From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: from mail-vx0-f171.google.com (mail-vx0-f171.google.com [209.85.220.171]) (using TLSv1 with cipher RC4-MD5 (128/128 bits)) (Client CN "smtp.gmail.com", Issuer "Google Internet Authority" (verified OK)) by huchra.bufferbloat.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id AD3DA200627 for ; Mon, 12 Mar 2012 15:10:15 -0700 (PDT) Received: by vcbfl15 with SMTP id fl15so8822643vcb.16 for ; Mon, 12 Mar 2012 15:10:14 -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; bh=kgh1CljAH2OIY4tgJYxTCN8dgQUgaTqNjiKFGm6n+cI=; b=HqgPtFwm4pTF5whC6yoxygTQnidIHSE4MbHRLgPhzbOr5qWBWwnjW2qbxNB/Fl/jy4 WwF8zdEgzU7GBZs+VrWaWMDmxSTd/ayYo5BrwX0zx7rCX6DsWCwDupWAFgmJchbavkLY MU1by8NsqWBtMx5g7cPICnUhKEIKNEa4RKPPhKm9DZSwlRIDEB9d7PjVaNoGjt5RtOrb 1PAAPSpTXbBkHf5Ol9m2xUvW4Pfb1DvfWOFtRwh5+shWLTOQWe0ltJ3AeIkDLarXnF+K C8En2QVjcN9nvzpooLAlio7ktIfgVrnd/3t5To3h7qcKz6gnv9TZlFH7pox9kWivR8t+ 7gDw== MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.52.34.175 with SMTP id a15mr15621207vdj.18.1331590214521; Mon, 12 Mar 2012 15:10:14 -0700 (PDT) Received: by 10.220.140.132 with HTTP; Mon, 12 Mar 2012 15:10:14 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <20120312213946.GE17895@thyrsus.com> References: <20120312210345.GC17357@thyrsus.com> <20120312212608.GC17895@thyrsus.com> <20120312213946.GE17895@thyrsus.com> Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:10:14 -0500 Message-ID: From: Patrick Maupin To: esr@thyrsus.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 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 22:10:15 -0000 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. My major components are: - USB module - USB patch antenna - Small PL2303 clone (fitting in with your lawsuit theory) - Simple 5v -> 3.3v voltage regulator - Coin cell battery - Diode so as not to drain battery during operation - USB connector There is nothing there that would require 4 layers, and all the traces seem to "go somewhere". 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). It probably is illegal to exhort people to download the copyrighted Windows PL2303 driver and use it with this. Probably not a problem with Linux :-)