... in clear and simple steps! Here you find guidelines that will lead you through the UC2 toolbox.
If you're searching for a specific topic, have a look through the points below - maybe your question was already answered. If not, you can always file an issue or contact us!
Feel free to skip to the steps that you're most interested in - and feel free to jump back to the basics if you feel like you missed out something.
All external links are used with the best intention - to provide more information and background on topics that are not in our main focus.
What is GitHub? How to join?
How to access all the files easily?
How to make your First Contribution?
How to make your First Contribution if the previous guide still seems to complicated?
How to edit GitHub documentation (Readme files)?
How to use GitHub flavored Markdown?
What do I have to buy if I want to build something with UC2 toolbox?
Is there a complete list of all setups, modules and components?
Never tried it but it's so cool you want to start now?
Which printer do we mostly use?
I don't have a 3D printer. Can I have the parts printed somewhere in Jena?
I don't have a 3D printer. Where can I have them printed?
Which cubes are the most up-to-date ones?
What is the difference between IM and 3DP cubes?
How do the baseplate puzzles work?
Which software do I need to control the electronic components?
How to solder electronics?
How to avoid soldering?
Even if you don't aim for research application of the setups -handle the optical components with care, protect them from dust and avoid fingerprints on optical surfaces.
How to handle optics?
How to clean dirty optics?
Where do I find all the UC2-Software documentation in one place?
How to prepare the hardware of the Raspberry Pi?
How to start with Raspberry Pi?
Tutorials take you by hand through your beginnings with UC2. It's useful to get familiar with the cubes before starting building a more complex system.
Check the RESOURCES you will need to accomplish the tutorials.
Choose whether you prefer a 🐾 Step-by-Step tutorial with images or a 🎥 YouTube Video
- TUT01: Print your first cube 🐾 🎥
- TUT02: Assemble your first cube 🐾 🎥
- TUT03: Give your first cube a function - lens as a magnifying glass 🐾
- TUT04: Build your first baseplate 🐾🎥
- TUT05: Build your first optical setup - a telescope 🐾
- TUT06: Build your first microscope 🐾
- TUT07: Get your first electronic part - simple LED matrix 🐾
- TUT08: Build your first microscope with electronics 🐾
- TUT09: Build your first BOX 🐾
- TUT10: Explore optics with your first BOX 🐾🎥
How-to guides show you how to assemble cubes for various functions and how to build many different optical setups, once you are familiar with the basic idea. It also takes you from the mechanical-only to motorized systems.
- HOW-TO find all the cubes and components
- HOW-TO assemble cubes for different functions
- HOW-TO find optical setups that are already tested
- HOW-TO set up a Raspberry Pi for the use in UC2 toolbox
- HOW-TO print the UC2 parts with a Prusa i3 MK3S Printer
- HOW-TO import your ideas into the UC2 framework
- HOW-TO easily sketch your UC2 setups
- HOW-TO work with the MiniBOX
- HOW-TO use UC2 toolbox for education?
- HOW-TO use UC2 toolbox for research?
We appreciate that you want to get involved! Your help is valuable for us, even if you are not a skilled researcher, maker or programmer. These are mostly guidelines, not rules. Use your best judgment, and feel free to propose changes to this document in a pull request.
Find the detailed guidelines in CONTRIBUTING
Reference guides give you more information on specific topics and provide technical details.
Find out more about...
- REF: Open-Source
- REF: Open-hardware
- REF: Learn more about Optics and Microscopy: MicroscopyU, YT Microcourses, YT Optical Systems
- REF: Electronics
- REF: Soldering -learn more
- REF: Arduino
- REF: ESP32
- REF: Raspberry Pi
- REF: 3D printing material: PLA
- REF: 3D printing material: ABS
- REF: Datasheets
- More links in Resources: Knowledge
- Alternative Unit Block Designs : The UC2 cubes and baseplate system from some instability coming from the 4-point attachment design, as this is an over-determined connection. We tried other designs that should in theory be better. But what they were?