So upon first release for modders it will be 100% unprogrammed, but when it is released generally it will be programmed as Pailpoe described earlier and will just require final assembly?
I asked roughly the same question (page 30) and Pailpoe had this to say:
(...)
7 - In first time No (DIY here), after perhaps. I can program for free the microcontroler in first time.
8 - It's a prototype with no screw. I use screw in my future prototype
Thanks for your questions.
I do not have much time to respond.I work on the software.
Thanks for answering, Pailpoe, I look forward to seeing this reach production (and even more for the day I'll have my own in my hands
).
...
@VaporNebula: If I understood correctly, this is how Pailpoe intends to proceed. He ordered and has received 50 PCBs already he intends to distribute to the people (mostly on the french forum) who've been with him/ModULRA since the beginning, for testing purposes and to help develop/mature it. I think at this point, this PCB (or the microcontroller itself) doesn't possess some of the features he intends or would like to have in the "final" product (like the pressure sensor capability for automatic mode and ability to control amperage -- just voltage for now), read below:
On this board, I only control atty with voltage (no current).
My other board can control with current/voltage monitoring.
When he's happy with the design and the programming for the microcontroller he might do a 2nd run/order for PCBs at which point he
might do a pre-order thing for people who either don't mind or actually prefer to DIY his design.. From his reply to my question, at this point people would receive the PCB and its components unsoldered (ie, you'd have to cut and assemble the PCB in the T formation and solder all components onto it),
but even at this stage he implied he'd be ok with shipping the unsoldered microcontroller already fully programmed (once the software is done and he's happy with it, it wouldn't take more than a few seconds per microcontroller to program each one). The only thing I'm not sure of is if at this stage he'd actually sell you the full DIY kit (ie, PCB plus its components,
as well as the aluminum and acrylic parts, O-Rings, SS400 mesh for the ULRA atomizer, etc).. Which is to say, I'm not sure if at this first round of "open beta/open pre-order" DIY phase, people would purchase from him the full list of items required to build his design or if we'd have to procure some (or most) of those items for ourselves.
After this, if the "open DIY sale phase" doesn't include all the parts needed, he'd probably do a more regular "full DIY kit". At this point, however, he might (for an aditional cost, I'm thinking -- which is only fair, craftsmanship is costly) sell things like the PCB fully assembled, with all components soldered and microcontroller fully pogrammed..
Beyond and after all this, and what I gathered from his posts here thus far is that this is still something he's not sure he'll ever do, he
might just start selling his design (or future designs) as a fully built/assembled product (such as the likes of the ProVari, Darwin, etc).
