Watch out for the clones!

[digistump]

The first Digispark clones have been spotted:


Of course the Digispark is OSHW - so nothing legally wrong with this first one:



http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=2013.1.0.156.FkcdAS&scm=1007.77.0.0&id=20373031373&pvid=c914065f-196a-4fef-9da7-d9640d015d52&ad_id=&am_id=&cm_id=&pm_id=


But we sure hope you'll agree that our soldering and finishing comes out a bit nicer!




This one seems to be violating our license on the Digispark name and using our photos (not that we'd have much luck challenging a product on taobao - we won't try):


http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.1.PsNnMb&id=20137319692


Strange thing about that one is that they don't show any photos of their actual product - if it didn't cost so much ($25!) we'd buy one just to check it out.


Have you seen any clones? We'd like to see them! We feel honored that people feel it is worth making clones/fakes!

[Bluebie]

Woo! You've hit the big time! That first one looks to be about $6.20. It's crazy how much of a difference labour and shipping prices in china can make.

Maybe that second expensive one isn't a clone? Maybe they're just reselling it? There is certainly a market for buying things in one country and selling them in another with a markup, because language barriers would make it difficult for some chinese to use the digistump shop directly I'd think? That's exactly what a lot of the hong kong and singapore based ebay sellers I buy from are doing - just giving me an english language interface and product description so I can buy from china.


I hope we see some more innovative clones soon. Really, I'm hoping the Adafruit Gemma ends up being digispark compatible. It'd be neat for someone to make a wearable-optimised digispark compatible, and Adafruit create and maintain so many Arduino libraries, it'd be great to have them focus some internal resources on digispark compatibility so I wouldn't have to. ^_^

[digistump]

Maybe that second expensive one isn't a clone? Maybe they're just reselling it? There is certainly a market for buying things in one country and selling them in another with a markup, because language barriers would make it difficult for some chinese to use the digistump shop directly I'd think? That's exactly what a lot of the hong kong and singapore based ebay sellers I buy from are doing - just giving me an english language interface and product description so I can buy from china.

That's very possible though I found a message board in chinese where someone says it is a clone and links to it - but who knows!

I hope we see some more innovative clones soon. Really, I'm hoping the Adafruit Gemma ends up being digispark compatible. It'd be neat for someone to make a wearable-optimised digispark compatible, and Adafruit create and maintain so many Arduino libraries, it'd be great to have them focus some internal resources on digispark compatibility so I wouldn't have to. ^_^

I'd like to see this too - solarbotics took the first step - their firefly has the header spots for connecting shields - if only whatever clones come out use the same connection layout then we'd really have something!

[bobricius]

I backdown, I made 2 clones


old version with RTC and EEPROM support
http://sardravce.sk/tuke/pi0.jpg


new
http://sardravce.sk/tuke/pi2.jpg
http://sardravce.sk/tuke/pi3.jpg


with connector
http://sardravce.sk/tuke/pi1.jpg




Now I'm working on a new version with resistor networks and similar design and dimensions with atmega32u4 and STM32F103CBT6 like maple mini

[digistump]

I wouldn't call those clones - I'd call them awesome derivatives! Nice work!

[airship]

Looks like taobao also sells the Pebble watch, the Chargecard USB cable, and a few other Kickstarter products. I'm guessing that they're buying and reselling the real deals.

[bobricius]

2 new clones


http://sardravce.sk/tuke/picoduino.jpg


mini/micro/pcb/metalic usb
I found 2 zenres in Sot-32, untested now


STM32 version [size=78%]http://sardravce.sk/tuke/smartstick.jpg[/size]

[gogol]

China clones ....  without further comment!

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/NEW-Digispark-Kickstarter-Micro-Arduino-General-USB-Development-Board-free-shipping/1311148493.html
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Digispark-Kickstarter-Micro-Arduino-General-USB-Development-Board/948464733.html
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/1pc-new-Digispark-Kickstarter-Micro-Arduino-General-USB-Development-Board/1072764167.html
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Digispark-Kickstarter-Micro-Arduino-General-USB-Development-Board/986217820.html
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Digispark-Kickstarter-Micro-Arduino-General-USB-Development-Board/948464738.html
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/1-pcs-new-Digispark-Kickstarter-Micro-Arduino-General-USB-Development-Board-free-shipping/1246150316.html

[MichaelMeissner]

Interesting that for US delivery, all of these clones ($15-20 with 'free' shipping) are more expensive than the original chip ($8.95 + $3 s/h if you go through digistump.com, $8.95 + $4 s/h if you go through tindie.com, , or if you live near a microcenter, $9.95 + tax).  And of course you have the usual China shipping times.  Usually clones are supposed to be cheaper than the original.

[gogol]

I don't understand that business model either.
Especially compared with the usual chinese mini-arduinos sold in the same platform: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/5pcs-lot-Pro-Mini-328-Mini-ATMEGA328-5V-16MHz-Free-Shipping-Dropshippin/1221671702.html

[cboden]

Maybe they have taken this offer from the german ebay: http://www.ebay.de/itm/DigiSpark-das-mini-Arduino-kompatible-USB-Entwickler-Board-inkl-Header-und-Pins-/281070562362?pt=Wissenschaftliche_Ger%C3%A4te&hash=item41711c6c3a#ht_4390wt_1399 as baseline for their calculation. The seller offers the Digispark for 19,90 Euro ... that's based on current FX rate more than 27 USD ... ok ... including 19% VAT ... but maybe they haven't read that  based on that price, the clones are cheap 

What me also impress: the german ebay site shows 16 Digisparks already sold for that price ... this brings me to the conclusion that we sell it too cheap

[digistump]

Here too: http://www.goodluckbuy.com/cjmcu-digispark-kickstarter-micro-arduino-general-usb-development-board.html

I've seen almost no clones that are cheaper... so strange.

@cboden - that seller bought them through our Kickstarter, so they paid full price and then added some major mark up. We see even the $20 chinese clones selling well, makes you wonder if people ever google "Digispark" - given that most the buyers are in the US!

[MichaelMeissner]

I noticed this chip in the new items list at tindie.com today.  It uses the digispark form factor so it can use the shields, etc. But instead of having the USB type A slot, it has interfaces for using ISP programmers.  You can also pop off the ATtiny85 out of the dip-8 socket.  I hope the guy has dotted his i's and crossed his t's and things are legal as far as digistump is concerned.
https://www.tindie.com/products/bobricius/attiny85-usbasp-adapter-development-board-breadboard-adapter-digispark-shield-1/

[gogol]

@Michael: This guy posted some of his work already himself in this thread, he is active here as well. 
That shield looks really nice, compared to what I have build (http://digistump.com/wiki/digispark/tutorials/programming)

@Bobricius: compliments!

[digistump]

Yep Bobricius makes some cool Digispark compatible stuff - it's good with us because he doesn't call any of it a Digispark.Though I guess this newest listing would preferably read "Digispark shield compatible" - but I don't think the omission of "compatible" was on purpose. All and all Bobricius' stuff is exactly what we hope for with open source derivatives/compatible works.