[Swansea Hackspace] Open Source Hardware Camp 2026 — Sat 29/08 & Sun 30/08, Hebden Bridge

[Andy Bennett]

Hello again,

There's still a few tickets left for this and it's usually a great 
weekend in Hebden Bridge.

I hope we'll see a few of you there!

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/open-source-hardware-camp-2026-tickets-1992209880381


On 2026-06-30 22:50, Andy Bennett wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> I'm pleased to announce that we have a total of 11 talks and 3
> workshops confirmed for Open Source Hardware Camp 2026!
> 
> As in previous years, there will be a social event on the Saturday 
> evening.
> 
> Cheers,
> Andy
> 
>  //
> 
> 
> Open Source Hardware Camp 2026 — Sat 29/08 & Sun 30/08, Hebden Bridge
> 
> 29th & 30th August at The Birchcliffe Centre, Birchcliffe Road, Hebden
> Bridge, West Yorkshire, HX7 8DG, UK.
> 
> Registration:
> 
> https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/open-source-hardware-camp-2026-tickets-1992209880381
> 
> Open Source Hardware Camp 2026 will take place in the Pennine town of
> Hebden Bridge, which is approximately 1 hour by rail from Leeds and
> Manchester. Budget accommodation is available at the Hebden Bridge IOU
> Hostel. Details of other local accommodation can be found at
> www.hebdenbridge.co.uk and via Airbnb and Booking.com etc.
> 
> There will be a social event on Saturday evening from 7PM.
> 
> Any questions should be directed to the Discussion List.
> 
>   Open Source Hardware Camp 2026 is dedicated to the memory of Ken
> Boak (1966-2026), a founding member of the group, a prolific
> contributor and a good friend to many.
> 
> *** Saturday :: Talks ***
> 
> — Technical Cartoons for Fun (and Profit?)
> 
> What happens if you combine a traditional text book, a bunch of hand
> drawn diagrams, and a cartoon robot?
> 
> Electro-Magnetic Compatibility (EMC) has a reputation as one of the
> more mysterious electronics subjects. This project is an attempt to
> make learning about this subject more intuitive and fun through the
> power of cartoons.
> 
> In this talk, James will touch on the subject of Electro-Static
> Discharges (ESD), inspirations behind this project, different learning
> styles, the self-publishing process, and lessons learned along the
> way.
> 
> * James Pawson is an electronics engineer, trainer, practitioner of
> the dark arts (EMC), and now author.
> 
> — Clean-room reverse engineering the ATTiny 1-series On Chip Debugging
> peripheral
> 
> The 1-series is a range of ATtiny microcontrollers released by
> Microchip in 2016. They contain an avrxmega3 CPU and a UPDI interface
> for programming and debugging. The vendor datasheet for the part
> documents the UPDI protocol and provides information to use the Chip
> Erase, NVM programming and User Row Programming functionality. The
> information provided also allows the interactive reading and writing
> of the entire CPU Data Space, which allows host-side interaction with
> main memory and the on chip peripherals. As a result, these features
> are all well supported in open source tools.
> 
> Finally, the UPDI chapter of the datasheet promises a range of
> debugging features including hardware breakpoints, run-time readout of
> program counter, stack pointer and CPI status registers for
> code-profiling and program flow control (go, stop, reset, step into).
> However it is silent on the details required to make use of them.
> 
> In this talk Andy will explain how he reverse engineered the On Chip
> Debugger to write a datasheet that has been used to implement a GDB
> Server for these devices.
> 
> * Andy Bennett is a highly skilled technologist, business leader,
> entrepreneur and problem solver with almost 20 years experience
> working in technology. He has worked in a wide variety of industries
> including government, finance, higher education and consumer
> electronics.
> 
> He has a passion for new technologies and has often been at the
> forefront of pioneering research, development and new product
> launches, offering both strategic oversight and hands-on development.
> 
> — A tale of two tiles: custom chips at home
> 
> Open source silicon provides ordinary people with an opportunity to
> manufacture real chips! Hundreds of people have made their own
> designs, but what does the journey look like? This talk will cover the
> who, what, how and why of the process, with a look at two of Kristaps’
> own submissions and a light dive into tools that make it possible.
> 
> * Kristaps Jurkans is a recent graduate of the University of Lincoln,
> an open source hardware and software enthusiast, and a big fan of
> disassembling anything just to learn more about it.
> 
> — What does the future hold for an electronics engineer in the age of 
> AI?
> 
> Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the last few years, you
> will have noticed that the world is changing at an unprecedented pace.
> The rise of Large Language Models (LLMs) is impacting all areas of
> knowledge work, doubly so for technology related roles.
> 
> So, what does the future hold for an engineer as we move into this new
> era? In this talk we will take a look at some exploratory work Alan
> has been performing over the last year or so to see what's possible
> with LLMs in the open source hardware space, and what this might mean
> for the future of open engineering in general. We will look at some of
> the tools that are already available, and some of the exciting
> possibilities that are on the horizon. We will also discuss some of
> the challenges that we will need to overcome in order to fully realize
> the quality, educational and productivity benefits emerging in OSHW.
> So, if you are an electronics engineer, a hobbyist or just interested
> in the future of open source hardware, this talk is for you!
> 
> * Alan Wood has been working with embedded electronics and FPGAs for
> many years. His recent work includes smart grids, 3D printers,
> robotics, automation biotec diagnostics, flow computation, measurement
> and multi protocol integration. His current research is focused on
> multilayer concurrency, mixed language models for complex systems,
> linux and Rust based embedded development, realtime testing, capture
> and analysis. He is a long term advocate of open source communities,
> previously a moderator (aka Folknology) for xCORE, the co-founder of
> myStorm open hardware FPGA community, as well as a co-founder of
> Surrey and Hampshire Makerspace.
> 
> — RISC-V — the road to ubiquity
> 
> Systems based on the open source RISC-V instruction set architecture
> are becoming more available and popular in both MCUs and SOCs. The MCU
> ecosystem is already well developed, but SOCs have greater
> dependencies, and software stacks that have only recently been marked
> as production ready. As always happens with new stuff, the hardware
> people are waiting for broader software support, and the software
> people are waiting for a larger hardware installed base. This talk
> will examine the forces that are driving RISC-V forward, and what
> still needs to happen for RISC-V SOCs to go mainstream.
> 
> * Chris Swan is a long term member of the OSHUG community, and past
> speaker on security, homebrew projects and the Open Compute Project.
> In his Engineer role at Atsign he’s been involved in bringing RISC-V
> support for the Dart programming language into Docker official images.
> That’s given him a front row seat to how hardware and software have
> been developing over the past few years. Chris contributes to the
> broader community as a Google Developer Expert (GDE), InfoQ editor and
> co-host for the Tech Debt Burndown Podcast.
> 
> — Emulating the great machines of the past!
> 
> There are now many excellent software emulations of early systems such
> as the PDP-8 and PDP-11 and as such they work well and support the
> various operating systems and applications.
> 
> However, the excitement of operating the functioning front panel
> cannot be beaten! The range of DEC machines now available as
> functioning replicas will be shown and the techniques used to emulate
> both the software and hardware will be discussed.
> 
> * Kevin Murrell is a retired software industry entrepreneur. He
> co-founded The National Museum of Computing with Tony Sale in 2005. He
> is the author of several books on the history of British computing and
> is an authority on early home computing. He is a committee member of
> the Computer Conservation Society and serves as editor of its journal,
> Resurrection.
> 
> — This is Not a Chip Butty, but bare silicon needs COB and a PCB, Dave
> 
> Getting custom, open-source silicon back from the foundry is amazing,
> but a piece of silicon won't do much without connectivity. This talk
> offers a look into the practicalities of getting bare, open-source die
> connected to the PCB using Chip-on-Board (COB) wire bonding.
> 
> While COB is a standard industry process, most factories expect
> automated, high-volume runs. When you turn up with an artisanal batch
> of assorted chips, things can get somewhat experimental.
> 
> We will dive into how multiple Open Source ASIC project die were
> bonded to boards, the physical realities of the assembly process, and
> the fun to be had along the way.
> 
> * Stuart Childs has spent the last decade working directly with
> factories in China, acting as the glue between the clever people and
> the manufacturing hubs that can make the things. Before diving into
> industrial production, Stuart was a member of the UK Maker Belt and
> wider UK Maker scene, increasingly bringing colour, silliness, and fun
> to the workplace. As a member of Tiny Tapeout and a long-term
> Wuthering Bytes attendee, he combines a passion for open-source
> hardware with the joy of working with others on unusual projects.
> 
> — A Multi-Function Instrument for School Physics Experiments
> 
> An overview of school physics apparatus shows that much can be traced
> back to the work of the Nuffield Science Teaching Project in the
> 1960’s. Modern equivalents, having no other commercial use, are
> expensive. Off-the-Shelf commercial instruments are a poor match to
> educational requirements. Solutions using general purpose computers
> raise many IT support problems in a school environment.
> 
> The multi-function instrument can replace several separate
> instruments. The emphasis is on suitability for the school
> environment: robust, simple to use, and lacking extra features that
> serve little pedagogical purpose.
> 
> The objective is to produce an open hardware and software design that
> can be easily reproduced by others or form the basis for alternative
> variations.
> 
> * Alan Bernard. After an apprenticeship with Thorn Electrical
> Industries leading to a degree in Electrical and Electronic
> Engineering at Bradford University Alan joined a small company where
> he designed nucleonic equipment, electronic organs, and apparatus for
> the Nuffield Physics Project. After running his own business
> manufacturing instrumentation for the wire-drawing industry he joined
> ITT developing liquid crystal displays. This led to him designing
> Public Information Displays for airports, bus and train stations, and
> on-board trains. Finally, he worked as a physics technician at
> Bradford Grammar School; a position he held for 12 years before
> retiring at age 72.
> 
> — Powering Your Home With Your Car
> 
> How to utilise your very own Big Battery for '1/10th' the price of a
> "Home Power Wall". (The car comes for free!)
> 
> This adventure takes low cost overnight “off-peak” electricity, and
> the occasionally available zero cost excess grid electricity. By
> utilising the woefully underutilised battery in my EV, it is possible
> to then power a home each day with those low cost electrons to avoid
> the much more expensive non-off-peak electrons. Except… There are no
> UK agreed standards for doing that yet. Here is a personal
> all-Open-Source story for economically connecting a home to a Big
> Battery on wheels.
> 
> * Martin Lomas has followed the world of computers since the
> beginnings of the home computer revolution in the UK. He gained
> degrees in Computer Engineering and subsequently Computer Systems
> Design. At Fujitsu he worked on, at the time, the world’s largest
> Application Specific Integrated Circuit ICs. He moved back to academia
> to develop cutting edge Scanning Probe Microscopes for biophysical
> investigations at the dept of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University
> of Nottingham, gaining his PhD.
> 
> Martin then supported a multinational pharma research company for all
> their open source server and computing needs, becoming their IT
> Director. Since then, he works for himself. More recently, he is
> considering his next career adventure! Especially, he enjoys making
> new things and making them work well! He also enjoys hiking, beer,
> wine, cheese, and the world of Linux. His interests span across
> technology and science, and computing and the ongoing old/new
> phenomenon now marketed as “AI”.
> 
> — FreeCAD Improvements and Exciting Uses
> 
> FreeCAD, the open source CAD package for mechanical engineering and
> more, has had heaps of development in the last few years. Whilst we
> aren't quite at the "replace Catia or Solidworks in all sectors"
> tipping point yet we have lots more users, a better (but by no means
> perfect) user experience and we are beginning to see FreeCAD getting
> used in all manner of cutting edge use cases.
> 
> In this talk Jo will quickly run through some of the developments and
> explore why it might be worth people who previously didn't enjoy
> FreeCAD to take another look. We'll blast by some high end
> applications of FreeCAD such as computational fluid dynamics, multi
> body dynamics and FEA and also squint at some interesting projects
> undertaken by organisations you might not at first glance think would
> use FreeCAD! I'll throw in some fun aspects of the community
> development and talk about FreeCAD's upcoming (but hopefully delivered
> by the time this talk takes place) first round of their global open
> source hardware design competition!
> 
> * Jo Hinchliffe is a freelance technical writer and community
> developer working across a variety of technical sectors with a passion
> for open source.
> 
> Jo is the author of FreeCAD for Makers, a well received book from the
> Raspberry Pi Press covering beginner and intermediate level usage of
> FreeCAD. Also on the Raspberry Pi Press Jo has authored “Design an
> RP2040 Board with KiCad” which not only covers the basics of designing
> a PCB for fabrication, it goes on to cover automated assembly
> services, virtual warehousing and more.
> 
> In article form Jo has written for many platforms, these include
> multiple STEM/STEAM articles for the American magazine Kids Code and
> Computer Science, these articles range from tutorials on micro
> controller projects, to fun maths activities and articles highlighting
> historic STEM figures. For the Raspberry Pi Press magazines Jo has
> written dozens of articles and features. Often his own projects, these
> have included a wide variety of subjects, wooden boat building, an
> open source carbon fibre filament winding machine, watch making, cable
> lacing in space, and much more. A somewhat complete list of articles
> can be found here. Toms Hardware, Jo has written numerous articles for
> Toms Hardware including a series on basic use of the Linux terminal.
> 
> Finally when Jo isn’t writing for his paid clients he can currently be
> found writing, designing and publishing a free and open source
> magazine of his own called SOURCE.
> 
> — Open Wetware: How a bioart project inspired a biopunk future
> 
> This talk will summarise the current trend in biodesign/art to open
> source 'recipes', through the lens of a recent art project
> Phycologica, which attempted rather foolishly to reimagine a LCD
> screen made out of algae.
> 
> While I wouldn't recommend anyone else reproducing our design- it
> would just lead to more ewaste- I believe there was still great value
> in the process of doing this project and in sparking imagination. This
> was never intended to be rebuilt in its current form.
> 
> Through preparing this talk I would like to explore, while documenting
> the important bits of the project - the recipes, the care guide, the
> ethics, what is the value of documenting a project like this? I am
> also interested in exploring the documentation itself as an artwork-
> beyond the original piece.
> 
> We won't reach a more technologically sustainable (solarpunk) future
> without community collaboration and sharing- the exact ethos of open
> source hardware. Therefore I propose that the goal of documenting this
> project will be to collate a library of alternative, bio appropriate
> technologies that are more aligned to a sustainable society that we
> want to see in the future.
> 
> Jon Somerscales is an Experience Designer & Interaction Prototyper
> researching novel interactions and regenerative design that could
> highlight better outcomes for us and the planet through a critical
> making practice. His interactive design work spans digital software,
> services and installations.
> 
> Studio Blue Green's Phycologica artwork is a collaboration between Jon
> Somerscales and Andrew Stone. Studio Blue Green aims to Amplify and
> recenter living systems through experience design and creative
> technology, creating impactful, planet-first interventions,
> encouraging environmental stewardship and ecological consciousness.
> 
> // Compered by: Kevin Murrell //
> 
> Swap Table
> 
> Due to popular demand there will once again be a swap table at Open
> Source Hardware Camp, where delegates can bring along surplus
> components, dev kits and (smaller!) unfinished projects to give away
> and swap with others.
> 
> Please note that larger items such as VDUs and printers must not be
> brought along and any unwanted items must be removed at the end of the
> day!
> 
> ITEMS ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES,
> INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
> MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED.
> IN NO EVENT SHALL THE ORGANISERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT,
> INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING,
> BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS
> OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND
> ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR
> TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE
> USE OF ITEMS RECEIVED, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
> DAMAGE.
> 
> *** Sunday :: Workshops ***
> 
> — Practising the use of LLMs with open source electronics projects
> 
> This workshop will explore some hands-on use of some of the emerging
> tools, LLMs and strategies for using them in the engineering space. We
> will play with some of what is already available, and explore exciting
> possibilities on the horizon. We will also discuss common challenges
> that we need to overcome including pitfalls, risks and limitations.
> So, if you are a practicing hardware/firmware engineer, or hobbyist,
> this workshop gives you an opportunity to tinker with the OSHW future.
> 
> Participants should bring:
> 
>     - A laptop.
> 
> Hosted by: Alan Wood.
> 
> — Retro Computing Simulation
> 
> Some of us hanker after an original minicomputer with all the switches
> and lights but no longer have access to the hardware. Indeed, few of
> us have the space required to recreate installations from those early
> days when disk drives were the size of washing machines!
> 
> There are excellent software emulations of many of these early
> systems, but the excitement of operating a functioning front panel
> cannot be beaten!
> 
> We expect to be demonstrating the following running replicas:
> 
>    - Wireless World Computer
>    - Raspberry Pi based PDP-1, PDP-8, PDP-11 and the PDP-10
>    - FPGA-based LGP-30
>    - FPGA-based PDP-8
>    - IMSAI 8080
> 
> We will show the systems running and welcome user interaction. So, get
> out the old CP/M handbook and the DEC Introduction to Programming and
> off we go!
> 
> Participants should bring:
> 
>    - A laptop.
> 
> Hosted by: Kevin Murrell.
> 
> — The Project Salon
> 
> The project salon is part show and tell and part project clinic, which
> will provide an opportunity to discuss projects and share skills and
> experience with fellow OSHCamp delegates. For example, this might be
> showing off your latest creation, sharing details of a neat hack, or
> seeking advice on a particularly tricky problem which has brought your
> project to a standstill.
> 
> Rod Moody will be bringing along Raftabar — the autonomous robot which
> made its debut at OSHCamp 2024 — and sharing details of numerous
> upgrades made over the past few years.
> 
> Short presentations are welcome and if using slides these should be in
> PDF or OpenDocument Presentation format.
> 
> Participants should optionally bring:
> 
>    - A project. Exercise common sense! E.g. nothing large or dangerous 
> etc.
>    - Slides (PDF or OpenDocument Presentation format).
> 
> Hosted by:
> 
> * Andy Bennett.
> 
> * Rod Moody was born in 1940 and at 15 years of age started an
> electrical engineering apprenticeship with Dale Electric, a
> manufacturer of diesel-engine driven electrical generators ranging
> from a few kW to a few MW, for both base load and standby
> applications. Through day release and night class he gained an HNC in
> electrical engineering, and at the age of 19 was appointed to the post
> of Test Department Manager. He went on to become Electrical
> Engineering Manager responsible for running the design office and
> designing control systems using relay logic, and following which
> Engineering Director.
> 
> In 1992, at 52 years of age Rod joined Deep Sea Electronics as their
> Engineering Manager. DSE were quite small at that time and using
> through-hole technology, but with improved product design and the
> introduction of SMT production they grew very rapidly over the eight
> years before Rod retired in 2000 at 60 years of age. DSE is now the
> leading supplier of microprocessor based controllers to generating set
> manufacturing companies worldwide.
> 
> In retirement Rod spends most of his spare time with projects
> involving mechanics, electronics, and software using the Raspberry Pi
> and Arduino microcontrollers. He continues to be a keen gardener as he
> has been from an early age, has a keen interest in all aspects of
> science and engineering, and is currently leader of the York U3A
> Science & Engineering World group.
> 
> 
> NOTE:
> 
> There are separate tickets for Saturday and Sunday.
> A light lunch will be provided each day.
> Please aim to arrive between 09:00 and 09:15 on the Saturday as the
> event will start at 09:20 prompt.


-- 
andyjpb at ashurst.eu.org
http://www.ashurst.eu.org/
http://www.gonumber.com/andyjpb
0x7EBA75FF