[asterisk-dev] Asterisk Appliance?

[Robin Getz]

Kevin P. Fleming pondered:
>----- Khelik Mikhail <mixel.net at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Hm, interesting product. Though it's a pity that Digium doesn't extend
> > the existing project http://www.rowetel.com/ucasterisk

It's pretty close (by accident) - both are based on the same processor 
(Blackfin) and Linux Distribution (uClinux).

http://www.digium.com/en/docs/AADK001/AADK.pdf
http://www.digium.com/en/docs/AADK001/AADK_QA.pdf

>The appliance uses our existing 1- and 4-port analog modules,

David's first implementation used a Digium X100M card.
http://www.rowetel.com/ucasterisk/hardware.html#x100mhack

So, I don't think there is much difference in the core (processor, 
connectivity) pieces - again - by accident - or the platform/processor is 
just well suited to the task.

>The appliance [snip],has an onboard Ethernet VLAN switch, onboard hardware 
>echo cancellation, and will actually be a shipping, tested, EMI certified 
>product :-)

That is the difference between a project, and a product.

Having worked on the processor board that David uses, while we do EMI 
scans, since we use Technical Construction File (TCF) approach, we are 
granted exemptions because we fall into the test and evaluation equipment. 
A real product has no such exemptions. Certification (whether it be EMI 
(radiation/susceptibility) or telecommunications) is a non-trivial task for 
most.

Making any software work on any embedded device, Linux or not, can be a 
huge pain - there are always issues that are not understood, or issues like 
- it works on my x86, and doesn't on the target - this is a non-trivial 
debug/porting effort, which we (the folks at http://blackfin.uclinux.org 
are also trying to help with by making the kernel robust, and by making 
gdb/kgdb as stable as possible).

Khelik Mikhail wrote:
 > I guess actually these projects conceptually and architecturally
 > similar. The main differences are in brand, price and approach :).

I think it is __alot__ more than that that, but (personal opinion) is that 
the approach was pretty similar - deliver something that small to medium 
sized users have been asking for - an all-in-one telephony appliance.

Difference today - one is a project - the other is a product. (No offence 
to David).

I'm OK using a project. I'm OK with actively debugging things that are 
installed in my house. My wife is not.

I will continue to hack on the project, and help David out, are we are in 
process of putting David's Asterisk port into the uClinux dist for others 
to use - but when it is available - I will purchase the product to install 
in my house.

-Robin

On a side note:

Kevin P. Fleming stated:
>We do not design 'GPL' hardware, nor did we use any of David Rowe's work 
>in designing our hardware. [snip] I fail to see how the GPL applies to a 
>piece of hardware

Kevin is correct - the guy who got David started about "GPL" hardware was 
wrong (me).

http://www.rowetel.com/ucasterisk/hardware.html#line

I think I need to back up, and correct myself - that discussion was before 
I talked to a lawyer, and was told hardware descriptions (like schematics) 
can not be copyright, and therefore - can't be copyleft. Richard Stallman 
has a good discussion about this. If I can paraphrase Richard - since 
electron states (software) can be manufactured (copied & distributed) 
countless times for zero cost, we should do so. But since electron/protons 
pairs (hardware) can not be manufactured at zero cost, people should not be 
expected have that ability.

http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=1999-06-22-005-05-NW-LF

While I don't agree with Richard on a philosophical level - just because 
something is hard, does not mean it is "not vitally important" - that 
doesn't change the fact that the US government believes that schematics (an 
illustration of an idea) are non-copyrightable works.

http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html#wnp
http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-protect.html#idea

If you can't copyright something, you can not release it under a copyright 
licence - which is what the GPL is. (at least in the US - your jurisdiction 
may be different).