Introduction
This Guide is a beta version, if you have any suggestions please leave them in the comments below.
Some of the fasteners and wires used during this guide are not currently included with the V-Core kit and need to be sourced separately. Rat Rig intends to offer a complete electronics kit in the future.
By default, the recommended electronics panel is available for download here, it's called: " panel_electronics_300.dxf".
This guide is meant to assist you during the Electronics assembly of the V-Core 3.1 standard kit. All cable lengths mentioned in the guide are for the V-Core 3.1 300x300. At the beginning of the guide you will find a table containing all the different lengths of cables specified by the machine size. It is advised to practice crimping and soldering before the wiring assembly. Bad crimps or soldering jobs are the most common fault in electronics malfunctions. Never plug or unplug any components while the printer is powered on, this will lead to damaged components and even safety hazards. Avoid bending the cables into tight corners as you can damage them. If you do not feel confident with a certain step ask someone experienced to assist you. Any mistakes during this assembly will permanently damage the components. The guide contains a lot of warnings meant to keep you alert and ensure a successful build!
If you are building a custom V-Core 3.1 refer to: https://v-core.ratrig.com/electronics/ , for the wiring diagrams.
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On the right side of the power supply there is a switch.
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This switch needs to be set to the mains voltage in your country. Either 115V (most common in the USA / Canada), or 230V.
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Weho LRS 350 W Power Supply
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4x M4x6mm Cap Head Screws
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Mount the Power Supply with the M4x10mm Cap Head Screws
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BIGTREETECH Octopus V1.1
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6x TMC2209 Stepper Driver
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12x Jumpers
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UART mode - placing these jumpers will allow for tuning and controlling options on the printer interface.
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USB-C Power option - with this jumper the board can be powered via USB-C. This will allow you to compile and download the firmware directly to the motherboard using DFU mode, ideal for testing the board.
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Voltage Selection - Each fan output can be set to one of three different voltages (5V, 12V or 24V) depending on the jumper positions. The third image exemplifies where the pins must be placed to achieve different voltages.
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BIGTREETECH Octopus V1.1
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Raspberry Pi
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USB A to USB C Cable
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5V Power supply - smartphone charger for example (minimum 3 AMP is recommended)
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Remove the highlighted jumper as it will no longer be required.
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Carefully insert the TMC2209 Stepper Drivers onto the slots.
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Orient the TMC2209 Stepper Drivers with the two upper pins to the outside of the board.
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Make sure the drivers are inserted all the way to ensure a reliable connection.
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6x TMC2209 Driver Heat Sink
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Gently wipe down the TMC2209's top surface with a cloth and alcohol to improve adhesion with the heat sink.
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BIGTREETECH Octopus V1.1
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4x M3x16mm Cap Head Screw
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4x M3x5mm Nylon Spacer
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4x M3 Locking Hex Nut
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Mount the BIGTREETECH Octopus V1.1 with the fasteners in the shown order.
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SSR Relay
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2x M4x10mm Cap Head Screw
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2x M4 Locking Hex Nut
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Mount the SSR Relay with the fasteners in the shown order.
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Raspberry Pi
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4x M2.5x16mm Cap Head Screw
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4x M3x5mm Nylon Spacer
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4x M2.5 Locking Hex Nut
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Mount the Raspberry Pi with the fasteners in the shown order.
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Place the Raspberry Pi so the USB ports are on the left.
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3x Electronics Wire Guide Body
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6x M6x12mm Cap Head Screw
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6x 3030 Drop-in T-Nut - M6
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15x Electronics Wire Guide Clip
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Loosely thread the 3030 T-Nuts onto the M6x12 screws. Do not tighten them at this point.
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Panel Collar Nut
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Panel Collar Thread
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Mount the Panel Collar in the shown hole.
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Red Wire - Used for POSITIVE Connections on the 24 V circuit.
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Fork Terminals - Connecting on the Board and the Power Supply.
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Black Wire - Used for NEGATIVE Connections on the 24 V circuit.
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250 mm - Board-to-Power Supply
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200 mm - Board-to-SSR Relay
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Black Wire (Length: 250 mm)
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Insert one end on the first slot (numbered 1 on the board) and tighten the screw.
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Insert the other end on the right slot of the [ - V ] section on the Power Supply and tighten the screw.
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Route the wire accordingly.
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Red Wire (Length: 250 mm)
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Insert one end on the second slot (numbered 2 on the board) and tighten the screw.
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Insert the other end on the right slot of the [ + V ] section on the Power Supply and tighten the screw.
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Route the wire accordingly.
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Black Wire (Length: 250 mm)
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Insert one end on the third slot (numbered 3 on the board) and tighten the screw.
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Insert the other end on the midle slot of the [ - V ] section on the Power Supply and tighten the screw.
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Route the wire accordingly.
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Red Wire (Length: 250 mm)
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Insert one end on the fourth slot (numbered 4 on the board) and tighten the screw.
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Insert the other end on the middle slot of the [ + V ] section on the Power Supply and tighten the screw.
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Route the wire accordingly.
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Black Wire(Length: 250 mm)
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Insert one end on the fifth slot (numbered 5 on the board) and tighten the screw.
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Insert the other end on the left slot of the [ - V ] section on the Power Supply and tighten the screw.
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Route the wire accordingly.
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Red Wire (Length: 250 mm)
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Insert one end on the sixth slot (numbered 6 on the board) and tighten the screw.
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Insert the other end on the right slot of the [ + V ] section on the Power Supply and tighten the screw.
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Route the wire accordingly.
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Red Wire (Length: 200 mm)
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Insert one end on the seventh slot (numbered 7 on the board) and tighten the screw.
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Insert the other end on the SSR Relay positive terminal.
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Route the wire accordingly.
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Black Wire (Length: 200 mm)
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Insert one end on the eighth slot (numbered 8 on the board) and tighten the screw.
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Insert the other end on the SSR Relay negative terminal.
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Route the wire accordingly.
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Stepper Motor Wire
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Stepper Motor Connector (wider connector / JST PH6P)
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Control Board Connector (narrower connector / JST XH2.54 )
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Make sure the connectors are oriented correctly with their sockets. The "key" on the connector should align with the "gap" on the sockets.
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Stepper Motor Wire ( Length: 1m)
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Stepper Motor Connector (wider connector / JST PH6P)
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Control Board Connector (narrower connector / JST XH2.54) - First connector counting from the bottom.
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Route the cable accordingly.
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Stepper Motor Wire ( Length: 1m)
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Stepper Motor Connector (wider connector / JST PH6P)
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Control Board Connector (narrower connector / JST XH2.54) - Second connector counting from the bottom.
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Route the cable accordingly.
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Stepper Motor Wire ( Length: 1m)
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Stepper Motor Connector (wider connector / JST PH6P)
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Control Board Connector (narrower connector / JST XH2.54) - third connector counting from the bottom.
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Route the cable accordingly.
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Stepper Motor Wire ( Length: 1.5m )
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Stepper Motor Connector (wider connector / JST PH6P)
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Control Board Connector (narrower connector / JST XH2.54) - seventh connector counting from the bottom.
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Route the cable accordingly. (Bottom View) Place the cables inside the extrusions to help route them.
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Stepper Motor Wire ( Length: 1m )
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Stepper Motor Connector (wider connector / JST PH6P)
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Control Board Connector (narrower connector / JST XH2.54) - Eighth connector counting from the bottom.
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Route the cable accordingly. (Bottom View) Place the cables inside the extrusions to help route them.
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Stepper Motor Wire ( Length: 1.5m )
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Stepper Motor Connector (wider connector / JST PH6P)
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Control Board Connector (narrower connector / JST XH2.54) - Last connector counting from the bottom.
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Route the cable accordingly. (Bottom View) Place the cables inside the extrusions to help route them.
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Hot End 4010 Fan - 24V
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24V Power connector (JST2)
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Cooling 4028 Fan - 12 V
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12V Power connector (JST2 - crimping required)
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PWM Cable - Pulse width modulation is a modulation technique that generates variable-width pulses, in this case it controls the supplied voltage to the fan regulating it's speed more efficiently.
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On Delta and Nidec fans the blue wire is the PWM wire, on Sanyo's it's the brown wire. If you're unsure, refer to your fan's datasheet as you will need to crimp a JTS2 as shown.
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Cooling 4028 fan - 12 V
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Connect the PWM wire to the negative pin (the one closest to the outside of the board) of the first connector on the board.
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Connect the positive and negative wire to the referred slot where the 12V jumper was placed.
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Route the cable accordingly.
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Hot End 4010 fan - 24V
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Connect the positive and negative wire to the referred slot where the 24V jumper was placed.
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Route the cable accordingly.
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Hot End Heater
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The Heater Cable is connected via a screw terminal so there is no need for a dedicated connector.
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Hot End Thermistor
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Thermistor Connector (JST2)
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Hot End Heater 24V
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Insert the cable ends on the designated slots and tighten the screws.
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Route the cable accordingly.
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Hot End Thermistor
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Plug the connector into the designated connector.
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Route the wires accordingly.
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Connect the JST3 connector to the lowest slot on the left.
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X Endstop Body
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X End Stop Cable ( Length: 2m )
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Route the cable accordingly.
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Connect the JST3 connector to the lowest slot available on the left.
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Y Endstop Body
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Y End Stop Cable ( Length: 1m )
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Route the cable accordingly. Place the cables inside the extrusions to help route them.
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Bed Heater with the incorporated Thermistor.
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Do not mistake the bed heater wires for the bed thermistor wires. The thermistor wires are the ones with the JST 2 wire connector.
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Connect the Bed Thermistor to the slot right bellow the Hot End Thermistor.
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Place the heater pad next to the machine and connect only the thermistor
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Power Input +5V
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Power Input GND
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2x Black Jumper Wire ( Length: 250mm )
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2x Red Jumper Wire ( Length: 250mm )
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USB A to USB C Wire ( Length: 350mm )
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Red Jumper Wire ( Length: 250mm )
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Power Input +5V on the Raspberry Pi
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Power Output +5V on the Octopus V1.1
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Route the cable accordingly.
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Black Jumper Wire ( Length: 250mm )
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Power Input GND on the Raspberry Pi
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Power Output GND on the Octopus V1.1
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Route the cable accordingly.
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Red Jumper Wire ( Length: 250mm )
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Power Input +5V on the Raspberry Pi
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Power Output +5V on the Octopus V1.1
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Route the cable accordingly.
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Black Jumper Wire ( Length: 250mm )
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Power Input GND on the Raspberry Pi
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Power Output GND on the Octopus V1.1
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Route the cable accordingly.
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USB A to USB C Cable [ Length: 350mm ]
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USB A Port on the Raspberry Pi
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USB C Port on the Octopus V1.1
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Route the cable accordingly.
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Zip Ties
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Rat Rig recommends using a Cable Sleeve to wrap the Tool Head wiring harness, you can get it here.
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Electronics Wire Guide Clip set aside on STEP 9
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Click them into place once all the cables are routed inside of the Electronics Wire Guides.
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Ethernet cable, CAT6 or superior, is recommended to improve signal stability.
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3 Comments
Instructions on how to connect the bed heater power seems to be missing. Is it connected to the relay?
They had left it out because there is a few ways you can wire the bed heater and it includes using the AC mains power that isn’t documented for international differences and safety hazards
Michael -
This is a very good guide. I am impressed.