In this episode, Peter Dalmaris talks with Jon Evans.
The full video for this interview is available, please check it out.
Jon is an electrical engineer and open-source software developer based in Boston, MA. He has eight years of experience designing electronics and firmware for industrial and consumer products, most recently in the 3D printing industry.
Since around 2011, Jon has been designing electronics and firmware for industrial and consumer products, and most recently in the 3D printing industry.
He has been a contributor to the KiCad EDA project since 2016 and a member of the lead developer team since 2018. He has also created a number of smaller open-source projects related to LED art installations.
In this conversation, we’ll take a look at Jon as a Maker, Engineer, and open source project contributor, how he started, and how he got to where he is today.
This is Tech Explorations Podcast episode 7.
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 Jon Evans, Electrical Engineer and member of KiCad’s lead developer team
- [0:01:45] Jon talks about his background and describes how he built his first robot while in primary school and how that event led him to study Electrical Engineering
- [0:08:04] Skillset diversity, mentorship system and hierarchy in Jon’s robotics competition team
- [0:13:00] How Jon experienced studying Electrical Engineering at the University and how he coped with the boring aspects of it
- [0:15:34] The first project that Jon is proud of making
- [0:20:29] When did open-source become an important part of Jon’s life as an Engineer?
- [0:23:03] Jon’s further engineering career development
- [0:26:15] The thinking processes and approaches of two types of engineers, the system-oriented and the technology-specialized
- [0:31:28] Which aspect of his work does Jon enjoy the most, and which does he dislike the most?
- [0:35:36] How does Jon tackle having a busy day-time job as well as the Kicad project and other smaller ones?
- [0:38:27] What are some of Jon’s functions and responsibilities as a member of KiCad’s lead developer team?
- [0:44:09] Star Trek and other sci-fi and futuristic technology that hasn’t been developed yet but Jon looks forward to
- [0:48:53] Jon’s advice to new engineers