Open architecture: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 17:17, 2 July 2015

Revision as of 17:17, 2 July 2015

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{{distinguish|Open-source architecture}}

'''Open architecture''' is a type of [[computer architecture]] or [[software architecture]] that is designed to make adding, upgrading and swapping components easy.<ref name="II2011">{{cite book|author=Clifton A. Ericson, II|title=Concise Encyclopedia of System Safety: Definition of Terms and Concepts|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=uousK00QAREC&pg=PA272|date=12 April 2011|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-118-02865-0|page=272}}</ref> For example, the [[IBM PC]] and [[Apple IIe]] have an open architecture supporting plug-in cards, whereas the [[Apple IIc]] and [[Amiga 500]] computers have a '''closed architecture'''. In a closed architecture, the hardware manufacturer chooses the components, and they are not generally intended to be upgraded by the end-user.

Open architecture systems typically use a standardized [[system bus]] such as [[PCI]] or [[ISA]] that allows multiple hardware manufacturers to produce add-ons. By contrast, closed architectures, if they are expandable at all, have one or two "expansion ports" using a proprietary connector design that may require a license fee from the manufacturer.