Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
ponents, other materials—such as plywood or 3D printer stock—are also industrial
products and may not be available everywhere or all the time.)
Access to Fabrication
Access to digital fabrication processes comes in a variety of forms. Some machines, par-
ticularly 3D printers and vinyl cutters, are being targeted at individual consumers via low-
cost, Easy-to-use models. Local workshops, whether at schools, libraries, community cen-
ters, or commercial locations, provide access to larger, messier, and more expensive ma-
chines. They also offer opportunities for people to learn how to use the machines and can
provide a community of like-minded individuals. Online services offer an alternative for
those without local, hands-on access. They can provide a larger variety of processes and
materials than those found in a single workshop and obviate the need to learn to operate
the machines directly. On the downside, the time required for parts to be produced and
shipped—and the lack of direct control over the process—can make it harder to iterate and
refinedesignswhenusinganonlineservice.Additionally,onlineservicesgenerallyinvolve
higher per-part prices than direct machine access, since they need to cover the cost of the
machines, labor, and infrastructure required to support the service.
Case Studies
There's a lot more to open source hardware than just the fabrication and electronics techno-
logy. The following case studies draw on my personal experiences with open source hard-
ware to discuss some of the real-world issues involved. The first case study looks at the Ar-
duino electronics platform, a well-known open source hardware project. The second case
study discusses my research at the MIT Media Lab, building open source and DIY con-
sumer electronic products.
Case Study: Arduino Microcontroller Development Boards and
Their Derivatives
Arduino is a platform for building interactive objects. It consists of microcontroller-based
circuit boards and the software for programming them (both of which are open source),
along with relevant documentation and community support.
Arduino builds on the work of many other projects, including the Wiring electronics
prototyping platform, the Processing development environment, the GNU C Compiler
(gcc), AVR libc, avrdude, and more. Since the Arduino electronics prototyping platform
started in 2005, it has spawned and participated in a diverse ecosystem of software, hard-
ware, communities, and companies. The relationships between the various actors in the
