Open Hardware - Reaching Out

XCore Project reviews, ideas, videos and proposals.
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jonathan
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Open Hardware - Reaching Out

Post by jonathan »

I'm guessing most of you have seen this:

http://www.openhardwaresummit.org/oshw-definition-v1-0/

Bit of a concerted push stateside to get Open Source Hardware to have some serious momentum and backing. Some big names involved.

Given how XMOS has open-sourced code, tools + boards (for the most part) + so do many of the community, might be a good idea to talk to those guys, maybe get more involved as a community and/or company? It might help XMOS establish itself as a serious player in the open hardware movement.

Also, they have a logo you can include on boards etc to show you're "open", which might be cool.

Just an idea. Flame away.


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Interactive_Matter
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Post by Interactive_Matter »

good idea!
The criterias are met for all the software on github.
Perhaps it would be neccessary to publish the source (design files) for the dev kits.

So it is an easy goal to get the logo on the boards.

Getting involved in the OSHW movement/comittee/dunno is a good idea too. XMOS is in that area already and getting recognized for it and using its experience to furhter promote OSHW is great and also quite easy to achieve!
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dan
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Post by dan »

Hi Jonathan - thanks for that - it sounds like a no-brainer. However, I'm just back off hols so will have a good look over the project shortly.
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jonathan
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Post by jonathan »

dan wrote:Hi Jonathan - thanks for that - it sounds like a no-brainer. However, I'm just back off hols so will have a good look over the project shortly.
No prob, if you need a hand with any of it I'm sure there are plenty of people here who are happy to help - including me.
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dan
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Post by dan »

Having had a look I can't see any reason why we couldn't be involved here. However its probably best that the outreach comes via xcore community members rather than xmos.com.

As far as I can see after a scan of the definitions, the planned slicekit system (and no doubt other xmos based open-hardware efforts) meets the criteria.
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Post by Heater »

This is interesting.

At the end of the day XMOS is not in the open source hardware arena. They are in the business of making chips and I'm sure there is no way they want to publish that IP.

On the other hand it is in the nature of the xcore concept that it promotes the creation of what would otherwise be on chip hardware peripheral components in software. "Software Defined Silicon".

So it's in the interest of XMOS to publish and license such peripheral components in XC and C in such a way that anyone, commercial or otherwise, can use them. Thus promoting chip sales.

That open sourcing of peripheral block IP of course encourages a community of users to contribute to the effort. The users understand that it is in their mutual benefit to share such efforts. The more you throw into the pot the more it gives others confidence in the xcore concept and the more they in turn throw into the pot.

So whilst I believe it is XMOS' best interests to open source peripheral component IP, dev tool source and dev board schematics and layouts etc etc. they are not really in a position to be full up members of an open source hardware organization.

I think dan is right. It is up to the community of users to push xcores into the open source hardware arena. With the hope that it encourages more users and more contributors. And XMOS should oil the wheels of this as much as possible from the outside.
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dan
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Post by dan »

Heater wrote:
At the end of the day XMOS is not in the open source hardware arena. They are in the business of making chips and I'm sure there is no way they want to publish that IP.
Exactly. xmos.com can't be part of the Open Hardware initiative but xcore.com certainly can be. Xcore.com does not have 'control over' the silicon IP XMOS offers but it does have control over everything else it creates. Therefore it can meet the requirements by ensuring that what xcore.com has control over (has had donated to it or has created itself) is open source.

So yes, XMOS can support Xcore.com in this by donating firmware and board level IP, and maybe some tools, but the engagement should be by and for the community.
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jonathan
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Post by jonathan »

I dunno - I'm of the view that XMOS could become a very strong, very public advocate of OSHW in more direct ways than just encouraging the community. Communities are great at contributing things, but XMOS is actually contributing a whole technology, and whole methodology, which in many ways is critical to open hardware of all forms.

In most open hardware, the "openness" often stops at the chip edge - sometimes even it stops at the protocols that communicate with the chips. XMOS processors allow you to write software that is fast enough to emulate hardware - and therefore opens up whole new areas of open hardware which push hard into that chip-edge wall. Obviously, the same is true for microcontrollers and other processors and even some FPGAs, but to a much lesser extent - the FPGA modules are often not open and the hardware peripherals in the MCUs are definitely not.

My point is that XMOS could position itself as a leader by breaking new ground in open hardware - through engaging directly with leadership and communities of the various movements, helping sponsor organisations, conferences, and grass roots development in more active ways. Sure, it will take time and effort - and possibly money if it suits, but XMOS really does have a game-changing technology in this area and I think it's well worth looking at what more XMOS itself can do. At present, where XMOS leads the community will follow - perhaps when the community is 10x or 100x the size it is now, the relationship will work the other way around.

Either way, it's great that XMOS is enthusiastic about helping - and thanks Dan for taking a look and taking this seriously.
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Post by Folknology »

I agree entirely with Jonathan on this point.

Xmos has a chance to re-invent opensource hardware beyond the package boundaries here, rather than it not being in the "opensource hardware arena" it has a chance to be the "opensource hardware arena" at least for microprocessing. We are already beginning to see the rise of opensource FPGA hardware around OpenCores and numerous other projects, Xmos has a real opportunity here to take open source hardware by storm, I cannot think of a single business that has as good an opportunity as Xmos in this emerging space.

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dan
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Post by dan »

jonathan wrote: My point is that XMOS could position itself as a leader by breaking new ground in open hardware - through engaging directly with leadership and communities of the various movements, helping sponsor organisations, conferences, and grass roots development in more active ways. Sure, it will take time and effort - and possibly money if it suits, but XMOS really does have a game-changing technology in this area and I think it's well worth looking at what more XMOS itself can do. At present, where XMOS leads the community will follow - perhaps when the community is 10x or 100x the size it is now, the relationship will work the other way around.
My concern is that by having xmos.com take the lead now, unless a good many other silicon and other HW IP providers join, then the OSHW logo you said it might be cool for us to have, would basically be a case of us awarding ourselves our own logo. Of course this may well deter other IP providers from joining and the OSHW project would be compromised.

I think there needs to be a quorum of other chip and perhaps silicon IP companies and orgs (like OpenCores or some of the third party design houses who sell commercial IP for FPGAS) who are are keen to participate on similar terms in order to make this new project work, and to lend it credibility. It cannot be up to XMOS to assemble that initial gathering, however we would be able in principle to take an active role after that.

So I'm not saying we shouldn't start a dialogue with OSHW, just that I don't see us "driving" it alone right off the bat.
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