[linux-audio-dev] Re: [Alsa-devel] Firewire Audio Card Support

[Simon Jenkins]

  Jussi Laako wrote:

>On Thu, 2004-11-18 at 15:16 -0500, Lee Revell wrote:
>
>  
>
>>And I posted a [possibly OT] rant to that thread about how this was a
>>waste of time and how you could REALLY make a killing with open sound
>>hardware.
>>    
>>
>
>I've been doing hardware design and device driver development as part of
>my day work. Designing open source hardware is possible in theory, but I
>can't see who would pay the expenses of the development.
>

The expense could be spread around the participants, but yes, some 
sponsorship
would be nice too.

> Software and
>hardware required to develop a proper hardware costs thousands of euros.
>

So some of the work would have to be done by people who can access such
software/hardware at work.

>Also each prototype manufacturing of the PCB is about 500€,
>

Pessimistic. I had to specify a single 6-layer board, 5 days delivery 
and 100
component placements before I got an online quote approaching 500Euro. And
the price drops *fast* when you want a few more boards, a bit slower. 
Its down
to 162Euro per board if you want 5 boards in 10 days. Its down to 55Euro per
board if you want 10 4-layer boards in 15 days. That's manufactured and
*assembled* (but not including the component cost). These are actual quotes
from an actual company who I've actually used.

> and
>components a few hundred (because not buying >1000 each).
>

OK...

> So yeah, it
>would be possible for about 10000€ if not counting price for the work.
>

Either you typed an extra zero here, or you're factoring in 9000+Euros for
development software and hardware, or you're expecting 10 generations of
prototype before it works, or something.

Yes, it would cost time and money, but I think you've overestimated the
per-developer cash cost.

> I
>don't have, nor willing to spend that kind of money for development of
>open piece of hardware.
>

10000Euro? No, neither am I.

1500Euro? 1000Euro? Hmmmm......


> Someone else would of course collect the money
>from the sales of such hardware.
>

Maybe. Maybe not.

>Software is different thing, you are mostly spending just time. I've
>still put a few thousand euros of pure money to my software projects.
>It's a different thing is someone is willing to sponsor such a project.
>

Another option would be to find someone who'd pay us *not* to do it :)


Simon Jenkins