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== the [[Kestrel]] == | == the [[Kestrel]] == | ||
Revision as of 09:59, 2 July 2008
Contents
the Kestrel
"About the Kestrel" by Samuel A. Falvo II 2004
(quote)
The Kestrel's intended purpose is to be a rational, grass-roots computer design employing half-way modern technology, where (quite unlike the PC) *EVERYTHING* is documented openly. BUT, not adopting every possible technology under the sun just because it exists. ... you'd get the circuit schematics, register-level programming information, timing diagrams, and descriptions of the ROM-resident OS interfaces ...
The over-arching goals of the project remain the same:
- An open, completely documented architecture, able to be described in a SINGLE BOOK. ...
- Fan-less design, which means, low power, even at the expense of computation speed. ... I'm not aiming for the lowEST power -- but fanless design is critical.
...
- Instant on, (nearly) instant off. ... On the Amiga, you just waited 5 seconds, without touching anything, (that's it) for the disk caches to sync with the volumes, and then you flicked the power switch. End of discussion. Not so with Windows or Linux. Anyway, boot-up is way, way more expensive. It has to check RAM every freaking time ..., it probes the buses and takes its damn sweet time doing it, etc. AmigaOS did all this in a fraction of a second. Heck, even just spending 5 seconds is sufficient for me. But remember that this is added on to the start-up time of the OS you're loading too! The goal: instant on, instant off. Trust me -- it really DOES make a difference!
...
- Lightning fast I/O auto-detection. If the Amiga can do it with 8MHz processor technology, so can we with 66MHz. I simply cannot emphasize this enough.
- Relatively easy to build. Since this is now an advanced kit idea, this isn't nearly as weighted as it used to be. Nonetheless, it is a goal to strive for.
- Minimum cost. ...
...
The whole purpose is to have FUN with this computer -- to have fun building it, to have fun using it, to have fun expanding it. Part of this fun factor is being able to hack the hardware as much as you can hack the software. Commodore's IEC bus, HP's HP-IL, and Amiga's Zorro bus are all inspirations here. ... it wasn't hard to build a Zorro card that fully interoperated with the system, you didn't need to be registered with anyone but Commodore (and they gave away mfr IDs for FREE), and full hardware interface details were available in the Amiga HRM for a cost of $29.99 US. It was bliss.
- Everything is LGPLed. So if you DID want to include PCI slots or whatever, please feel free!! Just because it's not my personal priority with the system doesn't mean it's not someone else's. This is the beauty of open source and, indeed, open hardware.
...
- Support for new business opportunities. ... This ties into the prime goal of this whole thing, which is,
- The creation of a vibrant and healthy user and developer community, capable of supporting itself on both software AND hardware fronts.
...
(end quote)
A more up-to-date description of The Kestrel Project. (several other pages on the Kestrel project nearby).
astronomy
A variety of "open" tools for optical and radio astronomy.
flash downloaders
Many people have published open-hardware schematics for downloading programs into the flash of various microcontrollers. m8cprogs for Cypress PSoC, various flash downloaders for Microchip PIC, etc.
WikiNode
The WikiNode project tries to link every wiki in the world together. Our "WikiNode" links to closely-related wiki (and their WikiNode links back).
If you want to talk about something that is not quite on-topic here at Open Circuits (say, "desktop PC case modding", or "embedded Linux programming"), our WikiNode helps you find another wiki where people love to talk about that exact topic. The corresponding WikiNode on each of those wiki helps people who want to talk about "open hardware" to discover this wiki.
arm7-oled-clock
arm7-oled-clock is a clock hardware/software project for a clock with a graphic organic led display running on an atmel arm7 microcontroller.
Here is the arm7-oled-clock's project page on google code.
Sun SPOTs
Sun Microsystems has open sourced both hardware and software for the Sun Microsystem Laboratories Sun SPOT (Small Programmable Object Technology) Wireless Sensor Network.
This Java-based system is an ARM920T 180MHz processor, 4Mbyte Flash, 512Kbyte pSRAM and 802.15.4 radio transceiver (TI CC2420). See the Sun SPOT World website for more information. We also have an active forum.
The hardware designs can be downloaded from https://spots-hardware.dev.java.net. The content available for download (subversion) are the schematics (pdf, Altium), bill of materials (Excel), assembly drawings (pdf), fabrication drawings (pdf), PC design files (Altium) and gerber files (RS274X) for these boards.
The boards we have posted are:
- eDemo: Demonstration add-on board for the Sun SPOT.
- eFlash: MiniSD card reader/writer add on board for Sun SPOT
- eProto: Prototype board with simple interface to Sun SPOT
- eProtomega: eSPOT Prototyping board with Atmega88 processor
- eSerial: RS232 Serial interface board for the Sun SPOT
- eUSB-Host: USB host interface to Sun SPOT
- eDaq: Industrial strength ADC board
- eBones: Basic interface board application note
- eSPOT: Main Sun SPOT board
Our wiki for the hardware is http://wiki.java.net/bin/view/Mobileandembedded/SpotHardware.
SPOTs run Squawk, an open source Java virtual machine (VM). The download (and more information) for Squawk is https://squawk.dev.java.net/. The SPOT specific libraries can be downloaded from https://spots-libraries.dev.java.net/ along with community applications https://spots-applications.dev.java.net/
Other Lists of Semi-Open Projects
- UHF FM BUG with ButtonCell battery ( http://www.elektronika.ba/el.sheme/?akc=daj_shemu&idshema=490 ) "This bug is 100% made from an old Nokia GSM phone! It operates at 434 MHz and reception can be achieved on a modified TV tuner or 70cm band HAM radio."
- microcontroller alternatives lists a bunch of "small PCBs" (is there a better name?) designed for hacking and prototyping, that already have the processor and a few other super-common things built in ... so you don't have to start *completely* from scratch.
- ThinkCycle "ThinkCycle is a ... non-profit initiative ... supporting distributed collaboration towards design challenges facing underserved communities and the environment. ThinkCycle seeks to create a culture of open source design innovation"
- Are the Positron projects "open" enough to be mentioned? I especially liked the "Lasercut Acrylic Casebuilding Tutorial" .
- Is the Vislab puck suitable for this list?
- PICList & JAL_List free PCB contest "this will encourage people to publish designs and get more good ideas out into the real world for everyone to see." (So, are these "open" circuits?)
- http://ePanorama.net/ has a bunch of schematics and a web discussion forum. Are they "open" enough to mention here?
- "Yet Another One-hand Keyboard" ( http://chordite.com/ ) "The firmware included in the download lets an Atmel AVR '2313 microcontroller interpret chords and talk to a PS/2 port." -- it's not completely open, but the license allows you to immediately download, for free, lots of technical information and a license to build up to 5 of your own. Building more than 5 requires some sort of payment to license the patent on the hardware configuration. (The software appears to be open source). There seems to be an associated Yahoo mailing list. What is an appropriate way to invite John W. McKown and others on the mailing list to use a wiki such as Open Circuits to maintain a FAQ?
- FC's Electronic Circuits ?
- "Pandemic Ventilator Project" asks: "Does Open Source Hardware Development Work?"
- GSM SMS Controllers ( http://www.elektronika.ba/projekti/?akc=daj_projekt&idprojekt=6 ) "TwoWay Thing (GSM Controller v3) is a device that allows you to control appliances using SMS messages. There are also 4 inputs for connecting sensors so the device will send an alarm SMS or even call you to report an alarm condition. The device draws very little current and is being powered by phone’s battery which is a great thing. Nokia should be constantly charged or supplied with some sort of external power for long term operation."
- Phone-call alarm alert ( http://www.elektronika.ba/projekti/?akc=daj_projekt&idprojekt=7 ) "After programming just supply power to the device. After pressing the button "Pokreni dojavu alarma" it will start to dial (tone or pulse, depending on the jumper setup). When the phone call is succesfully established, the called party should press pound key "#" to stop the device from calling another number or again."
- SMS Box ( http://www.elektronika.ba/projekti/?akc=daj_projekt&idprojekt=9 ) "This device acts as interface between your microcontroller project and a GSM phone. It handles all modem data communication between the GSM phone and your micro-project. The best thing is that it decodes PDU into TEXT on the fly!"
- GSM alarm alert - call ( http://www.elektronika.ba/projekti/?akc=daj_projekt&idprojekt=5 ) "Alerting alarm over via GSM network"
- Bug Labs: A startup is readying a modular, open source hardware/software system resembling a set of electronic Legos. Nov. 05, 2007 [1]
- PIC flow meter and instrumentation modules: Sensors, Gauges, Flow meter, data logging, connected by Grundfos Pumps inc. GENIbus over RS485.
- Raphaël Assénat has posted several electronics projects, including schematics. Several of them involve interfacing various "classic" video game controllers to USB. His "Caller Id decoder" is a nice example of adding just one more feature to something using a minimum of additional electronics.
other project sites or links to projects
May or may not be open, not much review material here, noted for the record, may be promoted in the future if they are outstanding in any way.