Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Join Elektor Engineering Insights for a practical discussion about CoffeeCaller, an open-hardware embedded platform built around Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF52840. The episode uses the board as a real-world case study in how a connected hardware project moves from an idea and KiCad design files to manufactured PCBs, assembled boards, Zephyr/Bridle support, documentation, and something others can reproduce and build on.
A €25 show, brought to you free thanks to Elektor Academy Pro.
CoffeeCaller began as a coffee-themed office gadget, but the engineering story goes well beyond that. We’ll take a look at the practical decisions behind the board with Andreas Kurz, including PCB shape, SMD assembly, JLCPCB manufacturing, board revisions, the complications of using BGA parts, and why outsourcing can make sense once a project becomes more than a one-off prototype.
Giveaway:
Viewers will have a chance to win ‘Building Wireless Sensor Networks with OpenThread,’ an Elektor book for engineers, makers, and developers who want to build practical Thread-based wireless sensor networks. It covers Zephyr-based OpenThread development, network setup, packet analysis, and real embedded examples, making it a strong fit for a CoffeeCaller discussion around nRF52840 hardware, Zephyr/Bridle support, and open embedded development beyond the prototype stage.
elektor.com/products/building-wireless-sensor-networks-with-openthread
— About Andreas Kurz —
Andreas Kurz is a software developer at inovex and the developer behind CoffeeCaller. He brings a practical system-integration view of open hardware, from PCB design and assembly to firmware support, documentation, reproducibility, and the trade-offs that appear when a board has to work in the real world.
— What We’ll Discuss —
• What CoffeeCaller is and why it exists
• Why the nRF52840 is a useful foundation for connected embedded hardware
• How KiCad, PCB manufacturing, and assembly fit into an open-hardware workflow
• Lessons from JLCPCB production, board revisions, and BGA-related complexity
• How Zephyr and Bridle support turn a board into a usable embedded platform
• Why documentation and reproducibility matter in open hardware
• What changes when a project moves beyond a prototype
• Practical advice for makers and engineers building their own custom boards
Elektor Magazine: Serious engineering insight and electronics projects — starting around €8 per month. Trusted by tens of thousands of engineers. elektormagazine.com/membership
Check out our YouTube offers: elektor.com/youtube
Subscribe to our Newsletter: elektormagazine.com/elektor-newsletter
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UChtg0Ek8OFg-tn_Vttd3STw/join
#CoffeeCaller #nRF52840 #OpenHardware
Join Elektor Engineering Insights for a practical discussion about CoffeeCaller, an open-hardware embedded platform built around Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF52840. The episode uses the board as a real-world case study in how a connected hardware project moves from an idea and KiCad design files to manufactured PCBs, assembled boards, Zephyr/Bridle support, documentation, and something others can reproduce and build on.
A €25 show, brought to you free thanks to Elektor Academy Pro.
CoffeeCaller began as a coffee-themed office gadget, but the engineering story goes well beyond that. We’ll take a look at the practical decisions behind the board with Andreas Kurz, including PCB shape, SMD assembly, JLCPCB manufacturing, board revisions, the complications of using BGA parts, and why outsourcing can make sense once a project becomes more than a one-off prototype.
Giveaway:
Viewers will have a chance to win ‘Building Wireless Sensor Networks with OpenThread,’ an Elektor book for engineers, makers, and developers who want to build practical Thread-based wireless sensor networks. It covers Zephyr-based OpenThread development, network setup, packet analysis, and real embedded examples, making it a strong fit for a CoffeeCaller discussion around nRF52840 hardware, Zephyr/Bridle support, and open embedded development beyond the prototype stage.
elektor.com/products/building-wireless-sensor-networks-with-openthread
— About Andreas Kurz —
Andreas Kurz is a software developer at inovex and the developer behind CoffeeCaller. He brings a practical system-integration view of open hardware, from PCB design and assembly to firmware support, documentation, reproducibility, and the trade-offs that appear when a board has to work in the real world.
— What We’ll Discuss —
• What CoffeeCaller is and why it exists
• Why the nRF52840 is a useful foundation for connected embedded hardware
• How KiCad, PCB manufacturing, and assembly fit into an open-hardware workflow
• Lessons from JLCPCB production, board revisions, and BGA-related complexity
• How Zephyr and Bridle support turn a board into a usable embedded platform
• Why documentation and reproducibility matter in open hardware
• What changes when a project moves beyond a prototype
• Practical advice for makers and engineers building their own custom boards
Elektor Magazine: Serious engineering insight and electronics projects — starting around €8 per month. Trusted by tens of thousands of engineers. elektormagazine.com/membership
Check out our YouTube offers: elektor.com/youtube
Subscribe to our Newsletter: elektormagazine.com/elektor-newsletter
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UChtg0Ek8OFg-tn_Vttd3STw/join
#CoffeeCaller #nRF52840 #OpenHardware
