Open Source Hardware Definition Hits 0.3

ptorrone writes "A group of open source hardware makers have put together a draft of the open source hardware definition, now at version 0.3, which hopes to further define the making, sharing and selling of hardware within an 'Open Source Hardware license.' This fall, the day before Maker Faire New York City, the group hopes to have the license finalized for v1.0, and they are holding the first Open Source Hardware Summit. There are currently dozens of companies making open source hardware, altogether worth millions of dollars."

Comments

Re:I have to say

[Michael Kristopeit]

you're completely wrong. computer chip fabs are extremely automated, and many silicon valley chip makers don't even own their own fabs, and instead drop ship them from shared fabs in china. if a standard was created for manufacturing instructions, as the open hardware people are trying to do, then utilizing the fabs to make a one off product of an open design would be accessible to anyone.

you're right that current manufacturing company's testing and development equipment wouldn't match... the entire point of open hardware is to make that fact not matter.

Re:I have to say

[vlm]

The reason why open source software works is that it is easy for people to contribute and it is essentially free to give someone a copy. That is not the case with hardware.

Are you ever going to be confused when you learn about FPGAs.

http://www.opencores.org/

Re:Open Source Hardware

[localman57]

for most hardware of any significance

What is significant varies a lot from person to person. Building an inexpensive circuit that does something fun is significant if you find it to be so.

a provider of open source hardware has to expend significant manufacturing

Not so. If I build a single circuit to satisfy my own urges, I can still open source the schematic, pcb layout, parts footprint, etc. in a way that other people can use. They can fab it as is, or they can modify it, then fab it. Or, just look at it out of curiousity. No one says you have to manufacture your design in bulk, in the same way that you can create your own distro without having to send it to Best Buy in shrink-wrapped boxes. You can fab a prototype PCB these days for tens of dollars if you don't need it in a couple of days.