No back doors. No hardware locks or encryption. Open hardware means you can completely understand the hardware.

No memberships in expensive special interest groups or trade organizations required to contribute peripherals.

No fear of bricking your computer trying to install the OS of your choice. Bootstrap process is fully disclosed.

Designed to empower and encourage the owner to learn about and even tweak the software and the hardware for their own benefit.

No mass storage or operating system? Hack around in the built-in, ROM-resident programming language environment.

Built on 64-bit RISC-V-compatible processor technology.

Compatible with Digilent Nexys-2 FPGA development board.

The Kestrel project is all about freedom of computing and the freedom of learning using a completely open hardware and software design.

Also check out the other Kestrel blog, at hackaday.io.