The slides show the OSHW advantages for both customers and vendors, answer questions which people ask themselves when do OSHW for very first time based on our past experience. Mark the differences between FOSS and OSHW.
2. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
$ whoami
OLIMEX Ltd – 25 years we design and
produce development boards and
tools, starterkits, programmers,
devices, small Linux SBC.
Out of about 600 different products on our
web site half are with OSHW Licensee.
3. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
What is Open Source Hardware (OSHW)?
Open source hardware is hardware, whose
design is made publicly available, so that
anyone can: study, modify, distribute, make,
and sell the design or hardware based on
that design.
4. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Why people love it?
(or how your customers benefit from it)
They learn by evaluating what other did.
Even people who do not do OSHW love to
learn and study from open source projects.
5. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Why people love it?
(or how your customers benefit from it)
making a product open-source puts pressure on
the price to be low: if someone starts charging
too much for it, others can step in and make it
available cheaper.
6. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Why people love it?
(or how your customers benefit from it)
open-source products give users confidence that
a design will be available even if the original
manufacturer stopped production.
7. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Why people love it?
(or how your customers benefit from it)
Customers counting on continued availability
aren’t as hindered as if the product is closed-
source.
8. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Why people love it?
(or how your customers benefit from it)
Open-source products enable more
customization and use of a design.
If one design is public, you are free to modify it to
your need, or ask the author or someone else
that can do the modification for you.
9. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Why people love it?
(or how your customers benefit from it)
When sharing knowledge you educate your
community. There is educational value in seeing
how a design really works. Open-source design
makes people more aware and appreciative of
how things work, which is good for society.
This also accelerate knowledge and allow casual
people to innovate.
10. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Motivation to do OSHW:
(or how you benefit from it)
to build better products;
Presenting your design to others lets you get
more feedback about your work. Many people
can look, discuss, and suggest improvements.
11. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Motivation to do OSHW:
(or how you benefit from it)
community
open-source products allow original designers
and manufacturers to benefit from their
customers’ enthusiasm and effectively get cheap
design work, testing and consultation for free.
12. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Motivation to do OSHW:
(or how you benefit from it)
Releasing source documents can be a way of
showing the world the glory of your designs and
knowledge you have. Some people are happy
just to let others use their ideas, to leave a trace
behind.
13. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Motivation to do OSHW:
(or how you benefit from it)
all else being equal, having access to the source
documents only gives the user more options.
Your product will have better value in the
customer's eye. People like knowing how things
work and how some designer chose to do
something
14. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Motivation to do OSHW:
(or how you benefit from it)
OSHW changes the perespective on how you look at
the world;
you are sharing and learning at same time;
allow you to make unique things which are not possible
otherwise;
you are passing on your knowledge and leave trace
behind you;
you have not only customers, but also collaborators
15. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Great OSHW projects:
(or how we got infected with OSHW virus)
OpenEEG 2003
16. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Great OSHW projects:
(or how we got infected with OSHW virus)
OpenOCD 2005
17. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Great OSHW projects:
(or how we got infected with OSHW virus)
Arduino 2006
18. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Great OSHW projects:
(shameless advertisement)
OLinuXino 2012-2016
19. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Great OSHW projects:
(shameless advertisement)
DIY OSHW Laptop Kit 2015-2016
20. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Questions anyone asking himself when start with
OSHW
will be I cloned?
21. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Questions anyone asking himself when start with
OSHW
what licensee to choose?
22. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Questions anyone asking himself when start with
OSHW
when to open?
23. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Questions anyone asking himself when start with
OSHW
Will I break even and make profit from OSHW?
24. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Questions anyone asking himself when start with
OSHW
I have great idea and no money, if the project is closed
source maybe I can get more funding or sell it easier?
25. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Differences between OSHW / FOSS:
To make Software you need time.
To make Hardware you need time and money ;)
26. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Differences between OSHW / FOSS:
compatibility of design tools, unlike editing
source code in the software world. Different CAD
products, some cost $$$ money, expect fewer
contributions to the development of hardware
designs, compared to those using them.
27. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Differences between OSHW / FOSS:
In software to correct bug you edit code and hit
compile button.
In Hardware each bug fix cost $$$ and boards
scrap.
28. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Differences between OSHW / FOSS:
Quantity Doom – you can't build effectively in
small quantities. This fortunately is also
safeguard net :) people who use a small quantity
of it will prefer to buy from you instead building it
themself.
29. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
OK! Is OSHW after all business friendly?
(or it's just for geeks)
OLIMEX is releasing exclusively OSHW designs
for the last 10 years and suprisingly even in
times of financial crisis and world-wide economy
slow down our company sales rise every year.
Why? Because of OSHW we release better,
better documented, more useful for the end
customer products!
30. OSHW
Why we do it, why it matters?
Olimex has local distributors in 25
countries.
Global distributors like: Mouser, Digikey,
Farnell, Conrad, TME, Amazon, covering
almost every spot on earth where
electronics development is made, which
proves that OSHW model is not
incompatible with the business.