Advanced and customisable sensor-based hardware in DesignSpark Environmental Sensor development kit (ESDK) has been certified by the Open-Source Hardware Association (OSHWA). Open-source hardware is a term for physical objects whose design has been released to allow anyone to make, modify, distribute and use.
The aims of the OSHWA are to foster technological knowledge and encourage research that is accessible, collaborative and respects user freedom. The OSHWA certification awarded to RS DesignSpark’s ESDK recognises that the kit meets a uniform and well-defined standard for open-source compliance. The certification provides users with the knowledge that the definition of open-source hardware used by a specific project matches the community definition of open-source hardware.
The ESDK has been developed as part of RS DesignSpark’s #ActivistEngineering campaign. It is an advanced open-source and cloud-connected platform that makes it easy to prototype custom sensor-based solutions, said RS Group.
DesignSpark is RS’ fast-growing online community for engineers, which offers a suite of design tools, development kits such as the ESDK, comprehensive 2D/3D and electronics part libraries, and a host of design resources including technical articles, projects, and community forums.
The ESDK can be used in design projects based on air quality measurement for example. The ESDK can also be deployed in many scenarios including IoT applications that need a small Linux computer with an integrated touchscreen and GPS capability, said RS.
Mike Bray, vice-president of DesignSpark at RS, said the open-source ESDK has “energised the DesignSpark community to develop many innovative projects based on measurement of air quality around the globe. These projects are free to everyone and are designed to help deliver affordable solutions and make the planet more sustainable,” he added.
DesignSpark has made all the design project files for the ESDK available free of charge at https://github.com/DesignSparkRS/ESDK
RS Group is an omni-channel industrial product and service solutions provider to customers who are involved in designing, building and maintaining industrial equipment and operations, safely and sustainably. The company stocks more than 700,000 industrial and electronic products, sourced from over 2,500 leading suppliers and provides a wide range of product and service solutions to over 1.2 million customers. It has operations in 32 countries, trades through multiple channels and ships over 60,000 parcels a day.
