[MinnowBoard] Lure Plans

David Anders danders at circuitco.com
Mon Aug 11 23:36:03 UTC 2014


Chris,

On 08/11/2014 06:12 PM, Chris Benson wrote:
> Dave,
>
> Sorry.  I'll try to rephrase a couple of those questions to clarify.
>
> How many NIC Lures could be used simultaneously on a MAX?
>

because the MinnowMax only has a single PCIe channel, you would only be 
able to use a single NIC Lure. if you need more ethernet interfaces, 
there are options available such as Realtek parts that provide multiple 
nics from a single PCIe channel...

> When you use the phrase 'USB Hub Lure', can you confirm that you will 
> be offering an 'Ethernet hub' rather than an 'Ethernet switch'? (per 
> the definitions stated on this webpage: 
> http://www.blackbox.com/resources/blackboxexplains.aspx?id=bbe_4170 )
>

this is a USB Hub Lure, not ethernet....

the USB Hub Lure is nothing more that a standard USB chip (Microchip 
USB2514) that provides 4 additional USB2 host ports...

> Regarding a hypothetical partner program, I was not referring to the 
> discussion on the mailing list.  Will it be possible for early 
> adopters (i.e. product creators) to gain access to pre-production Lure 
> hardware prior to it being generally available through retail 
> distributors?  That way we can start building our own product 
> prototypes on top of the MAX at an earlier date.
>

we have not made any plans to do so since it would generally be cost 
prohibitive to provide prototypes and/or pre-production boards. i.e. a 
lure that normally would cost $35MSRP would probably cost $100 as a 
pre-production due to the small quantity that are built as part of the 
prototyping process.


> So regarding volume pricing, if I place a volume order for 10,000 MAX 
> units, you are confirming you will charge me retail prices.

MinnowBoard Max is not intended to be used directly in a 
commercial/retail product and as such we expect to keep the retail 
prices strictly for the general MinnowBoard community. circuitco can 
offer you a "no minnowboard logo" version of the MinnowBoard Max.

>
> Given a 'yes' on the previous question, is it possible to contract 
> with CircuitCo for a separate private production run with a lower cost 
> structure?
>

yes you can get a quote from circuitco to provide you a provate 
production run of a minnowmax variant. this is the preferred method for 
OEM/ODM customers. by doing this we are able to address things such as 
delivery schedules, testing concerns, and warranty/RMA handling. this 
also allows to schedule out the proper allocation of parts, schedule for 
production time on the assembly machines, and allocation of employee 
resources for testing and shipping.


Dave

> Great about the dates!  I'll look forward to your update in ~2 weeks.
>
> Thanks,
> Chris
>
>
> On Mon, Aug 11, 2014 at 6:51 PM, David Anders <danders at circuitco.com 
> <mailto:danders at circuitco.com>> wrote:
>
>     Chris,
>
>
>     On 08/11/2014 05:47 PM, Chris Benson wrote:
>>     Dave,
>>
>>     Does the NIC Lure only come with a single PCIe-based gigabit
>>     Realtek ethernet port, or will there be more than one?
>>
>
>     currently the plan is to provide only one nic.
>
>
>>     How many Lures can be used simultaneously on a MAX?
>>
>     that is entirely dependent on what interfaces are used and how
>     they are used.
>
>
>>     Is the USB Hub Lure switched or unswitched?
>>
>
>     i am sorry i do not understand your question...
>
>
>>     Has CircuitCo considered creating a 'prototyping partner program'
>>     for early adopters of specific Lures (like for people on this
>>     mailing list)?
>>
>
>     there are no plans to separate out the lures discussions from the
>     main mailing list.
>
>
>>     Will it be possible to secure volume discounts on the MAX and its
>>     Lures once production ramps up sufficiently?
>>
>
>     because of the way minnowmax pricing is structured, there are no
>     plans to provide volume discounts. this is the same with other
>     open hardware platforms such as the beaglebone black...
>
>
>>     Recognizing that Lures are still in prototyping right now, could
>>     you please announce target availability dates for these Lures?
>>      For those of us with significant dependencies on the proposed
>>     Lures, even an extremely tentative 'no-promises' date would be
>>     better than none at all.
>>
>
>     i can't share any dates with you currently, but i will be in a
>     better position to do so in about two weeks.
>
>     Dave
>
>
>
>>     Thanks,
>>     Chris
>>
>>
>>     On Mon, Aug 11, 2014 at 6:09 PM, David Anders
>>     <danders at circuitco.com <mailto:danders at circuitco.com>> wrote:
>>
>>         Greetings All,
>>
>>         i'd like to share with everyone the proposed list of lures
>>         that will initially be available for the MinnowBoard Max.
>>         this list is currently just a proposed list and some of the
>>         names/features may change:
>>
>>         *Cape Name* 	*Description*
>>         Calamari Lure 	Educational
>>         Moto Lure 	Dual motor support
>>         MiniDisplay Lure 	SPI based LCD with Touch
>>         RS-232 Lure 	rs-232 with db-9 connector
>>         Generic Proto Lure 	standard prototype cap
>>         Power Supply Lure 	wide voltage range support
>>         Audio Lure 	new audio cape based on cirrus logic
>>         PWM Lure 	32 PWM interfaces for LED/Servo
>>         Relay Lure 	4 generic gpio controlled relays
>>         CAN Bus Lure 	CAN Bus support
>>         RS-485 Lure 	RS-485 interface support
>>         ADC Lure 	multiple ADC inputs
>>         SeaCat Lure 	mPCIE+mSATA
>>         Nic Lure 	Gigabit ethernet lure
>>         USB Hub Lure 	4 port USB Hub
>>         Ika Lure 	Arduino Style Headers
>>         Jetsam 	single mPCIE
>>         Flotsam 	single mSATA
>>
>>
>>
>>         feedback and/or suggestions are welcome!
>>
>>         Dave
>>
>>
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>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
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