gcc/binutils/etc : software engineering ::
lindsay : mechanical engineering ::
**openbench : electrical engineering** 

Entire 'project' consists of 6+ 'bench tools' pretty much everything except a DMM (no point to doing it) to create a platform for development, possibly speeding up the 'fab lab' revolution a bit

Tools are optimally available in 3 "configurations" : basic/low cost, better/medium cost, best/highest cost

Completely open source from mechanical (DXF), to hardware (schem, layout), to firmware (CPLD/microcontroller) to software. (Read more here)

either Creative Commons, GPL, MIT, BSD or a mix

Contains only out-of-patent or unpatented technology

Low cost, off-the-shelf, in production parts only.

DIP, PLCC, thruhole preferred. SOIC, 1206 passives and other large SMT "ok". No SSOP, QFP, LLP, uSOIC, etc.

Projects must be standalone (no "USB only")

No parallel ports. Serial ports "ok". USB preferred.

All are still in part spec/planning

• LCR meter
• Waveform generator
• Frequency counter
• Logic analyzer
• Oscilloscope (the holy grail!)