“A cadre of hardware developers is trying to bring concepts from
the open-source software world to the hardware business.”
“Engineers around the world, connected via the Internet, are
seeking to develop a vast library of freely available hardware
designs, similar to how Linux developers and other open-source
programmers share intellectual property.”
“This open-source hardware library–consisting of design
elements for processors, memory controllers, peripherals,
motherboards and a host of other components–would aide
semiconductor start-ups and device manufacturers alike. Instead of
investing millions in basic and sometimes redundant design work,
companies would be able to tap the library for the know-how they
need, licensing designs for chips and other technology for
free.”