Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
nected with a standard ¼-inch audio cable. The owner of such a system is free to replace
the synthesizer with an audio sampler while still retaining the keyboard and audio amplifi-
er. This is because there are two standard hardware interfaces at play here: the ¼-inch au-
dio “line-out” and the MIDI protocol and cable. The key point is that the interfaces define
both the physical connections (MIDI and audio cables) and the data (analog audio and di-
gital MIDI) sent over the physical wires. Enable a true Plug-and-play experience by
designing, contributing to, and utilizing standard hardware interfaces!
Modularity as a Design Principle
When we set out to design new things and are treading too much on something that already
exists, we might think of the age-old warning not to “reinvent the wheel.” But let's give
ourselves more credit than that. As designers and developers, we know that the “wheel”
already exists; hence I prefer to use the phrase “reimplementing the wheel,” instead. This
phrase points to some of the underlying reasons why we might attempt such an under-
taking, such as existing wheels being too costly, or not having some functionality that we
would like to add for a particular application. In such a case, we are forced to reimplement
the wheel by inventing a cheaper production method or enabling a new functionality.
An end user of your open source hardware project might be thinking the same thing:
that your wonderful widget lacks one piece of important functionality. Of course, by
choosing open source, you've made it possible to take your design files and modify
them—but doing so requires the new developer to get the new design manufactured. Cer-
tainly, 3D printing and circuit board manufacturing services are making this undertaking
more accessible, but what about the user who needs to make that change before lunch
time? By employing modular design principles, we allow our users to reconfigure their
open source devices when and how they see fit. Remember, it's not necessary to reimple-
ment your entire wheel if you let future developers pick a tire, pick a spoke, and pick a
hub!
Other Standardization and Regulation
Because the open source hardware movement is so young, a great many ideas are laid out
in this topic for other types of standards. These topics include community-based standard-
ization, such as attribution and documentation, as well as standards created by governing
bodies, which are more along the lines of regulation. Another example where standardiza-
tion offers benefits is found in Appendix B of this topic: Open Source Hardware Security
Do's and Don'ts. These recommendations can be thought of as standards for security and
hardware.
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