GPIO for PCs

I hate to sound like i'm raining on your parade but I already have dozens of different GPIO boards for the pc

ESP8266 based modules to control mains

Industrial Shields PLC, + many other low cost PLCs

TIBBO LTPP3 Linux based controller

Arduino

Raspberry PI

Many different LaunchPads (TI Version of an Arduino)

Beagle Bone Black

SAM4Dx boards

etc etc

My point here is that with almost 100% surety, any board developed to deliver GPIO for a PC would be based on Having a microcontroller and leverage its GPIO to act on behest of the PC. Programs like Firmata already exist to make say an arduino pretend to be an extension of a master controller, an arduino or pretty much any of the above can simply receive commands over serial, USB, WIFI, Ethernet.. to name just a few and these cost only a few $$$

I am already leveraging a 5$ power brick to control mains via an MQTT server and WIFI (5$). can you compete with that, because everything else is free (Or you probably already have it).

So while contemplating such a device is a good thing to do from an educational perspective, you need to consider the existing market / competition and ask your self, why would someone buy mine vs the other. especially if yours is more expensive.

I hate to sound like i'm raining on your parade but I already have dozens of different GPIO boards for the pc

ESP8266 based modules to control mains

Industrial Shields PLC, + many other low cost PLCs

TIBBO LTPP3 Linux based controller

Arduino

Raspberry PI

Many different LaunchPads (TI Version of an Arduino)

Beagle Bone Black

SAM4Dx boards

etc etc

My point here is that with almost 100% surety, any board developed to deliver GPIO for a PC would be based on Having a microcontroller and leverage its GPIO to act on behest of the PC. Programs like Firmata already exist to make say an arduino pretend to be an extension of a master controller, an arduino or pretty much any of the above can simply receive commands over serial, USB, WIFI, Ethernet.. to name just a few and these cost only a few $$$

I am already leveraging a 5$ power brick to control mains via an MQTT server and WIFI (5$). can you compete with that, because everything else is free (Or you probably already have it).

So while contemplating such a device is a good thing to do from an educational perspective, you need to consider the existing market / competition and ask your self, why would someone buy mine vs the other. especially if yours is more expensive.

To PO; Great comment and great Videos (on youtube) and great overview on this much jumbled SBC (Single Board Computer) Environment. "Been There. Done That" applies here. That is what I tell my Clients (people who hire my services) that P/A (Prior Art - a term in (US) Patent Law) or USC section 112 on "Obviousness" would negate your Invention. BTW1: here USC =United States Code (codification of Federal Laws) NOT USC = University of Southern California.

USCDADNYC (NY NY USA)

To DJ: Have you every considered Simulation under MatLab/Simulink (Student copy of s/w is: $99 USD [US Dollars]). I am current attending a MOOC on MatLab Programming. When done (early Oct 2016?) will focus on MatLab/Simulink and it's support for RaspPi & Arduino. Why reinvent the Wheel ?

Especially if you get accused of Patent Infringement. ONLY JOKING. The Wheel is in the Public Domain, NO Patent Rights are (were) ever obtained on it.

USCDADNYC (NY NY USA)