FPGAArcade case

[amigadave]

@TheDaddy,

I have an FPGA Arcade Replay board now and I am interested in a case for it.  Once MikeJ has worked out any remaining features he wants to have in the firmware and is ready for the next production run (which I believe he stated would have all components installed by the company doing the PCB production), sales of the Replay should then proceed without further delay and should number in the several hundreds, if not several thousands.  So, I believe that there will be a demand for a quality case design from many of those future buyers.

Make it so it can use MikeJ's I/O plate, as Mike has offered to sell them and also to take trade-in's when the daughter board is released for a new I/O plate with additional holes for the daughter board's ports in addition to the standard Replay board's ports.

I think there will be a demand for two designs.  One small as possible design and perhaps a second design that is like the A500, A600, A1200 wedge cases that include a keyboard.

I see the FPGA Arcade Replay board and it's daughter board (when released) as a good alternative to an A1200 w/accelerator & accessories, but not as a replacement for big box Amiga's with Zorro slots.  Not unless MikeJ decides to make an expansion board that can connect to the Replay board that will give us a larger daughter board that has Zorro & PCI slots, so we can build a system out of it to rival our current big box Amiga systems.

As someone else here has already stated, the possibilities for future expansion and features are not limited and this project will most likely have a long and glorious future ahead of it.  It has only just begun!

[amigadave]

To be honest I don't see the point for making a case for a Replay upgraded with Zorro slots and all that. The board is Mini ITX case standard so theoretically it would fit into ITX cases if you want all that =)

One more thing, at the moment (I think) the interest for cases is low because there are VERY FEW people out there owning a Replay. Maybe once it comes readily available I am sure interest for cases will go up a couple of gears!

I agree that designing a box case that will also house slots for Zorro, or PCI cards is a waste of time, as there are so many other readily available cases that could be used for something like that. In fact, I suggest that MikeJ make expansion connectors that allow the Replay to be used as a motherboard replacement for all models of existing Amiga cases, so that when those Amiga's die, they can be brought back to life by using a Replay board and the appropriate expansion board that fits a certain Amiga model.  

That is also why I suggested only compact cases designs that are barely bigger than the Replay board itself, or perhaps a wedge case like the A500, A600, or A1200 that includes a keyboard.  Those are the only two case designs that I think would sell in larger quantities.  Nothing except drawing a design should be done until MikeJ has production of hundreds of boards going.  Once a few hundred boards are sold and about to be put into the public's hands, then someone could make some money making cases for them.