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assembly.md

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Assembly

⚠ Before connecting the battery to the FireBeetle remember to check the wire polarity as not all batteries are the same ⚠

Before starting assembly

This step is easier to do now while access is still easy.
The MicroSD card needs to be inserted into the display.
The MicroSD card needs to be FAT32 formatted but the throttle is able to format the card if it can't be mounted.
The format option is provided when the throttle is powered on and unable to mount the card.

Case

The case is made of 5 3D printed parts which are needed for assembly.

  • Body.stl - The main case body
  • Frame.stl - The frame the FireBeetle2, rotary encoder, power switch and optional accelerometer mount to
  • Top.stl - The case top and display & frame mount
  • Dial.stl - Dial for the rotary encoder
  • Battery Strap - 3000mah.stl or Battery Strap - 2000mah.stl depending on what size battery

Parts

Pre-assembly soldering

Depending on how you prefer to attach the wires

I like to use header pins so used a female 90 degree header on the rotary encoder. This needs to be soldered like below.
You can then use a male header to solder the wires to (covered later, makes it so parts can be replaced if needed).

If using an accelerometer, the header needs to be soldered as below so the pins will line up later.

Assembly

  1. Top and display

    ⚠ The top is designed to fit the display snugly so it's best to gently try and fit first and see if some light filing\trimming is required

    Attach the ribbon cable to the display and insert the display in to the top part of the case. The ribbon should be on the right and the MicroSD card on the left.

  2. Frame and FireBeetle2

    Attach the FireBeetle2 to the Frame using 4 M2x5 mm screws.

  3. Frame and switch

    Attach the slide switch using 2 M2x5mm screws.

  4. Frame and accelerometer optional

    Attach the accelerometer using 2 M2x5mm screws.

  5. Join parts

    Attach the frame to the top using 6 M2x8mm screws, remember to pass the display ribbon cable through.

  6. Ribbon cable

    After the frame is attached you can now connect the ribbon cable to the FireBeetle.

  7. Rotary encoder

    Attach the rotary encoder to the frame using 2 M3x6mm screws

Wiring

I soldered wires to 90 degree header pins with a bit of heatshrink.

TIP: To help with soldering I cut off small pieces of brass tube (2mm OD, 0.25mm wall) to keep the wire steady. The brass tube can be cut by using a craft knife and applying pressure while rolling the tube back and forth.

If using the accelerometer you'll need to share a GND pin.
The picture above shows how I did it.

Encoder

  • Encoder C = FireBeetle A3
  • Encoder B = FireBeetle A1
  • Encoder A = FireBeetle A0
  • Encoder VCC = FireBeetle 3v3
  • Encoder GND = FireBeetle GND

FireBeetle2

  • FireBeetle GND = Switch
  • FireBeetle EN = Switch

One wire needs to go to the middle pin of the switch while the other can go to either side. It depends if you have a preference for which position is on/off.

Accelerometer (optional)

The I2C headers are directly opposite each other so if you've soldered on a female header the easiest option here is some solid core wire.

Securing battery

I used some electrical tape to secure the battery to the strap.
This can then be attached to the body using M2 screws.

  • 2000mah battery - 2 M2x8mm screws
  • 3000mah battery - 2 M2x5mm screws

Final assembly

⚠ Before connecting the battery to the FireBeetle remember to check the wire polarity as not all batteries are the same ⚠

Connect the battery to the FireBeetle and insert the top section into the body.
To allow clearance for the USB and power switch the top needs to be placed slightly back and slid forward.

The top can now be secured with 4 M3x20mm screws from the base.