Open Source Hardware Repository

I've been tinkering with various little PCB designs for my own custom printer, and recently started helping out with the Marlin firmware folks in reverse engineering the Prusa Multimaterial boards. I wanted to know if there already is an open source hardware repository that I could contribute to, or if I should start one.

I was thinking of starting a github and uploading the cad files along with gerbers and information about the boards, and allowing other board designers to add their own and provide feedback/design edits.

Any interest in this?

A couple of examples:

This is a breakout to connect JST wires to an FFC cable allowing all the print head signals to be carried over a pair of FFC cables. This allows for a much cleaner cable.


A reverse engineered clone of the Prusa Multi-Material Stepper Multiplexer board


A reverse engineered clone of the Prusa Multi-Material Stepper Switcher board

Most info is just added to the wiki eg [reprap.org]

I'm aware of that, however the wiki doesn't track changes, issues, or experimental designs the way this repository would. I intend this repo to be an open forum for designers and developers to put forth ideas and get feedback. The wiki is a reference, not really an appropriate place for that IMHO.

edit: I decided to get started on it, so here it is: [github.com]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/28/2017 02:52AM by pyr0ball.

"wiki doesn't track changes"

bollocks all changes are logged and who and when and what

"or experimental designs"

more bollocks. Many designed on there marked experimental

If your going to ask a question please put aside your preconceived erroneous ideas and actually look into it before implementing your own addenda you had already decided on.

The point of the repository, in contrast to the wiki, is meant to have a higher level of collaboration with specific feedback and issues tracking. It's not exactly easy to go look through it wiki's revision history to find a specific change, and then assign an issue to it like you can with github. The other thing I see as better about the github is that I can push minute changes quickly, get feedback, track problems, and respond directly to those issues.

Secondly I posted this here in the hopes of providing access to my designs, and getting some other interested designers on board.

Is this a bad idea? Is the wiki all encompassing in some way I'm not aware of? Does it provide the features I've noted above?

Edit : also there's a big difference between something being marked experimental and an experimental design that's under active development and needs further validation.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/28/2017 04:30AM by pyr0ball.

I'm sure plenty of people would be interested in designs for things like this. Prusa have now uploaded the source files for their stepper switcher here [github.com]

Yep, I referenced their design when I was building the smaller of the two stepper switcher boards. I've also added a new one: An FFC breakout board with integrated Precision Piezo circuit