Raspberry PI PICO ATARI ST Hard Drive Emulator (WIP)

[dad664npc]

A change of direction here!

This project initially was just for me, to keep my hand in so to speak, learn PCB design and all of its nuances along the way too. I was all for making it open source, which has been done to a point. However, I have realised, and seen, that this can be abused, and profited from. Sooooo...

I have decided to team up with exxos and make this product available via their shop.

This product will ONLY be available via the exxos shop and the sole purpose, as far as I am concerned, is to help support the future of this forum. It takes a LOT of resources to keep this platform running, and if this helps in any way, then I'm happy.

I hope this update is met favourably.
dad664npc aka cryptodad

[alexh]

:bravo:

[Steve]

@dad664npc absolutely great idea :)

[JezC]

:goodpost: :bravo: :dualthumbup: :thumbup:

A great idea! Once it's available, I hope to support you both with a purchase or three...

[tzok]

I'm not a fan of commercializing projects which have been started as open source and developed using the effort of the community. On the other hand - your project has already been forked twice, so you will not be able to effectively stop its independent open-source development (if anyone will be interested in this). Those forks were made when the project still was open-source/open-hardware, so their development will be legal. It's like with Open Office, and Libre Office forked when Oracle decided to commercialize the project - does anyone still use the "original" one, even though Apache made it back to Open Source?

There are multiple commercial products based on the concurrent ACSI2STM and its Author is fine with that.

[dad664npc]

I respect you comments of course, but no other person has been involved in the development of this project. I am well aware that forks were made and if those people wish to develop independently then good luck to them. I am not doing this to make millions lol. This is being done to aid this forum, as with all of exxos' work.

[exxos]

Just so people are aware, @dad664npc Approached me about distributing his board. Not everyone has the capability of building these things up and getting them to work. So been able to buy pre-built and tested units will mean the project does not simply die a rotting death unless other people fork it, who will probably sell it commercially anyway. That is what generally happens. Likely without his permission or any compensation for his work etc

Also people need to be aware I am not manufacturing these either. I have however done some testing and found a bug, and also suggested some other minor hardware changes. So I have some minor involvement with the project but certainly not "drop shipping" either. I have just purchased 100 DB19s from the USA for this project which wasn't cheap. So I am actually invested in this as well as I believe it is a good project.

Point being, I am buying these ready built and tested by @dad664npc As I support authors and don't just rip off someone's work and sell it and my own brand as some people think I do, or what some others do in fact. I think this is a better way to support authors and have their projects reached the masses.

The little profits I make will go into things like funding this forum. @dad664npc Will regain a little bit of capital which may motivate him for doing other projects as well. Everybody wins in my book.

[Badwolf]

I'm all for this. The early revision was open source (I have a forked design sat here that I've [still] not yet built up) and now there'll be a new bells-and-whistles commercial version.

DFB1 may go down similar lines. Eg. a community version and a commercial version (with, you know, like testing and stuff. :lol: )

:cheers:

BW

[jfceklosky]

Thanks for the update on the project. I have purchased a few ST related items from the exxos store recently for my work on an STE refurbishment. I will look forward to them being available for sale too.

I have been in involved with and have supported open source software since 1993. Recently, I have gotten into the open source hardware world to learn (my background is software development) and build these projects on my own for myself and others. My goal with some of these open source projects is to build, test, and sell them basically at cost with maybe a few dollars for assembly, so that others who grew up with these wonderful machines from the 80's and 90's can enjoy them again.

This is why I was asking about a TH design of the board. I hope that my interest did not change your mind on how to wanted to deliver this project.

[chronicthehedgehog]

:bravo:

I look forward to seeing it in the shop - and buying one