I certainly wouldn't expect them (FIC) to make the schematics/PCB "free to use", which would enable people to legally copy FIC's investment.<br><br>But what real advantage can there be to keeping them closed? I would at least like this explained to me. As far as I know, any company wishing to make illegal knockoffs can just X-ray the boards (to read the layers) and therefore reproduce the PCB and schematics. After all, they have an incentive to put the time in. But hobbyist hackers don't have this time.
<br><br>I would also like to be able to repair the phone when it inevitably becomes damaged (in a few years, say). It is very frustrating when repairing consumer electronics that you just can't find the necessary information anywhere, ie what the ICs are (topcodes are next to useless). Quite often just a power transistor or the like needs to be replaced, but it is incredibly time-consuming understanding the function of each part of the circuit when you can only see part of it.
<br><br>Justyn<br><br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 21/02/07, <b class="gmail_sendername">Jose Ildefonso Camargo Tolosa</b> <<a href="mailto:ildefonso.camargo@gmail.com">ildefonso.camargo@gmail.com</a>> wrote:
</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">Hi!<br><br>I second the schematic request. But I doubt that they release them,<br>the same happen with agenda. Anyway, if they doesn't release the
<br>schematics, and I get myself one of these phones, we would need to<br>analize the pcb and try to get an idea on the design in order to<br>modify it. It can be done, but it will take longer.<br><br>I hope they release the schematic.
<br><br>c-ya!<br><br>Ildefonso Camargo<br><br>On 2/20/07, Justyn Butler <<a href="mailto:justynbutler+openmoko@googlemail.com">justynbutler+openmoko@googlemail.com</a>> wrote:<br>> Hi,<br>><br>> I'd been assuming that the PCB and/or schematics for the Neo1973 had been
<br>> made available along with the source code. Looking now, I realise that they<br>> haven't.<br>><br>> I'm a hardware kind of person, and I've been looking forward to creating<br>> add-ons and modifications to my Neo1973 the second it arrives. Clearly the
<br>> schematic at least is required for this to be as convenient as I've imagined<br>> an open-source project would be. A good example is adding things to the I2C<br>> bus.<br>><br>> Searching the mailing lists and google I'm now feeling worried that I've
<br>> misunderstood, and that the schematics/layouts won't be available. I'm<br>> hoping this isn't the case, perhaps they'll become available when the phone<br>> reaches phase 1, or with the hacker's lunchbox.
<br>><br>> Could someone tell me what's planned here?<br>><br>> Justyn<br>><br>> _______________________________________________<br>> OpenMoko community mailing list<br>> <a href="mailto:community@lists.openmoko.org">
community@lists.openmoko.org</a><br>> <a href="http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community">http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community</a><br>><br>><br></blockquote></div><br>