Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
10.
Physical Materials
Gabriella Levine
“People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware.”
—Alan Kay
Open source hardware pertains to industries that encompass multiple hardware platforms
and a wide variety of physical components, tools, and materials. This chapter highlights nu-
merous fields of open source hardware products in cross-disciplinary domains, including
mechanical engineering, environmental preservation, disaster relief, and biotechnology.
Some open source hardware products embrace multiple layers or types of hardware. When
designing such products that combine multiple elements of design (i.e., mechanical fabric-
ation, electronic design, and source code), there are some standard practices for releasing
information and designs that can encompass all layers of the product.
This chapter introduces open source hardware products in a range of industries, and it
serves as a lesson on applying the definition of open source hardware to various fields of
hardware. It outlines some of the benefits for designers and users in different fields, and it
outlines each layer of open source hardware projects as a means to standardize documenta-
tion of open source hardware products across varied industries.
Centralized Online Hub for Information Sharing
Thecommonthreadthattiestogetheropensourceplatformsisopenaccesstoanonlinecent-
ralized hub for information exchange through a community website. Such websites provide
a forum for conversation, a wiki for detailed plans for construction, source code, fabrication,
and an open online database, which can be upgraded by the community. Access to informa-
tion and the efficient transport of goods and tools globally ensures that users can obtain tools
that were never before available. Moreover, through the sharing of digital files, designs can
be replicated and improved from anywhere in the world. Open source hardware debuted in
electronics, but it has since proliferated into a number of fields that rely on different materi-
als and documentation formats. As a guide, providing source files, a bill of materials or parts
list, an assembly guide, and any required software will ensure your hardware can be repro-
duced. This chapter walks through several examples of the design files required for different
types of hardware.
