This page describes how we get GenBoard/VerThree and other useful parts
By ordering, you fully agree and accept WhatEverYouDoYouDoItAtYourOwnRisk.
The group came together to cut down duplication of efforts. Obviously the advantages are most significant with software and hardware development, but parthunting also steals considerable resources, we found it better to buy and manufacture parts together, in Europe and USA. Also, we can get better prices for buying packs of units.
The frontend is a simple [online order page] for GenBoard and items that are commonly used in our installations.
Note that applicability for a particular application is not guaranteed. The parts come with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by applicable law. Even non-critical applications require extensive testing. It is especially dangerous to control any equipment (in vehicles or other applications) that can undermine safety or cause harm or injury to human. Any such application is unsupported and counter-recommended.
It allows us to focus on development and our engine issues with minimal parthunting. Some parts are shipped from US, most parts from Europe, but the ordering process is the same, you don't need to bother about that.
Originally it was developers only, but in 2004 April we opened the shop for any member, effectively everyone, since anyone can become a member (see MembersPage). There is some small profit on items which is shared among developers and contributors:
- developers get their units for free (but they must order the same way: paper-ships swimming down the Danube with their orders might not be noticed!!!)
- contributors get a discount (the best way to save money, learn and help others at the same time!). Use the comment field of the order to ask for the discount.
Please follow these steps if you need help - everyone needs
- make a page as suggested on TermsOfAgreement. Put your plans and questions there. This is the key for a successful project without too much load on you and others who can help.
- see ListsAndForums and maybe use it for notification (not necessary though: those who care, will see RecentChanges: this means the email is inferior to wiki in all ways) or transient stuff before putting it to the wiki.
- browse through this wiki and find out what's interesting to your install
Please do not
- ask for help on your install without making your webpage (preferrably wiki, so others can ask you on the page without scattering related information all over the globe). If you don't collect the details of your install at one place (which can be a hierarchical set of pages), noone else will do. The email replies will get tangled very soon, making the information very hard to recover, placing extra load on others - if they care to answer at all.
- do not use private mail to developers - except for extreme cases
- do not use the irc channel instead of the wiki. It's good for chatting, but when you send links try to fit into the relevant wiki page first, and send on irc after.
Other notes
Note that unassembled kit is currently only available to developers, who want to review while assembling (mik put the first running unit into his car). Later it might become an option to everyone, we'll see. If price is a concern there is a better way than self-assembling. Review the code, cleanup the doc, help the newbies, and you can get a serious even 45+ % discount for the assembled board (100% is also possible, several people achieved that). Much better than soldering components according to a schematic, since you learn more about the system (the system is 80% firmware + software + configuration + doc and only 20% hardware - and you can review that 20% HW also without soldering all of it).
The problem with kits is that unfortunately making a kit is just tiny bit less work than making an assembled and mintested board, and takes considerably more resources on the receiving side. We don't want too much developer resources allocated on supporting home-assembled boards.
- anyone who brings 9 v3.x sales (eg. talks about it on forums, lists OtherGroups?) gets an assembled board for free. For smaller salesboost he gets discount accordingly. For larger sales amount, custom conditions can be negotiated.
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