From 764e6c4fbd73b4b75280b0ad7b3ff0ee9027507e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: SukkoPera Date: Sun, 12 Apr 2020 00:44:22 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] Update README --- README.md | 29 ++++++++++++++--------------- 1 file changed, 14 insertions(+), 15 deletions(-) diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index 6f9a13b..bdd76b0 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -3,12 +3,12 @@ Rämixx500 is an Open Hardware remake of the Commodore Amiga 500+ mainboard, rev ![Board](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SukkoPera/Raemixx500/master/doc/render-top.png) -### Summary +## Summary Many Amiga 500+ computers are suffering an early death because of the built-in barrel battery that powers their internal real-time clocks. Such batteries have long exceeded their planned lives and in many cases have started to leak alkaline liquids over the mainboard, corroding copper traces and destroying components. This damage can sometimes be repaired trivially, but many times it requires a lot of time and effort. Sometimes it adds up to other damage occurred over time and so it would just be better to have a new board built with new components to move the few critical chips over. Amiga mainboards haven't been produced for the last 30 years, but they are relatively simple by today's standards, thus an amateur project to make new ones was started. -### Differences from original +## Differences from original The initial objective was to come up with a new mainboard as similar to the original one as possible, while including minor modifications that would improve its usability. First the schematics were drawn from scratch in Kicad and then the board was routed, staying close to the original layout. This mainboard was designed with *reasonable* - not *maniacal* - accuracy to the original design. Most care was taken in the positioning of components the ought to be in a certain position (i.e.: screw holes and I/O connectors), to ensure drop-in replaceability. Other components and tracks are "more or less" there, but as the board was wholly laid out from scratch by hand, don't expect sub-millimeter accuracy. @@ -27,12 +27,12 @@ Following is a list of deliberate changes with respect to the original layout of - The ground fill is autogenerated by KiCad, so it won't match the original exactly. - Probably there's something more I've forgotten. -### Assembly and Installation +## Assembly and Installation **PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS UNTESTED!!! IT MIGHT NOT WORK AT ALL!** That said, good luck ;). -### License +## License *(I am not sure I can claim any copyright on this, as the actual schematics this is based on belong to Commodore (or whoever has that right now, definitely not me). So the claim below is going to be more of a declaration of intent, in the sense that I would like that everything that uses my work stays open and free.)* The Rämixx500 documentation, including the design itself, is copyright © SukkoPera 2019-2020. @@ -49,20 +49,19 @@ Any modifications made by Licensees (see section 3.4.b) shall be recorded in fil The Documentation Location of the original project is https://github.com/SukkoPera/Raemixx500/. -### Releases +### Selling the board +**The license also allows you to sell these boards**. I have nothing against that **as long as you do so at an "ethical" price**. I understand you want to make some money, but please note that you are getting this all for free. You had no development costs and you invested no time in this project. I did, and my desire is to allow everybody to have a board at a REASONABLE price, so please keep your margin low. I estimate that **having a few of these boards produced costs about 20€ per board**, so let me tell you that **if this board is sold at more than 30€, 25% MUST be donated to a LEGITIMATE charity** of some kind, like curing cancer for example. + +Also, please **do not remove the credits, URL and license statement**. There is **no reason do so**, you have the right to sell this board, there is no need to pretend you got it somewhere else. Ironically, If you removed those, you'd lose that right as you'd be violating the license terms. + +## Releases If you want to get this board produced, you are recommended to get [the latest release](https://github.com/SukkoPera/Raemixx500/releases) rather than the current git version, as the latter might be under development and is not guaranteed to be working. Every release is accompanied by its Bill Of Materials (BOM) file and any relevant notes about it, which you are recommended to read carefully. -The released gerber files are password-protected. The original reason behind my projects was to allow anyone to make their own retrocomputing accessories cheaply. Instead of this, what I achieved was actually fuelling greedy people grabbing my work, making boards for a couple of bucks, badly soldering cheap Chinese components on them and selling them at outrageous prices. +**I am not providing ready-to-use gerber files**. If all you want is **to get boards made, I would really appreciate if you did so [in a way that supports the project](#support-the-project)**. -I still believe in free software and open hardware, and that is why my projects will remain as such. **I am not providing ready-to-use gerber files**. If all you want is *to get boards made, I would really appreciate if you did so [in a way that supports the project](#support-the-project)*. You can also ask me for the password, if you think you don't fit the above statement. - -Note that **the license allows you to sell these boards**. I have nothing against that **as long as you do so at an "ethical" price**. I understand you want to make some money, but please note that you are getting this all for free. You had no development costs and you invested no time in this project. I did, and I want to allow everybody to have a board at a REASONABLE price. I estimate that **having a few of these boards produced costs about 20€ per board**, so let me tell you that **if this board is sold at more than 25€, 25% MUST be donated to a LEGITIMATE charity** of some kind, like curing cancer for example. - -Also, please **do not remove the credits, URL and license statement**. There is **no reason do so**, you have the right to sell this board, there is no need to pretend you got it somewhere else. Ironically, If you removed those, you'd lose that right as you'd be violating the license terms. - -### Support the Project +## Support the Project If you want to support the project, you can order the boards from PCBWay through this link: [![PCB from PCBWay](https://www.pcbway.com/project/img/images/frompcbway.png)](https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/Raemixx500_V1.html) @@ -75,10 +74,10 @@ You can also buy me a coffee if you want: Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com -### Get Help +## Get Help If you need help or have questions, you can join [the official Telegram group](https://t.me/joinchat/HUHdWBC9J9JnYIrvTYfZmg). -### Thanks +## Thanks - Commodore, for making the coolest machine ever. - [Amiga PCB Explorer](http://amigapcb.org), a fundamental tool to follow the original track placement. - [amigawiki](https://www.amigawiki.org/doku.php?id=en:service:schematics), mainly for the schematics but also for the whole lot of information they provide.