- oshug - lists.oshug.org

Re: [oshug] [Open Manufacturing] Fwd: Open hardware anemometer
by John Griessen 27 Jun '11

27 Jun '11

> From: *christopher west* I've decided to design > my own PCB from scratch. I'm a electronic engineer by trade so this > shouldn't cause to many headaches but if this is too difficult I will > consider using an Arduino. Have you considered using pcb and gschem for the electronics? There's a supportive list and good ways to get library schematic symbols and pcb footprints besides making your own. if you have any pointers I would > be very great full. > > Regards, > Chris West great full. --> grateful. Have you done much market research on the commercial competition? There are plenty of weather stations proven and working, so all you can hope for is a cost reduction, and it might be tough to beat standard prices as they've been evolving for so long. But, if you think prices are easy to beat, that's a good reason for open hardware. The functions of a weather station barely make a microcontroller breathe hard, so I immediately think, "What else could you add in the microcontroller part to make a weather station better?", and it strikes me you should use a higher level language than C for the code, and so users can adapt their stations -- use them as development platforms. Then you have a wider market -- scientists start to be interested, tinkerers of course, and developers of instrumentation setups. Otherwise your market is just other EE/CS types, (if they like C). What I like is python-on-a-chip, running on micros like STM32 or MC13224v. See http://www.redwirellc.com/store/node/1 http://mc1322x.devl.org/ http://www.futurlec.com/ET-STM32_Stamp.shtml The STM32 stamp board can run elua, a version of lua: http://www.eluaproject.net/ That's another high level language that some say is good for rapid development. I've not tried it yet, but it looks like time. John Griessen

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Open hardware anemometer
by christopher west 25 Jun '11

25 Jun '11

All, I'm been mulling over the idea of making a no moving parts anemometer and releasing everything to the public. I thought that this would be the best place to start discussing the idea. My plans thus far; The main part of this project are the micro-controller and the ultrasonic sensors. For the micro-controller I'm going to use a Microchip PIC as I've have experience with these. I have thought about using an Arduino but this project will be as much about discovering if I can use open-source tools from start to finish as having a working system at the end. To that end I've decided to design my own PCB from scratch. I'm a electronic engineer by trade so this shouldn't cause to many headaches but if this is too difficult I will consider using an Arduino. The ultrasonic sensors can be used to calculate wind speed and direction. The basic idea is to use a set of sensors perpendicular to each and calculate the time delay or Doppler shift to find out where the wind is coming from. I haven't decided which is the best way to do yet so I'm going to incorporate both. The rest of it will use RS232 for communication. For power I'm hoping to incorporate a battery/solar power unit. The anemometer will have the following basic sensors; Pressure, Humidity, Temperature in shade and direct sun light. As for the open-source tools; Since I'm going to be using Microchips PICs there are in beta trials of there new open-source embedded IDE which is called MPlab X[1], which is based off netbeans so it aligns nicely with my needs. For the embedded C compiler my initial thinking will be to use SDCC[2] but that depends on what PIC I select or I might be able to use GCC but I'm not sure. For the electronic design I'm think KiCAD[3] as it I've played around with it in the past and I've quite liked it. Finally for the physical design I plan to use Freecad[4] it may not be very full featured but I'm hopeful it will be useful. I'm also trying to think of a project name at the moment and I'm very open to any ideas? Please let me know what you think and if you have any pointers I would be very great full. Regards, Chris West [1] MPlab X: http://microchip.wikidot.com/ [2] SDCC: http://sdcc.sourceforge.net/ [3] KiCAD: http://www.lis.inpg.fr/realise_au_lis/kicad/ [4] FreeCAD: http://free-cad.sourceforge.net/

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Re: [oshug] sourcing ADK boards
by Paul Downey 25 Jun '11

25 Jun '11

> Interesting question that caused me to Google around a bit. > Looks like the question should include "at a reasonable price" Indeed! We joked that there must be a silk-screen layer for each colour in the Google logo, but I don't think that's the case. Nigel's points about the unusual USB interface and the economics of a small number of Androids with the latest version sounds most likely. I'd imagine the size of market will change, so was puzzled why we're not seeing a flood of cheap clones. > I am thinking that a whole OSHUG session is needed for this, including input > from someone who's created a ADK setup with alternative hardware at a > reasonable cost. Do we know anyone? heh, I asked this question in preparation for talking to Android people at Google about the ADK on behalf of OSHUG, and our proposed OSHcamp in October. I'll report back on both as soon as I know more! -- Paul (psd) http://blog.whatfettle.com

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sourcing ADK boards
by Paul Downey 25 Jun '11

25 Jun '11

I wondered if anyone here knows where we can get our hands on Android ADK boards? Are they really still expensive and difficult to find? If so, does anyone know why? -- Paul (psd) http://blog.whatfettle.com

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Meego gathering at Skills Matter 5th of July
by Thibaut Rouffineau 24 Jun '11

24 Jun '11

Hi I was wondering if anyone was interested in a meetup in London around Meego? I am trying to put together a regular meetup on the subject, and we'll be starting on the 5th of July! The meetup will be talking Meego and Meego development... there are quite a few project committers and hackers coming to the event from across the UK. The event is sponsored and free to attend http://ce1.com/intel/2011/londonappuplab/ (it's on an Intel page as they're sponsoring the whole thing but this doesn't mean that ARM or Tegra ports are not discussions are not welcome :D). If you're available on the 5th feel free to register and come! I hope this can be useful, and look forward to seeing you soon! Cheers Thibaut

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Bristol Braille Hardware Developments
by Edward Rogers 22 Jun '11

22 Jun '11

OSHUG members, We thought it might interest some of you to know what developments are occurring within Bristol Braille Technology at the moment. As was discussed in OSHUG meeting no.10, BBT is seeking to address the gaping absence of affordable Braille hardware. We have no grand announcement as such, but important steps are being taken nonetheless. The latest news item can be seen below; but it is worth checking the site regularly as there will more than likely be an increased volume of news from now on. http://bristolbrailletechnology.com/#news.22-06-2011-prototype Yours Faithfully, --------- Ed Rogers, Director, BBT Ltd. ed.rogers(a)bristolbrailletechnology.com +44(0)7908 569 214 www.bristolbrailletechnology.com ---------

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OSHUG #11 — Goes to Canterbury!, Thurs 23rd June (Collaboration, building communities, surface mount adventures)
by Andrew Back 26 May '11

26 May '11

OSHUG #11 — Goes to Canterbury! (Collaboration, building communities, surface mount adventures) On the 23rd June 2011, 18:00 - 20:00 at School of Engineering and Digital Arts, Jennison Building, The University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NT, (51.298383, 1.064172) Register: http://oshugcanterbury.eventbrite.com/ Lanyrd: http://lanyrd.com/2011/oshug11/ For our 11th meeting, we are visiting the School of Engineering and Digital Arts at the University of Kent. Trains run regularly to and from central London and take approximately an hour. For anyone wishing to stay overnight please: http://oshug.org/other/canterbury-bnb-2605.pdf . - Open Source Hardware Collaboration An assessment of the current state of the art in hardware collaboration through a tour of a series of Open Source Hardware projects. How easy is it to discover projects, view and understand their designs, build your own version and contribute changes back? Paul Downey (psd) is a doodling software hacker, former member of Osmosoft--a small Open Source software team--where he represented BT at the W3C, a co-organiser of OSHUG and a co-founder of SolderPad, a collaboration platform for electronic design. - Building open, communicating communities The hardware engineering community is typically seen as fragmented, closed and conservative, shackled by the dependency on restrictive closed-source tools. Thankfully, we are now at a time where this is changing. In this talk, Saar Drimer will discuss his efforts to bring the FPGA community together so we can reach the level of sharing and project integration that the open source software community currently enjoys. The end goal is to reach a state where projects are integrated in a similar way to what Linux's package mangers enable: "sudo apt-get ddr2-controller". [Background reading]. Saar Drimer is an experienced hardware engineer. In the past he's hacked the UK's Chip and PIN payment system, and advocated reproducible research practices in the engineering sciences. Now he's working on boldport, an "IndieEDA" company that aims to make HW/FPGA easier. - Adventures in working with surface mount devices An ambitious open source hardware project--Amino--recently called for Alan Wood to uplift his home lab to support prototyping, testing and basic production using surface mount devices. Alan will be sharing with us some of the things he has learnt, and giving us a run through what you might require in order to tackle working with surface mount devices yourself. Rather than using expensive off-the-shelf tooling, Alan will be covering a number of affordable approaches that make this possible without breaking the bank. Alan Wood originally trained in systems engineering, got lost in software engineering and open source for a decade, before returning back to his hardware roots via the open source hardware and makers movement that has gathered momentum over the last few years. Note: Please aim to arrive for 18:00 - 18:20 as the event will start at 18:30 prompt. Parking is available at the Jennison Building, however, please ensure that you are parked within a bay. -- Andrew Back mailto:andrew@carrierdetect.com

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Open Hardware Summit 2011.
by Andrew Back 23 May '11

23 May '11

Hello, It was just announced that this will be taking place on 15th September in New York: http://www.openhardwaresummit.org/ Cheers, Andrew

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Community Server/Networking Project in London
by Thomas Wright 16 May '11

16 May '11

I would appreciate it If you could take a couple of minutes to have a look at the link below and if anyone is interested in getting involved it would be great to hear from you. http://www.shoestringnetworks.org/ Many Thanks Thomas (thomas(a)shoestringnetworks.org)

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Looking for OSH blogger
by Rupert Goodwins 16 May '11

16 May '11

Hi, all I'm looking for someone who can blog regularly (2-ish times a week) on ZDNet UK on the subject of open source hardware. The idea is to report on developments, projects, what you're up to... anything that may be of interest to our general (geeky, IT-focussed, hack-minded) readership. I hope to spread the word about OSH, really, and to be a starting point for those who are so minded. Also, it's just cool. There's a bit of money involved, after a trial period, which should keep you in solder and 555 timers. Drop me a note if you fancy it, or if you could suggest someone I should talk to. Thanks! Rupert, ed, ZDNet UK

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Re: [oshug] [OT] Question
by Edward Rogers 03 May '11

03 May '11

> Subject: [oshug] [OT] Question > Hello friends: > I need help for buying a new laptop or net book with Linux or at > least with hardware that Linux can recognize without problems. I don't > mind if it is slow, I just want a cheap laptop that I can use for many > years. I hope you can give me a way to discriminate those machines built > for big corporations who only care about selling and not giving a nice > product to people. Cheers, > LAMG I'd second the suggestion of a Think-pad. I think the X40's are about GBP100 on ebay, X60 closer to GBP150 (if you shop about). Getting it from a reputable local dealer (such as, in Bristol, Compuwave. I saw those exact two models in their window this morning) would add about GBP60 to that. --------- Ed Rogers +44(0)7908 569 214 Bristol Braille Technology www.bristolbrailletechnology.com ---------

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OSHUG #10 - Open for Change, Thursday 19th May.
by Andrew Back 28 Apr '11

28 Apr '11

Hello, For those who couldn't make it along to OSHUG #9, Skills Matter kindly recorded the event and the videos can be found at: http://skillsmatter.com/podcast/ajax-ria/a-brief-introduction-to-programmab… And registration for OSHUG #10 is now live. --- OSHUG Event #10 — Open for Change (Radiation Monitoring in Japan, 40 Fires, Bristol Braille Technology) On the 19th May 2011, 18:00 - 20:00 at Centre for Creative Collaboration, 16 Acton Street, London, WV1X 9NG. Registration: http://oshug.org/event/10 A great deal of open source hardware is built by engineers for engineers, and comprises mostly electronics and/or computing technology. Which is not at all surprising given the origins of the movement and where we are on the adoption curve. However, a growing number of projects are seeking to tackle ever more challenging problems and working with an increasingly broader selection of technologies. At the tenth OSHUG meeting we will be hearing about the efforts of hackers in Japan to build their own open source radiation monitoring infrastructure. We will learn about the work of 40 Fires, a foundation that is building an open source hydrogen fuel cell electric car. And we will hear from Bristol Braille Technology about the need for an affordable refreshable Braille display, and the potential open source hardware opportunity. - Open Source Radiation Monitoring in Japan Hackers in Japan responded to recent nuclear plant radiation leaks by setting up their own monitoring infrastructure. In this talk we will take a look at some of the radiation monitoring devices they built, the technology they used to share and make sense of the data and the work that continues to be done. Nick Weldin initiated the first public Arduino course in the UK in 2005, because he didn't want to program PIC chips on the accounts computer at work after everyone else had gone home any more, and he couldn't get his boss to send him to the Arduino course that was running in Spain. When Tinker London started up he joined them and ran courses teaching Arduino wherever anyone was interested. He continues to run a course on Arduino, and is co-author of the recently released Arduino Cookbook. - An open source approach to developing energy-efficient technology Two years ago start-up company Riversimple unveiled a ground-breaking vehicle that has the potential to transform the auto industry. The Riversimple urban vehicle, due to be in production in 2014, is lightweight, powered by hydrogen and capable of 300 mpg (energy equivalent). As part of its strategy, Riversimple announced the establishment of an independent open source foundation, 40 Fires, that would make available the designs for the car on-line under an open source license. Two years on, the 40 Fires team report on the joys, trials and tribulations of working on a potentially game-changing project in one of the world's biggest industries. Patrick Andrews is project leader of the 40 Fires Foundation and a board member of eco-car company Riversimple. A former corporate lawyer with Kingfisher and Pratt & Whitney, he now spends his time pursuing an interest in social innovation, with a particular focus on alternative business models and governance structures. - Developing a revolutionary, affordable Braille Cell Display Braille usage has been shown to have a strong correlation with employment—and by extension independence—amongst the blind. However Braille usage is stagnating under a lack of technical innovation which has left it hugely expensive and uncommon. Bristol Braille Technology was founded on the 6th of January, 2011, when the first meeting of interested professionals met to discuss the need for more affordable refreshable Braille. We are currently designing our first prototype cell display. Our aim is to make a Braille cell display;that is a tactile 'screen' which connects to a computing device—which, unlike the current models, is affordable to the majority of blind individuals in the UK and, eventually, anywhere around the world. Ed Rogers is a Bristolian and recent graduate from the University of the West of England where he studied Animation and Interactive Design. During this course he first began to consider the issue of digital Braille. After leaving university he continued to pursue the goal of an affordable Braille cell display, eventually founding the not-for-profit Community Interest Company, Bristol Braille Technology. Note: Please aim to arrive for 18:00 - 18:20 as the event will start at 18:30 prompt. Registration: http://oshug.org/event/10

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Introduction to Open Source Hardware article.
by Andrew Back 26 Apr '11

26 Apr '11

Hello, Not that many subscribers to this list would need such a thing for themselves, but I wrote a brief OSHW intro for the April edition of RS Components eTech magazine: http://is.gd/M0gAqK (Note: it's a 5.5M PDF!) Though, this may come in useful if someone asks what OSHW is, and some of you may recognise the photographs from OSHUG meetings. Cheers, Andrew

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OSHUG #9 - Chips, Thursday 21st April 2011.
by Andrew Back 24 Mar '11

24 Mar '11

OSHUG #9 — Chips (Programmable Logic, Computer Conservation with FPGAs, OpenCores & OpenRISC 1000) On the 21st April 2011, 18:00 - 20:00 at Skills Matter, 116-120 Goswell Road, London, EC1V 7DP, UK (51.525335, -0.099056) Registration: http://oshug.org/event/9 Programmable logic, and in particular field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), is a topic that has frequently come up at OSHUG meetings, both in informal discussion and in presentations (see use of FPGAs in projects covered at OSHUG #5 & OSHUG #8). This is a particularly exciting technology in the context of open source hardware, as it presents an opportunity to realise performance gains approaching those that are associated with custom silicon – an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) - albeit without the enormous foundry start-up costs which make this largely the reserve of major industry. Furthermore, the design artefacts lend themselves to collaborative development and can be handled in a manner similar to that employed with the source code to computer software. At the ninth OSHUG meeting we will be given an introduction to programmable logic and the associated development cycle, we'll hear about applications in computer conservation, and we will learn about open source chip design, the OpenCores community and the MIPS-like OpenRISC 1000 CPU. // A Brief Introduction to Programmable Logic Programmable Logic Devices - mainly FPGAs – are frequently utilised in high speed and computationally intensive applications, and with modern devices containing several million transistors and many gigabits/second of connectivity they are becoming increasingly popular in the race to achieve exascale computing power. But what does this all mean and how can FPGAs achieve this processing power? How do they differ from the good old CPUs we have in our everyday computers? In essence, an FPGA is a device that contains configurable blocks of logic along with flexible interconnect between these blocks. They can be configured to contain exactly and only those operations that appear in the algorithms employed in a particular application, which can potentially give them quite a bit of an advantage in terms of throughput and efficiency when compared to static instruction set processors such as a traditional x86 CPU. In this short introductory talk we will cover the basics of programmable logic devices and talk about the design, synthesis, simulation, implementation and programming cycles associated with FPGA projects. Omer Kilic is a research student at the University of Kent working on dynamically reconfigurable architectures and embedded systems. When he is not busy working on his PhD project (a reconfigurable heterogeneous computing framework) or running lab classes, he enjoys tinkering and drinking good beer. // Computer Conservation with FPGAs Having acquired an IBM System/360 Model 30 mainframe whilst he was at university, Lawrence Wilkinson brought it back to life, then abandoned it when the rent and power costs became a drain, and has since felt very guilty. As they became obsolete in the early 1970s, very few IBM System/360s now exist in running order. To make amends he embarked on a project of re-creating the Model 30 as a gate-level simulation, using the original circuits and microcode. While the software-based Hercules emulator is available to run all 360 and 370 software, Lawrence's programmable logic-based solution faithfully replicates the Model 30 with its limited storage and I/O capability, and provides a front panel interface. The basic CPU is implemented in a Xilinx S3 FPGA and the VHDL is available for download under the GPL. Development of the project continues with the further addition of storage and I/O devices. Lawrence Wilkinson started out as an Electrical and Electronic Engineer in Auckland in the 1980s, transmogrified into an IT and Accounting support person in the late 80s, then went back to hardware and low-level software upon moving to England in the mid 90s. Eventually ending up with the new BAR Formula 1 team, he spent a few years writing and supporting on-car control software, won the World Championship with Brawn Grand Prix in 2009, and currently supports various factory test systems for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix in Northamptonshire. // OpenCores, Chip Design and the OpenRISC 1000 Opencores dates back to 1999 as a forum for open source chip designs, primarily intended for FPGA, but also used in ASIC. It now hosts several hundred designs, and has over 100,000 registered users world wide. This talk will look at what is involved in putting together an open source chip design. In particular the licensing issues represent a challenge, with standard F/OSS licenses having serious weaknesses when it comes to licensing hardware. It will finish with an overview of OpenCores' flagship project, the OpenRISC 1000. This is a 32-bit MIPS-like RISC processor, with a full reference SoC design. It comes with a GNU development tool chain, a number of RTOS ports and an up to date uClibc Linux kernel/BusyBox implementation. In recent years the entire front-end design flow has become open source, as open source electronic design automation (EDA) tools have become available. It has now reached the stage of maturity where some of its development is by commercially funded engineers, as well as a large community of volunteers. Dr Jeremy Bennett is Chief Executive of Embecosm Limited. Embecosmi provides open source services, tools and models to facilitate embedded software development with complex systems-on chip. He spends two days a month working as the Embedded Systems Champion for the Electronics, Sensors and Photonics KTN, which seeks to improve the flow of knowledge between academia and industry. He can be contacted via jeremy.bennett(a)embecosm.com. Note: Please aim to arrive for 18:00 - 18:20 as the event will start at 18:30 prompt. Registration: http://oshug.org/event/9

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Open Source 5 axis CNC Router & Plasma Machine Plans 5'x10'
by Andrew Back 15 Mar '11

15 Mar '11

A nice find by Sebastien of the MilkyMist project... Cheers, Andrew -- Andrew Back mailto:andrew@osmosoft.com http://carrierdetect.com

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OSHUG #7 - BBC Radio 5 Live.
by Andrew Back 15 Feb '11

15 Feb '11

I asked the speakers at last week's OSHUG meeting a few questions for Outriders on BBC Radio 5 Live. This was broadcast in the early hours of this morning and is now up as a podcast. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/outriders/2011/02/histories_stories_and_current.… Cheers, Andrew -- Andrew Back mailto:andrew@osmosoft.com http://carrierdetect.com

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Why the Arduino Won and Why It’s Here to Stay.
by Andrew Back 14 Feb '11

14 Feb '11

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/02/why-the-arduino-won-and-why-its-he… -- Andrew Back mailto:andrew@osmosoft.com http://carrierdetect.com

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OSHUG #7, Thursday 10th February.
by Andrew Back 10 Feb '11

10 Feb '11

Hello, Just a quick note to say that if you haven't yet registered for the next OSHUG meeting you would be advised to do so soon, as we are almost at capacity. Also, bearing this in mind, if you have registered and find yourself now unable to attend please can you cancel your booking so that someone else may register. http://oshuglearning.eventbrite.com/ Cheers, Andrew -- Andrew Back mailto:andrew@osmosoft.com http://carrierdetect.com

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Open Source Hardware Definition 1.0 released.
by Andrew Back 10 Feb '11

10 Feb '11

http://freedomdefined.org/OSHW Regards, Andrew -- Andrew Back mailto:andrew@osmosoft.com http://carrierdetect.com

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OSHUG #7 - Learning, Thursday 10th February.
by Andrew Back 08 Jan '11

08 Jan '11

Hello, Registration is now live for OSHUG #7: http://oshug.org/event/7 Details below. Cheers, Andrew -- OSHUG #7 — Learning (BBC, Tinker London) On the 10th Feb 2011, 18:00 - 20:30 at BBC White City Media Centre, 201 Wood Lane, London, W12 7TQ, UK (51.513359, -0.227874) The ability to study and improve the design of open source hardware is a core principle and it follows therefore that as a methodology it is well suited to learning environments. Community, collaboration and ecosystem are also central open source hardware, however, ambitious projects that embraced these principles existed long before its advent. At the seventh OSHUG meeting we'll be hearing from ex-BBC employees that were intimately involved in the BBC's Computer Literacy Project, the creation of the BBC Micro and the Domesday project. First hand experiences from that heady time during the 1980s when the UK was at the forefront of microcomputer development will frame the opportunity that faces us once again. Whereas lessons learnt will help us to build on these experiences and to strive to ensure that pitfalls are avoided. We will also be hearing from Tinker London about experiences of teaching open source technologies and how this differs from more traditional approaches to learning. Kindly hosted by BBC Learning Development. // The BBC Computer Literacy Project Why did the BBC embark on one of its most ambitious projects - the Computer Literacy Project - in 1982? What was the scene like then and how successful was the enterprise. What technical issues were involved? 85% of schools used BBC Micros and millions were sold, along with best selling books and software, including 'telesoftware'. What is the legacy - if at all? How did the work then benefit BBC technology now? After being Head of Science at Beaumont and Stonyhurst Colleges, David Allen joined the BBC in 1969 as an Assistant producer/director. He became producer and then executive producer of a range of programmes. As a programme maker, he was series editor of the BBC Computer Literacy Project 1982-1986 and intimately connected with the creation of the BBC Microcomputer. He received seven awards (including the New York Film Festival, Sony Innovation awards, RTS Judges Award and Times Technology Programme of the Year two years running. With BBC R&D helped evolve radio cameras and virtual studio production. When David retired he was executive producer in Production Modernisation. He is currently making documentaries for BBC R&D and for Historic Royal Palaces. // The BBC Domesday Project - If I could Do it All Over Again The BBC Domesday Project was an interactive media production made as part of celebrations of the 900th anniversary of William the Conqueror's Domesday Book of 1086. It was a technical triumph, combining digital data with analogue pictures, video and sound with an innovative user interface running on an 8-bit BBC Microcomputer controlling a state-of-the-art laser videodisc. 25 years later it has still not been possible to republish something that over a million people helped to make, and despite sometime heroic reclamation and preservation, it is still virtually impossible to access the original software. Andy Finney was one of the project founders and he produced some of the material in the project. He will explain the origins and technical background to the Domesday discs in the context of both it 1980s origins and how much of what it pioneered has since become commonplace. Andy Finney started in radio and moved into television, video and interactive video within the BBC over a 21 year career. Since leaving he has concentrated on web-based technologies including databases, these days with a lean towards digital television reception. He worked with the then Public Record Office and the BBC to help preserve the audio-visual content of the Domesday discs and still keeps a fatherly eye out for re-publication. // Standing on the Shoulders of Hackers Learning is an intrinsic aspect of open source projects. Practices such as documenting and sharing work, following one’s own interests, and ad hoc organizing open up - and complicate - opportunities for learning and teaching, especially in informal and semi-formal contexts. Drawing on his experiences teaching Arduino workshops, Daniel will talk about how both the hardware and open-source aspects of OSH affect processes and tools for learning and teaching. Daniel Soltis is an interaction designer specializing in physical interfaces, play and games, and the rough edges where engineering, design, art, and learning meet. He has been working with Tinker London since 2008, studied physical computing and game design at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program, and in prior life had various adventures in math and physics, teaching, editing, and medical writing. He has taught Arduino, Processing, and rapid prototyping for events and institutions including Thinking Digital, CIID, the V&A, and dConstruct, and has spoken about games and hardware at events including SXSW, the SIGGRAPH Video Game Symposium, Playful, and Open Hardware Camp. Note: Please aim to arrive for 18:00 - 18:15 as the event will start at 18:30 prompt. Note also that the venue is the Media Centre at White City and not the main White City building itself! On arrival please report to reception. -- Andrew Back mailto:andrew@osmosoft.com http://carrierdetect.com

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Thursday and interviews.
by Andrew Back 15 Nov '10

15 Nov '10

Hello, Just to remind folks that the next meeting is this Thursday and that this month London Hackspace have kindly offered to host us. All the details can be found at: http://oshug.org/event/6 Also, a few weeks ago I interviewed folks from Scrap Creative Reuse, Leeds Hackspace and Oomlout for the Outriders programme on BBC Radio 5 Live. This is now available as a podcast: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/outriders/2010/11/being_digital.shtml Whilst the common theme was makers I did get to briefly chat with Aaron at Oomlout about their open approach to product development/licensing. Cheers, Andrew -- Andrew Back mailto:andrew@osmosoft.com http://carrierdetect.com

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HPSDR slides (OSHUG #5).
by Andrew Back 15 Nov '10

15 Nov '10

All, I've just uploaded the slides from John Melton's excellent HPSDR talk: http://oshug.org/presentations/OSHUG5_HPSDR.pdf Regards, Andrew -- Andrew Back mailto:andrew@osmosoft.com http://carrierdetect.com

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The Opening Up of GSM and blogs.
by Andrew Back 31 Oct '10

31 Oct '10

Hello, I just posted an entry to the OSHUG blog at DesignSpark that may be of interest: http://www.designspark.com/content/opening-gsm Why at DesignSpark and not at blog.oshug.org? Well, we can have the latter also if folks think that this would be a good idea and/or would like to contribute. And if anyone wants to contribute to the DS blog they are welcome to and can e-mail me off-list. The rationale for posting to DesignSpark was that this appears to be growing into a sizeable community of electronic design engineers, and thus may present a good opportunity for extolling the virtues of open source approaches to hardware design. Getting back to oshug.org, I was thinking about setting up planet.oshug.org for aggregating member blog posts on OSH. With the hope being that folks can then more easily contribute and don't have to commit effort to a third party thing. As ever, I would welcome your thoughts. Cheers, Andrew -- Andrew Back mailto:andrew@osmosoft.com http://carrierdetect.com

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OSHUG #6, At Home (Tacticalendar, Denkimono Clock).
by Andrew Back 28 Oct '10

28 Oct '10

Hello, The theme for the sixth OSHUG meeting will be At Home, with talks on the Tacticalendar and Denkimono Clock projects. The date for the meeting is Thursday 18th November and the kind folks at London Hackspace have agreed to host us. For more information and to register see: http://oshug.org/event/6 Cheers, Andrew -- Andrew Back mailto:andrew@osmosoft.com http://carrierdetect.com

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Reminder: OSHUG #5 tomorrow!
by Andrew Back 20 Oct '10

20 Oct '10

Hello, Just a reminder that if you are planning on heading along to the fifth OSHUG meeting tomorrow to register if you haven't already: http://oshugradio.eventbrite.com/ Cheers, Andrew -- Open Source Hardware User Group Event #5 Radio (HPSDR) Thursday, October 21, 2010 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (GMT) London, United Kingdom HPSDR is an open source (GNU type) hardware and software project intended as the "next generation" software-defined radio for radio amateurs and shortwave listeners. It is being developed by a group of software-defined radio enthusiasts around the world, and in a modular hardware fashion to help promote experimentation by both hardware and software developers. John Melton has held an amateur radio license since 1984 when he was first licensed as N6LYT while living and working in California, and he was assigned the UK callsign of G0ORX on moving back to the UK. He became interested in developing open source software in 1990 with the launch of AMSAT Oscar 16, an amateur radio satellite with a store and forward messaging payload. He developed an open source software package to communicate with the satellite that ran on Linux (pre 1.0) and subsequently wrote an open source fully automated satellite ground station software package in Java. John has been a software engineer since 1970 when he was employed by Burroughs Corporation, and for the last 14 years he has worked for Sun Microsystems who were acquired by Oracle this year. -- Andrew Back mailto:andrew@osmosoft.com http://carrierdetect.com

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