Hello FreeCalypso community, I am happy to announce that I have received the second batch of FCDEV3B boards (S/N 009 through 016) from my contract manufacturer earlier today, and all 8 boards in this batch are free of killer defects! The sleep mode bug is still there (as expected, as I haven't made any changes that could cure it), but I have programmed the boards with a firmware image built with DISABLE_SLEEP=1 (the software workaround of not enabling sleep), and that is how they will be shipped. All 8 boards successfully passed automated RF calibration for all 3 bands, and will be shipped fully calibrated - unlike the messy situation we had with the first batch.
The fw image programmed into this batch of boards and used for the RF calibration and tests is this one: ftp://ftp.freecalypso.org/pub/GSM/FreeCalypso/fcdev3b/fcdev3b-prod-fw-20170831.tar.bz2 It is functionally equivalent to moko13 fw that has just been released for Openmoko devices. As the next step, I need to finish the FCDEV3B User's Manual which I started writing earlier, and once it is done, 6 boards out of this batch will become available for retail sale. (The other two are earmarked for people who have contributed to last year's crowdfunding run with the expectation of getting boards, but haven't got theirs yet.) The retail price for one tested and known-good board off the stock shelf will be $500 USD. The only accessories included in this price beyond the bare FCDEV3B board itself are the WTH43006 GSM antenna and a Weidmuller connector for making your own power supply cable. Additional accessories available at extra cost: * An ultra-compact power supply brick (93x49x35 mm) that goes from AC mains power (IEC 60320 C14 inlet) to the 3.6 VDC needed by the FCDEV3B. I have a small stash of these PSUs, but I am not able to find any more of them in retail sources, and I do not know how much it would cost to special-order a batch from the Chinese/Taiwanese manufacturer. * An FCDEV3B to USB connection kit consisting of an FT2232D adapter board from pldkit.com and a hand-made cable for connecting it to the FCDEV3B with solid connectors on both ends, eliminating the need to manually connect and match up each individual wire. These custom cables are very labor-intensive to make (I have only made just one for my own personal use), and whomever I hire to hand-make them will need to be compensated for her or his labour. Alternatively, if anyone would like to order 10 or more boards as a build-to-order batch, I should be able to bring the per-unit price down to $350 or maybe even less depending on the quantity - but it would need to be custom-negotiated. You would also get your choice of SnPb or RoHS solder in this case. Hasta la Victoria, Siempre, Mychaela aka The Mother _______________________________________________ Community mailing list Community@freecalypso.org https://www.freecalypso.org/mailman/listinfo/community
