Open Licensed Hardware

Posted by TomRose on September 27, 2006 under NFC, Open Source, RFID | 2 Comments to Read

It has not received the attention of open source software; however, the same concept is being applied to hardware components by releasing the design and usually a working simulation model via hardware description language such as VHDL (HDL Tutorial, FreeHDL ). OPENCORES is one of the consortiums focused on Open Licensed Hardware, and was founded sometime in 2000. The fact that hardware is being open licensed gives much credit to the model of open and free components, as the real value is how to put those components (hardware and software) together into a solution.

I’m not an advocate that absolutely everything has to be open licensed, and not to say that the industry as a whole has the best open licenses today, or have figured out the best business model for both the producers and consumers. Although, I am convinced that open licensed technology is invaluable for increasing innovation, accelerating adoption and evolution of commercial solutions/services, as well as distributing the risk of technology development across a wider participant base.

Now, what prompted this post was a mail list message about OpenPCD, a RFID reader, both hardware and software with an open license. This type of technology is part of a broader movement referred to as NearField Communications (NFC).

Also related, the recently finalized JSR 257 (Contactless Communication API ), that supports many connection interfaces, such as ISO 14443. You will see this particular protocol (and others) referred to in the NFC forum noted above, and also implemented in the OpenPCD project via and open source component called librfid . So there is much movement in this space across the world, in addition to security and privacy controversy with its use. You can look toward implementation of this technology in passports to find heated debate about the additional security it brings, and its appropriateness in this solution space. Search Bruce Schneier’s weblog for “passports” to get a security perspective of the technology.

There is no doubt an open license approach to technology will continue to be adopted. We just need to prove out the business models that will continue to fuel the development of open licensed technology. As nothing is free, somebody always has to pay.

Tom