Date: Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:55:55 -0400
From: "Bob McGwier" <address@hidden>
Subject: RE: [Discuss-gnuradio] USRP2 FPGA Notes
To: "'Matt Ettus'" <address@hidden>
Cc: address@hidden
Message-ID: <address@hidden>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
I see an emotional decision being considered and not necessarily a wise
business decision and one that involves more than Ettus, Inc. Open Source
software, which I live and breathe for, does not mean free. It is certainly
not free to you, Matt, when you have to support multiple versions of the
hardware. It is not free to the developers who support GnuRadio, day in and
day out, spending their personal time, their employers time, etc. to write
code for these devices.
On the Xilinx software, indeed, you can redo the demo versions repeatedly.
My opinion is, it is what it is, you made the right design decision to give
all of us sufficient capability to do all of those things that will allow
those of us who are pursuing (with a dogged vengeance) the manufacture of
one stop shopping for radio infrastructure, here in gnuradio.
I would oppose your well intentioned expenditure of time on this. You just
got the USRP2 out the door, and within a short time, there is little doubt
in my mind that the part will be supported by the free tools in a fairly
short time as other parts have in the past.
You cannot please everyone all of the time and this hardware and this
software project are doing "the good work" that needs doing for the vast
majority of the users/supporters here.
Bob
ARRL SDR Working Group Chair
Member: ARRL, AMSAT, AMSAT-DL, TAPR, Packrats,
NJQRP, QRP ARCI, QCWA, FRC.
"Trample the slow .... Hurdle the dead"