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[on:]

I am an assembly programmer in the microchip (PIC) world.
..and I am fed up by the lack of Linux support from microchip, yes there are plenty of open source IDS systems for PIC, but there's always a drawback when a new device appears.

So - I plan to move away from microchip, and since microcontrollers are more and more powerful - I am looking at high-level language.

Let's say I make a prototype with Arduino Nano  - how can I proceed later on, to selling my own product with ATmega328 ?

I wonder how the lagal stuff is around this, my products would not include a Arduino board, but rather the microcontroller on my PCB.
- How is the programming done then ? - and is it "ok" to do so ?

Thanks.

[Reply #1 on:]

As long as you don't call it an "Arduino", you should be OK.

You can put the Nano directly in your project, or you can get a bare or pre-bootloaded ATMega328 (DIP, usually - you'll likely have to add a bootloader on your own if you go with a custom SMT package design).

You can still use the bootloader for your code (or just dump the hex file to the ATMega using an AVR programmer - the bootloader is optional on a final design).

If you leave the bootloader on, just bring out the TX/RX lines to some pads or a header, and use an FTDI cable or breakout to program the chip (you will need to have an external crystal/resonator in your design, or use an 8 MHz bootloader if using the internal oscillator).

If you don't want to use the bootloader, just bring out the six pins for the ISP interface, and use that.

 

[Reply #2 on:]

so.. there are no limitations for me to sell the final product.
this is great, for non-timing-critical applications, I think this will save me some work in the end.

Thanks.

[Reply #3 on:]

I don't think so; if you were planning on making something like a new micro-controller board, you could say something like "Arduino compatible" or such, but you couldn't call it an Arduino.

If, however, you are just using the microcontroller in an embedded project, you don't have to say anything at all. If you want to prevent your code from being reverse engineered, there are ways of setting the fuses on the ATMega to prevent the downloading of the hex binary from the microcontroller (something to keep in mind); I am not sure how this affects reprogramming it, though.

[Reply #4 on:]

ok, I don't plan to use the Arduino name at all, but I would credit it if requested.
What I needed to know, was that the bootloader part were available to me.
I will not provide user-programmable devices, that would compete with Arduino hardware, only other, specialised hardware to do predefined tasks.

[Reply #5 on:]

ok, I don't plan to use the Arduino name at all, but I would credit it if requested.

It would probably be something nice to include, but if this is to be a product in which the user doesn't need to know this, it isn't necessary (just like on other products that use a ton of embedded devices, you don't see mention of the tools, etc that those use usually).

What I needed to know, was that the bootloader part were available to me.

The bootloader should be able to be implemented in your system without any legal issues, but if you are really concerned, do some more research and consult a lawyer.

I will not provide user-programmable devices, that would compete with Arduino hardware, only other, specialised hardware to do predefined tasks.

If this is going to be the case, then I wouldn't even bother with the bootloader; develop your firmware with it, then when you have it fully debugged, burn the hex binary file directly to the ATMega using an AVR ISP programmer (the same thing that is used to put a bootloader on the chip). If you need the possibility of upgrades/bug fixes (or you want to program it on the PCB, for example, if using an SMT ATMega), put in place a six pin ISP header, connected in the same manner as a standard Arduino board.

Set the proper fuses (this can tricky; I have never done this, so do some research on it) to keep any users/competitors from downloading the firmware, if you want.

[Reply #6 on:]

Arduino is a very generous open source project. The core and libraries are licensed as "LGPL" To see the text of the license, go here:
code.google.com/p/arduino/source/browse/trunk/license.txt

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Lesser_General_Public_License

It's kind of confusing, but here is a good legal breakdown:
answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/439136.html

Specifically, see this section:

Section 6:
As an exception to the Sections above, you may also combine or
link a "work that uses the Library" with the Library to produce a
work containing portions of the Library, and distribute that work
under terms of your choice, provided that the terms permit
modification of the work for the customer's own use and reverse
engineering for debugging such modifications.

  You must give prominent notice with each copy of the work that the
Library is used in it and that the Library and its use are covered by
this License.  You must supply a copy of this License.  If the work
during execution displays copyright notices, you must include the
copyright notice for the Library among them, as well as a reference
directing the user to the copy of this License.  Also, you must do one
of these things:

    a) Accompany the work with the complete corresponding
    machine-readable source code for the Library including whatever
    changes were used in the work (which must be distributed under
    Sections 1 and 2 above); and, if the work is an executable linked
    with the Library, with the complete machine-readable "work that
    uses the Library", as object code and/or source code, so that the
    user can modify the Library and then relink to produce a modified
    executable containing the modified Library.  (It is understood
    that the user who changes the contents of definitions files in the
    Library will not necessarily be able to recompile the application
    to use the modified definitions.)

 b) Use a suitable shared library mechanism for linking with the
Library. A suitable mechanism is one that (1) uses at run time a
copy of the library already present on the user's computer system,
rather than copying library functions into the executable, and (2)
will operate properly with a modified version of the library, if
the user installs one, as long as the modified version is
interface-compatible with the version that the work was made with.

c) Accompany the work with a written offer, valid for at
least three years, to give the same user the materials
specified in Subsection 6a, above, for a charge no more
than the cost of performing this distribution.


d) If distribution of the work is made by offering access to copy
from a designated place, offer equivalent access to copy the above
specified materials from the same place.

e) Verify that the user has already received a copy of these
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