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Open source hardware

 
Wikipedia: Open source hardware
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 This article is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this article to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (November 2008)
The Aurora 224: a 2 channel open source DJ mixer featuring 24 analog potentiometers, three linear sliders, and 8 buttons with LED feedback.
Uzebox is an open design video game console[1]
Bug Labs open source hardware[2][3]
The Arduino Diecimila

Open source hardware is hardware that is designed and offered in the same manner as free and open source software (FOSS). Open source hardware is part of the open source culture and applies the open source concept to hardware.

Open source hardware usually means that information about the hardware is open to all. This would include the hardware design (i.e.schematics, bill of materials and PCB layout data), as well as a FOSS approach to the software that drives the hardware.

Since the rise of reconfigurable programmable logic devices, sharing of logic designs has been a form of open source hardware. Instead of sharing the schematics, (as in hardware description language), (HDL) code is shared. HDL descriptions are commonly used to set up system-on-a-chip systems either in field-programmable gate arrays or directly in application-specific integrated circuit designs. HDL modules, when distributed, are called semiconductor intellectual property cores, or IP cores.

Contents

Licenses

Rather than creating a new license, some open source hardware projects simply use existing, open source software licenses.[4]

Addition, several new licenses have been proposed; these licenses are designed to address issues specific to hardware designs.[5] In these licenses, many of the fundamental principles expressed in open source software (OSS) licenses have been "ported" to their counterpart hardware projects. Organizations tend to rally around a shared license. For example, Opencores prefers the LGPL[6]; FreeCores insists on the GPL[7]; Open Hardware Foundation promote "'copyleft' or other permissive licenses"[8]; and the Balloon Project wrote their own license [9]. New hardware licenses are often explained as the "hardware equivalent" of a well-known OSS license, such as the GPL, LGPL, or BSD license.

Despite superficial similarities to software licenses, most hardware licenses are fundamentally different: by nature, they rely on patent law, rather than copyright law. Whereas a copyright license may control the distribution of the source code or design documents, a patent license may control the use and manufacturing of the physical device built from the design documents. This distinction is explicitly mentioned in the preamble of the TAPR Open Hardware License.[10]

Noteworthy licenses

  • The TAPR Open Hardware License: drafted by attorney John Ackermann, reviewed by OSS community leaders Bruce Perens and Eric S. Raymond, and discussed by hundreds of volunteers in an open community discussion[11]
  • Balloon Open Hardware License: used by all projects in the Balloon Project
  • Although originally a software license, OpenCores encourages the LGPL
  • The Open Graphics Project uses a variety of licenses, including the MIT license, GPL, and a proprietary license.[12]
  • Hardware Design Public License: written by Graham Seaman, admin. of Opencollector.org

Development

Extensive discussion has taken place on ways to make open source hardware as accessible as open source software. Discussions focus on multiple areas[13], such as the level at which open source hardware is defined[14], ways to collaborate in hardware development, as well as a model for sustainable development[15].

One of the major differences between developing open source software and developing open source hardware is that hardware results in tangible outputs, which cost money to prototype and manufacture. As a result, the phrase "free as in speech, not as in beer"[16], more formally known as Gratis versus Libre, distinguishes between the idea of zero cost and the freedom to use and modify information. While open source hardware faces challenges in minimizing cost and reducing financial risks for individual project developers, some community members have proposed models to address these needs.[17] Given this, there are initiatives to develop sustainable community funding mechanisms, such as the Open Source Hardware Central Bank, as well as tools like KiCAD to make schematic development more accessible to more users.

Computer systems

Peripherals

Amateur radio

Computer components

CPU

There are several "open source hardware" CPUs, typically implemented as a soft microprocessor.

  • OpenSPARC is an open-source processor project to which Sun Microsystems have contributed the UltraSPARC T1 and UltraSPARC T2 multicore processor designs.
  • OpenRISC is a group of developers working to produce a very high performance open source RISC CPU.
  • LEON is an open source 32-bit SPARC-like CPU created by the ESA. It's the standard CPU for the European Space Industry.
  • OpenCores is a foundation that attempts to form a community of designers to support open-source cores (logic designs) for CPUs, peripherals and other devices. OpenCores maintains an open-source on-chip interconnection bus specification called Wishbone.

Several designs include a CPU:

  • Arduino, an open-source physical computing platform based on a simple I/O board and a development environment that implements the open source Processing / Wiring language.
  • Freeduino - open-source electronics prototyping platform derived from Arduino.
  • PLAICE - The PLAICE is an open source hardware and software project developing a powerful in-circuit development tool that combines in one device the features of a FLASH Programmer, Memory Emulator, and High Speed Multi-Channel Logic Analyzer. It runs uClinux.

Graphics cards

Wireless hardware

Laptop case

Audio electronics

  • MIDIbox The MIDIbox project is an open source modular DIY hardware and software platform for MIDI devices like controllers, synthesizers, sequencers
  • Monome 40h - A reconfigurable grid of sixty-four backlit buttons, used via USB. A limited batch of 500 monome 40h has been produced. All the design process, design specifications, firmware and PCB schematics are available online

Other

Telephony

Machines and tools

  • The Multimachine, an open source machine tool project
  • The Franken camera and open source camera with open source logic and hardware circuits made by Stanford University.
  • The CubeSpawn Project, an Open Source, Flexible Manufacturing System

Renewable energy

  • SHPEGS: A system that uses a combination of direct and indirect solar collection to generate electricity and store thermal energy in an economical, environmentally friendly, scalable, reliable, efficient and location independent manner using common construction materials
  • Small wind turbines: To assist people in the developing countries, and hobbyists alike, several projects have been open-sourced, e.g. the Jua Kali wind turbine, Hugh Piggot's wind turbine, ForceField Wind Turbine, et cetera

Robotics

Further information: Open-source robotics

Home automation

A range of open design hardware can be used in home automation.[20][21]

Other projects

  • RONJA - Open source Free Space Optic system, DIY in a garage, 10 Mbit/s full duplex/1.4 km
  • LED Throwies - Non-destructive graffiti and light displays.
  • CUBIT (multi-touch) System - Open source multitouch system.

See also

Free software portal

References

  1. ^ http://belogic.com/uzebox/
  2. ^ http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/009340.html
  3. ^ http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/11/01/first-pics-of-bug-labs-open-source-hardware/
  4. ^ From OpenCollector's "License Zone": GPL used by Free Model Foundry and ESA Sparc; other licenses used by Free-IP Project, LART (defunct), GNUBook (defunct).
  5. ^ For a nearly-comprehensive list of licenses, see OpenCollector's "license zone"
  6. ^ Item #2.4 "Who owns opencores?", from Opencores.org FAQ, retrieved 25 November 2008
  7. ^ FreeCores Main Page, retrieved 25 November 2008
  8. ^ Open Hardware Foundation, main page, retrieved 25 November 2008
  9. ^ Balloon License, from balloonboard.org
  10. ^ TAPR Open Hardware License website; see also the license text itself, both retrieved 25 November 2008
  11. ^ transcript of all comments, hosted on technocrat.net
  12. ^ See "Are we going to get the 'source' for what is on the FPGA also?" in the Open Graphics Project FAQ, retrieved 25 November 2008
  13. ^ [1], Writings on Open Source Hardware
  14. ^ [2]MAKE: Blog: Open source hardware, what is it? Here's a start...
  15. ^ [3], Halfbakery: Open Source Hardware Initiative
  16. ^ [4]"Free, as in Beer", by Lawrence Lessig, Wired
  17. ^ [5], Business Models for Open Source Hardware Design
  18. ^ Open source router challenges proprietary networking market
  19. ^ Halfbakery: Open Source Hardware Initiative<
  20. ^ Open domotics
  21. ^ Open design domotics

External links

Articles



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Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Open source hardware".  Read more