Open Hardware at CERN in practice: electronics
Friday 9 May 2025 -
14:00
Monday 5 May 2025
Tuesday 6 May 2025
Wednesday 7 May 2025
Thursday 8 May 2025
Friday 9 May 2025
14:00
Welcome and introduction
-
Javier Serrano
(
CERN
)
Welcome and introduction
Javier Serrano
(
CERN
)
14:00 - 14:10
Room: 503/1-001 - Council Chamber
This quick presentation will provide an introduction to the event, whose main purpose is to take designers on a journey from design idea to commercial Open Source Hardware (OSHW) in the CERN context. We start with the importance of Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) tools for Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design, and a presentation of KiCad, which now benefits from commercial support at CERN. We then move on to the support you can expect from CERN’s electronics design office and from the IT department. Whether you design collaboratively or on your own, you can use the Open Hardware Repository to share your designs and related information with the world, either throughout the design process or at the end. The Knowledge Transfer (KT) group helps you maximise the impact of your designs outside CERN. In collaboration with the CERN Open Source Program Office (OSPO) they provide guidance including interaction with companies and recommendations for the use of the CERN Open Hardware Licence (OHL). Procurement is an essential part of the process. This is when you change hats, stop designing and start purchasing hardware. The CERN procurement service helps you in this important part of the journey. We will finish with two examples putting it all together: radiation-tolerant lighting and White Rabbit. Then we will have a bit of time for discussion in the meeting room. Those who want to continue are welcome to join us after the event in nearby restaurant #1 for more informal discussion, hopefully on the terrace if the weather is good!
14:10
KiCad: a Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) tool for Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design
-
Roberto Fernandez Bautista
(
CERN
)
KiCad: a Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) tool for Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design
Roberto Fernandez Bautista
(
CERN
)
14:10 - 14:25
Room: 503/1-001 - Council Chamber
This presentation introduces KiCad, a powerful, free and open-source software suite for Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design. With robust features, active development, and growing community support, KiCad is a viable alternative to proprietary tools. We'll highlight key capabilities, recent improvements, and examples of successful designs to show why it's well-suited for use at CERN.
14:25
The CERN Electronics Design Office
-
Raphael Berberat
(
CERN
)
The CERN Electronics Design Office
Raphael Berberat
(
CERN
)
14:25 - 14:40
Room: 503/1-001 - Council Chamber
14:40
IT support for Electronics Design Automation (EDA) tools
-
Christos Gentsos
(
CERN (IT-CA-GES)
)
IT support for Electronics Design Automation (EDA) tools
Christos Gentsos
(
CERN (IT-CA-GES)
)
14:40 - 14:55
Room: 503/1-001 - Council Chamber
This presentation highlights the current level of IT support for KiCad users. We will outline the contract we have established with [KSC][1] to provide efficient technical support to our engineers; the scripts that convert our Altium parts library to KiCad; and a new CMF package for KiCad that will help automate software installation and library setup for Windows users. [1]: https://www.kipro-pcb.com/
14:55
The Open Hardware Repository
-
Dimitris Lampridis
(
CERN
)
The Open Hardware Repository
Dimitris Lampridis
(
CERN
)
14:55 - 15:10
Room: 503/1-001 - Council Chamber
15:10
Coffee break
Coffee break
15:10 - 15:30
Room: 503/1-001 - Council Chamber
15:30
Knowledge Transfer (KT) at CERN and Open Hardware
-
Benjamin Frisch
(
CERN
)
Knowledge Transfer (KT) at CERN and Open Hardware
Benjamin Frisch
(
CERN
)
15:30 - 15:40
Room: 503/1-001 - Council Chamber
15:40
The CERN Open Hardware Licence
-
Dane Tacchini
(
CERN
)
The CERN Open Hardware Licence
Dane Tacchini
(
CERN
)
15:40 - 15:50
Room: 503/1-001 - Council Chamber
15:50
Support for Open Hardware in CERN's Open Source Program Office (OSPO)
-
Hamza Boukabache
(
CERN
)
Support for Open Hardware in CERN's Open Source Program Office (OSPO)
Hamza Boukabache
(
CERN
)
15:50 - 16:00
Room: 503/1-001 - Council Chamber
The CERN OSPO provides support for designers willing to open-source their hardware and gateware designs. This is in addition to the more traditional support offered by OSPOs in the context of software. The OSPO is not involved in the decision to open-source a given design. Its role is guiding and facilitating the open-sourcing process once that decision has been made. The support includes: - Maintaining a set of best practices for sharing hardware and gateware designs in the [OSPO documentation website][1]. - Discussing licensing options, in collaboration with Knowledge Transfer (KT), and providing advice on how to publish the designs to maximise impact and gather communities around them. - Participating with KT and procurement in discussions with companies and other potential stakeholders, in particular explaining how Open Source Hardware (OSHW) can be made part of an overall commercial strategy, and providing examples thereof. - Providing advice on the drafting of Price Enquiry and Call for Tender documents in the context of OSHW, in collaboration with the IPT-PI-SU (procurement of supplies) section. The talk will quickly present the CERN OSPO and summarise the different types of support hardware designers can expect from it, providing references and points of contact for those who would like to discuss further. [1]: https://ospo.docs.cern.ch
16:00
Procurement of Open Hardware
-
Josh Davison
(
CERN
)
Procurement of Open Hardware
Josh Davison
(
CERN
)
16:00 - 16:15
Room: 503/1-001 - Council Chamber
16:15
Putting it all together: radiation-tolerant lighting in CERN's Proton Synchrotron (PS)
-
James Devine
(
CERN
)
Putting it all together: radiation-tolerant lighting in CERN's Proton Synchrotron (PS)
James Devine
(
CERN
)
16:15 - 16:30
Room: 503/1-001 - Council Chamber
16:30
Putting it all together: White Rabbit
-
Adam Artur Wujek
Putting it all together: White Rabbit
Adam Artur Wujek
16:30 - 16:45
Room: 503/1-001 - Council Chamber
16:45
Discussion session
-
Evangelia Gousiou
(
CERN
)
Discussion session
Evangelia Gousiou
(
CERN
)
16:45 - 17:00
Room: 503/1-001 - Council Chamber