FEZ Domino is now (almost) open source hardware

Pt 10351

It appears FEZ Domino is now open source hardware, here’s a note from Gus

GHI is releasing an open-source firmware for FEZ. Anyone can now make their own FEZ…GHI gives you everything for free, from software to hardware...

For those of you who want full control over the software you are using, we are releasing an open source firmware for FEZ. We are calling it “FEZopen.” Not only that, we are including a free ebook on porting NETMF. The book uses the $19.95 FEZ Panda to demonstrate porting NETMF but you can use any FEZ. Make sure to order your FEZ Panda soon.

The open source driver, FEZopen, includes UART, SPI, I2C, timers, threading and many more drivers making it complete for your deep customization and exciting projects.

Want to make your own hardware? We have EAGLE design files available online for every FEZ, feel free to make your own and load the FEZopen firmware on it.

The original propitiatory firmware still ships free on all FEZ products. It is up to the user whether he wants to keep the USBizi firmware or switch to FEZopen. Using the priority firmware allows us to have better version control and support for our commercial customers.

This is great, now there is almost parity with Arduino, Netduino and FEZ – the trend for dev boards is OSHW. For those who closely follow the world of OSHW, exciting!

Update: After reviewing things, it’s close – but we’re hungry for more!… FEZopen provides a nice set of instructions on how to build your own barebones .NET MF firmware from the Microsoft source

But! We’d like to see GHI go 100% open source and release the actual proprietary FEZ firmware as well. Including the custom NXP port, all the bug fixes, all the missing FEZ features, etc. For both FEZ Domino (USBizi) and FEZ Cobra (Embedded Master) – And firmware images so users can reflash the original compiler-optimized firmware. That would be great!

And last up, Is there any plan to release your actual custom NXP port for the USBizi chip? There must be tens of thousands of lines of code there that could be released with all your bugfixes, enhancments, etc.. It would be great to see the actual USBizi core and enhancements contributed to the open source community – we think customers, makers, hackers would love to see that as well.


Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards

Join Adafruit on Mastodon

Adafruit is on Mastodon, join in! adafruit.com/mastodon

Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.

Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.

Join us every Wednesday night at 8pm ET for Ask an Engineer!

Join over 36,000+ makers on Adafruit’s Discord channels and be part of the community! http://adafru.it/discord

CircuitPython – The easiest way to program microcontrollers – CircuitPython.org


Maker Business — “Packaging” chips in the US

Wearables — Enclosures help fight body humidity in costumes

Electronics — Transformers: More than meets the eye!

Python for Microcontrollers — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: Silicon Labs introduces CircuitPython support, and more! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi

Adafruit IoT Monthly — Guardian Robot, Weather-wise Umbrella Stand, and more!

Microsoft MakeCode — MakeCode Thank You!

EYE on NPI — Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey

New Products – Adafruit Industries – Makers, hackers, artists, designers and engineers! — #NewProds 7/19/23 Feat. Adafruit Matrix Portal S3 CircuitPython Powered Internet Display!

Get the only spam-free daily newsletter about wearables, running a "maker business", electronic tips and more! Subscribe at AdafruitDaily.com !



2 Comments

  1. Well put! I would love to see FEZ really open up!

  2. GHI doesn’t want to scare away commercial customers who are not okay with open source. Just making the firmware open will harm GHI’s main business, which is more important GHI’s success. So, opening firmware will come in stages and slow. This way, the open source community can benefit from this and at the same time, commercial partners will not be affected nor surprised.

    GHI started with licensing all drivers with Apache 2.0. Then FEZ Panda has JTAG and comes with open source firmware. I am completing the NETMF porting book.

    By the way, the porting book is more important tot eh community that GHI source codes since we will show everyone the way and from that point, the community *and* GHI can work together on providing whatever code needed.

    GHI looks forward to contributions from everyone. We can’t do it alone and we need your help.

    Have fun!

    Gus

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.