Open source hardware
Encyclopedia
Free and open source software
Free and open-source software or free/libre/open-source software is software that is liberally licensed to grant users the right to use, study, change, and improve its design through the availability of its source code...
(FOSS). Open source hardware is part of the open source culture movement and applies a like concept to a variety of components. The term usually means that information
Information
Information in its most restricted technical sense is a message or collection of messages that consists of an ordered sequence of symbols, or it is the meaning that can be interpreted from such a message or collection of messages. Information can be recorded or transmitted. It can be recorded as...
about the hardware is easily discerned. Hardware design (i.e. mechanical drawings, schematics
Circuit diagram
A circuit diagram is a simplified conventional graphical representation of an electrical circuit...
, bill of materials
Bill of materials
A bill of materials is a list of the raw materials, sub-assemblies, intermediate assemblies, sub-components, components, parts and the quantities of each needed to manufacture an end product...
, PCB
Printed circuit board
A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. It is also referred to as printed wiring board or etched wiring...
layout data, HDL
Hardware description language
In electronics, a hardware description language or HDL is any language from a class of computer languages, specification languages, or modeling languages for formal description and design of electronic circuits, and most-commonly, digital logic...
source code and integrated circuit
Integrated circuit
An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit is an electronic circuit manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material...
layout data) in addition to the software that drives
Device driver
In computing, a device driver or software driver is a computer program allowing higher-level computer programs to interact with a hardware device....
the hardware are all released with the FOSS approach.
Since the rise of reconfigurable programmable logic device
Programmable logic device
A programmable logic device or PLD is an electronic component used to build reconfigurable digital circuits. Unlike a logic gate, which has a fixed function, a PLD has an undefined function at the time of manufacture...
s, sharing of logic designs has been a form of open source hardware. Instead of the schematics, hardware description language
Hardware description language
In electronics, a hardware description language or HDL is any language from a class of computer languages, specification languages, or modeling languages for formal description and design of electronic circuits, and most-commonly, digital logic...
(HDL) code is shared. HDL descriptions are commonly used to set up system-on-a-chip
System-on-a-chip
A system on a chip or system on chip is an integrated circuit that integrates all components of a computer or other electronic system into a single chip. It may contain digital, analog, mixed-signal, and often radio-frequency functions—all on a single chip substrate...
systems either in field-programmable gate array
Field-programmable gate array
A field-programmable gate array is an integrated circuit designed to be configured by the customer or designer after manufacturing—hence "field-programmable"...
s or directly in application-specific integrated circuit
Application-specific integrated circuit
An application-specific integrated circuit is an integrated circuit customized for a particular use, rather than intended for general-purpose use. For example, a chip designed solely to run a cell phone is an ASIC...
designs. HDL modules, when distributed, are called semiconductor intellectual property core
Semiconductor intellectual property core
In electronic design a semiconductor intellectual property core, IP core, or IP block is a reusable unit of logic, cell, or chip layout design that is the intellectual property of one party. IP cores may be licensed to another party or can be owned and used by a single party alone...
s, or IP cores.
Licenses
Rather than creating a new license, some open source hardware projects simply use existing, open source software licenses.Additionally, several new licenses have been proposed. These licenses are designed to address issues specific to hardware designs. 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
OpenCores
OpenCores is the world's largest open source hardware community developing digital open source hardware through electronic design automation, with a similar ethos to the free software movement. OpenCores hopes to eliminate redundant design work and slash development costs. A number of companies...
prefers the LGPL, FreeCores insists on the GPL, Open Hardware Foundation promotes "copyleft
Copyleft
Copyleft is a play on the word copyright to describe the practice of using copyright law to offer the right to distribute copies and modified versions of a work and requiring that the same rights be preserved in modified versions of the work...
" or other permissive licenses", the Open Graphics Project
Open Graphics Project
The Open Graphics Project aims to design an open source hardware / open architecture and standard for graphics cards, primarily targeting free software / open source operating systems...
uses a variety of licenses, including the MIT license
MIT License
The MIT License is a free software license originating at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . It is a permissive license, meaning that it permits reuse within proprietary software provided all copies of the licensed software include a copy of the MIT License terms...
, GPL, and a proprietary license, and the Balloon Project wrote their own license. 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 typically rely more heavily on patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
law than on copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
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
TAPR Open Hardware License
The TAPR Open Hardware License is a license used in open-source hardware projects. It was created by Tucson Amateur Packet Radio , an international amateur radio organization. Version 1.0 was published on May 25, 2007....
.
- "...those who benefit from an OHL design may not bring lawsuits claiming that design infringes their patents or other intellectual property."
Noteworthy licenses
- The TAPR Open Hardware LicenseTAPR Open Hardware LicenseThe TAPR Open Hardware License is a license used in open-source hardware projects. It was created by Tucson Amateur Packet Radio , an international amateur radio organization. Version 1.0 was published on May 25, 2007....
: drafted by attorney John Ackermann, reviewed by OSS community leaders Bruce PerensBruce PerensBruce Perens is a computer programmer and advocate in the open source community. He created the Open Source Definition and published the first formal announcement and manifesto of open source. He co-founded the Open Source Initiative with Eric S...
and Eric S. RaymondEric S. RaymondEric Steven Raymond , often referred to as ESR, is an American computer programmer, author and open source software advocate. After the 1997 publication of The Cathedral and the Bazaar, Raymond was for a number of years frequently quoted as an unofficial spokesman for the open source movement...
, and discussed by hundreds of volunteers in an open community discussion - Balloon Open Hardware License: used by all projects in the Balloon Project
- Although originally a software license, OpenCoresOpenCoresOpenCores is the world's largest open source hardware community developing digital open source hardware through electronic design automation, with a similar ethos to the free software movement. OpenCores hopes to eliminate redundant design work and slash development costs. A number of companies...
encourages the LGPL - Hardware Design Public License: written by Graham Seaman, admin. of Opencollector.org
- In March 2011 CERNCERNThe European Organization for Nuclear Research , known as CERN , is an international organization whose purpose is to operate the world's largest particle physics laboratory, which is situated in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border...
released the CERN Open Hardware LicenseCERN Open Hardware LicenseThe CERN Open Hardware License is a license used in open-source hardware projects. It was created by CERN ; version 1.1 was published on July 2011.- Projects using the CERN OHL :...
(OHL) intended for use with the Open Hardware Repository and other projects.
Development
Extensive discussion has taken place on ways to make open source hardware as accessible as open source software. Discussions focus on multiple areas, such as the level at which open source hardware is defined, ways to collaborate in hardware development, as well as a model for sustainable developmentSustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
.
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", more formally known as Gratis versus Libre
Gratis versus Libre
Gratis versus libre is the distinction between two meanings of the English adjective "free"; namely, "for zero price" and "with little or no restriction"...
, 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. 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
Kicad
KiCad is an open source software suite for electronic design automation . It facilitates the design of schematics for electronic circuits and their conversion to PCBs design. KiCad was developed by Jean-Pierre Charras, and features an integrated environment for schematic capture and PCB layout...
to make schematic development more accessible to more users.
Often vendors of chips and other electronic components will sponsor contests with the proviso that the participants and winners must share their designs. Circuit Cellar magazine organizes some of these contests.
Business Models
Open hardware companies are experimenting with different business models. Arduino, for example, makes money largely through design consulting. By creating a design community around their products, they stay in touch with the latest developments. They have also registered their name as a trademarkTrademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
. Others may manufacture their designs, but they can't put the Arduino name on them. Thus they can distinguish their products from others by quality.
See also
- List of open source hardware projects
- Amateur radioAmateur radioAmateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
and Amateur televisionAmateur televisionAmateur television is the transmission of Broadcast quality video and audio over the wide range of frequencies of allocated for Radio amateur use. ATV is used for non-commercial experimentation, pleasure and public service events... - Commons-based peer productionCommons-based peer productionCommons-based peer production is a term coined by Harvard Law School professor Yochai Benkler to describe a new model of socio-economic production in which the creative energy of large numbers of people is coordinated into large, meaningful projects mostly without traditional hierarchical...
- Creative BarcodeCreative BarcodeCreative Barcode is a nonprofit organization that allows members to share new ideas without the risk of unauthorized copying. It was founded in 2010. Members embed digital codes in creative works to indicate usage permissions. Private disclosure is made to other members who agree not to publicly...
- DIY
- Electronic design automationElectronic design automationElectronic design automation is a category of software tools for designing electronic systems such as printed circuit boards and integrated circuits...
- Engineers Without BordersEngineers Without BordersEngineers Without Borders – International is an international association of some national EWB/ISF groups, whose mission is to facilitate collaboration, exchange of information, and assistance among its member groups that have applied to become part of the association...
- FreeCAD (software)FreeCAD (software)FreeCAD is a general purpose 3D CAD modeler. It is free software . FreeCAD is aimed directly at mechanical engineering and product design but also fits in a wider range of uses around engineering, such as architecture or other engineering specialties.FreeCAD features tools similar to CATIA,...
- Free contentFree contentFree content, or free information, is any kind of functional work, artwork, or other creative content that meets the definition of a free cultural work...
- Free softwareFree softwareFree software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
- Graphics hardware and FOSS
- Homebrew Computer ClubHomebrew Computer ClubThe Homebrew Computer Club was an early computer hobbyist users' group in Silicon Valley, which met from March 5, 1975 to December 1986...
- Open CASCADEOpen CASCADEOpen CASCADE Technology is a software development platform for 3D CAD, CAM, CAE, etc. that is developed and supported by OPEN CASCADE SAS. It is available under the "Open CASCADE Technology Public License" which the developer claims to be . Despite this claim, it is not listed as compatible with...
- software development platform freely available in open source. - Open contentOpen contentOpen content or OpenContent is a neologism coined by David Wiley in 1998 which describes a creative work that others can copy or modify. The term evokes open source, which is a related concept in software....
- Open designOpen designOpen design is the development of physical products, machines and systems through use of publicly shared design information. The process is generally facilitated by the Internet and often performed without monetary compensation...
- Open-source physical design with a wider focus - Open sourceOpen sourceThe term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
- Open source ecology - Free farming machines
- Open-source roboticsOpen-source roboticsAn open-source robot is a robot whose blueprints, schematics or source code are released under an open-source model.-Full robot projects:*, Open Hardware Medical-Research liquid handling robot*, Mobile Telepresence Research Project, Est...
- Open Source Appropriate TechnologyOpen Source Appropriate TechnologyOpen-source appropriate technology refers to technologies that are designed in the same fashion as free and open-source software. These technologies must be "appropriate technology" – meaning technology that is designed with special consideration to the environmental, ethical, cultural, social,...
- open source hardware specifically focusing on appropriate technologyAppropriate technologyAppropriate technology is an ideological movement originally articulated as "intermediate technology" by the economist Dr...
for sustainable developmentSustainable developmentSustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come... - Open source software
- patentPatentA patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
- Peer productionPeer productionPeer production is a way of producing goods and services that relies on self-organizing communities of individuals who come together to produce a shared outcome. The production of content by the general public rather than by paid professionals and experts in the field...
External links
- Definition of Open source hardware at freedomdefined.orgDefinition of Free Cultural WorksThe Definition of Free Cultural Works is the definition of free content put forth by Erik Möller and published on the website .The first draft of the Definition of Free Cultural Works was published 3 April 2006 . Richard Stallman, Lawrence Lessig, Angela Beesley and others helped the project...
- P2P Foundation: Open Hardware Directory
- Open Source Wireless platform for smart sensors and internet of things
- Database of Open-source hardware writings at Open Collector
- Open Source Everywhere Wired
- Build It. Share It. Profit. Can Open Source Hardware Work? Wired
- Richard Stallman -- On "Free Hardware" (LinuxToday)
- Open Sesame! (Reports), The Economist
- Business models for Open Hardware
- oshug.org Open Source Hardware User Group
- Open Source Hardware and Design Alliance
- explanation of OSHW for the uninitiated
- Open Source CNC Hardware Community