An interview with Robert Feranec, computer board designer and educator

Welcome to Tech Explorations Podcast episode 9.I’m Peter Dalmaris, and in this episode, my guest is Robert Feranec.Robert is the founder of FEDEVEL Academy. He is well-known through his YouTube channel and his online schematic design and PCB layout courses, where he teaches hardware design. Robert specializes in advanced digital development with a focus on high-speed, processor, and motherboard board design. He regularly posts on his Welldone Blog, teaches at Udemy, and runs the hardware DesignHelp Forum. Robert creates content about electronics, Altium Designer, Cadence OrCAD / Allegro, and Hardware Design tips and tricks.In this interview, we cover a range of topics and explore Robert’s journey as an engineer. If you design printed circuit boards, you’ll find a lot of gems of wisdom in this episode.This is Tech Explorations Podcast episode 9.The Tech Explorations Podcast is a podcast produced by Tech Explorations, a leading provider of educational resources for Makers, STEM students, and teachers. Go to techexplorations.com to see a complete list of our books and courses covering the Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and electronics.Show Notes[0:00:00] Introducing Robert Feranec, computer board designer and educator[0:02:08] Robert describes his journey and experiences as a designer of PCBs and motherboards and later as an educator[0:25:19] Robert talks about starting his own company and switching to teaching[0:37:41] What are some of the challenges in creating a high-density/high-speed printed circuit board?[0:46:44] Robert's opinion on auto-router vs manually routing[0:56:18] What is Robert's approach around segmenting a board, placing subsystems and allocating space for them[1:02:21] Rapid Fire Questions[1:02:30] Educational resources recommendations by Robert[1:06:36] Robert's favorite PCB design applications[1:08:57] Robert's Contact Information: Email, YouTube channel, LinkedIn, Facebook