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OPEN SOURCE IS A TECHNOLOGY
ABSTRACT:
Open Source is a technology which is freely available to all people in the earth. There are
different fields in open source like, hardware, intelligence, license, governance, initiative,
software. All these devices not only lead to free cost but also to a higher degree of efficiency
and reusability. Opening the source code enabled a self-enhancing diversity of production
models, communication paths, and interactive communities. Thereby reducing the cost at the
customers end and forming a “factory-per-house” scenario.
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INTRODUCTION:
What is an Open Source?
Open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the
end product's source materials—typically, their source code. Some consider open
source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology. Before the term open
source became widely adopted, developers and producers used a variety of phrases to
describe the concept; open source gained hold with the rise of a public, worldwide,
computer-network system called the Internet, and the attendant need for massive retooling of
the computing source code. Subsequently, a new, three-word phrase "open source software"
was born to describe the environment that the new copyright, licensing, domain,
and consumer issues created.
Here Open source has many types in which Open Source Hardware has an example of Open
Source 3D printer named as Rep Rap 1.0 "Darwin" is a rapid prototyping machine that is
capable of making the majority of its own component parts. Instructions and all necessary
data are available completely free under the GNU General Public License from this website
to everyone. As Rep Rap 1.0 "Darwin" can copy itself, once you have one you can make
others for your friends; or if they have one you can ask them to make one for you. Of course,
you can also make as many as you want for yourself; the more you have, the faster you will
be able to make other items. Rep Rap etiquette asks that you use your machine to make the
parts for at least two more Darwin’s for other people at cost, as well as using it to make
whatever you or anyone else on the internet can think up...Darwin consists of a frame made
from rods and printed parts. A flat build platform moves vertically in that frame, driven on
screw threads by a stepper motor. At the top of the frame there are two write heads that move
horizontally (driven by toothed belts and two more steppers) extruding a thin stream of
molten plastic to form new layers on the build base. The machine prints layer by layer to
form a solid object. The build base then moves one increment down; the second layer is
extruded, and so on. There are two heads to allow a filler material to be laid down as well as
the plastic. This filler is used to support overhanging parts of the objects being built, and is
removed when the process is finished.
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The open source model includes the concept of concurrent yet different agendas and differing
approaches in production, in contrast with more centralized models of development such as
those typically used in commercial software companies. A main principle and practice
of open source software development is peer production by bartering and collaboration, with
the end-product (and source-material) available at no cost to the public. This is increasingly
being applied in other fields of endeavor, such as biotechnology.
TECHNICAL PART:
Types of Open Source:
1. Open Source Intelligence.
2. Open Source Initiative.
3. Open Source License.
4. Open Source Governance.
5. Open Source Development Labs.
6. Open Source Hardware.
1. Open Source Intelligence:
Open source intelligence (OSINT) is a form of intelligence collection
management that involves finding, selecting, and acquiring information from publicly
available sources and analyzing it to produce actionable intelligence. In the intelligence
community (IC), the term "open" refers to overt, publicly available sources (as opposed to
covert or classified sources); it is not related to open-source software or public
intelligence.
2. Open Source Initiative:
The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is an organization dedicated to
promoting open source software.
3. Open Source License:
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An open source license is a copyright license for computer software that makes
the source code available under terms that allow for modification and redistribution
without having to pay the original author. Such licenses may have additional restrictions
such as a requirement to preserve the name of the authors and the copyright statement
within the code. One popular (and sometimes considered normative) set of open source
software licenses are those approved by the Open Source Initiative (OSI) based on
their Open Source Definition (OSD).
4. Open source governance:
Open source governance is a political philosophy which advocates the
application of the philosophies of the open source and open content movements
to democratic principles in order to enable any interested citizen to add to the creation of
policy, as with a wiki document. Legislation is democratically opened to the general
citizenry in this way, allowing policy development to benefit from the collected wisdom
of the people as a whole.
5. Open Source Development Labs (OSDL):
Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) was a non-profit
organization supported by a global consortium tasked to "accelerate the deployment
of Linux for enterprise computing”. Founded in 2000, its goals included "to be the
recognized center-of-gravity for the Linux industry".
6. Open Source Hardware:
Open source hardware is hardware that is designed and offered in the same
manner as free and open source software (FOSS). Open source hardware is part of
the open source culture and applies the open source concept to h/w.
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Brief Information about Open Source Hardware:
The term usually means that information about the hardware is open to all. This
would include the hardware design (i.e. schematics, bill of materials and PCB layout data), as
well as a FOSS approach to the software that drives the hardware.
Since the rise of reconfigurable programmable logic devices, sharing of logic designs
has been a form of open source hardware. Instead of sharing the schematics, (as in hardware
description language), (HDL) code is shared. HDL descriptions are commonly used to set
up system-on-a-chip systems either in field-programmable gate arrays or directly
in application-specific integrated circuit designs. HDL modules, when distributed, are
called semiconductor intellectual property cores, or IP cores.
Open Source Hardware Application (3D Printer):
How does the 3D Printer work?
Dimension builds functional 3D models from the bottom up, one layer at a time with tough,
durable acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic. STL files from a 3D scanner are
imported into Catalyst EX Software which automatically slices and orients the parts and
creates any necessary support structures. The software automatically plots a precise
deposition path for Dimension to follow. ABS plastic (in filament form within auto-loading
cartridges in a variety of colors) is fed into an extrusion head, heated to a semi-liquid state
and accurately deposited in layers as fine as 0.007-inch (0.178 mm) thick. After completion
of the build, support structures are simply removed.
What is the Rep rap Project?
“Rep Rap is short for Replicating Rapid prototype. It is the practical self copying 3D printer
shown on the right a self replicating machine. This 3D printer builds the component up in
layers of plastic. This technology already exists, but the cheapest Commercial machine would
cost you about €30,000. And it isn't even designed so that it can make itself. So what the Rep
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rap team is doing is to develop and to give away the designs for a much cheaper machine
with the novel capability of being able to self copy (material costs are about €400).”
3D printers weld layers of material on top of each other, with precise control, to build up 3D
objects (illustrated below). This technology is capable of building highly complex, accurate
components in many different materials, typically polymers and alloys. Techniques used to
print the layers include laser sintering and filament disposition. Unfortunately the cheapest
3D printer n the market is approximately EURO 20, 000.
Specification:
The Rep Rap 1.0 "Darwin" machine has the following characteristics:
Working volume: adjustable, but nominally 230mm (X) x 230mm (Y) x 100mm (Z)
Working materials: Poly caprolactone and a filler/support
Configuration: 3-axis Cartesian drive using stepper motors
Line and space: 0.5mm and about 0.2mm
Feature size: about 2mm
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Positioning accuracy: 0.1 mm
Layer thickness: adjustable, but nominally 0.3mm
Computer interface: USB
Material handling: Two fixed material deposition extruders, user exchangeable
Power supply needed: 6A max, 3A continuous at 12V DC
Driving computer and operating system needed: Microsoft Windows, Linux, Unix, or
Mac
Exterior dimensions: adjustable, but nominally 600 mm wide x 520 mm deep x 650
mm high
Weight: about 14 Kg.
Image:
Rep rap Project, Version1.0 name as DRAWIN
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Electronics:
The electronics are the brains of the system. There are currently 3 generations of electronics
that drive a Rep Rap.
Generation 1 is the initial system based on Microchip's PIC electronics. Starting with
these electronics is not recommended. For people that have the early PIC
electronics, here is its documentation. Note that the kits can also be very useful for
other projects, since they can operate stand-alone.
Generation 2 : Arduino / sanguino based electronics. This is mainly in use today. You
will have a setup similar to most of us.
Generation 3 Electronics : This is the bleeding edge system. It is still under
development but will arguably be easiest to setup and wire, since it incorporates a
motherboard with easy wiring to each daughterboard. As it is barely available, it is not
used much in the field yet (at the time of writing, April 2009). This may change
quickly, however. Most of the electronics are surface mount.
Tool heads:
The tool heads are the things that actually lay down the build material. Currently, there is
only one tool head that is ready for general use, the Thermoplastic Extruder. However,
eventually we would like to support many different tool heads from simple markers for
drawing to support material extruders to paste extruder to lasers for cutting/sintering to wax
deposition heads for doing metal casting. If you have a tool head that does not heavily stress
the Cartesian bot, then it would be well suited for the Rep Rap platform.
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Cartesian robot:
Cartesian Assembly (Mechanical)
Cartesian Assembly (Electrical)
The Cartesian robot is mechanical element of Darwin. The assembly moves the tool heads
around in the X & Y planes to print each layer shape and drops the Z axis down one
increment when each layer is completed. Follow the links above to find out what parts you
need, and how to put them all together...
Printing in 3D:
Tweaking:
You now need to tweak the software so that your hardware can print coherently. The
parameters can be accessed by running the Rep Rap software and clicking on File ->
Preferences. It is probably best to experiment with a simple STL.
Documentation for these parameters can be found here. A guide to calibrating your
machine using these parameters can be found here.
If you've successfully assembled and tweaked everything and are ready to take the
plunge, load up this file into the Rep Rap build area and start the job. After X minutes
a few small cylinders suitable for drinking should appear. Gather your friends and fill
them with your age-appropriate celebratory substance of choice. Say a cheesy line,
and drink. This will demonstrate some excellent properties of your new machine that
the axes work, your extruder works, and the plastic seal is watertight. Welcome to the
Future.
Feeding the Extruder:
For experiments and calibration, you can just poke a meter or so of filament into the
extruder. To make substantial components you'll either have to keep joining more bits
on, or use a spool mounted so that it can feed the extruder without kinks. One
approach is detailed here
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Spare Parts and Replication:
Now that you have a working machine that is well supplied with raw material, make
one each of all the component parts of your machine and put them in a cardboard box
on a shelf in a cool dry place. In the future if anything breaks, you'll then have the
right spare part. If that happens, replace the part, make another, and put that back in
the box. In addition to making copies of it, Rep Rap can, of course, repair itself...
Also, don't forget to make two machines for friends or colleagues. It's by no means
required, but it is definitely in the spirit of the project. The project is free (as in
speech), but unfortunately real stuff costs money, so the common etiquette is to pay
for raw materials / shipping / construction time.
Supply:
In fact, since its in the group's best interest, we will probably be doing group buys in
the future through the Rep Rap Research Foundation (RRRF). The more people we
get the better prices we can negotiate. Additionally, since it is often easiest to buy as
an individual, we will also be listing suppliers where you can get parts. This is a good
thing since with this shared knowledge, we'll be able to compare prices as an internet
community and if someone finds a supplier with the lowest cost with a compatible
part, then we can highlight that source and everyone will benefit from the savings.
Economics dictates that the larger this project gets, the cheaper its components will
be.
Rep rap Project, Version2.0 name as MENDEL
Generation 2.0 of Rep Rap, the self replicating 3d printer, is approaching realization. Code,
the new design will be wedge shaped rather than a box which offers a few benefits. The
overall design is smaller than the original Rep Rap but the printable area is larger. This means
more functionality with less building material. With each new generation of this project the
assembly gets easier and total parts price drops making the Rep Rap available to a much
wider audience.
The Rep Rap blog has put forth some design specs, a picture of the assembled prototype, and
has links for general assembly information (ZIP). We won’t see a finished version of this
released for a few months but so far it looks like a big leap forward.
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Other Example of Open Source Hardware:
1. Aurora Channel Open Source DJ Mixer
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CONCLUSION:
Hence we can provide “factory-per-house” i.e. for the basic needs we don’t have to
depend on other companies to build the small-small objects for house, office,
industry.
Definitely open Source technology has evolved successfully so far yet there are very
few people who have accepted this technology as a way of life.
it is a very resourceful application that proves as a boon to the mankind because of the
reusability, efficiency and cost cutting.
As every new thing requires some time to get adapted with the existing generation,
Open Source technology too will take some time.
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