在位于美國硅谷的小辦公室里， Windell H. Oskay 夢想著有一天開源處理器或SoC將點燃創(chuàng)新的熊熊烈火。 Oskay目前擔(dān)任開源硬件協(xié)會(Open Source Hardware Association，OSHWA)的副主席，該協(xié)會是一個在2012年成立的非營利教育組織：“在 開源硬件的世界里，我最感到興奮的就是開源處理 器核心；舉例來說，開源處理器設(shè)計就能被實現(xiàn)于FPGA的軟件中?！? 今日的很多開源硬件設(shè)計，像是Oskay自己的小公司所銷售的套件，是以 Arduino 或 Raspberry Pi 主板為基礎(chǔ)；所謂的創(chuàng)客(maker)能接觸并打造電路板等級架構(gòu)，但其上的Atmel AVR或其他處理器他們就無法插手。

Oskay與Evil Mad Scientist 的共同創(chuàng)辦人Lenore Edman
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Oskay在他開設(shè)的商店Evil Mad Scientist接受采訪時表示：“當(dāng)開源概念越來越普遍，應(yīng)該可能讓設(shè)計在各個層面更趨向開放；”這間小小店鋪販賣他針對開源硬件愛好者、以及教育應(yīng)用所打造的相關(guān)產(chǎn)品與工具套件。 開源硬件除了對像是Oskay這種死忠創(chuàng)客來說就是很酷：“也有很多其他潛在優(yōu)勢──包括政治上與經(jīng)濟上的；”他解釋，例如開源硬件能規(guī)避古巴、海地、朝鮮、伊朗等地的出口限制與禁運：“你會對那些實際障礙感到驚訝。” 在經(jīng)濟方面，開源硬件能讓技術(shù)人員打造價格低廉的設(shè)備，為學(xué)校與開發(fā)中國家開了一扇門；舉例來說，有人如果打算在非洲的尼日利亞(Nigeria)建立一 個小型的商業(yè)或是學(xué)術(shù)實驗室，但沒有足夠的經(jīng)費購買設(shè)備，開源硬件設(shè)計就能達成他的愿望，能以低廉的價格制作出便宜的設(shè)備：“我們常常聽到這樣的故事?！? 開源芯片有可能會點燃熱潮，但不會這么快。近十年前，之前的Sun Microsystems就開放了其Sparc處理器，但卻沒有得到顯著的市場接受度；最近IBM也透露將開放Power處理器架構(gòu)，但到目前為止僅有一家中國業(yè)者對成為其客戶表示興趣。 有 一個為執(zhí)行Linux平臺之開源ASIC籌募資金的產(chǎn)業(yè)團體Open Core組織，但到目前為止僅有452位支持者，募到2萬2,742美元，距離百萬美元甚至是能生產(chǎn)一顆芯片所需的成本還非常遙遠。而雖然大型半導(dǎo)體業(yè)者 都投入了提供開源硬件參考設(shè)計的行列，他們對于自家的芯片IP仍然非常小心保護。 舉例來說，Atmel與Broadcom并沒有開放它們被應(yīng)用于Arduino與Raspberry Pi主板的處理器；最近Intel也發(fā)表了可兼容于Arduino的開源Galileo主板，但是上面采用的Quark芯片架構(gòu)并沒有公開。 “整個芯片產(chǎn)業(yè)的經(jīng)營模式仍是保護并銷售IP；”O(jiān)skay認為，要突破現(xiàn)狀還有待一家新創(chuàng)公司或是像Open Cores這樣的組織來帶頭：“軟件組織也可能為處理器打造開源核心，并有一個能銷售驅(qū)動程序以支持其營運的生意模式?！? 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 本文下一頁：SoC會是開源硬件最大的對立面之一

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{pagination} Oskay表示，就像硬件的Red Hat那樣，很多這類的案例都是由經(jīng)費有限的一小群人開始的，然后吸引越來越多人的興趣，它就成功了。不過生產(chǎn)開源芯片可能不會太受到歡迎，因為成本高昂；SoC會是開源硬件最大的對立面之一。 通常采購SoC的客戶通常只會取得應(yīng)用程序編程接口(API)以及一小部分的二進制編程軟件，甚至是付費客戶都還不一定能取得完整的芯片規(guī)格表。Oskay表示，在半導(dǎo)體領(lǐng)域之外，有一群來自廣泛領(lǐng)域的工程師正準備開始探索開源硬件系統(tǒng)，包括汽車、家電以及測試儀器。 舉例來說，美國鳳凰城的Local Motors 讓人們設(shè)計打造自己的車輛，包括轎車與摩托車；Oskay指出：“我有一個朋友自己設(shè)計了一輛電動跑車?！逼渌拈_源硬件設(shè)計項目包括攝影機、自動化生產(chǎn)設(shè)備、研磨機，以及機器人、無人駕駛飛機、3D打印機等等。 “開源硬件活動數(shù)量非常多，但還缺乏一個中心組織；”這也是Oskay所代表的OSHWA希望在未來扮演的角色。目前開源硬件運動也少了一個游說團體，雖然OSHWA也針對與立法機關(guān)進行會議提供指導(dǎo)，主要是鎖定在教育方面。 Oskay 表示，政府能為開源硬件項目所需的人力與材料提供研發(fā)貸款，也能提供機制來保護開源硬件的智能財產(chǎn)以及責(zé)任義務(wù)；他指出，雖然游說活動讓一切事情變得 更困難了一些，但開源硬件倡導(dǎo)者擁有自己的游說團體是合理的發(fā)展，而且好消息是這樣的活動催生了一系列開源工具。 Evil Mad Scientist采用支持Macs、Windows與Linux平臺的PCB設(shè)計軟件gEDA進行設(shè)計，現(xiàn)在則有更新的工具KiCad，竄起的速度非常 快且比gEDA更受歡迎；Oskay表示，設(shè)計工具非常重要，開源硬件的核心就是透過能分享的方式來釋出原始設(shè)計檔案，讓其他人也能制作、修改、復(fù)制并 銷售其設(shè)計。 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 編譯：Judith Cheng 參考英文原文：Leading Maker Deams of Open Cores，by Rick Merritt

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{pagination} Leading Maker Dreams of Open Cores Rick Merritt SAN JOSE, Calif. -- From his small office in the heart of Silicon Valley, Windell H. Oskay dreams of the day when an open source processor or SoC catches fire, setting off a blaze of innovation. "The horizon [in open source hardware] I am most excited about is open cores, open source designs for processors that can be implemented in firmware in an FPGA, for example," said Oskay, the vice president of the Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA), an educational non-profit group started in 2012. Today many open source hardware designs, like the kits Oskay's small company sells, are based on Arduino or Raspberry Pi boards. Hackers can access and tinker with the board-level schematics, but when it comes to the Atmel AVR or other microcontrollers on them, it's hands off. "When open cores become more common it should be possible to make designs several layers more open," Oskay said in an interview at Evil Mad Scientist, the small shop where he makes and distributes hobbyist and educational kits and other products. Besides being just plain cool for a die-hard Maker like Oskay, "there are a number of possible benefits to open source hardware -- some political and some economic," he said. For instance, open source hardware circumvents export restrictions and embargoes in places like Cuba, North Korea, Haiti, and Iran. "You'd be surprised at the practical barriers." In terms of economics, open source hardware lets technical people build gear more cheaply than they could purchase it, opening doors for schools and developing countries. For instance, someone trying to set up a small commercial or academic lab in say Nigeria may not have the money for equipment. But if open source hardware designs were available, that person might be able to create the gear cheaply. "We hear stories like this all the time," he said. Accessing silicon crown jewels An open source chip could catch fire any day, but don't hold your breath waiting. The former Sun Microsystems opened up versions of its Sparc processor nearly a decade ago but they failed to gain significant traction. More recently, IBM said it would open up its Power architecture, but so far only one company in China has expressed interest as a customer. The Open Core group is raising funds for an open source ASIC that runs Linux, but so far has gathered just $22,742 from 452 people, far from the million dollars or more a mask set and manufacturing run might cost. Big semiconductor companies are jumping on the bandwagon of open source reference boards. But their chips' intellectual property remains carefully guarded corporate crown jewels. For example, Atmel and Broadcom do not make open their processors used on Arduino and Raspberry Pi boards, respectively. More recently, Intel announced its Arduino-compatible open source Galileo board, but the Quark chip on it remains closed. "The entire business model [for chip vendors] is protecting and selling that IP," said Oskay, who thinks the breakthrough will come from an enterprising startup or community effort such as Open Cores. "A software organization could make open cores for a processor and have a business model selling drivers and support for it," like a Red Hat of hardware, he said. "Many of these efforts are run by a small number of people without much funding, then people get excited about something and it takes off," he added. Creating open source chips is "not a popular sport because it's expensive." Indeed, SoCs are "one of the biggest opposites of open source hardware." These days SoC buyers typically get access only to an API and a "proprietary binary blob" of programming software. "Even if you are the paying customer you may not be able to get access to the entire datasheet." Windell and Evil Mad Scientist co-founder Lenore Edman prepare 555 educational kits for this weekend's Maker Faire Bay Area, where Windell will speak on behalf of OSHWA. Open source systems Beyond semiconductors, there's a broad horizon engineers are just starting to explore in systems using open source hardware -- including vehicles, appliances, and test gear, Oskay said. For instance, Local Motors of Phoenix lets people design and build their own vehicles from cars to motorcycles and scooters. On his own as a separate project, "I have a friend who has been building an electric Lamborghini." Other open source hardware efforts focus on cameras, pick-and-place machines, milling machines -- and of course lots of robotics, drones, and 3-D printers. "There are a huge number of open hardware initiatives, but there is not a central directory of them yet," something OSHWA hopes to provide in the future. Currently, the open source hardware movement lacks a lobby group. Although OSHWA provides guidelines on holding meetings with legislators, its focus is on education. The government could provide an R&D credit for the effort and material used in open source hardware projects, Oskay noted. It could also provide mechanisms to protect intellectual property and liability for open hardware, he added. "Since there are people lobbying for things making it harder for us, it would make sense" for open hardware advocates to have their own lobby group. The good news is the movement has spawned a handful of open source tools. Oskay's shop, Evil Mad Scientist, uses gEDA, pcb design software that runs on Macs, Windows, and Linux. A newer tool, KiCad, "is catching up very fast and is now more popular now than gEDA ever has been," Oskay said. The tools are important. "The core act of open hardware is to release original design files in such a way they are available for other people to make, modify, reproduce, and sell the design," he said.