Building a Smart Sleeve

1. Background

2. Guide

If you need additional aid or have questions about this process, feel free to ask on the forum!

Background

eVOLVER hardware is primarily divided between the Smart Sleeves and Motherboard. The Motherboard is where all the sensitive control hardware is, whereas the Smart Sleeve is nice modular way of integrating all the sensors to control your culture conditions.

Goal

The goal of this tutorial is to show how one can build an eVOLVER Smart Sleeve using commonly found tools and easily customizable parts.

Time/Cost

In this post, we are describing the Smart Sleeve built for continuous culture documented in our . It typically takes 10 to 15 minutes for construction of this version of the Smart Sleeve with all the appropriate parts (e.g. soldered PCB, constructed aluminum tube). Raw materials cost roughly $40/ vial however cost for 3D printing, machining, and coloring (spray painting/ anodizing) parts vary due to accessibility to appropriate tools.

That all sounds great, but I have never soldered or 3D printed before, how do I start?

Here is a great introductory tutorial on soldering from our friends at . Also, you can easily outsource your 3D printed parts to be produced by folks at by uploading the appropriate (if you’re a student, don’t forget the student discount!). Generally, building a Smart Sleeve is simple because we only use through hole components and screw terminals, so it is much easier to make than surface mount designs.

How can I modify or change the design?

We built our PCB designs on , an open-sourced software for circuit board design, and our 3D models on Solidworks. Here is a schematic of the PCB and the Solidworks part . There are many other programs for vial board design, including a bunch of tutorials on , another popular CAD tool for the open-source community.

Does this tutorial include how to build the Motherboard?

No. This tutorial only provides instructions on how to build a Smart Sleeve.

Guide

Use the below video to help if you are confused about any of the steps in this guide.

1. Source parts

• To assemble each Smart Sleeve, you will need all 16 components listed in Figure 1.

• See for part sourcing or order the Smart Sleeve unassembled from Fynch Bio

List of supplies needed (Figure 1):

1. Aluminum Vial Sleeve Tube

2. Thermistor

3. 2x IR Photodiode

4. IR LED

2. Assemble Aluminum Tube and Vial Board

1. Align the holes as shown in Figure 2

2. Secure the two pieces together using a 1/4" black head screw (Figure 3)

3. Repeat this process to align and secure the holes on the opposite side

3. Tape Thermistor Onto Aluminum Vial Sleeve

1. The thermistor has one side covered in plastic (with writing) and one exposed side (Figure 4). Ensure the exposed side faces the aluminum tube

2. Thread the thermistor’s lead wires through the two holes on the PCB (Figure 5) and secure it in place using lab tape, as shown in Figures 6.1 and 6.2.

   1. The holes are labelled "Thermistor" on the top side of the PCB

4. Insert the Aluminum Tube into the 3D Printed Tube Holder

1. Next, insert the black 3D-printed tube holder beneath the PCB (Figure 7), positioning the indented section over the thermistor

   1. All holes in the 3D-printed tube holder should align with the holes in the aluminum tube

   2. Avoid damaging the thermistor by twisting or rotating the parts.

5. Assemble Acrylic Parts and Fan

1. Slide the solid acrylic fan spacer onto the 4-40 stainless steel screws, followed by the spacer with the circular cutout (Figure 9.1).

2. Orient the fan according to the directional arrows shown in Figure 9.2 and slide it onto the screws

   1. The arrows are on the same side as the 16-pin ribbon cable connector that overhangs off of the vial PCB

6. Connect the IR LED and IR Photodiodes

1. Both the IR LED (clear) and the IR photodiodes (black) feature one long and one short lead (Figure 10.1). The long lead should be connected to the ‘+’ vial on the PCB, and the short lead to the ‘–’ vial (Figure 11.1).

1. Connect the IR LED

   1. Connect the IR LED (clear) to the IR LED screw terminal ports on the PCB, using the following polarity:

      1. Long lead to the ‘+’ port and short lead to the ‘–’ port (Figure 11.2)

1. Repeat the same process for both IR photodiodes (black), connecting each to the appropriate screw terminal ports labeled with “Spare A” and “PD135” (Figures 12 and 13)

   1. Again, make sure the long lead goes into the + terminal

7. Solder the Thermistor

Finally, solder the thermistor onto the PCB (Figure 14).

That’s it! You’re done.

Following a similar framework for building the Smart Sleeves enables adding different parameters, adaptation to different vial sizes, and other creative eVOLVER applications! Have fun!

Let us know if anything is unclear on the .