stevemarple:
The only board I know of with the Uno footprint is this one, thaieasyelec.net, but it's out of stock
This is certainly a very interesting board. Too bad it is no longer available.
CrossRoads:
You want a bare Bobuino board & just populate the parts you need? I could order a batch of PCBs, you build up what you need.
Thank you for the offer. But the board is quite a bit larger then what I would like. I will spend some time on whipping up a board. See how rusty my Eagle skills are. If it becomes too much effort I might just take you up on that offer.
Reading various post here and on hackaday there appears some interest in a much more basic 1284p board. Perhaps doing it would be a worthwhile effort. I also though of creating a very basic vinciDuino or Leonardo clone. Not that I need one but just for practice as it would be low parts count and low cost.
As for USB connectivity with the 1284p, are there any reasons to prefer a mega8u2 (or is it mega8u4?) over a FTDI chip? I think the FTDI chip works out to be about double the cost, at least in very small quantities.
Also, I prefer TQFP over DIP. I tend to not socket DIP but solder them straight to the board in most cases, especially with in circuit programming.