KiCad Schematics sources published, waiting funds for prototypes

Posted on April 30, 2026 by Communications Team

On the 24th of April 2026 we published on our GitLab repository https://gitlab.com/power-progress-community/oshw-powerpc-desktop-tyche/-/tree/main/KiCad?ref_type=heads the OrCad schematics source, converted to Altium and then imported into KiCad, thanks to our association members.

As KiCad cannot yet import OrCad schematics, this is a 2-hop OrCad→Altium→KiCad flow.

The KiCad pages are out of order. There are two KiCad directories in this repository: one exactly as imported from Altium (KiCad_outOfOrder), and another where our volunteers attempted to change the page numbers to match the filenames, but they did not reorder in the sheet page listing — they are still in the same random-looking order. We are investigating how to fix this at some point, as the file with “01” in the filename should come first, since it contains the table of contents, in order for everything to line up correctly. Other than the ordering issue, it looks reasonable.

If you would like to help check the quality of the conversion to KiCad and potentially work to improve it, please contact us.

Schematics Donation Campaign updated its goal and completed — PCB Donation Campaign updated its goal with around €3,500 still needed to reach it

On 6th April 2026, thanks to the funds collected for the Notebook CE certification and due to the temporary halt of Notebook motherboard production, the association used €2,130 from that previous campaign to pay and balance the Desktop Schematics design costs that are €6,250.

A further €8,000 from association funds was used to pay a portion of the PCB costs in advance. The total cost of the PCB design is around €12,500; since €8,000 came from association funds, we have reduced the goal of the PCB donation campaign to €4,500.

Prototypes of Desktop Powerboard Tyche

Thanks of this donation campaign we will pay for three Dekstop Powerboard Tyche physical prototypes, a very important step that will: put the PCB design to the test allow to learn how to correctly initialize the hardware enable the fine-tuning the configuration of U-Boot The sources for our desktop board have been reviewed by NXP Open Hardware Schematics Sources Our GitLab repository https://gitlab.com/power-progress-community/oshw-powerpc-desktop-tyche/-/tree/main/KiCad?ref_type=heads the OrCad schematics source, converted to Altium and then imported into KiCad, thanks to our association members.

€5,216.56 donated of €9,100.00 goal

Donate

As you can see to reach the goal of this campaign we need to receive donations of around €3,100 to settle the balance with ACube for the PCB design before the end of May.

From March 2026 the PCB design has been completed and is in our hands, we are waiting funds to start prototype production.

To produce the first five prototypes, we need a total of around €9,000. Once we have the cash flow to balance the PCB design and to make this commitment to the manufacturer, we will sign the contract to proceed with production. To avoid further delays, we need significantly more donations.

Join us to Help on Debian PPC64 Big Endian packages

Do you have already installed Debian 13 PPC64 on your G5 or Debian 13 PPC on your G4?

More info how to do it on our forum.

In case you have not PowerPC hardware we can give you access to the Power9 VM we have free at Open Source Lab at Oregon Stage University. thanks to the support of , so you can test and fix the package inside this VM.

If you want to investigate which are the packages that are compiled successfully on PPC64

link build debian ppc64

powerpc ( 32 bit) https://buildd.debian.org/status/architecture.php?a=powerpc&suite=sid

To verify if a bug is already reported on the Debian bug tracking system

How to report a bug https://www.debian.org/Bugs/Reporting

To fix and build a debian package

‘sbuild’, which is the software used to build Debian packages in a clean environment.

To get it working, all you need to do is create a file called ‘release-name-architecture.tar’ in the ~/.cache/sbuild/ folder, which contains a minimal Debian system.

To create these tar files containing Debian images, is suggested to use another little tool called ‘mmdebstrap’. It’s very similar to its cousin, “debootstrap”, which you may have heard of, but it’s a bit faster.

Finally, if you’re comfortable working with Git, we recommend the tool “dgit”, which essentially allows you to download and build any Debian package in a consistent manner, without having to worry about how the package maintainer themselves works with it.

So, in terms of the commands to use on your machine:

mmdebstrap --variant=buildd unstable ~/.cache/sbuild/unstable-ppc64.tar
    dgit clone mbedtls
    cd mbedtls
    dgit sbuild

Contacts us

We are ready for prototype production!

Posted on March 24, 2026 by Communications Team

The PCB design is finally complete, and we are officially ready for prototype production.

However, before taking the big step, we need to balance the PCB design costs:

3,050 euros at the end of April;
3,050 euros at the end of May;

To produce the first five prototypes, we need a total of around 9,000 euros. Until we have the cash flow to make this commitment with the manufacturer, we will not sign the contract to go into production.

Powerboard Tyche Desktop Electrical Schematics Design

Thanks of this donation campaign we will pay for three Dekstop Powerboard Tyche physical prototypes, a very important step that will: put the PCB design to the test allow to learn how to correctly initialize the hardware enable the fine-tuning the configuration of U-Boot The sources for our desktop board have been reviewed by NXP Open Hardware Schematics Sources Our GitLab repository https://gitlab.com/power-progress-community/oshw-powerpc-desktop-tyche/-/tree/main/KiCad?ref_type=heads the OrCad schematics source, converted to Altium and then imported into KiCad, thanks to our association members.

€4,120.00 donated of €4,120.00 goal

Schematics are already published in pdf format on our gitlab repository

Why aren’t we publishing the PCB design yet?

We will only be able to publish the open-source design after paying the design costs and only when prototype production is underway. This is for two fundamental reasons:

Before paying, we do not own the rights to the source files.
The source files will only be considered final after physically testing the prototypes.

Furthermore, our manufacturer ACube Systems can only afford to produce the Desktop board for the first time if no one else beats them to the market. After all the hard work done to make this dream a reality, it is our duty to protect them.

A special campaign: win the historic laptop PCB!

Since the current donation flow is insufficient to cover the design costs and start production, we are exploring new ways to raise funds.

One of the ideas we are considering is a special giveaway: we will raffle off a PCB from our previous prototype (the laptop version) among all donors who contribute from now until we reach the 9,000 euro goal.

Please note: this is a “dummy” PCB (non-functional), produced solely to verify the physical dimensions of the board. It was never an operational prototype. We hope this piece of our journey’s history can motivate the community to help us cross the finish line!

T-shirts, gadgets, and the “DY Maker” spirit

We are preparing T-shirts and other gadgets dedicated to the PowerPC Notebook and Desktop projects, also linked to our association DY Maker mindset.

We collaborate with volunteers to create the opportunity to experience hands-on learning, to inspire creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving by trying to conceive, design, and produce what we need or desire. We encourage this culture from primary schools to University, with no age limit.

Soon we will ask you to vote on different options for T-shirts and gadgets. After that, we will open pre-orders for t-shirts, stickers, and much more!

Our recent events

We have been very active locally:

March 13 – Bolzano, Italy: We shared our project with electronics students at Free University of Bozen · Bolzano – Faculty of Engineering – Electronics and Information Engineering, just as we did in Milan in May 2025. In agreement with the professors, we discussed possible university theses in collaboration with our association.
March 14 – Trento, Italy: We were hosted by Hack in Povo in collaboration with LinuxTr e nt, where we presented the history of our projects.

Desktop board specifications

Our Desktop board is a Micro ATX measuring 244 mm in height and 172 mm in width. When it comes to audio, we didn’t hold back: it features optical digital audio inputs and outputs, 6 analog RCA connectors for 7.1 surround sound, and separate ground connections for the analog and digital sections to ensure maximum sound clarity.

Software and PCB source roadmap

Stage 1: Soon we will convert the Schematics source files from Cadence to Altium, and then to KiCad. In the meantime, there is a free viewer for Orcad sources at this official Cadence link. We also point out an interesting open project that has started importing Orcad sources directly into KiCad: OpenOrCadParser.
Stage 2: Thanks to your donations, once we have collected enough funds to balance the design and prototypes, we will merge and import the PCB source files from PADS directly into KiCad. This is now possible thanks to the brand new importers introduced in KiCad 10: learn more on the KiCad blog.

PCB Design of Desktop Powerboard Tyche

Starting from the source of the Electronic Schematics design design the PCB means prepare all physical PCB layers lanes and components disposition and connection to go in production with prototypes. Designer have take from NXP Devkit design ( 2023 version) everything is related to boot process and many parts from our Notebook design, except what is not needed for Dekstop version, like the Battery part.

€4,100.00 donated of €4,100.00 goal

Let’s stay in touch!

We have been on the Fediverse for a few years now. You can find and follow us at: hostux.social/@powerprogress. Please follow us and share our posts to spread the word. Thank you for your continued support!

Schematics reviewed and published!

Posted on January 29, 2026 by Communications Team

This project has been in the public eye for several years now, working together with supporters who have backed us through the long process of creating notebook prototypes. Over the last eight months, we have focused on developing a desktop version largely redesigned to be immediately functional

As promised, the sources for our desktop board have been reviewed by NXP. They suggested a few changes, which we have implemented. The review process cost us an additional €850, but it was worth it: we have improved our schematics and PCB design just in time for the prototypes.

Great news: NXP confirmed we can publish the schematics with an Open Hardware License! We have already uploaded the PDF version to GitLab.

GitLab Repository Powerboard Tyche Desktop Schematics

However, before publishing the raw source files, we need to convert them from the proprietary OrCAD format to KiCad to ensure everyone can use them. As such, we need collaborators to help us bridge the gap.

If you would like to reserve a production desktop board this summer, we need donations to cover €6,100 for the remaining costs of the PCB design, as well as the expenses associated with prototypes and testing in the coming months. ACube Systems will handle the production because we are a nonprofit organization not allowed to sell physical products.

We are doing the necessary work to reach production, despite the obstacles. The difficult part, the uncertainty, is behind us. Now we are missing a very simple ingredient: funds. We need to raise a few thousand euros in a window of 2-3 months. Simple, but not easy.

Join us on this journey!

Donate, tell your friends, and share our project. In order to enjoy the PowerPC motherboard later, we must all work together now by joining the donation campaign in large numbers.

Join us in this great opportunity for hands-on learning, creativity, and problem-solving as we design and produce what we desire.

If you have any suggestions, don’t hesitate to fill out our survey or contact us.

First PCB Desktop Layout!

Posted on December 24, 2025 by Communications Team

Today we publish here ( above) an export from PCB design of our PowerPC Desktop motherboard (based on processor NXP T2080) , you can see the motherboard top view with components and connectors, it reflect the progress on pcb design, that is going fast. Before the end of January will be completed !! In January should be defined the costs and timing for the production of the prototypes.

The dispositions of components on the board are not final.
As requested by our association members there are 4 holes 30-42-60-80 for the left M.2 connector.
The two Ethernet are one on top of the other.
There is even a digital audio output.
There are 3 PCIE connectors: 16x, 4x Open ( with space for 8x and 16x), 1x

In the mean time that is in progress the donation campaign for the schematics design we open now the donation campaign for the PCB design.

Payments we should do next days:

Schematics Design

Before 31 December we should balance the payment for the schematics design plus 850 euro needed to fill the review questionnaire asked by NXP, So we have summed the 850 euro to the running campaign for the Schematics.

Thanks of this donation campaign we will pay for three Dekstop Powerboard Tyche physical prototypes, a very important step that will: put the PCB design to the test allow to learn how to correctly initialize the hardware enable the fine-tuning the configuration of U-Boot The sources for our desktop board have been reviewed by NXP Open Hardware Schematics Sources Our GitLab repository https://gitlab.com/power-progress-community/oshw-powerpc-desktop-tyche/-/tree/main/KiCad?ref_type=heads the OrCad schematics source, converted to Altium and then imported into KiCad, thanks to our association members.

100.00% Raised

€4,120.00 donated of €4,120.00 goal

39 Donors

Campaign has ended

PCB Design

We need to pay at beginning of January the 50% of the cost for PCB design that is around 6100 euro, so we have created the PCB design campaign that is 12500 euro ( 10000+VAT+paypal/stripe fees) .

We thanks donors and collaborators that permit us to finance everything realized until now.

We are going faster as promised, to realize a working Open Hardware PowerPC motherboard in few months , that increase rhythms of design and production, costs and ask us to increase even the rhythm of donations...

Donation is a form of collaboration so apart your one shot or recurrent donation that are welcome, we even ask you to spread all over you can our project so more potential collaborators could join our project.

On 12th December NXP confirm us that the review of our source schematics was submitted, they don't give us any estimation on how much time they take to do the revision and to give us the permission to publish as Open Hardware the schematics source. After we will have the agreement from NXP we will publish the sources as we do usually, as we have done for our Powerboard Tyche Notebook motherboard sources.

Debian 13 installer for PPC64 and powerpc (32bit)

We are very happy that Debian ports team have published a working Debian 13 installer for PPC64 and powerpc so we have tested on PowerBook G4 and IMac G5. Please join us if you want to help on test Debian PPC64 package or if you want to test even Mint PPC

We have published on our forum how to install it.

During the last shipment of one of the Devkit at our disposal, the power supply (already replaced) and the T2080 motherboard were damaged, so we are currently unable to test Debian 13 on it.

If you want to install Debian ppc64/ppc32 on your G5 or G4 you could appreciate our wiki page updated from our collaborators Debian PowerPC Wiki

Schematics of the Powerboard Tyche Desktop version Completed! Soon starting the PCB design

Posted on October 14, 2025 by Communications Team

We now have the complete electronic source design for our new desktop design in our hands!

This week, ACube Systems and some volunteers from our association will review the design. We expect the manufacturer to start setting up the PCB layout for the new Powerboard Tyche Desktop on October 20th. This is part of our strategy to focus on creating a stable, functional desktop version of the core computing platform by the end of 2025.

The PCB design phase (Phase 2) will begin shortly after the schematics and Bill of Materials (BOM) are sent to the manufacturer. We anticipate that this step will allow the manufacturer to provide us with an estimate of the cost and timeline for the PCB layout design. This cost and timing estimate will then be shared with the community “just in time.”

Technical Components and NXP Review

We have verified that the availability of SATA2/3 controllers is poor, and the chip Lattice Silicon Image SiI3132 chip that we selected is no exception. We decided to include it in our desktop board to ensure backward compatibility with SATA devices, such as DVD and HDD.

We do not use the on-chip T2080 SATA2 controller because we prefer to use the T2080’s three x4 PCIe Gen3 configuration to optimize the speed of video cards and storage controllers. This configuration cannot coexist with the on-chip SATA2. In any case, the best performance is possible thanks to our M2 motherboard interfaces.

In our board design, we have an SPI connection for an external LCD, which can be used as a secondary screen or for debugging and diagnostics. It is also useful when setting up u-boot and when no video card is connected to the board.

Our board design includes GPIO connectors that can be used to connect other devices that don’t use USB, SPI, or PCIe buses.

Our desktop design is derived from our old notebook design and the original NXP T2080 RDB (Release F) design. We are integrating many components specified in the reference board, including critical monitoring hardware.

This includes the OnSemi ADT7481ARMZ thermal monitor, which has been upgraded to the OnSemi NCT72. The ADT7481 is used as the thermal monitor or temperature sensor on the original NXP T2080 reference design board. On that board, the ADT7481 (designated U34) is usually connected via the I2C_1 bus with the address 0x40. The T2080 processor itself contains a temperature diode designed to be used with system temperature monitoring devices, such as the Analog Devices ADT7461A. This similar part is mentioned in the documentation for the T1042 chip, which highlights the standard use of such monitoring.

Designers have changed other components from the original T2080 RDB design and our notebook design due to the availability of new compatible models, such as the N25Q512A13 FLASH SPI, which is substituted for the EvKit Micron MT25QL512A due to its limited availability.

Due to the changes in components, we will need to modify the VHDL code of the CPLD chip when we have the prototypes in our hands. Therefore, we must take into account the additional cost of this task.

To ensure full compliance and open-source publication readiness,

The designer will fill out the NXP review questionnaire [draft post 2025-10-12] simultaneously.
The questionnaire and the Cadence schematic source will then be sent to NXP.
The main goal is to receive a full or partial agreement to publish the parts of our design derived from the original NXP T2080 RDB (Release F) as open hardware.

We anticipate a robust boot-up because the components and firmware are similar to those of the stable T2080 RDB. The specific CPLD is programmed using the original CPLD source code of the T2080 RDB. Once NXP grants the necessary agreement, we plan to publish the source schematics and evaluate the use of a recent CERN Open Hardware License version.

Upcoming Project Phases

The next anticipated milestones, pending finalization of cost estimation:

Phase 2: PCB design. (tentatively scheduled two months after the completion of the schematics).
Phase 3: Prototype production (tentatively scheduled one month after PCB design).
Phase 4: Prototype testing (tentatively scheduled one month after prototype production).

We continue to rely on the community’s support. Recurring donations are dedicated to the campaign aimed at recovering costs already incurred for notebook testing and CPLD firmware fixing.

We are searching volunteers to test Debian PPC64 and fix packages

Finally, we need more volunteers to support the necessary software efforts, including Debian PPC64 testing, as we cannot ask for additional donations for this purpose.

Below is an updated list of specs for the desktop board being designed.

Form Facttor: Micro ATX
CPU: NXP T2080, e6500 64-bit Power Architecture with Altivec technology
    4 x e6500 dual-threaded cores, low-latency backside 2MB L2 cache, 16GFLOPS x core
RAM: 2 x DDR3 Slots
VIDEO
    PCIE3 x16 VIDEO Card 1
    PCIE2 x16 VIDEO Card 2
AUDIO: C-Media 8828 sound chip, audio IN and audio OUT jacks (3x2)
USB:  2 USB 3.0 ports
      2 USB 2.0 ports
      2 USB 3.0 ports internal for FRONT
STORAGE:
    2 NVM Express (NVMe)
    2 x SATA2
    1 x SDHC card reader
NETWORK:
    2 x Gigabit ethernet RJ-45 connector

100.00% Raised

€4,120.00 donated of €4,120.00 goal

39 Donors

Campaign has ended