Builder Road Map

Note: This WIKI was only just started on 2022-04-22, but we are actively working on filling it up and making a good documentation for the new builders out there!

Warning

Please note that this project currently is in a very early stage! So don't go buying stuff right away! You will need to order and solder your own boards, since there are no assembled boards for sale yet.

Please make sure that you're actually allowed to build this device in your area. There may be laws / patents prohibiting you of doing so!

Please just be responsible and if you're not sure what you're doing, please don't do anything.

BTW the warranty of your brand new mower will obviously be void as soon as you modify it in any way, so be aware.

Intro

If you want to embark on building an OpenMower, we have collected an overview of the various parts and where find information and what to to below. Beware that this is not complete, but it gives you some navigation to how to go about making a project for yourself.

Please see the image to the right for an overview that will assist you when reading the road map description below.

You can find more information on the various parts in the page Building the Mower

Disclaimer

This material is provided as-is and free of charge. No guarantees of any kind are made that the information contained herein is exact or correct or does not violate any local regulations or cause any security risk. Any use you make of any information given here is at your own discretion and risk.

Road map

The Mower

Get a mower in a store

So far only the Yard Force 500 is supported. See FAQ for more about alternative mowers.

Disassemble the mower and Remove the old mainboard

See @c.ez's YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bImqD-pQSA

Now, it is ready for a new main board.

PCBs with components

You need to build 4 PCBs; 1 for the main board and 3 for the motor controls (ESCs). You have to get the PCBs, get the parts and solder it yourself at the current stage. Due to international parts shortage, getting parts is quite a detective task, but here, we give you some help.

The recommended process for getting parts is the following:

1. There are some parts lists (BOMs) maintained in Octopart - they will be given below.
2. Use the Octopart site to find out where there are parts available and order them. You will very likely have to use several vendors. We propose that you start at digikey and then move on for parts that you can not get there.
3. Order the parts.
4. Use the relevant Gerber files for the board that you are making to order PCBs at e.g. JLCPCB. If you plan to use a hot plate or an oven for the soldering process, consider simultaneously ordering a stencil for placing solder paste on your PCBs.

Main board parts

What	Where	Notes
Gerber files	https://github.com/ClemensElflein/OpenMower/tree/main/dist/Mainboard	Get the latest zip file here.
BOM .csv file	https://github.com/ClemensElflein/OpenMower/blob/main/dist/Mainboard/OpenMowerMainboard_bom_.csv	With a little effort can be used to create an Octpoart list or a digikey list, if you spend some time mapping fields. The file has digikey and lcsc part numbers in it already.
BOM on Octopart	https://octopart.com/bom-tool/ODFKeG8J OUTDATED !	Use this to see where parts are available
Interactive BOM	https://clemenselflein.github.io/OpenMower/release/OpenMowerMainboard-ibom.html	Use this file to see where parts go, very useful when you start to assemble. Download the file and use it locally on you workstation. It has option to save state for how far you have gotten.

Further parts needed

You also need

• A Raspberry Pi 4
• An RTK Module
• A Raspberry Pi Pico
• A 9-axis accelerometer, WT901

xESC2040

This version of the three motor drivers uses the RP2040 chip which should be available. The ESC can be produced single-sided for the OpenMower project (so it is less complicated than the STM32 version that is dual sided). xESC2040 has an option to mount some component on the underside to enable CAN interfacing, but, as said, this is not needed for the OpenMower.

What	Where	Notes
Gerber files	https://github.com/ClemensElflein/xESC/blob/main/PCB/xESC2040/GERBER/	Use latest zip file here
BOM .csv file	https://github.com/ClemensElflein/xESC/blob/main/PCB/xESC2040/BOM/xESC2_bom.csv	With a little effort can be used to create an Octpoart list or a digikey list, if you spend some time mapping fields. The file has digikey and lcsc part numbers in it already.
BOM on Octopart	https://octopart.com/bom-tool/p1aqUopq OUTDATED !	Use this to see where parts are available Note: this BOM is without the CAN components for the underside (they are not needed for the OpenMower project).
BOM on Octopart	https://octopart.com/bom-tool/tZ27Fd1N OUTDATED !	Use this to see where parts are available Note: this BOM is with the CAN components for the underside (they are not needed for the OpenMower project).
Interactive BOM	https://github.com/ClemensElflein/xESC/blob/main/PCB/xESC2040/BOM/ibom.html	Use this file to see where parts go, very useful when you start to assemble. Download the file and use it locally on you workstation. It has option to save state for how far you have gotten.

x-ESC (original STM32 version)

This version of the three motor drivers uses the STM32 chip which is in very short supply, therefore the xESC2040 was designed and you should probably go for the xESC2040, unless you actually have access to STM32s. Also the STM32 version uses a double-sided PCB, so it is harder to solder than xESC2040.

What	Where	Notes
Gerber files	https://github.com/ClemensElflein/xESC/tree/main/PCB/xESC2_mini_VESC/GERBER	Zip the files in this directory
BOM .csv file	https://github.com/ClemensElflein/xESC/blob/main/PCB/xESC2_mini_VESC/BOM/xESC2_bom.csv	With a little effort can be used to create an Octpoart list or a digikey list, if you spend some time mapping fields. The file has digikey and lcsc part numbers in it already.
BOM on Octopart	https://octopart.com/bom-tool/hUY6qiSp OUTDATED !	Use this to see where parts are available
Interactive BOM	https://github.com/ClemensElflein/xESC/blob/main/PCB/xESC2_mini_VESC/BOM/ibom.html	Use this file to see where parts go, very useful when you start to assemble. Download the file and use it locally on you workstation. It has option to save state for how far you have gotten.

Ground plane

This is not really a PCB with parts. It is just a PCB that provides a conducting plane on which the GPR antenna can sit for better reception - and with a size that fits within the Yard Force 500. You may order this from e.g. JLCPCB using the Gerber files below.

What	Where	Notes
Gerber files	https://github.com/ClemensElflein/OpenMower/tree/main/Hardware/GPSGroundPlane	Zip the files in this directory

Base station with the base RTK GPS module

[TODO] @c.ez : Need info.

Charging Station

Get a CC/CV module

This is currently needed to fix the charging station provided by Yard Force due to incompatibilities with the replaced main-board. It should be possible to fix this issue, but right now, it is necessary. See Building the Mower for where to get it.

Upgrade the Charging Station

[TODO] @c.ez : Need info.