Open source hardware 2008 - The definitive guide to open source hardware projects in 2008

What is open source hardware? Briefly, these are projects that creators have decided to completely publish all the source, schematics, firmware, software, bill of materials, parts list, drawings and "board" files to recreate the hardware - they also allow any use, including commercial. Similar to open source hardware like Linux, but hardware centric.

This is one of the new and emerging trends we've seen really take off over the last few years. Each year we do a guide to all open source hardware and this year there are over 60 projects/kits - it's incredible! Many are familiar with Arduino (now shipping over 60,000 units) but there are many other projects just as exciting and filled with amazing communities - we think we've captured nearly all of them in this list. Some of these projects and kits are available from MAKE others from the makers themselves or other hardware manufacturers - but since it's open source hardware you can make any of these yourself, everything is available.

You can also call this guide... "The Open source hardware gift guide - The one and only, 3rd annual celebration of open source hardware!" - we think these are some of the best things to consider for the holidays and it supports an exciting development in hardware design.

So sit back and get ready to scroll through the list! Here we go!

Arduino Duemilanove - The new classic
Arduino is a tool for making computers that can sense and control more of the physical world than your desktop computer. It's an open-source physical computing platform based on a simple microcontroller board, and a development environment for writing software for the board. "Duemilanove" means 2009 in Italian and is named after the year of its release. The Duemilanove is the latest in a series of USB Arduino boards.

Features:

• Microcontroller ATmega168
• Operating Voltage 5V
• Input Voltage (recommended) 7-12V
• Input Voltage (limits) 6-20V
• Digital I/O Pins 14 (of which 6 provide PWM output)
• Analog Input Pins 6
• DC Current per I/O Pin 40 mA
• DC Current for 3.3V Pin 50 mA
• Flash Memory 16 KB (of which 2 KB used by bootloader)
• SRAM 1 KB
• EEPROM 512 bytes
• Clock Speed 16 MHz

Resource - MAKE

Pixel Qi conjuring up black magic technology for 40-hour laptops

Sure, you can go out and get yourself a laptop right now that'll go 12.5-hours strong, but what if your portable computer could nearly outlast your Aigo A215? While L's mythical quad core lappie came close in theory, Mary Lou Jepsen's (the former CTO at OLPC) startup is hoping to eventually create a machine that can last between 20 and 40-hours between charges. Pixel Qi is being pretty closelipped right now (and understandably so) about what exactly it has going on, but we get the idea the secret sauce is in a highly efficient display that will require far less power than traditional LCDs. The best part? We could see one of these longevous notebooks in the pipeline as early as 2H 2009, so we'd probably start stocking up on Red Bull right about now.
Resource - Engadget

Elpida Develops 50nm DDR3 SDRAM

Elpida Memory Inc has completed development of a 50nm process DDR3 SDRAM. The DRAM product features what it said is the lowest power consumption in the industry, 2.5Gbps ultra high speed and a 1.2V low voltage operation based on the industry's smallest chip size.

Developed using 193nm (ArF) immersion lithography technology and copper interconnect technology, the 50nm process DDR3 SDRAM has a chip size of less than 40mm².

In addition, the eco-friendly SDRAM operates on not only DDR3 standard 1.5V supply voltage but even lower voltages of 1.35V and 1.2V. It contributes to the low-power operations of high-density memory systems such as servers and data centers.

The DDR3 SDRAM will initially find applications in high-end desktop PCs. The company said applications are possible elsewhere based on the current shift away from DDR2 SDRAMs in notebook PCs and server equipment.

Mass production of the 50nm DDR3 SDRAM is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2009.

Resource - Tech-On

Toshiba to Launch 16GB microSDHC

Toshiba's 16GB microSDHC, and 8GB, 16GB SDHC Cards

Toshiba Corp has reinforced its memory card line-up with the launch of a 16GB microSDHC card, offering what it said is the largest capacity available in the market. The company also extended its range of memory card solutions by adding ultra fast read write 8GB and 16GB SDHC cards to its line-up.

All the SD memory cards comply with the SD memory standard v.2.00, and the SDHC cards support class 6 ultra fast read write speed, with a maximum write speed of 20MB/s. The new memory cards deliver the performance level necessary for continuous shooting of still images and recording video images, and meet strong market demands for cards combining high capacities with high speed data read and write. The microSDHC can be used with an adapter that allows it to be used in SDHC slots.

Mass production of the SDHC cards will start in December, with production of the microSDHC slated to start in January 2009.

Resource - Tech-On

Hynix Introduces 7Gbps, 1Gb GDDR5 Graphics DRAM

Hynix's 1Gb GDDR5 Graphics DRAM

Hynix Semiconductor Inc of Korea has developed what it said is the industry's first and fastest 1Gb GDDR5 Graphics DRAM.

Built on the company's 54nm process technology, the 1Gb GDDR5 is said to operate at the fastest speed of 7Gbps. This represents an improvement of 40% compared to 5Gbps GDDR5. The graphics DRAM processes up to 28Gbyte of data per second with a 32-bit I/O. In addition to its improved speed, the product is also designed to minimize power consumption at 1.35V power supply. Such features make the DRAM suitable for use in high-end applications, such as game PCs, game consoles and graphic cards.

The 1Gb GDDR5 graphics DRAM meets JEDEC standard. Volume production is expected to start in the first half of next year.

Resource - Tech-On

Yukon Ho AMD shows off new ultraportable roadmap

Yesterday, AMD announced that its integrated CPU+GPU Fusion processors wouldn't debut until 2011. Instead, we'll see a plethora of new mobile parts and chipsets rolling out of Sunnyvale through 2009, including new mobile platforms codenamed Congo and Yukon. Both will debut in the first half of 2009, with Yukon positioned as the most netbook-like solution. AMD isn't really using that term, however, and is attempting to position these products as "full-featured" ultraportables with form factors that more closely resemble the Macbook Air.

Let's pause a moment, and define a few terms. Yukon and Congo are high-level terms that refer to an overall platform. Congo, the higher-end version, will use AMD's upcoming Conesus CPU. Conesus, shown below, is a 65nm, dual-core CPU with 1MB of cache (presumably 512K per core), and will support DDR2. Combined with the Congo platform, it will carry an RS780M GPU, the SB710 southbridge, and will support at least some of the Radeon's HD decode features. Yukon is the low-end variant of Congo and will be paired with a low- end Conesus-derived CPU, codenamed "Huron." This new chip will pair up with the RS690E video core and an SB600(?) southbridge.

I dropped in that question mark because I'm having a hard time seeing the logic for an SB600 in an ultraportable or mini-notebook. SB600 used more power than SB700, offered less connectivity, and was a bit buggier than the SB700 and SB750 that have since replaced it. I've no doubt it can do the job, but it's an odd choice for an netbook ultraportable. AMD is targeting a sub-25W TDP for both of these platforms. Granted, that's well above Intel's Atom, but disclosing total platform TDP as opposed to CPU TDP alone is a more accurate representation of how much power the shipping product is going to require.

As for Huron and Conesus, a quick check of AMD's existing product line yields several interesting possibilities. AMD currently has two embedded solutions that might fit Yukon's power consumption profile. The first is virtually a guaranteed fit—it's an integrated Athlon 64 2000+, with a 1GHz core clock, 512K L2, and an 8W TDP. I say "guaranteed," in this case, because if AMD can't deploy a motherboard chipset+IGP that draws less than 16W, the company has no business in this space to begin with. There's also an embedded Athlon 64 2600+—single-core, 15W, 512K of L2 cache. That's a bit tighter of an envelope, but it's still potentially possible.

Conesus is a bit trickier. AMD currently only has just one mobile core in the 25W space, the QL-62 (2GHz, 1MB L2 cache). Then again, since this is a 25W part at 2GHz, it shouldn't be too hard to knock 500MHz off the core, trim the voltage, drop the system bus from 3600MHz to something in the 2GHz range. The reason I'm spending so much time discussing current options, for the curious, is because I seriously doubt Conesus or Huron are actually new CPUs. They might be respun for lower power consumption (we know AMD's 65nm process technology has improved in that regard, based on current Phenom TDPs compared to what the company originally shipped), but the CPUs themselves, I think, are likely to be K8 derivatives.

I have seen some questions on whether or not AMD could ship this sort of part in time to compete with Intel's Atom refresh next year, but again, I don't think that's an issue, for reasons of power consumption and the fundamental performance differences between an out-of-order execution engine and an in-order design. Attempting to compare the two, at this point, smacks more of an inherent desire to grab onto something that's currently popular (Atom) and associate it with something new (Huron/Conesus) even if the two have very little in common.

Resource - Ars Technica

MacBook Pro: Distorted video or no video issues

Symptoms

In July 2008, NVIDIA publicly acknowledged a higher than normal failure rate for some of their graphics processors due to a packaging defect. At that same time, NVIDIA assured Apple that Mac computers with these graphics processors were not affected. However, after an Apple-led investigation, Apple has determined that some MacBook Pro computers with the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor may be affected. If the NVIDIA graphics processor in your MacBook Pro has failed, or fails within two years of the original date of purchase, a repair will be done free of charge, even if your MacBook Pro is out of warranty.

What to look for:

• Distorted or scrambled video on the computer screen
• No video on the computer screen (or external display) even though the computer is on

Specific products affected:

• MacBook Pro 15-inch and 17-inch models with NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processors
  
  • MacBook Pro (17-Inch, 2.4GHz)
  • MacBook Pro (15-Inch, 2.4/2.2GHz)
  • MacBook Pro (Early 2008)
• These computers were manufactured between approximately May 2007 and September 2008

Products Affected

MacBook Pro, models with NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processors

Resolution

If your MacBook Pro is exhibiting any of the symptoms listed above, please take it to an Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) for evaluation, or call your local Apple Contact Center. Before visiting the Genius Bar at the Apple Retail Store, please make a reservation.

Apple is issuing refunds to customers who may have paid for repairs related to this issue. Please contact Apple for details on the refund process.

Note: If your MacBook Pro is not experiencing any of these symptoms, you do not need to contact Apple.

Resource - Apple Support