Contributing to Open Hardware with FOSSi Foundation

Open Hardware is much more than designing chips and circuit boards, and you don't need to be a hardware engineer to contribute!

In this talk, we explore the Open Source Hardware (OSHW) ecosystem, from digital hardware designs and RISC-V to development tools, automation, documentation, and community building. We introduce the FOSSi Foundation, LibreCores, and other initiatives that make open hardware accessible to contributors of all backgrounds.

We'll also discuss how to discover projects, get involved in communities, and find opportunities through programs like Google Summer of Code. Whether you're a software developer, student, hardware enthusiast, or newcomer to open source, there is a place for you in Open Hardware!

Transcript

1. Contributing to Open Hardware with FOSSi Foundation Oleg Nenashev April 12, 2021 - Code for Cause webinar Recording: https://youtu.be/XWdESLb-FDo?t=304
2. > whoami St.Petersburg Polytechnic Free and Open Source University (SPbPU) Silicon Foundation LibreCores @oleg_nenashev oleg-nenashev Jenkins CloudBees 2
3. Agenda • Intro to open source hardware (OSHW) • FOSSi, and how to find OSHW projects • Open Source Hardware projects in GSoC • Q&A Recording (April 12, 2021): https://youtu.be/XWdESLb-FDo?t=304 3
4. Open Source Hardware examples 4
5. Open Source Hardware examples BeagleBoard Arduino 5
6. Open Source Hardware examples • Systems on Chips • CPUs, Memory, etc. • Small IP blocks • ... 6
7. Open Hardware is not just “hardware” • Hardware Description Languages • Open Source EDA - Electronics Design Automation tools • Open Source Instruction Sets • ◦ RISC-V, OpenMIPS, … ◦ Does not always mean open source implementations... Software Development tools compilers, simulators, … Image Source: https://www.open-electronics.org/what-can-open-sourc e-hardware-learn-from-software/ 7
8. Open Hardware is not just “code” • Documentation • Demo materials • Design • Helping users • Advocacy & Outreach • Community events • ... Image Source: https://www.open-electronics.org/what-can-open-sourc e-hardware-learn-from-software/ 8
9. Anyone can contribute! 9
10. How to contribute? 1. Follow your interests. Open Hardware is everywhere 2. Find a related project/organization 3. Find contributor guidelines 4. Start from small contributions 5. Make sure you enjoy contributing 10
11. Open Hardware Organizations - Examples 11
12. • FOSSi Foundation is a non-profit foundation • Mission: Promote and assist free and open digital hardware designs and their related ecosystems. • Operates as an open, inclusive, vendor-independent group. https://fossi-foundation.org/ 12
13. Projects Events OSHW Licensing 13
14. How do I find OSHW projects?
15. Social coding platforms: GitHub, GitLab, etc. • OSHW projects use the same platforms as software! • Many repositories on GitHub et al. • Example: https://github.com/topics/hdl ◦ • HDL - hardware description Languages There are special aggregator sites! 15
16. https://opencores.org/
17. 17 What is LibreCores?
18. https://www.librecores.org/ 18
19. • LibreCores CI is a toolset/service to provide continuous integration to hardware projects • Provide automation service • Powered by Jenkins 19
20. Open Hardware in Google Summer of Code 20
21. OSHW organizations in GSoC 2021 https://www.fossi-foundation.org/gsoc https://beagleboard.org/gsoc 21
22. The end? 22
23. Takeaways • Open Hardware does not longer have a high barrier of entry • You do not need to be a hardware engineer to contribute to Open Hardware • OSHW evolves quickly, many opportunities • OSHW is good for your career • Everyone can contribute! 23
24. What to do next? 1. Try contributing to ANY open hardware project 2. Ask in community chats/channels if you need help or any pointers 3. Keep exploring! 24
25. References • https://www.fossi-foundation.org/ • https://www.librecores.org/ • https://www.fossi-foundation.org/gsoc • Recording (12.04.2021): https://youtu.be/XWdESLb-FDo?t=304 25
26. QUESTIONS? Contacts: E-mail: o.v.nenashev@gmail.com GitHub: oleg-nenashev Twitter: @oleg_nenashev 26