BTW, we're working on a new (and probably final) Version of the APC board. Schematics and first layout are done albeit not yet released.
The only difference to V2.4 is that on the new APC board the Raspberry Pi is also included. Therefore no additional Lisy_Mini board is needed any more if you want to run PinMame or MPF without a PC connected.
The use of the Pi is optional. If you don't populate it then you have the same functionality as in V2.4. Even if the Pi is populated you can still select the USB port for communication. That means you can use the on board Pi for PinMame and still use your PC to develop some MPF rules for your game.
As many people seem to have problems populating the APC boards, I'm thinking about doing an additional layout for automated assembly. From my point of view there're three options:
1. I'd try to move as many of the SMD components to one board side, as this is required by most chinese board manufacturers to do surface mount assembly. However, I'd keep the large 1206 packages and the through hole ICs, so it's likely that not all SMD components will fit on one side.
2. Same as 1, but I'd change the packages to 0603 to ensure that the whole SMD stuff fits on one side.
3. Same as 2, but I'd change the ICs to SMD also. This would leave only the connectors and some special components to be soldered by the user. In case of a repair you would then have to deal with SMD ICs of course.
What do you prefer?