OHC2017

Registrations now open for the Open Hardware Miniconf 2017

The Open Hardware Miniconf 2017 will take place as part of LCA 2017 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

The concept of Free / Open Source Software, already well understood by LCA attendees, is complemented by a rapidly growing community focused around Open Hardware and "maker culture". One of the drivers of the popularity of the Open Hardware community is easy access to cheap devices such as Arduino, which is a microcontroller development board originally intended for classroom use but now a popular building block in all sorts of weird and wonderful hobbyist and professional projects.

Interest in Open Hardware is high among FOSS enthusiasts but there is also a barrier to entry with the perceived difficulty and dangers of dealing with hot soldering irons, unknown components and unfamiliar naming schemes. The miniconf will use an Open Hardware assembly project as a stepping stone to help ease software developers into dealing with Open Hardware. Topics will cover both software and hardware issues, starting with simpler sessions suitable for Open Hardware beginners and progressing through to more advanced topics.

The day will run in two distinct halves. The first part of the day will be a hands-on assembly session where participants will have the chance to assemble a special hardware project developed for the miniconf. Instructors will be on hand to assist with soldering and the other mysteries of hardware assembly. The second part of the day will be presentations about Open Hardware topics, including information on software to run on the hardware project built earlier in the day.

Venue

We are pleased to announce that we'll be running OHMC2017 in the Welliington room at Wrestpoint.

Schedule

To be announced in detail shortly.

Date: Tuesday 17th January 2017

• 10:40 - 12:20 Assembly workshop (registration required to participate, spectators also welcome)
• 12:20 - 1:20 Lunch
• 1:20 - 3:00 Assembly workshop continued, Talks
• 3:00 - 3:40 Afternoon Tea
• 3:40 - 5:20 Talks and finishing off with lightning talks

Usual format for the OpenHardware MiniConf (Construction in the morning followed by talks in the afternoon) is expected.

Lightning Talks

• If you'd like to present a 5 minute lightning talk, please email andyg@geekscape.org

Call For Papers

Call For Papers is now open.

Please see OHC2017-CFP for more information

Call For Papers closes at midnight 31st December 2016

Accepted Papers

To be announced.

Discussion Group

There is a Google Group email list for discussion of topics related to the miniconf, including the assembly session:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/open-hardware-conf

Assembly Project

Each year we build a project developed for the Miniconf.

The assembly project is still a work in progress.

The project this year is called IoTuz -The Internet of Tux

The board is based around the ESP32, which is the big brother successor to the ESP8266 used in the ESPlant project in 2016.

Estimated cost of the kit is AU$120.

Through hole parts on the board will be assembled on the day, with all the SMD parts being pre-loaded on the board.

Repository for the project is on Github: https://github.com/CCHS-Melbourne/IoTuz

Image 1. Rendered version of the board.

Image 2. Working prototype (missing battery holder).