I started my first RF Signal Generator design in my garage in 2009. I was just goofing around enjoying electronics design like I have since being a kid.
The generator used an ADF4350, which was a revolutionary chip from Analog Devices that had a PLL and broadband VCO all in one plastic package.
When I found this chip my first thought was, WOW that’s so cool! I designed and assembled 3 units, keeping two for myself and putting 1 on eBay for $250, never really thinking it would sell. One day while working in the lab at NASA my phone alerted of the sale. A wave of euphoria ran through me, and I finally realized how cool it is for someone else to buy something that came from my brain.
I couldn’t wait to make it better and sell another. I never expected more than beer money, but it proved to do much better than that.
While making money is necessary, my true love still remains the creation of electronic circuits that help other people do their jobs better, faster and cheaper.