Copyleft Hardware

a new way to enjoy hardware, follow...

reverse engineering, anti-vendor ports, begging for datasheets - WHY?

⁄ let's build our own computers, the right way from day 1⁄ without proprietary tricks, without NDAs, trade secrets, patents⁄ copyleft plans (CC-BY-SA), copyleft software (GPL), patent-free

XBurst Jz4720 COBBen NanoNote

copyleft hardware is a new movement

⁄ mid-90's: free software (Linux)⁄ last 10 years: free content (Wikipedia)⁄ last few years: copyleft hardware (Qi hardware)

technology transfer

⁄ manufacturing process⁄ how multiple companies and service providers can work together⁄ respect the work of others, find own business opportunities⁄ build ability to service the equipment⁄ knowledge about PCB routing: EMI, noise, etc.⁄ circuit knowledge: decoupling capacitors, inductors, etc.

⁄ VCs, banks, academia, parents, incubators all fail us, so let's do it ourselves⁄ who's on board now: many individuals, Elphel (USA), IDA Systems (India), Sharism (Hong Kong), Tuxbrain (Spain)⁄ largest company has 4 employees⁄ university professor: Carlos Camargo, UNAL

David Reyes Samblas MartinezTuxbrain

⁄ related projects: Milkymist (GPL licensed CPU), OpenWrt, JLiMe, KiCad, gEDA, Icarus Verilog, gtkwave, RTKLIB (GPL licensed GPS stack), OsmocomBB (GPL licensed GSM stack), HeeksCAD, gta02-core, OpenMotic, Elphel (GPL licensed video camera)

remember forks?

Forks in free software mostly fail, but their presence keeps people honest, makes them communicate, understand each other, and want to find a way forward together. Copyleft hardware brings the positive power of forking to the hardware industry.

Terminology: too many people latch onto open hardware, open source hardware, open design hardware. We think copyleft hardware makes it clear.

copyleft: “the practice of using copyright law to offer the right to distribute copies and modified versions of a work” (source: wikipedia.org)

Ben NanoNote⁄ ultra-mobile clamshell pocket computer, 126 g⁄ no USB Host, no Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/RF, no touch screen⁄ clean 2.6.34 Linux kernel, no binary modules⁄ kernel patches in process of being upstreamed⁄ full support in OpenWrt and JLiMe upstream⁄ extensible over USB client cable

and SDIO-capable microSD⁄ started selling in February, sold

800 to date in over 30 countries⁄ 99 USD, http://nanonote.cc

SAKC⁄ basically a Ben NanoNote for hardware hackers⁄ FPGA added, keyboard and case removed⁄ large software commonality with Ben NanoNote

⁄ could be interesting for academia and hobbyists⁄ led by UNAL and Carlos Camargo⁄ currently only 10 SAKC boards exist, maybe

more for next semester⁄ other universities need to join

How about later?

The End— copyleft hardware: innovate, share

Avraelle

hoyasmegtm-tmjohnwilson1969FoxtonguejhocStill a fan of FOTCcibomahtonrkbetatakekazu

ScribusLiberation Sans Italic

Robben Island Freedom Swim

peace treefork

power meterkid with rotary phone

flysolar powered car

Neo 1973router

camera

SoftwareFont

Presentation by Wolfgang Spraul for Campus Party 2010May 30, 2010 - Bogota/Colombia

License of presentation: CC-BY-SA 3.0 Unported

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Preparation