Building a rig takes more work than you think. I am a B.S. EE/CS and I can tell you that if you don't have a Open Source Project lined up for you to show you how to build it and program it, it requires a LOT of work.

To design a full system you basically need:

• A background in embedded design with microcontroller/microprocessors or FPGA's
• PCB Design (Eagle, Altium, etc.)
• Xilinx and VHDL/HDL (Hardware description language).
• An understanding of a system datapath for a given architecture
• Digital and Analog Design.

For the most part.

And basically any programming and electronics analysis as well as other similar skills will further help you. Soldering a few hundred chips by hand is tedious, and we're talking SMT. If I could get a reflow oven to use, I would do it in a heartbeat. For now however, I just have a hot air rework station.

If you don't have any experience in hardware design, systems programming or the like. Don't even think you can design a system. What most of you are asking for is for somebody to create a Open Source design (which will take time) and provide you with a list of parts so that you can just build it.

So adomaz, I'm not quite sure I can vouch for him yet because he's very broad with his description. Plus when I see a serious thread like building a DIY ASIC in the Newbie thread, I get a little concerned. Not because people who are just joining the forums don't know what they're doing, but it's where a lot of scam posts begin.

However he mentions he is offering a manual, so if he does produce a manual and I look over it, I can give you an answer.