ways to maximize the effect of your time. Knowing the right answer isn’t as important as the capacity to find the right one.https://cushychicken.github.io/more-web-scraper-notes/Fri, 25 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/more-web-scraper-notes/it’s amazing what you can learn if you do something daily for monthshttps://cushychicken.github.io/why-you-cant-hire-engineers/Wed, 12 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/why-you-cant-hire-engineers/and i think you do too - but i’ll tell you anywayhttps://cushychicken.github.io/grow-your-mailing-list-by-being-helpful/Thu, 09 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/grow-your-mailing-list-by-being-helpful/an engineer’s journey in selling without feeling spammyhttps://cushychicken.github.io/rules-for-web-scrapers/Thu, 02 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/rules-for-web-scrapers/easier than scraping a hide, I supposehttps://cushychicken.github.io/dynamic-mailto-links-flask/Tue, 30 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/dynamic-mailto-links-flask/you’ve got mailhttps://cushychicken.github.io/improving-sfdr-in-python-direct-digital-synthesizer/Mon, 20 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/improving-sfdr-in-python-direct-digital-synthesizer/put the spurs to ’er, chuckhttps://cushychicken.github.io/direct-digital-synthesis-python-model/Thu, 26 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/direct-digital-synthesis-python-model/get your freq onhttps://cushychicken.github.io/getting-rid-of-noise-in-guitar-pedals/Sun, 22 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/getting-rid-of-noise-in-guitar-pedals/the only time a guitarist ever wants to kill the buzzhttps://cushychicken.github.io/ltspice-wav-file-simulations/Wed, 18 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/ltspice-wav-file-simulations/more signal processing sorceryhttps://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-v2-postmortem/Wed, 11 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-v2-postmortem/we don’t have the func anymorehttps://cushychicken.github.io/running-user-interviews-report-card-writer/Thu, 05 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/running-user-interviews-report-card-writer/talk about it, talk about ithttps://cushychicken.github.io/report-card-writer-one-year-of-user-interviews-and-customer-feedback/Tue, 27 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/report-card-writer-one-year-of-user-interviews-and-customer-feedback/talking to your users is a hell of a drughttps://cushychicken.github.io/embedded-systems-project-ideas/Mon, 26 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/embedded-systems-project-ideas/songs to sing for your supperhttps://cushychicken.github.io/placement-diagrams/Wed, 10 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/placement-diagrams/everything in its right placehttps://cushychicken.github.io/print-your-kicad-footprints/Sat, 27 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/print-your-kicad-footprints/save yourself time, money, and headache on footprint validationhttps://cushychicken.github.io/friends-close-suicide-prevention/Thu, 21 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/friends-close-suicide-prevention/hard reminders that we all need each otherhttps://cushychicken.github.io/dave-chappelle-snl/Sat, 14 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/dave-chappelle-snl/america needs to hear ithttps://cushychicken.github.io/ltspice-mxr-dyna-comp-compressor/Mon, 02 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/ltspice-mxr-dyna-comp-compressor/make your range dynamic againhttps://cushychicken.github.io/alexa-seems-to-be-getting-worse/Tue, 27 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/alexa-seems-to-be-getting-worse/Alexa: do betterhttps://cushychicken.github.io/what-to-say-when-asked-salary-history/Mon, 26 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/what-to-say-when-asked-salary-history/pictured: your goalhttps://cushychicken.github.io/ltspice-boss-ge7-equalizer/Tue, 20 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/ltspice-boss-ge7-equalizer/responsive webpages? try responsive frequencieshttps://cushychicken.github.io/how-to-do-a-product-prototype-build/Fri, 16 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/how-to-do-a-product-prototype-build/professional prototypes, promptly processedhttps://cushychicken.github.io/ltspice-schaller-tremolo/Tue, 13 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/ltspice-schaller-tremolo/amplitude modulation - not just for radio anymorehttps://cushychicken.github.io/software-agile-hardware-waterfall/Fri, 09 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/software-agile-hardware-waterfall/clever girlhttps://cushychicken.github.io/books-ive-learned-a-ton-from/Wed, 07 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/books-ive-learned-a-ton-from/it’s a steady job but i wanna be ahttps://cushychicken.github.io/git-describe-pyinstaller/Thu, 01 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/git-describe-pyinstaller/haha version controlling snek program go brrrhttps://cushychicken.github.io/ltspice-dunlop-crybaby/Fri, 25 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/ltspice-dunlop-crybaby/cry, cry, darlinghttps://cushychicken.github.io/ltspice-proco-rat/Thu, 17 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/ltspice-proco-rat/g’day, disgusting rathttps://cushychicken.github.io/python-guis-for-heretics/Tue, 30 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/python-guis-for-heretics/distributing scripts to unix eunuchshttps://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-log-2020-05-22/Mon, 25 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-log-2020-05-22/lots of component researchhttps://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-log-2020-05-09/Sat, 09 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-log-2020-05-09/filters, and modulationshttps://cushychicken.github.io/embedded-openocd-gdb/Mon, 04 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/embedded-openocd-gdb/i guarantee you’ll need these againhttps://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-log-2020-05-03/Sun, 03 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-log-2020-05-03/back to the frequency mineshttps://cushychicken.github.io/new-linux-box/Thu, 30 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/new-linux-box/toolchain setup as therapyhttps://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-retro-one/Sun, 26 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-retro-one/do you want to get one to try?https://cushychicken.github.io/write-dont-meet/Tue, 21 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/write-dont-meet/get your own head right firsthttps://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weekeleven-log/Mon, 20 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weekeleven-log/time for a short resthttps://cushychicken.github.io/grist-apr-19-2020/Sun, 19 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/grist-apr-19-2020/metal media for the mental millhttps://cushychicken.github.io/grist-apr-13-2020/Mon, 13 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/grist-apr-13-2020/metal media for the mental millhttps://cushychicken.github.io/meetings-over-writing/Mon, 13 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/meetings-over-writing/i like gumby so i’m keeping himhttps://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weekten-log/Sat, 11 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weekten-log/rev01 is feature complete! boards shipping!https://cushychicken.github.io/grist-apr-05-2020/Sun, 05 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/grist-apr-05-2020/metal media for the mental millhttps://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weeknine-log/Sat, 04 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weeknine-log/rev01 is feature complete! boards shipping!https://cushychicken.github.io/write-more/Fri, 03 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/write-more/i just didhttps://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-quickstart/Tue, 31 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-quickstart/functions in five minutes or lesshttps://cushychicken.github.io/grist-mar-29-2020/Sun, 29 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/grist-mar-29-2020/metal media for the mental millhttps://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weekeight-log/Sat, 28 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weekeight-log/we’re in the firmware home stretch!https://cushychicken.github.io/professional-fear/Mon, 23 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/professional-fear/fear -> anger -> hate -> sufferinghttps://cushychicken.github.io/grist-mar-22-2020/Sun, 22 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/grist-mar-22-2020/metal media for the mental millhttps://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weekseven-log/Sat, 21 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weekseven-log/want to file bugs against my crappy project?https://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-call-for-users/Tue, 17 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-call-for-users/want to file bugs against my crappy project?https://cushychicken.github.io/helping-power-pm/Mon, 16 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/helping-power-pm/one up, one downhttps://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weeksix-log/Sun, 15 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weeksix-log/no OSHWA, lots of function genhttps://cushychicken.github.io/grist-mar-15-2020/Sun, 15 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/grist-mar-15-2020/metal media for the mental millhttps://cushychicken.github.io/grist-mar-08-2020/Sun, 08 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/grist-mar-08-2020/metal media for the mental millhttps://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weekfive-log/Sat, 07 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weekfive-log/getting into the home stretchhttps://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weekfour-log/Sat, 29 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weekfour-log/debug, sleeplessness, board errors, lifehttps://cushychicken.github.io/grist-feb-29-2020/Sat, 29 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/grist-feb-29-2020/metal media for the mental millhttps://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weekthree-log/Sat, 22 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weekthree-log/trouble and boards come in threeshttps://cushychicken.github.io/coronavirus-economics/Fri, 21 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/coronavirus-economics/it’s going to get worse, but not in the way you might thinkhttps://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weektwo-log/Wed, 19 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weektwo-log/on to phase two - my favorite phase!https://cushychicken.github.io/start-sooner/Tue, 11 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/start-sooner/the sooner we get there, the sooner we can leavehttps://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weekone-log/Sun, 09 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-weekone-log/first to funchttps://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-design-doc/Sun, 09 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/bfunc-design-doc/well i thought it was a clever namehttps://cushychicken.github.io/insane-oshwa-goals/Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/insane-oshwa-goals/because i guess i don’t have enough to do latelyhttps://cushychicken.github.io/haters-identity/Sat, 25 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/haters-identity/haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hatehttps://cushychicken.github.io/case-file/Sun, 19 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/case-file/in case of emergencyhttps://cushychicken.github.io/amp-hour/Mon, 13 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/amp-hour/too excited to think of subheading OH WOWhttps://cushychicken.github.io/email-and-rss/Sun, 12 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/email-and-rss/both of which i guess are vintage tech now?https://cushychicken.github.io/ckt-notes-function-generator/Sat, 11 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/ckt-notes-function-generator/putting the ‘funk’ back in ‘function’https://cushychicken.github.io/second-instrument/Sat, 11 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/second-instrument/once more, from the tophttps://cushychicken.github.io/call-your-heroes/Tue, 24 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/call-your-heroes/they just might pick uphttps://cushychicken.github.io/bad-schematic-interviews/Thu, 19 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/bad-schematic-interviews/help your EE candidates strut their stuffhttps://cushychicken.github.io/pictures-internet/Sat, 16 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/pictures-internet/fancy doodles for the likes of youhttps://cushychicken.github.io/signal-integrity/Sat, 02 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/signal-integrity/the setup on setuphttps://cushychicken.github.io/career-fair/Sun, 29 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/career-fair/making moves to the major leagues in five minutes or lesshttps://cushychicken.github.io/leave-of-absence/Sun, 22 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/leave-of-absence/what I learned from a ten week leave of absencehttps://cushychicken.github.io/pushy-recruiter/Mon, 02 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/pushy-recruiter/does that line work for most geeks?https://cushychicken.github.io/lock-in-amplifier-simulation/Thu, 22 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/lock-in-amplifier-simulation/a cheaper way to understand expensive lab equipmenthttps://cushychicken.github.io/radiated-emissions-design/Sun, 28 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/radiated-emissions-design/hard lessons that will save you weeks in an EMC labhttps://cushychicken.github.io/radiated-emissions-debug/Thu, 14 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/radiated-emissions-debug/a cheery checklist for frantically failing electrical engineershttps://cushychicken.github.io/back-in-action/Tue, 19 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/back-in-action/a reskin, and a restarthttps://cushychicken.github.io/making-fake-databases/Tue, 06 Sep 2016 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/making-fake-databases/I’ve been throwing the odd spare hour at a side project that needs a backend database to test against. (Interested in using or writing an asset tracking app for circuit boards? Check out trackrack on Github.) Before this, I had just been using some junk data, but decided it’d be a better/more realistic test of the app to use some randomly generated data. It also gave me the chance to try out two software modules I’ve been wanting to mess around with for a while.https://cushychicken.github.io/dissecting-ts-clone/Sun, 13 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/dissecting-ts-clone/Tearing down a Chinese guitar pedal for fun and profithttps://cushychicken.github.io/starbucks/Wed, 09 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/starbucks/Starbuckshttps://cushychicken.github.io/ltspice-tube-screamer/Wed, 18 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/ltspice-tube-screamer/Simulating the greatest overdrive pedal everhttps://cushychicken.github.io/the-five-year-engineering-degree/Sun, 08 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/the-five-year-engineering-degree/Stay as long as you can. Cherish it.https://cushychicken.github.io/knowledge-incoming-ees/Sat, 17 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/knowledge-incoming-ees/A little preview of an electrical engineering coursehttps://cushychicken.github.io/kinetis-design-binaries/Mon, 12 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/kinetis-design-binaries/Bag that heavy IDE and live free.https://cushychicken.github.io/ckt-notes-pulse-generator/Sat, 10 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/ckt-notes-pulse-generator/Toggling a bit: no microcontroller requiredhttps://cushychicken.github.io/inconvenient-truths/Fri, 09 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/inconvenient-truths/Another great doc on NAND Flash shortcomingshttps://cushychicken.github.io/easy-latex-in-jekyll/Sun, 13 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/easy-latex-in-jekyll/Make your equations look real nicehttps://cushychicken.github.io/nand-pt6-dealing-with-flaws/Sun, 23 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/nand-pt6-dealing-with-flaws/Or: using software to fix faulty hardwarehttps://cushychicken.github.io/another-writing-gig/Wed, 12 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/another-writing-gig/Because one blog wasn’t enough, I supposehttps://cushychicken.github.io/biggest-nand-experiment-ever/Tue, 11 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/biggest-nand-experiment-ever/So much NAND retention data. So little time.https://cushychicken.github.io/nand-pt5-how-nand-breaks/Thu, 06 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/nand-pt5-how-nand-breaks/How Flash chips fail, and lose your datahttps://cushychicken.github.io/buddy-emmons/Fri, 31 Jul 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/buddy-emmons/The Greatest Steel Guitarist of All Time is Gonehttps://cushychicken.github.io/nand-pt4-pages-blocks/Thu, 30 Jul 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/nand-pt4-pages-blocks/page architecture of nand flashhttps://cushychicken.github.io/nand-pt3-arrays/Sun, 26 Jul 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/nand-pt3-arrays/NAND flash page and array architecturehttps://cushychicken.github.io/nand-pt2-floating/Mon, 06 Jul 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/nand-pt2-floating/Pt 2 of 6 articles on NAND Flash; focuses on Floating gateshttps://cushychicken.github.io/nand-pt1-transistors/Sat, 27 Jun 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/nand-pt1-transistors/NAND Flash: device architecturehttps://cushychicken.github.io/pedal-steel-tabs/Mon, 02 Jun 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/pedal-steel-tabs/Webscraping pedal steel tablature with Pythonhttps://cushychicken.github.io/python-rpi-talk/Tue, 27 May 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/python-rpi-talk/Boston Python Meetup talk on Raspberry Pihttps://cushychicken.github.io/evernote-workflow/Tue, 06 May 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/evernote-workflow/Getting Things Done workflow with Evernotehttps://cushychicken.github.io/a-teaching-moment/Sat, 26 Apr 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/a-teaching-moment/corporate lessons learnedhttps://cushychicken.github.io/agilent-screencap/Fri, 28 Mar 2014 14:28:56 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/agilent-screencap/oscilloscope screencapshttps://cushychicken.github.io/about/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/about/Hey! It’s me!https://cushychicken.github.io/resume/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/resume/what would you say you do here?https://cushychicken.github.io/thanks/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://cushychicken.github.io/thanks/we won’t spam you