This would be great to see. I suspect that the reality will be that the
firmware contains some algorithms that are intellectual property of
Ten-Tec or other companies.
Ten-Tec will not want to release some of their algorithms as they will
consider them trade secrets; Especially if these algorithms are also
used in their military products.
Any code they licence from third parties, will be subject to the licence
agreement and most likely will have restrictions about releasing code.
There is a compromise solution. Much of the firmware code will be
routines used to read controls, control the hardware, and write to the
display, and this code would likely not be anything that would be a
trade secret or licenced. DSP routines would more likely be considered
trade secrets.
So two options exist:
1) Release only the firmware code that is not trade secrets or under
licence, and let the open source community create what Ten-Tec cannot
release.
2) Release the firmware code that is not trade secrets or under licence,
and keep the rest as a binary blobs. This would require Ten-Tec to
create an API into the binary blobs.
Ten-Tec has embraced open source firmware with the new Rebel, and I hope
that they would also seriously consider open sourcing firmware for their
other products as well. Even if it is only for discontinued products or
only a partial release of firmware.
73, Darrell VA7TO
Darrell Bellerive
On 06/29/2013 06:00 PM, Louis Ciotti wrote:
I was reading through the tread on the EOL of the OII, and one comment was
about firmware. I wonder if TecTec has ever considered open sourcing the
firmware for there out of production radios? Certainly would extend their
life, and allow for continued improvement.
_______________________________________________
TenTec mailing list
TenTec@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
_______________________________________________
TenTec mailing list
TenTec@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
|