Open Source Hardware for Data Acquisition and Control

As the cost of microprocessors and electronics fabrication continues to plummet, low-cost single-board computers have become a reality.  Electronics hobbyists now have several easy-to-use boards to choose from, several of which embrace a new 'open source hardware' (OSHW) paradigm.  In this talk, I will discuss two OSHW boards—the Arduino and the BeagleBoard—and how these tools can replace expensive proprietary solutions in the laboratory and expand the pedagogical possibilities in the classroom.