What Are the Different Types of Open Source Hardware?

Open source hardware refers to computer and electronic hardware designed in the same way as free and open source software. Open source hardware is beginning to consider open source in areas other than software as part of the open source culture. Among them, the birth of Arduino can be described as a new milestone in the history of open source hardware development. ^[1]

The term is mainly used to reflect hardware designs that freely release detailed information, such as

In fact, hardware was open source in the earliest days. Including printers, computers, and even Apple computers, their entire design schematics are public. In the 1960s and 1970s, many companies were thinking "why should we open up our resources". As a result, many companies chose closed source at that time. This situation, coupled with a lot of trade barriers, technical barriers, patent rights, etc., has led to mutual lawsuits between different companies, similar to Samsung and Apple. This approach is conducive to innovation to a certain extent, but it will hinder the development of small company innovators or individual innovation.

Under the premise of being "open sourced", many people are wondering whether hardware can re-enter the path of open source. Since then, a small group of enthusiasts, namely Makers, have been committed to the research of open source. Open source has been developed from small things to the existence of open source 3D printers, tractors and other farm machines. ^[1]

Extensive discussions have occurred on making open source hardware available as open source software. The discussion focused on multiple areas, like the defined levels of open source hardware, how to collaborate on hardware development and as a sustainable development model. One of the main differences is the development of open source software and hardware. The result of developing open source hardware is the output of tangible assets, which requires funding, prototypes, and manufacturing. As a result, "open source is free, not free." More formal names are called Gratis versus Libre, which distinguishes between the idea of zero cost, free use, and modification of information. Although open source hardware faces the greatest challenge in reducing costs and reducing financial risks, some project developers and some members of society have proposed these models to meet demand. In view of this, there are measures to create sustainable social financing mechanisms, such as open source hardware central banks and tools like KiCAD, to develop diagrams that make it easier to get more users. ^[2]

Some open source hardware projects need only use existing open source software licenses instead of creating a new set of licenses.

In addition to existing software licenses, several new licenses have been proposed; the purpose of these licenses is to address specific hardware design issues.

Many of the basic principles in these licenses are reflected in open source software licenses that are "ported" to their corresponding hardware projects. For example, Opencores are like the LGPL; FreeCores adheres to the GPL; the open hardware foundation promotes "copyright or other tolerant licenses"; and the Balloon Project writes its own license. New hardware licenses are often interpreted as "hardware equivalent" licenses for a well-known open source software, such as the GPL, LGPL or BSD.

Despite the similarities on the surface, the most fundamental difference between software and hardware licenses is that their nature depends on patent laws, not copyright laws. The copyright license can control the distributed source code or design files, and the patent license can control the use and manufacture of the built-in design files of the physical equipment. This distinction is explicitly mentioned in the TAPR Open Hardware License. ^[2]