open-source hardware vs. open-source software

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Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software David A. Mellis Sketching in Hardware July 27, 2008

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Page 1: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

Open-Source Hardware vs.

Open-Source SoftwareDavid A. Mellis

Sketching in HardwareJuly 27, 2008

Page 2: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

Five Questions

• What is open-source hardware?

• How does it differ from OS software?

• How is the same as OS software?

• What lessons can we learn from OS software?

• What lessons don’t apply?

Page 3: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

What isopen-source hardware?

Page 4: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

Examples:Arduino, OpenSPARC, RepRap,

Chumby

Page 5: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

Seven layers:physical, schematic, parts list,

layout, firmware, drivers.(from PT and ladyada)

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2007/04/open_source_hardware_what.html

Page 6: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

My definition:provision of the digital artifacts

necessary to reproduce, understand, and modify a piece

of hardware.

Page 7: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

What makesopen-source hardware different from

open-source software?

Page 8: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

$$$

Open-source hardware requires money. This bothers a lot of people, but time is valuable too, and open-source software requires that. On the other hand, it’s easier to make money from open-source hardware.

Page 9: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

Distribution is essential.

Once you’ve designed the hardware, the process is just starting. Whereas open-source software just needs to be uploaded to the web, open-source hardware needs to be manufactured, sold, distributed, etc.

Page 10: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

Tools aren’t as good.

The tools aren’t as good. There aren’t good ways to preserve revision history or see diffs. There aren’t many standard file formats. A lot of the software is proprietary and expensive.

Page 11: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

Testing is expensive and slow.

Testing is expensive and slow. You can’t just hit “compile”, you have to pay to get something made, and wait for it to arrive.

Page 12: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

Collaboration is difficult.

Collaboration on an open-source hardware design is hard. Merging changes and testing them is expensive, making light-weight contributions more difficult. This means that you tend to have fewer people working on a particular version of the design.

Page 13: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

Forking is the norm.

In open-source software, you get involved by contributing improvements to the canonical version of something. In open-source hardware, you often get involved by creating a new version (and competing with the one you’re building on).

Page 14: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

Encourages entrepreneurship.

Page 15: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

Can’t upgrade after release.

Page 16: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

Extra knowledge required:sources, manufacturers,

distributor relationships, etc.

Some of these do figure into open-source software, but they aren’t essential to it in the way that they are for open-source hardware.

Page 17: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

Licenses may not apply.

You can’t copyright a circuit, just its expression, which makes it harder to use licenses like the GPL. Some efforts to create licenses for open-source hardware (e.g. the TAPR OHL license).

Page 18: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

How isopen-source hardware

the same asopen-source software?

Page 19: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

The freedoms still apply.

To use the hardware, study how it works, improve it, and share with your neighbors.

Page 20: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

You’re not dependent on the people running the project.

You can always create your own variation, or continue the work if they abandon it.

Page 21: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

What lessons can we learn from open-source

software?

Page 22: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

Start with the minimumuseful thing.

Page 23: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

You need more than the source.

Just like you can’t just upload a piece of source code and expect people to use it, you can’t just publish an Eagle file and expect people to manufacture it.

Page 24: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

There are many ways to contribute.

Documentation, workshops, contributing knowledge about related disciplines, etc.

Page 25: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

People are driven by many different motivations.

You need to figure out how to capture contributions from all of them.

Page 26: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

Community is key.

Page 27: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

There are many different governance models.

Democracy, dictatorship, oligarchy, etc.

Page 28: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

It’s okay to make money.

Although you need to be careful about the effects this has on the community.

Page 29: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

It helps to have a thick skin.

Page 30: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

What lessons don’t apply?

Page 31: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

The centrality of the source code.

Even though it’s still “open-source”, with hardware, the source code is not as important. In open-source software, membership in a project is often defined by those with commit access to a source code repository. This isn’t as meaningful in open-source hardware.

Page 32: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

What happens when "compiling" hardware

gets cheap?

Is this just an accident of history? Will we someday be able to distribute hardware like we distribute software, thereby eliminating money and the difficulty of testing and collaboration?

Page 33: Open-Source Hardware vs. Open-Source Software

Thank you.