Y Combinator + Upverter Hardware Hackathon | Hacker News Reader

Y Combinator + Upverter Hardware Hackathon

upverter.com

86 pointsmwoodworth22 comments

I was slightly disappointed by upverter, the simulation tool is basically useless, but it's the mot important feature in design. And the schematics is buggy (like when you rotate resistors). I really hope they fix those basics before starting some new features (but I understand they are working on a API already). It's so much important for mac users like me who have no real design tools.

Personally I've never found simulation tools all that useful. Too many components that can't be simulated, like microcontrollers and simple components that just don't have a model available.

Perhaps you've been using better tools than me! What sort of tools do you use that make you think simulation is the most important feature?

I'm starting again electronics, but I was trying to design the power stage of a BLDC motor. So it's mostly about MOSFET half-bridges and their driving. In this case you have to check you are using every components in their ratings. If you are designing a battery-operated system it's also good to know about power consumption of your output stage.

And I totally agree about the components, if I add a connector for PCB routing purpose, I should be able to simulate anyways.

If I don't know much about hardware, would this be a good event for me to attend, learn more and potentially build something really basic?

I'm asking because I see there is an application process which makes me think that only experienced teams would be accepted

You should apply, but make sure you say what you experience is (in electronics and anything else that you do). We will take a look at the makeup of the applicants and see if we can get a good mix of people at the event, maybe you can help with the electronics and write some code. electronics are quite complex, there are many skills needed to create a complete hack.

We want to make sure that everyone that comes is successful and pushes their limits. 12 hours is not a lot of time to design hardware! You should jump in on the ideation board (http://ideation.upverter.com) and submit some ideas.

The applications are for a couple of reasons, them main one is that there is only so much room, so we want to make sure people are serious about coming.

Seems like a neat idea - Can you tell me more about how it would work on a detail level?

"Team Formation" is listed as one of the first scheduled activities, but you also say to apply with your team - Is this for making new teams, or working together in a cool space with your existing team, and maybe finding some cool people to help?

The idea of sessions seems really cool, and I'd love to see a HW startup conference, but this is also called a hackathon..?

What sort of things would we actually DO ? ;)

Basically, I love the idea of a get-together for HW startups, I just don't quite get it yet.

The Basics: We are designing hardware (schematics, pcb layout, even the software and mechanical drawings if that is what you want to build), and doing it in 12 hours.

You can apply as an individual or as a team. If you are in a team already, you can look for more members if you are interested. If you are an individual, we are going to help you find a group with similar interests.

What are we going to do? well there are some ideas started at http://ideation.upverter.com/. But the last hackathon we did we had some robotics, some devices that created and filtered white noise so you could have private conversation. the possibilities are endless.

This time we hope that the hackathon is just the beginning. we hope that the many of the things started (or continued) at the hackathon go on to be startups.

I hope this answers you questions.

For anybody interested in learning electronics and hardware design, I suggest this book: http://www.amazon.com/Make-Electronics-Discovery-Charles-Pla...

It really helped me to get into hardware in a structured and clear way.

A must read.

a little more on the analog design end, but I like:

The Art of Electronics by Horowitz & Hill

Integrated Electronics by Millman and Halkias (There was allegedly a newer edition published in 2001)

Electrical Engineering 101: Everything You Should Have Learned in School... but Probably Didn’t by Darren Ashby

Microelectronic Circuits by Sedra & Smith (Look around for a 4th edition)

The Art of Electronics by Horowitz & Hill gets my vote. A bit outdated, but the fundamentals don't change. Third edition is vapourware, but expected out late 2013.

I second all of the above. The Art of Electronics was my first non-required textbook purchase, and the 4th edition of Microelectronic Circuits was my textbook for two semesters of electronics and came in handy for multiple other classes.

To that list I would add the student manual that goes along with The Art of Electronics, as well as the Encyclopedia of Electronic Circuits series from McGraw-Hill. Both those choices are more on the practical side of circuit construction. The Encyclopedia in particular has an abundance of circuit designs with varying levels of explanation that make good starting points for learning about or experimenting with particular circuit functions.

Does someone know what's the last date to apply?

Also, what is the expected output during the hackathon? Simulation result?

The deadline to apply is the 7th of February (that is so we can get back to everyone on the 8th). Although I always liked the YC let people apply late model, We Expect it to be a full house so I do not know if we can be able to except late submissions.

It would be great if you submitted it earlier so that We can get some sleep the night of the 7th ;)

The expected output is CAD files (Schematic, PCB, mechanical) and maybe software (not all of them, just what applies to your project. There will be some people that bring hardware to prototype and show it off at the end of the event. But this not required.

Are there any guidelines about what may the team design on an upfront basis (if anything) vs. during the hackathon?

You are allowed to build and prepare before hand. The Idea is to get a bunch of smart interesting people together in a room, make cool thing and have fun. I would guess by looking at some of the ideas so far that the hackathon will be just a part of some designs that could becomes companies. Others will be really great projects that will be done almost entirely in the event. Do you have an idea of what you want to work on?

I do. Cannot discuss publicly though at this point. Something like this cannot be built in 12 hours, so I'll certainly need some upfront preparations.

My follow up question then is if I can participate all by myself. My co-founder would not be able to make it.

Yes you can participate on your own. We have found that most of the time groups do better, but there are one person armies also work sometimes!

We will not out you either, we are going to be talking with all the teams and make sure that we can talk about what you are working on in any of the press that we do, we know that sometimes you have to keep quiet for a little bit.

As an aside, if anyone is interested in the Upverter story, TechZing did a great interview of one of the founders last week:

http://techzinglive.com/page/1269/223-tz-interview-zak-homou...

Well worth the listen.

What is the general feeling about out-of-area applicants to something like this? I would be very interested in attending one of these (can't make this one), but I live in Dallas. I would be applying as an individual.

Unfortunately for this one we are only accepting people that are going to be able to be there in person. For the next one we do, we will try to incorporate remote participants.

Remote would be great, and would certainly increase my chances of participating in a future event. I was, though, talking about physically attending a future event. I wanted to know your feelings on attendees coming in from outside of a reasonable distance from Mountain View, if that matters.

OK, I am all for people coming from out of town! It would be great to get people form all over. For example, We at Upverter are Coming from Toronto, Canada!

If you shoot us an email at upverter support, we will add you to a mailing list for the next Hackathon that we do.

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