[hpsdr] Which projects are available under OHL?

Fri May 15 18:47:56 PDT 2009

Hi Phil,

Thanks for the reply.

I guess, indicating just what you said would be much better than it is 
now.   Perhaps it would also be great to indicate how many  boards are 
left before the first run  is over as well, with a date that the number 
was last updated.  This might help TAPR sell the last ones by causing a 
run at the end of their supply.

And I still don't know exactly what boards are under NCL by TAPR other 
than Mercury.  Is every board in that condition, or only the ones they 
have built boards for?  Dan told me that Penelope was OHL now, so I 
guess I know about that one.  When is the license applied?  When boards 
are printed?   After TAPR has a first run sold out?  Whenever a lead 
developers decides to license it some way or other?

My worry is that the date which the license turns from NCL to OHL could 
conceivably be a long time away.  Suppose the commercial venture Phil C. 
is dealing with takes a long time, perhaps because there is talk of Ozy 
II, etc.  Maybe they finally decide not to build any.  And suppose that 
Ozy II doesn't come along either.  Perhaps TAPR won't sell out of its 
Mercury boards because they require Ozy which they can't produce, and 
which isn't available anywhere else, or perhaps the price the other 
manufacturer sets is too steep.  It is possible that the license never 
would turn to OHL.  Or perhaps it does turn to OHL, but by then, it is 
obsoleted by something better.

I think Phil C. has convinced me that the NCL is problematic for 
collaboration projects like this.  I don't have a great suggestion on 
how to fix the problems we may be facing now, unless perhaps Phil C. and 
TAPR could both agree to open everything up as OHL simultaneously 
sometime soon.   If it would help, I would be willing to act as a go 
between to try and facilitate that if needed.  Or perhaps that 
possibility has already been discussed by TAPR and Phil C. and one of 
the other isn't willing to do it.

We need to address these issues in order to encourage development on the 
software.  I know it is a bit painful to think about this, and I 
apologize for bumping a spot that is likely sore for some in the group.

73,

Rob, KL7NA

Phil Harman wrote:
> Hi Rob,
>
> What about projects that are NCL now but will be OHL once TAPR  has 
> recouped their investment e.g. Mercury. How would you like that 
> indicated?
>
> 73's Phil...VK6APH
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rob Frohne" 
> <rob.frohne at wallawalla.edu>
> To: <hpsdr at openhpsdr.org>
> Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2009 5:25 AM
> Subject: [hpsdr] Which projects are available under OHL?
>
>
>> ***** High Performance Software Defined Radio Discussion List *****
>>
>> Hi Everyone,
>>
>> I went looking at the openhpsdr.org web site and the wiki and couldn't
>> easily find which boards are available under OHL.  Can someone point me
>> to the right place?  It would be nice if the sames places that it
>> prominently says "Available from TAPR" it could say "License: OHL" or
>> "License: NCL" or whatever the license is.
>>
>> Also, an editorial suggestion on the note that reads *
>>
>> Available*
>>
>> in PCB form only from TAPR <http://www.tapr.org/kits_ozy.html>
>>
>> Perhaps that should read "In PCB form only, from TAPR" as opposed to "In
>> PCB form, only from TAPR" assuming I understand the desired meaning.
>>
>> The reason the license is important to me is that I don't particularly
>> want to spend my time on projects that are NCL or depend on subparts
>> that are NCL, even if the NCL is meant to help TAPR.  Phil C. has made
>> his point on that, very clear to me.  If an SDR project is to succeed,
>> the hardware has to be readily available at a reasonable price.  In
>> order for that to happen, we have to be free to mass produce the
>> hardware.  If mass production is choked, software developers and other
>> hardware developers won't want to put the time in developing for that
>> platform, because its future is in question.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Rob, KL7NA
>>
>> -- 
>> Rob Frohne, Ph.D., P.E.
>> E.F. Cross School of Engineering
>> Walla Walla University
>> 100 SW 4th Street
>> College Place, WA 99324
>> (509) 527-2075 http://people.wallawalla.edu/~Rob.Frohne/
>>
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>
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-- 
Rob Frohne, Ph.D., P.E.
E.F. Cross School of Engineering
Walla Walla University
100 SW 4th Street
College Place, WA 99324
(509) 527-2075			 http://people.walllawalla.edu/~rob.frohne

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