Building Open Source Hardware: DIY Manufacturing for Hackers and Makers

This is the first hands-on guide to the entire process of designing and manufacturing open source hardware. Drawing on extensive personal experience with DIY, maker, and hardware hacking projects, industry-leading contributors share proven approaches to design, remixing, fabrication, manufacturing, troubleshooting, licensing, documentation, and running an open source hardware business.   Part I covers the emergence and evolution of open source hardware, what open source hardware licenses mean, and the growing role of standards in making hardware more open. Part II offers contributors’ expert advice on key tasks, ranging from creating derivatives to using source files. Part III turns to production, showing how to manufacture at multiple scales–from personal to commercial.   Appendixes provide valuable checklists for design, manufacture, security, and documentation. And to foster even more hands-on learning and experimentation, the low-cost Blinky Buildings open source hardware kit is used as an example throughout.   Learn how to Get involved in the open source hardware community–its history and values Develop designs you can successfully prototype and manufacture Walk step by step through making derivatives from existing projects Build open source 3D printers, and remix 3D printable objects Create open source wearables Work with diverse source files, from electronics to other physical materials Fabricate your own designs Move from prototype to commercial manufacturing, and troubleshoot problems Choose a business model and build a profitable open source hardware company Avoid pitfalls associated with trademarks, copyrights, patents, and licensing Write documentation other hardware hackers can use Use open source hardware in education, helping students learn without boundaries  

Table of Contents:
Introduction         xiii Acknowledgments         xxiii About the Authors         xxv   Part I: Open Source Hardware Theory         1 Chapter 1: History of the Open Hardware Movement          3 The First Programs, Organizations, and Definitions  4 TAPR OHL  6 OHANDA 6 OSHW Definition, Summit, and Logo  7 CERN OHL  8 Forking of Open Hardware and Open Source Hardware  9 Creation of OSHWA  9 References  11   Chapter 2: OSHW Definition and Best Practices         13 Open Source Hardware Definition  13 Best Practices  16 Summary  30   Chapter 3: Licensing Open Source Hardware         31 Licensing  31 Open Licenses in the Context of OSHW  32 Copyright, Patent, and Trademark: Rights That You Might Be Able to License  33 Actually Licensing a Copyright, Patent, or Trademark  36 What to Do Now  39 Summary  40 Resources  41   Chapter 4: Standardization of Open Source Hardware         43 Firming up the Soft Parts: Making Software Firmer  44 Softening up the Hard Parts: Making Hardware More Flexible  47 Other Standardization and Regulation  49 Summary  51   Part II: Hands On!         53 Chapter 5: The Design Process: How to Get from Nothing to Something         55 The Phase of Projects  56 Iterative Design and Concept Refinement  58 Setting up Your Workflow  60 Managing Constant Iteration  61 Every Master Plan Has an Exit Strategy  61 Preparing for Manufacturing  62 Summary  63 Resources  63   Chapter 6: Making a Derivative         65 Derivatives and Open Source Hardware  65 Blinky Buildings Project  69 Summary  81   Chapter 7: Modifying the Shape of an Arduino         83 Shapes of an Arduino Derivative  83 Before You Begin  84 Determining Your Board Outline  87 Lay Out Your Arduino Derivative in Eagle  89 Manufacturing Your Board  91 Summary  93 Resources  94   Chapter 8: Remix a 3D Print(er)         95 Dawn of the Desktop 3D Printer  95 Open Hardware Design for 3D Printing  98 Next Steps  107 Summary  108 Resources  109   Chapter 9: Wearables         111 History of Wearables  111 Conductive Textiles  117 Sewable Microcontrollers and Components  118 EL Wire/Tape/Panel  119 Tools and Techniques  120 Managing Expectations  125 Future of Wearables  126 Summary  127 Resources  127   Chapter 10:  Physical Materials         129 Centralized Online Hub for Information Sharing  129 Benefits for the Designers and Customers  130 Flexing the Open Source Hardware Definition to Fit Other Physical Objects and Products That Require Multiple Types of Manufacturing  130 A Range of Products and Industries  134 Summary  150   Part III: Production Bits         151 Chapter 11:  Personal Manufacturing in the Digital Age         153 Personal Fabrication, Processes, Parts, and Materials  154 Case Studies  157 Questions for the Future  165 Summary  166   Chapter 12:  Accelerate from Making to Manufacturing          167 Manufacturing Partner Decision  168 How SparkFun Electronics Grew to Scale  170 Kitting  174 Design for Manufacturability  174 Equipment Selection and Implementation  177 Supply Chain/Purchasing  182 Resource Planning and Scheduling  184 Testing and Quality Control  185 Future of Open Source, Small-Scale Manufacturing  189 Summary  194   Chapter 13:  Troubleshooting from Your Design to Your Manufacturer         197 Manufacturable Designs  198 Selecting Manufacturers  205 The Manufacturing Handoff  206 What Could Really Go Wrong?  209 Quality Control  212 Creative Fixes  213 Summary  216   Chapter 14:  Taxonomy of Hardware Documentation          219 README.txt  220 Product Webpage  221 Hardware Source Files  223 Making the Pieces Visible: Bill of Materials  225 Tutorials  226 Creating Community  229 Summary  230 Resources  231   Chapter 15:  Business           233 A Natural Business Model  233 The Brand  234 The Open Source Hardware and Open Design Business Model Matrix  235 Summary  251   Chapter 16:  Building Open Source Hardware in Academia         253 Life in the Ivory Tower: An Overview  254 Benefits of OSHW for the Academic  255 Increased Visibility, Citations, and Public Relations  263 Increased Funding Opportunities and Student Recruitment  264 Virtuous Cycle  265 OSHW Teaching and Service  268 Summary  275 References  275   Conclusion          279 Changing Incentives  279 Maturity of the Open Source Hardware Movement  280 Looking to the Future  281   Appendix A:  Open Source Hardware Checklist          283 OSHW Musts and Mays  284   Appendix B: Open Source Hardware Security Do’s and Don’ts         285 Resources  286   Appendix C: Design Process Checklist          289 Concept Refinement  289 Managing Iteration  289 Preparing to Manufacture  290   Appendix D: Design for Manufacture Checklists         291 Finding the Right Contract Manufacturer  291 SparkFun’s Core Design for Manufacturability Standards  292 SparkFun’s Ancillary Design for Manufacturability Standards  293 Troubleshooting  294   Appendix E: Mach 30’s Documentation Ground Rules          297   Appendix F: Blinky Buildings Source Files         301 README  301 About This Kit  301 Materials and Tools  301 Attribution  302 Licensing  302 Source Files  302    Glossary           311    Index          317