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The many layers of
Open source hardware
Deﬁnitions, licensing, challenges & debates

Limor Fried & Phillip Torrone

Homework...

OSH Projects (2008)
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/11/_draft_open_source_hardwa.html

Over 60 projects, up from ~30 in 2007

I see no social imperative for free
hardware designs like the
imperative for free software.
Freedom to copy software is an
important right because it is easy
now--any computer user can do it.
Freedom to copy hardware is not as
important, because copying
hardware is hard to do.
On quot;Free Hardwarequot;
Richard Stallman - Linux Today, 1999

There are a few definitions, some of which come from quot;open
source software,quot; which is usually considered software's quot;source
code under a license (or arrangement such as the public
domain) that permits users to study, change, and improve the
software, and to redistribute it in modified or unmodified form.quot;

So how does this translate to hardware?

Electronic hardware can be divided up into layers, each of which
could have different document types and licensing concerns.

It’s a “6” layer burrito

Hardware / Mechanical Diagrams

Dimensions for enclosures,
mechanical subsystems, etc.

For 2D models, preferred
document type is vector
graphics ﬁle, with dimension
prints, DXF, or AI, etc.

Materials.
RepRap - motor drive screw block, open source 3D printer.

Schematics & Circuit Diagrams
Symbolic diagrams of
electronic circuitry, includes
parts list (sometimes
inclusively).

Preferred document type is
any sort of image (PDF,
BMP, GIF, PNG, etc).

Often paired with matching
layout diagram. Chumby - Power supply, open source beanbag computer.

Parts List (BOM)
What parts are used, where to get
them, part numbers, etc.

Ideally - have data sheets, generic,
easy to get, notes and
speciﬁcations. No fucking NDAs
please.

Standard format is a text ﬁle, BOM
(bill of materials).

Often included with or part of the Parts list from the open source Roland 303 MIDI synth
schematic. clone, the x0xb0x.

Parts lists from the open source embedded Asterisk IP PBX
http://www.rowetel.com/ucasterisk/hardware.html

http://svn.astﬁn.org/hardware/ip04/trunk/ip04_bom.xls

Layout Diagrams
Diagrams of the physical layout
of electronic circuitry, including
the placement of parts, the
PCB copper prints, and a drill
ﬁle. This is often paired with a
schematic. Preferred
distribution is Gerber RS274x
and Excellon (for drills).

These are like PostScript for
printers but the primitives aren't
text and arcs, they're lines of
solder and components. Make: Daisy - Open source MP3 player.

Core/Firmware
The source code runs on a
microcontroller/microprocessor often
in C, Assembly. In some cases, the
code may be the design of the chip
hardware itself (in VHDL/Verilog/RTL,
etc...).

Preferred distribution: text ﬁle with
source code in it, as well as compiled
'binary' for the chip.

Language and architecture is
irrelevant.
Open core 8080 compatible CPU code snippet from
executing the 8080 instruction set.

Software/API

The source code that
communicates or is used with the
electronics from a computer (if
applicable).

Any drivers necessary for the
chipset.

Preferred format is source code
and binaries.

We don’t think tools count.
Arduino IDE

Licensing
Because hardware is mostly based on patents,
not copyright, different licenses may be better.

Creative Commons, GPL / LGPL, BSD, MIT

The TAPR Open Hardware License (2/07)

Chumby HDK License (3/07)

Adafruit uses...

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Evil Mad Scientists uses...

Copyright...

Attribution-Share Alike 3.0:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

GPL:
http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html

GNU Free Documentation License
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
GNU_Free_Documentation_License

Circuit board was design - in gEDA PCB:
http://www.gpleda.org/

Arduino... CC’ed with trademarked name
http://arduino.cc/en/Main/FAQ

Is Arduino open-source?
Yes. The source code for the Java environment is released under the
GPL, the C/C++ microcontroller libraries under the LGPL, and the
schematics and CAD files under Creative Commons Attribution Share-
Alike licenses.

I want to design my own board; what should I do?
The reference designs for the Arduino boards are available from the
hardware page. They're licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution Share-Alike license, so you are free to use and adapt them
for your own needs without asking permission or paying a fee. If
you're looking to make something of interest to the community, we'd
encourage you to discuss your ideas on the hardware development
forum so that potential users can offer suggestions.

What should I call my boards?
If you're making your own board, come up with your own name! This
will allow people identify you with your products and help you to build
a brand. Be creative: try to suggest what people might use the board
for, or emphasize the form factor, or just pick a random word that
sounds cool. quot;Arduinoquot; is a trademark of Arduino team and should not
be used for unofficial variants. If you're interested in having your
design included in the official Arduino product line, please see the So
you want to make an Arduino document and contact the Arduino
team. Note that while we don't attempt to restrict uses of the quot;duinoquot;
suffix, its use causes the Italians on the team to cringe (apparently it
sounds terrible); you might want to avoid it.

DIY Drones
http://diydrones.com/

Code License:
Apache License 2.0
Content License:
Creative Commons 3.0 BY-SA

ArduPilot is a full-featured autopilot based on the
Arduino open-source hardware platform. It uses
infrared (thermopile) sensors for stabilization and GPS
for navigation.

The hardware is available from Sparkfun for $24.95.

The software comes in two varieties: 1.0 (navigation-
only, requires a third-party stabilization system) and
2.0 (navigation and stabilization integrated into one).

Both require the free Arduino IDE to edit and upload
the code to the Ardupilot board.

TAPR Open Hardware License (quot;OHLquot;)
http://www.tapr.org/ohl.html

“The TAPR Open Hardware License (quot;OHLquot;) provides a framework
for hardware projects that is similar to the one used for Open Source
software. This isn't as straight-forward as it seems because legal
concepts that work well for software (such as copyright and copyleft)
don't neatly ﬁt when dealing with hardware products and the
documentation used to create them”.

TAPR = “Tucson Amateur Packet Radio” - they no longer has any direct connections with Tuscon, Arizona.


Like the GNU General Public License, the OHL is designed to guarantee your freedom
to share and to create. It forbids anyone who receives rights under the OHL to deny
any other licensee those same rights to copy, modify, and distribute documentation,
and to make, use and distribute products based on that documentation.

Unlike the GPL, the OHL is not primarily a copyright license. While copyright protects
documentation from unauthorized copying, modification, and distribution, it has little to
do with your right to make, distribute, or use a product based on that documentation.
For better or worse, patents play a significant role in those activities. Although it does
not prohibit anyone from patenting inventions embodied in an Open Hardware design,
and of course cannot prevent a third party from enforcing their patent rights, those
who benefit from an OHL design may not bring lawsuits claiming that design infringes
their patents or other intellectual property.

The OHL addresses unique issues involved in the creation of tangible, physical things,
but does not cover software, firmware, or code loaded into programmable devices. A
copyright-oriented license such as the GPL better suits these creations.

How can you use the OHL, or a design based upon it?
While the numbered sections of the agreement take
precedence over this preamble, here is a summary:

You may modify the documentation and make products based upon
it.

You may use products for any legal purpose without limitation.

You may distribute unmodiﬁed documentation, but you must include
the complete package as you received it.

You may distribute products you make to third parties, if you either
include the documentation on which the product is based, or make it
available without charge for at least three years to anyone who
requests it.

You may distribute modified documentation or
products based on it, if you:
License your modifications under the OHL.
Include those modifications, following the requirements stated
below.
Attempt to send the modified documentation by email to any
of the developers who have provided their email address. This
is a good faith obligation -- if the email fails, you need do
nothing more and may go on with your distribution.


If you create a design that you want to license under
the OHL, you should:
Include the OHL document in a file named LICENSE.TXT (or LICENSE.PDF)
that is included in the documentation package.

If the file format allows, include a notice like quot;Licensed under the TAPR Open
Hardware License (www.tapr.org/OHL)quot; in each documentation file. While not
required, you should also include this notice on printed circuit board artwork
and the product itself; if space is limited the notice can be shortened or
abbreviated.

Include a copyright notice in each file and on printed circuit board artwork.

If you wish to be notified of modifications that others may make, include your
email address in a file named quot;CONTRIB.TXTquot; or something similar.

Any time the OHL requires you to make documentation available to
others, you must include all the materials you received from the
upstream licensors. In addition, if you have modified the
documentation:
You must identify the modifications in a text file (preferably named
quot;CHANGES.TXTquot;) that you include with the documentation. That file must
also include a statement like quot;These modifications are licensed under the
TAPR Open Hardware License.quot;

You must include any new files you created, including any manufacturing
files (such as Gerber files) you create in the course of making products.

You must include both quot;beforequot; and quot;afterquot; versions of all files you
modified.

*You may include files in proprietary formats, but you must also include
open format versions (such as Gerber, ASCII, Postscript, or PDF) if your
tools can create them.

TAPR Noncommercial Hardware License (quot;NHLquot;)

The TAPR Noncommercial Hardware License
TAPR has created another license, the TAPR Noncommercial
Hardware License (quot;NCLquot;), which is identical to the OHL apart from
adding a limitation that products based on NCL designs may only be
made for noncommercial uses. While we appreciate that a
commercial use limitation may be appropriate in some cases, we
encourage you to use the OHL if you can, as it more closely follows
the Open Source software philosophy.

Does anyone use TAPR?
We’re not sure...
But we get asked a lot...
In a recent email with TAPR - John w9DDD
wrote...
“All TAPR projects were pretty much designed prior to
the writing of the OHL document. HPSDR projects
which TAPR supports by making them available as kits
or A&T units were done originally under the NCL.
Recently the [discontinued] Penelope project was
released to OHL.”

Chumby HDK License Agreement
http://www.chumby.com/developers/agreement

quot;Chumby HDKquot; means the schematics, mask works, flat
patterns, and specifications for the Chumby Device provided
by Chumby under this Agreement.

Chumby grants you a license to use the Chumby HDK to hack
your Chumby Device. In return, we ask that you: keep the
Chumby Service on an even playing field with any other
service you want to point your Chumby Device to; grant us a
license related to your modifications and derivatives, when and
if you make them available to others; and agree to the other
terms...

3.2 License to Modified Devices. You retain your ownership
rights in your innovations. If you publish, distribute, or
otherwise make available any Modified Device or any related
descriptions or specifications, you hereby automatically grant
to Chumby a non-exclusive, transferable, perpetual,
irrevocable, royalty-free, and worldwide right and license under
all Intellectual Property Rights to use, reproduce, modify,
create derivative works of, and distribute and to make, have
made, use, import, offer to sell and sell, and otherwise exploit
such Modified Devices and any modifications, improvements,
or enhancements they embody.

(Some) Business models
Arduino - Assembled dev boards (100k units), resellers / direct

Chumby - Direct to customer (VC funded)

BugLabs - Direct to customer (VC funded)

BeagleBoard - DigiKey & TI sponsored (one to watch)

RepRap / Fab@Home - 3rd party sells kits

Rowetel - 3rd party manufacturing

DIY Drones - 3rd party manufacturing

Adafruit - kits, direct to customer/wholesale/rev share

Evil Mad Scientist laboratories - kits, direct to customer/wholesale

Make - Halo / reselling kits, some dev funding...

SparkFun - Halo / Ecosystem + rev share

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