Open source, open licensing, free redistribution, collaborative, and community-based development – many hands make light work. They’ve done wonders for Linux, but can these concepts apply to hardware as well as software?
As reported on Linux.com in 2007, the inspiration for open hardware has been around quite awhile, almost exclusively in embedded and server hardware. A free SPARC implementation produced in 2000 (the LEON processor) and released under a dual GPL/LGPL license was the first open hardware platform.
The open hardware movement took off in 2005 with the advent of the popular Arduino microcontroller released under a Creative Commons license.
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Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: CircuitPython 2025 Wraps, Focus on Using Python, Open Source and More! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
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open hardware is like open software if you truly want your idea to flourish and want to open where it goes and how well it can be retooled open source software is needed to make open source hardware.
Build-ing component scripts with web interfaces are nice.
Check out the kicad schematic symbol generator.
making footprint modules for the phisical footprint of your part using a java program is also nice.
a autorouter free route works nice also I agree maby some hand working could make something better but it is also mesmerising to see it route it would be a neat thing someone could set it to some techno.
all of my boards are made using kicad and find no problems with it.
Would you consider useing eagle and having board size restrictions and using closed source free versions like using the student version of visual basic to make your open source software?
batchpcb also has been the best for making prototipe boards so one chip fits in a white prototiping breadboard like the boarduino that lets surface mount chips be useable. 64 pin tqfp are not soo bad once you get used to them.
open hardware is like open software if you truly want your idea to flourish and want to open where it goes and how well it can be retooled open source software is needed to make open source hardware.
Build-ing component scripts with web interfaces are nice.
Check out the kicad schematic symbol generator.
making footprint modules for the phisical footprint of your part using a java program is also nice.
a autorouter free route works nice also I agree maby some hand working could make something better but it is also mesmerising to see it route it would be a neat thing someone could set it to some techno.
all of my boards are made using kicad and find no problems with it.
Would you consider useing eagle and having board size restrictions and using closed source free versions like using the student version of visual basic to make your open source software?
batchpcb also has been the best for making prototipe boards so one chip fits in a white prototiping breadboard like the boarduino that lets surface mount chips be useable. 64 pin tqfp are not soo bad once you get used to them.