DL1608 Linux OS?

[Wynnd]

Seems I ran into that fact somewhere, so if it's Linux and Linux cornel was built be people over the internet with Linus Torvolds at its center.  Seems to me that someone might want to start a new interface for the DL1608.  (Possibly with an Android app too.)   Question that comes to me is, if a different controller interface was available for the DL1608,  How much would you be willing to spend if it was everything you wanted?  I'd spend $100.  Would you?

[sam.spoons]

I doubt I'd pay $100, the app would have to be a huge step up from Master Fader to justify that sort of cost.

[WK154]

I doubt that it would be about $ just like the Android app for the X32. But as long as Mackie is clandestine about their "special sauce" communications protocol nothing will happen.

[Wynnd]

I'm pretty sure that just looking at the hardware and experimenting the necessary protocols could be figured out without intruding on your software license.  (After all, you're not trying to reverse engineer their software.  You're only building from scratch a new software controller.) 

[WK154]

You would have to reverse engineer their communications protocol but no-one has had the inclination to do so AFAIK.

[Wynnd]

Wouldn't that be determined by the communications chip itself?  Also, Linux is open source, and didn't I see a GNU license in the box?  Times might have changed, but in the past most of the hardware information was readily available.  (It's been quite a while since I did any programming.)  On the other hand, if Mackie keeps improving the software and releasing improvements on a regular basis, there will be no need to rewrite the controller.  (Though I'd like to give it a nicer look.) 

[WK154]

Actually the GNU license is in their manual for a small code segment not the base OS. Let me shed some light on the DL's possible development environment and OS. Mackie probably won't say what their using if asked. The most likely candidate is Analog Devise's current CrossCore platform. They might have started with VisualDSP++ and changed over. Remember the rewrite a while back of the base code as they called it. There are according to AD 11 OS platforms for the Blackfin/Sharc processors, the ones used in the DL. The language used is C/C++ extended for DSP work. AD has a large library of DSP functions to use and deal with the two processors all under one roof. Saves a lot of work. The only communications chip I found is SMCS 8710A a 10/100 Ethernet chip the rest being handled by the Blackfin. Since there are two paths (Ethernet and USB) for messaging at some point they should merge to control actions in the DL ie. common protocol different message wrappers. I hope this helps to understand the DL software platform a little better. Mackie lurkers feel free to chime in anytime and correct me. Oh the OS is most likely the AD version of MicroC/OS-II from Micrium. http://micrium.com/rtos/ucosii/overview/   .

Update: Apparently someone read them the riot act and their new GNU statement in the manual encompasses more without outright stating the fact that the DL code is based on uClinux OS. So much for speculation.