In the small office in the US Silicon Valley, Windell H. Oskay dreams that one day open source processor or SOC will ignite innovative bears.
Oskay currently serves as a vice-Source Hardware Association, OSHWA, the Association is a non-profit education organization established in 2012: "In the world of open source hardware, I am most exciting is the core of the open source processor. For example, the open source processor design can be implemented in the software of FPGA. "
Today's open source hardware design, like the kit sold by Oskay's own small company, is based on Arduino or Raspberry Pi motherboard; the so-called Creator (Maker) can contact and build a circuit board level architecture, but ATMEL AVR or other processors are unable to insert.
Joint founder of Oskay and Evil Mad Scientist Lenore Edman
Oskay said in an interview in the store Evil Mad Scientist: "When the concept of open source is increasing, it should be possible to make the design more open to all levels;" This small shop sells him for open source hardware enthusiasts, and education Apply the related products and tool kits.
Open source hardware In addition to the object is Oskay, this dead loyalty is a cool: "There are many other potential advantages - including politics and economy;" he explained, such as open source hardware to avoid Cuba, Haiti, North Korea, Export restrictions and embargos in Iran and other places: "You will be surprised by those practical obstacles."
In terms of economic, open source hardware can make technical personnel to create a low price equipment, open a door for the school and development of the country; for example, if someone intends to establish a small business or academic in Africa Nigeria (Nigeria) Lab, but not enough funds to buy equipment, open source hardware design can achieve his wishes, can make cheap devices at low prices: "We often hear such a story."
Open source chips may ignite boom, but will not be so fast. Nearly ten years ago, the previous Sun Microsystems opened its SPARC processor, but did not get a significant market acceptance; recent IBM also revealed will open the Power processor architecture, but only one Chinese operator has become Customers expressed interest.
There is an industrial group Open Core organized for the open source ASIC funds for the LINUX platform, but only 452 supporters have raised $ 2,742, and millions of dollars can even produce a chip. The cost is still very distant. Although large semiconductor operators have invested in providing open source hardware reference design, they are still very careful about their own chip IP.
For example, Atmel and Broadcom do not have an open processor that is applied to Arduino and Raspberry Pi motherboard; recent Intel also published an open source Galileo motherboard compatible with Arduino, but the QUARK chip architecture used above is not open.
"The business model of the entire chip industry is still protecting and selling IP;" Oskay believes that it is necessary to break through the status quo, there is still a new company or organization like Open Cores to take the lead: "Software organizations may also create open source cores for processors. There is a business model that can sell drivers to support its operations. "
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