From what i understand the Kade softare is still available and is open source but the add-on boards are no longer available, correct?
All encoders and the DIY kit currently show up as out-of-stock at the
North American KADE Store.
I'm not sure if that is because the KADE team is out of Minimus boards, they are focusing on making cables and shipping the miniConsole+, or some combination of these and other factors.
The person to PM about this is
Sharpfork (Kevin) since he runs the KADE Store.
Does any group or person make an aftermarket version of the board?
A combination of relatively low sales-volume and the high per-unit cost of doing a small production run makes it difficult for a vendor to break even, especially when you don't need the breakout board.
You can solder to the Minimus through-holes . . .
. . . or use 2.54mm screw-terminals.
I've only heard of two third-party KADE-related boards.
1. Silverfox0786 designed and built some KADE compatible rotary joystick adapter boards
here.
2. Nitz76 made a knockoff version of the KADE miniArcade
here that doesn't use a Minimus board.
What is a reasonable price that you would consider for the minimus these days? I know they originally went for $30USD and gradually went down before they pulled them.
As with anything, reasonable is in the eye of the beholder.
- At $30 I don't think you'll get
any takers. There are
far less expensive AVRs if you want to "roll your own" and for a few bucks more you can get a fully assembled plug-and-play encoder.
- At $20 you
might get a few.
- At $15 you'll get more.
- At $10 it would be a pretty good deal.
- At $5 it would be a
great deal.
I'm not an AVR vendor, but I suspect that the pricing sweet-spot would be somewhere in the $6-$12 range + shipping.
Scott