A diyaudio library of parts and circuits
Dear all,
Can we, diyaudio members, build a library? It can contain: - device definitions for eCAD packages (e.g. LM3875 device defined by Easyamp in Eagle)
- PCB layouts (as CAD package files, Gerber files, and/or PS/PDF files of the different layers)
- schematics
In each case, each submission should be accompanied by a short statement saying that the author - retains intellectual property ownership,
- makes the item available without any warranty of any kind,
- asserts that this is a design he himself made, and gives references to sources of part of the material, if any, e.g. "This is my PCB of the P3A amplifier by Rod Elliott." and
- totally permits all kinds of use, re-use, re-distribution, by anyone for any purpose, etc (a bit like the GNU CopyLeft).
If you've designed something whose free use by others (commercial or amateur) you would not like to permit, then you will not submit your design here. I don't think this proposed library should get into the delicate middle ground of collecting intellectual property which is made available "only for personal use", etc. It is best to just confine the library to totally re-usable, re-distributable material.
I have seen a lot of us collecting useful little devices in our CAD libraries. Why can't we pool them together and allow newcomers quick access to them? Similarly, many of us have built PCBs of common circuits (see my attempts at building a preamp and the power supply unit for it). I'll also have to design a Gainclone PCB soon. I have absolutely no problems if anyone "exploits" my designs for commercial or personal purposes.... I see my work as 0.1% value addition on work done by others anyway. I know for a fact that none of these designs would have gotten off the ground without inputs by my seniors here, hence it's crazy to think of these designs as "my intellectual property." I guess there may be others who have similar feelings. Maybe Per-Anders may feel this way about the diamond buffer he's designed in a cooperative process with inputs from others on the forum. There are so many others. It seems a waste that we have to search through miles and miles of discussions to get these final results when we need them.
The Wiki seems to be a collection of hyperlinks to other people's sites. My idea is to have a repository of our own. The library will complement the wiki; they won't replace each other.
There are implementation issues which we will have to work out, but I have ideas about those. I just want to kick-start a discussion about the idea first.
What do you guys think?
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