Date   : Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:32:35 -0500
From   : jules.richardson99@... (Jules Richardson)
Subject: making replica acorn cards

stuart wrote:
>> IMHO, if you are going to do that you may as well update the design,
>> for example with the 32K RAM card to use a single 32K SRAM.
> 
> The whole idea of making a replica is that it is as close to the
> original as possible. If somebody has a system with a faulty card then
> being able to obtain a replica of that card might allow them to keep
> the system as they want it, and to the untrained/unknowing eye it would
> seem still in mint condition.

For me it's "because that's how the original manufacturer intended it" - 
when using it or working on it, I want it to appear as close to the 
original experience as possible, warts and all. (the "untrained/unknowing 
eye it would seem still in mint condition" bit bugs me a little I suppose, 
because someone could sell a machine and use that to their advantage, and 
at the very least it suggests pulling the wool over others' eyes!)

>> As for copyright/patent/trademark then possibly posibly not and if
>> they are still covered, finding out who actually owns the rights
>> could be somewhat challenging.
> 
> And that sounds to me like I would be better off waiting till somebody
> comes out the woodwork as demands some money.

I can't remember what happened to things after Control Universal; I thought 
that particular company collapsed, but there is one still trading with the 
same name - so maybe they technically own the rights these days (or did 
Acorn only sell the rights to the System bus, but *not* the right to the 
existing boards?)

>> Cirtainly no one has come after me for the AtomClone, though there
>> was an uncomfortable moment when Steve Fuber asked me about
>> copyright, but his oppinion seemed to be that it should be available.
>> Dunno about Sophie Wilson, I wasn't actually there when she was
>> looking at the clone, but other reports are that she was somewhat
>> perplexed that people still wanted to play with this stuff....
> 
> I can understand that. Both of them have moved on, but it appears that
> some of use choose not too.

I'm surprised that she has no sense of nostalgia :-)

>> Possibly, I did wonder about building a System clone, main problem
>> seems to be getting a eurocard backplane for a sensible price.....
> 
> They do seem to be funny money for what is only a long PCB.
> Not sure how to get around that one as I have no idea how much such a
> PCB would be if made to order today.

Hmm, I have a few Eurocard backplanes - but not enough to justify a run of 
boards for them, I'd think. Are the cases still available even? I hung on 
to a couple of 'empties', but that was it.

The eventual plan is to build my own TTL machine into them - *if* I can 
find a box 'o connectors at a sensible price!

cheers

Jules