How to Find Schematics for Any Device (Legally)
February 18th, 2025
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Interesting Links 🏭
The fastest way to access internal design documentation of any electronic device is via the FCC database. Electronic devices that emit RF energy, whether intentionally or unintentionally, go through compulsory FCC certification before they can be sold in the United States. This includes intentional radiators like Wi-Fi routers, bluetooth devices (speakers, headphones, etc.), smartphones, or unintentional radiators like household appliances. Here’s a step-by-step process on the easiest way to lookup products:
Find the FCC ID: Certified devices are assigned an FCC ID, usually printed on the device or included in its documentation.
Search the Database: Use the FCC’s public database to look up the ID. For a more user-friendly interface, try fccid.io. If you don’t have the exact ID, you can also search by company or product name.
Access Documents: Database often includes external and internal photos, test setup images, and other certification documents. The documents are usually public 6 months after a confidentiality period.
Take the Apple Homepod for example (BCG-A1639): by checking the internal photos, we can see it uses a 19-LED circular matrix powered by a TI TLC5971 LED driver.
Another interesting example with the Nintendo Switch (BKEHDH001), where the internal photos reveal the thermal cooling system uses a heat pipe paired with a centrifugal fan to dissipate heat from the SoC.
Here are a couple more examples if you want to do some exploring: the Google Nest Doorbell and the Lomi Bloom.
Did you know the U.S. once tried to build a nuclear-powered airplane? Whatisnuclear recently shared a declassified video detailing the efforts for a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft program from 1956 to 1958. The program started with the WS-125A project, aiming for a supersonic, long-range bomber powered by a nuclear reactor. Material challenges forced a shift to the CAMAL concept: a high-subsonic, low-altitude aircraft designed to patrol for long periods without foreign bases. Two reactor designs were tested—GE's direct air-cooled cycle and Pratt & Whitney's indirect liquid-metal cycle, using lithium-7 to minimize radiation. Unique elements like the use of advanced materials for reactor shielding and the examination of radiation effects on electrical components are highlighted, all in an attempt to make the impossible practical: unlimited range without refueling.
A small team is building the world’s brightest floor lamp capable of outputting 50,000 lumen at 400W. A lumen is a measure of luminous flux—the total amount of visible light a source emits. To benchmark: a typical 60W incandescent bulb produces about 800 lumens, whereas standard LED bulbs range from 450-1600 lumens. In real-world terms, summer sunlight is around 100,000 lux, while a cloudy winter day hovers between 1,000 and 2,500 lux. See an example of the light output here.
If you’re looking for a cheaper option to combat the winter blues, seriously bright light vs. winter blahs covers the basics: use LED corn bulbs, prioritize high lumen output over wattage, and go for a color temperature of ~5600K—daylight white. Look for a high CRI rating (95+), which means the light will show colors more naturally like real sunlight.
Electric sparks don’t have to be random. From the University of Helsinki: a novel technique using ultrasonic emitters to guide electric sparks along predetermined paths in mid-air. By creating acoustic fields that generate regions of heated, lower-density air, the sparks naturally follow these pathways. This technique allows for complex spark trajectories, including guiding sparks around obstacles and providing dynamic, real-time control of the discharge path. Notably, the approach works with diverse materials—from metals and liquids to human skin. Common applications today include welding or fuel ignition in automotive engines. Full paper here.
The Virtual Body Method in CFD employs an immersed boundary solution where solid objects are represented as virtual entities within the fluid domain, simplifying fluid-solid interactions. The underlying theory involves deactivating cell centroids inside an object and projecting or snapping nearby vertices onto the newly established boundary, allowing for adaptable accuracy by refining the simulation mesh.
Recently published by two University of Waterloo students: Circuits and Code, a free e-book covering common embedded software and electrical engineering interview questions.
Sponsored: Cofactr is hosting a webinar (3/05) on navigating tariff regulations and international trade compliance—register here.
Startup News 🚀
Notable fundraising updates in the humanoid robotics sector:
Persona AI has raised more than $10M in a pre-seed round to develop a “rugged” humanoid robot capable of working both indoors and outdoors. Capable applications promised by the team include the ability to transport sheet metal, tend to industrial machines, and assist with order fulfillment. The founders know the space well: two co-founded Nauticus Robotics, an autonomous subsea robotics company, and the third is the former CTO of Figure AI.
Apptronik has raised a $350M Series A co-led by B Capital and Capital Factory. The company originally started as a spinout from UT Austin and had raised a combined $28M prior to the current injection of capital. The previous stated goal was to generate more revenue than money raised, but like all VC-backed companies, the focus has shifted from sustainable revenue to a sprint for market dominance.
In a similar vein, from the CEO of Midjourney: by VC standards, you either "conquer the world or die in a fire."
Figure AI is in talks with investors to raise a $1.5B at a private valuation of $39.5 billion. While the deal is not confirmed, it’s stated to be led by Align Ventures and Parkway Venture Capital.
In other sectors:
K2 Space has secured $110M in a Series B round to scale production of their high-power, multi-orbit satellite platform. The company designs two types of satellite buses: the Mega, capable of carrying 1-ton payloads, and the Giga, which can handle up to 15 tons. The new funds will go toward expanding their manufacturing facility in Torrance with the first customer mission expected to fly in 2026. The round was co-led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Altimeter Capital.
Flit, a Cambridge, UK-based engineering company specializing in folding electric bikes for urban commuters, has raised $1.5 million in funding. The company plans to use the funds to ramp up production of its latest model, the FLIT M2, which is notable for its innovative no-weld adhesive bonding technique inspired by aerospace and automotive engineering.
Pete Oxenham announced that Chatter.dev, his cloud-based CNC machine monitoring platform, is now part of Toolpath Labs. No specific terms of the deal have been publicly disclosed. Toolpath had previously closed a $10M seed round to develop “AI-powered” CAM automation for CNC machining.
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Open Jobs 💼
Sponsored:
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Gilat Wavestream is hiring for electrical engineering roles in San Dimas, CA
New Grad:
Meta is looking for a Design Verification Engineer & Product Design Engineer (University Grad) in Sunnyvale, CA
Intel is looking for a Silicon Hardware Engineer in Boxborough, MA
Mid-Level:
Northwood Space is looking for a Mechanical Design Engineer, Structures in Los Angeles, CA
Waymo is looking for a Systems Engineer (Electrical Power Systems) in San Francisco, CA
Tesla is looking for a Launch Engineer (NPI) in Fremont, CA
Senior to Staff:
Persona AI, a pre-seed humanoid robotics startup, is hiring for founding team roles in Houston, TX:
Scrub Daddy is looking for a Senior R&D Mechanical Engineer in Pennsauken, NJ
Internships:
Varda Space is looking for a Spacecraft Engineering Intern (Propulsion) in El Segundo, CA
Harbinger is looking for a Test Engineering Intern in Garden Grove, CA
Figure is looking for a Motor Test Intern in Sunnyvale, CA
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