Restrictions on SparkFun Open Source Hardware Components?

Hi Don - Great question that requires some thought into the definition of open source hardware.

From my perspective as long as your intentions are to keep the OpenLog part of the mainboard open, and to share that part of the project with others than you should have no problems building a mainboard and selling it. I envision a mention either in the included materials as a footnote (“This product uses OpenLog, an open source hardware device. For more information see https://github.com/sparkfun/OpenLog”). I encourage you to open as much of your product as possible (it’s good for you in the long run, I promise) but if you need to keep some bits in a black box and some in a glass box (OpenLog), that’s acceptable to me.

You shouldn’t need to buy pre-programmed chips from us! Just drop an ATmega328 on the board with 16MHz oscillator and program the IC with the latest OpenLog firmware (https://github.com/sparkfun/OpenLog). Another option would be to just put a 6-pin SIP on your mainboard and solder in OpenLogs for the first few production units. Once you need more than a half dozen it will be worth it to bring the ATmega onto the mainboard.

Thanks for the way-back dust off :slight_smile: