Future Copyleft devices

Jon Phillips jon at rejon.org
Thu May 27 04:47:31 EDT 2010


sorry, toppost...after wolfgang and I hung out in San Francisco last
week, we talked a lot about this.

Of course, I am the master of one liners like "wifi" is all that is
needed. however, I have reconsidered this rationale.

But, if we think of the qi-hardware and copyleft movement on the
larger scale, and longer term, its super critical to not get
distracted with the proprietary, and look more towards this slowfi
delay-tolerant copyleft hardware, and culture that supports this.

I think the challenge is really connecting up the reasoning of "hey,
why isn't ____ on the nanonote?" Or hey, why isn't the processor
copyleft hardware?

Instead, there needs to be (collectively) a large scale plan in place
for copylefting the entire hardware stack, and a culture around it
supported.

I created a roadmap before, but its totally out of date at this
point...I think its great to plot out over time, realistic goals for
the different parts of the copyleft stack, and ways we all can help
solve this, with our various levels of skill and interest.

Of course, a cash infusion of $1 mill. would push something like wifi,
or a hardware forward faster, but until then there has to be an
infusion of realidad and picking up a shovel.

http://en.qi-hardware.com/wiki/Roadmap

Jon

On Thu, May 27, 2010 at 4:26 AM, Wolfgang Spraul <wolfgang at sharism.cc> wrote:
> Alejo,
>
>> I think The nano note is useful. The discussion is if we want a gadget for
>> common people, just like a PDA or something like this, made according to the
>> market; or we want a free platform that allow us learn, develop and,
>> starting from there, develop new devices according to the market and
>> clients.
>> Anyway, Nanonote needs more conectivity options. Suggest Wifi and Bluetooth;
>
> Totally agree with you.
> If anything this long thread is a good reply to Ron's 'where is the passion'
> question :-) Maybe after Ron would buy a NanoNote he would feel the passion,
> either love or hate his little Ben ... :-)
>
> More seriously: It's clear we all want more connectivity and sensors.
>
> The problem with that is that anything in that direction is deeply
> proprietary, closed and protected. And if that's what we will have in the
> end, I don't need to work for years like crazy, we can just buy an iPhone
> or Nexus One/N900 or whatever and be happy.
> Instead I was very excited to find the Elphel cameras recently, which have
> GPL software running in an FPGA talking to the CMOS sensor directly. Great!
> Same for Milkyist One and SAKC which will allow us to run GPL licensed
> IC logic for a number of interesting I/O and sensor/connectivity options.
>
> For the NanoNote, we are evaluating the HopeRF modules, which would allow
> us to run a free stack, although bandwidth would be slow, maybe only about
> 125 kbit or so. We are thinking about calling it SlowFi :-)
>
> Then we are also evaluating the well known but extremely proprietary
> Wi-Fi, first of all right now you can buy the Spectec SDW-823, and it will
> run out of the box with Ben NanoNote! But I don't see the long-term potential
> of this, so in addition we look into Atheros now, AR6102. I have an AR6102 SD
> card with me, if anybody is really serious about getting it to work with the
> NanoNote please contact me.
>
> Finally, we are also working on some very exciting GPS possibilities, when
> I say 'exciting' I mean from a freedom perspective, i.e. to run a GPL-licensed
> stack all the way down to the RF chip.
> Moreover, some people are trying to hookup GPS modules (Kristian Paul) and
> Bluetooth modules (Guylhem), and Antti Lukats works on some microSD options
> with FPGAs inside? This is still a bit above my head, but I do believe he is
> onto something there.
>
> Too many things going on really, but I think most people here share the
> passion of doing things with free technology, copyleft licensed. So that's
> great. Whatever we get into and out of the Ben NanoNote today will carry
> forward to the Ya NanoNote or devices others build with the free technology
> created here.
> Thanks for your feedback!
> Wolfgang
>
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>



-- 
Jon Phillips
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