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Why We Need Free Digital Hardware Designs

Posted by samzenpus on from the open-it-up dept.

jrepin writes Free software is a matter of freedom, not price; broadly speaking, it means that users are free to use the software and to copy and redistribute the software, with or without changes. Applying the same concept directly to hardware, free hardware means hardware that you are free to use and to copy and redistribute with or without changes. But, since there are no copiers for hardware, is the concept of free hardware even possible? The concept we really need is that of a free hardware design. That's simple: it means a design that permits users to use the design (i.e., fabricate hardware from it) and to copy and redistribute it, with or without changes. The design must provide the same four freedoms that define free software. Then "free hardware" means hardware with an available free design.

4 of 78 comments (clear)

  1. Already have by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    I copy all kinds of designs with ASICs. It's like the Wild Wild West of hardware.

  2. Open-Source Hardware (OSH) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source_hardware

    Open-source hardware (OSH) consists of physical artifacts of technology designed and offered by the open design movement. Both free and open-source software (FOSS) as well as open-source hardware is created by this open-source culture movement and applies a like concept to a variety of components. It is sometimes, thus, referred to as FOSH (free and open source hardware). The term usually means that information about the hardware is easily discerned so that others can make it - coupling it closely to the maker movement. Hardware design (i.e. mechanical drawings, schematics, bills of material, PCB layout data, HDL source code and integrated circuit layout data), in addition to the software that drives the hardware, are all released under free/libre terms. The original sharer gains feedback and potentially improvements on the design from the FOSH community. There is now significant evidence that such sharing creates enormous economic value.

  3. opencores.org by pem · · Score: 5, Informative
    There are a lot of free designs and sites supporting them out there. Open source hardware is a thing. Even "free" (according to RMS) hardware is a thing.

    Is there some new point to this?

    1. Re:opencores.org by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 4, Informative

      There are a lot of free designs and sites supporting them out there.

      My favorite is opencores.org. They have a lot of free hardware IP, many using the standard Wishbone bus. The cores can be used in an FPGA, or incorporated into an ASIC. It is a fantastic resource.