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That doesn't follow. Firstly, I don't think I've seen any other SBC vendor fail to publish full schematics. This is a peculiarity of rpi's offering. Secondly,
by hlandau 7y ago
That doesn't follow. Firstly, I don't think I've seen any other SBC vendor fail to publish full schematics. This is a peculiarity of rpi's offering.
Secondly, nobody is forcing them to add DRM chips to anything. That's not something that can be written off on "a contractual obligation made me do it." They did it of their own will.
- ben_w 7y agoCounter hypothesis because I can’t be bothered to research it fully: Pi: “Hello we wish to buy a $thing” Vendor: “Certainly. We sell $thing for ten dollars per unit if it doesn’t have DRM, or five dollars per unit if it does.”
- hlandau 7y agoThe camera PCB was made by rpi for specific use with the rpi. The DRM chip is not part of the camera vendor's assembly. It is a separate chip placed on the PCB, therefore placed there by the PCB designer, i.e., by rpi.
- kingosticks 7y agoBen Upton said: > You can plug any CSI camera into the Raspberry Pi. There's even a kernel driver for the CSI receiver, which we paid for ((link: https://patchwork.kernel.org/patch/9951525/ https://patchwork.kernel.org/patch/9951525/) patchwork.kernel.org/patch/9951525/). What you can't do is clone the official v2 camera module and use the default ISP tuning, which we also paid for. https://mobile.twitter.com/EbenUpton/status/1088440503622909952 https://mobile.twitter.com/EbenUpton/status/1088440503622909... Personally I have no problem at all with protecting the investments around add-ons like this module, if it means they continue to persue them.
- Qworg 7y agoI'd prefer if they gave us the full functionality of the device though - the imager is capable of global shutter but it is locked out.
- kingosticks 7y agoThat's a fair point. Perhaps when camera v3 is released they'll have the option of updating start.elf and removing the restrictions on using this hardware.
- amelius 7y agoIsn't the use of the chip by the user entirely optional?
- makomk 7y agoWell, it's optional in the sense that if you can find a way to use the camera with some board other than a Raspberry Pi then you don't have to use it. If you're doing the intended thing of connecting it to a Raspberry Pi, though? Not optional.
- robdachshund 7y agoNot remotely how that works. Firstly because the rpi foundation is the one manufacturing the camera units. They are buying parts from vendors, not assembled units. The more components you use, the more expensive a product is to make. They also don't just have DRM chips inseparably piggybacked onto things like CMOS camera sensors.
- cr0sh 7y ago> Vendor: “Certainly. We sell $thing for ten dollars per unit if it doesn’t have DRM, or five dollars per unit if it does.” Hah - sounds like the "boneless vs bone-in steak" sales model - take the bone out of the steak, and suddenly it costs more per pound than it does with the bone left in. Somehow, less costs more - and people sadly pay for it.
- mtgx 7y agoIf they wanted to be open they'd probably transition to RISC_V.