From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: from mail-we0-f171.google.com (mail-we0-f171.google.com [74.125.82.171]) (using TLSv1 with cipher RC4-SHA (128/128 bits)) (Client CN "smtp.gmail.com", Issuer "Google Internet Authority" (verified OK)) by huchra.bufferbloat.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id E4D8420024C for ; Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:01:57 -0700 (PDT) Received: by werm1 with SMTP id m1so6506670wer.16 for ; Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:01:54 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :cc:content-type:content-transfer-encoding; bh=NgjN9I5CEHn96FDut1dRGjxBpFRWVZB8pV9fs8lCn7I=; b=KOMDw+q8TVRF/gPxYtLuyv8Fj7ZH2EbXFxDNej74qwupKcMcFWNc25Fg+qGYoUC8Wj Eswg3gUMmOX3k2CrMy7P/DOlIhlWNog73r2/ZrFiWZO86/8MLBvXmoWBisl9lHyDdWXA GfmT2bOBa6f3oc2OW3ABF6uCFojQbxZcncxJXBcWFVfUgyPVlekpnepTjqgApZTUYqg3 8mUwH+5vfAW2t3/CvzPBTA9WA4a/tmHSy/ew2T7Xqe/7OQ9nd1Hb2FmOusR0UeDAqY9Z NXnkqZ58BXj1meJxkyTvSXMPXkEq95JisoCyaIxQA6IJjmWtlr0/71GII3i/k5xzClSg wAKw== MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.180.106.9 with SMTP id gq9mr1823812wib.17.1331593314677; Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:01:54 -0700 (PDT) Received: by 10.223.151.8 with HTTP; Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:01:54 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <20120312224546.GA18404@thyrsus.com> References: <20120312210345.GC17357@thyrsus.com> <20120312212608.GC17895@thyrsus.com> <20120312213946.GE17895@thyrsus.com> <20120312224546.GA18404@thyrsus.com> Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:01:54 -0700 Message-ID: From: Dave Taht To: esr@thyrsus.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Cc: thumbgps-devel@lists.bufferbloat.net Subject: Re: [Thumbgps-devel] Build vs. modify vs. what should we be doing anyway? X-BeenThere: thumbgps-devel@lists.bufferbloat.net X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.13 Precedence: list List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2012 23:01:58 -0000 On Mon, Mar 12, 2012 at 3:45 PM, Eric S. Raymond wrote: > Patrick Maupin : >> On Mon, Mar 12, 2012 at 4:39 PM, Eric S. Raymond wrote= : >> > Sorry, my eyes aren't educated enough. (I'm an ex-mathematician; what >> > relatively little I know about electronics design I've picked up by >> > osmosis doing software). What does it say? >> >> It says: >> >> I am a very simple board. =A0My major components are: >> >> - USB module >> - USB patch antenna >> - Small PL2303 clone (fitting in with your lawsuit theory) As noted elsewhere it might be cool to get away from serial emulation entir= ely. >> - Simple 5v -> 3.3v voltage regulator >> - Coin cell battery I like the supercap idea more than the battery idea. I imagine (and I may be wrong) - that that will have a longer field lifetime than a battery could. >> - Diode so as not to drain battery during operation >> - USB connector > > Yes, I identified most of these myself. > >> There is nothing there that would require 4 layers, and all the >> traces seem to "go somewhere". > > That is *exactly* what I thought when I looked at it. =A0Perhaps I am > less clueless than I feared. :-) > > So, this is probably cloneable with relatively little effort, then? > >> There doesn't seem to be a real 8 pin SOIC PL2303. >> >> It almost certainly isn't illegal to clone one of these chips >> (although there might be an infringed patent or two there, that isn't >> necessarily true either). =A0It probably is illegal to exhort people to >> download the copyrighted Windows PL2303 driver and use it with this. >> Probably not a problem with Linux :-) > > At that, PL2303s are cheap. =A0This page > > http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=3Dpl2303+usb > > clues us that they're probably less than $2 a unit. > -- > =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Eric= S. Raymond > _______________________________________________ > Thumbgps-devel mailing list > Thumbgps-devel@lists.bufferbloat.net > https://lists.bufferbloat.net/listinfo/thumbgps-devel --=20 Dave T=E4ht SKYPE: davetaht US Tel: 1-239-829-5608 http://www.bufferbloat.net