Openflops floppy emulator

[Steve]

Yo guys,

I've been waiting for Centuriontech to get more Goex in stock for what feels like six months, not sure what's going on, I emailed him about two of three times etc.. Anyway I started looking for alternatives that have Flashfloppy and found this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OpenFlops-Fl ... 3636762847

s-l500.jpg (48.95 KiB) Viewed 388 times

It's called OpenFlops. Apparently its free and open source hardware and runs Flashfloppy. Another cool feature is that it will support dual floppy drives, A and B! With seperate access lights and rotary controller. Very nice!

Anyways, I've ordered a couple of units. If they work well you can't go wrong with the price.

[go0se]

That looks suspiciously like a 're-branded' version of https://github.com/SukkoPera/OpenFlops with no mention in the listing of where it came from, although I do see his name on the board silkscreen.

I have no idea what the license situation is in terms of the 'real?' Gotek boards, if such a thing exists? As that project is as far as I can tell a recreation from a Gotek schematic that appeared a few year ago. If anyone knows more about who actually 'owns' the Gotek design then it would be interesting to hear....?

[DoG]

You can even make your own.

There are several Gotek PCB out there. I have one for example that is super small and connects between original floppy and floppy cable. Small connectors on board make USB connector be relocated anywhere. Rotary switch on cable. Then have a switch for A/B on a cable as well.

[cmorley]

If anyone knows more about who actually 'owns' the Gotek design then it would be interesting to hear....?

At a guess this lot.

[go0se]

If anyone knows more about who actually 'owns' the Gotek design then it would be interesting to hear....?

At a guess this lot.

Well if Gotekemulator did indeed design it, as their 'About Us' page alludes to, and they're clearly still selling it, then creating an Open Source version seems a bit dubious. Remaking an open firmware i.e. FlashFloppy or HxC to run on their hardware is perfectly legitimate but remaking the still commercially available hardware seems questionable.

You can buy the 'original' product with a nice moulded case for £16 with free postage from China!

Perhaps Western clones of Chinese products are viewed a little differently to their counterparts?

[Steve]

That looks suspiciously like a 're-branded' version of https://github.com/SukkoPera/OpenFlops with no mention in the listing of where it came from, although I do see his name on the board silkscreen.

I have no idea what the license situation is in terms of the 'real?' Gotek boards, if such a thing exists? As that project is as far as I can tell a recreation from a Gotek schematic that appeared a few year ago. If anyone knows more about who actually 'owns' the Gotek design then it would be interesting to hear....?

Didn't you read the description of the product? It's open source hardware that anyone can produce. It's not a copied gotek. They silkscreened it because they produced it.

[Homer79]

That looks suspiciously like a 're-branded' version of https://github.com/SukkoPera/OpenFlops with no mention in the listing of where it came from, although I do see his name on the board silkscreen.

I have no idea what the license situation is in terms of the 'real?' Gotek boards, if such a thing exists? As that project is as far as I can tell a recreation from a Gotek schematic that appeared a few year ago. If anyone knows more about who actually 'owns' the Gotek design then it would be interesting to hear....?

It is a rebranded edition with his blessing. I already spoke with him about it.

[go0se]

It's not a copied gotek. They silkscreened it because they produced it.

So it has the same form factor, dimensions and mount holes as a Gotek, the same component layout as a Gotek, can run the same firmware as the Gotek and is based off the schematic from the Gotek, but it's not a copied Gotek?

What else does it need to qualify as a copy?

[Steve]

Why does everything have to be a conspiracy theory these days... Just read the GitHub and he explains the original building blocks were started with the gotek schematic and the form factor was kept so that people can still use widely produced gotek cases... It's not rocket science, just read the link that you pasted earlier...

https://github.com/SukkoPera/OpenFlops