Ordering one helmet

Everything to buy for one exocortex, from whom, and every option on every order form: $2,142.76 all in.

Every figure here is read from out/sourcing/cost.json, which uv run python -m exo.cost writes from the boards as built. Add --refresh to re-fetch every JLC and LCSC price and stock first. Prices are as of 2026-11-04. This page is regenerated by uv run python -m exo.order_doc.

The script reads:

• out/pcb/cap/placement.json and boards.json: the 9 tile designs and how many of each the helmet uses.
• The panels from exo.pcb.panel.
• The hub and camera BOMs.
• out/sourcing/bom.json: the price catalog, with every URL.
• out/sourcing/fees.json: JLC's fee schedule, with sources.

What it costs

JLC assembles at least 2 of every panel. So each tile panel holds half a helmet's tiles of its designs, plus a spare pair of each design, and is assembled twice: the two copies are one helmet and its spares. The hub and camera orders still build two sets, so their second set is spare.

A second helmet is a second order of the same files (the tile spares are only a pair per design).

The biggest lines, by what you pay:

Not included:

• shipping and import duty/VAT on every order
• X-ray (optional)
• JLC's monthly $8 PCBA coupon
• the shell print's electricity and the printer

Not exact: each of these lines has a reason in its note in cost.json.

• PCB price: the bare-board price per panel is computed from JLC's published prices. JLC shows the real price only after the Gerbers are uploaded.
• Prices from search results: the beanie comes from a search-indexed listing, because that site refuses automated fetches.
• Hardware: stocked M2 screws are pan heads, not ISO 7380 button heads.
• Inputs this run used: the FPC data came from out/shell_v1_report.json fpc, and the hardware counts from out/shell_v1_report.json hardware.

The pin

Kinghelm KH-205580-DZ (JLC C530677) goes on every contact and on the hub's REF and BIAS contacts, placed and reflowed by JLC like any SMD part.

• Dimensions: 8.0 mm above its pad, Ø2.0 mm base, ~2.0 mm of plunger travel (drawing Kinghelm KH-205580-DZ (PG2.0-8.0-0.5T)).
• Force: at most 70 g (the maker's figure); the force curve isn't published, measure it on a bench.
• Working range on the helmet: the scalp sits 6.2–7.7 mm from each tile's face; in the layout every pin is 6.294–7.606 mm.
• Pad: Ø2.2 on the boards.

1. JLCPCB

Every part on the tiles, the hub and the cameras is in JLC's library: nothing to source or consign.

The files

If out/pcb/cap/panels/ doesn't exist yet, build it first: PCB_OUT=out/pcb/cap uv run python -m exo.pcb.panel. Each panel already has its rails, fiducials, tooling holes, mouse-bite tabs and per-board designators (R1x3_U4: design R1, copy 3).

The order form (once per row of the table)

PCB options:

PCB Assembly options:

Then, for each order:

1. Upload the BOM and CPL.
2. On the parts page, check every line against cost.json: same LCSC number, stock green.
3. In the placement preview, check these: - pin 1 of every QFN (the CH32V203s; the hub's RP2350s and FT2232H); - the SC70 op-amps and buffers and the SOT-363 mux; - the FPC connectors' orientation; - that every pogo pin sits on the scalp face.
4. Compare the quote with the row for that order below.

Per-order fees ($), from cost.json → panels:

How the fees are built:

• Setup: $51.12 per order on double-sided Standard PCBA, plus the same again for each extra design in a panel. A panel of n designs therefore costs n setups, so panels save stencils, fabrication and the per-order fees, not setup.
• Stencil: $16.42, plus $4.20 for a self-panelled stencil with 5 or more designs.
• Loading: $1.53 for each unique part.
• Joints: $0.0016 per joint.
• Hand-placed pins: $0.017 per pin (none on the cap: its pogo pins are placed like any SMD part).
• Other: confirm placement $0.45, packing $0.50 + $0.00003/cm², and fixtures $16.42.
• PCB: 6-layer panels are priced at $2 up to 25 cm², rising linearly to $35.10 at 100 cm², then in proportion to area above that. The 4-layer hub and camera boards use $2 rising to $9.55. All of these are for 5 pieces.
• Global Sourcing: $20 inspection per part type.

Sources: assembly price, extra charges, panelization, ordering, PCBA capabilities, minimum qty, Global Sourcing, consignment, 6-layer.

2. LCSC (cart)

Go to lcsc.com → BOM Tool, upload a CSV with the columns LCSC Part #, Quantity from the table below, check that every row matched, then check out.

About the FPC jumpers:

• Every link is Type B (contacts on opposite sides at the two ends), because both ends use the same bottom-contact connector wired pin to pin (see the shell report's FPC type note).
• Every link is 12-way: tile to tile along a chain, a chain's first tile to a hub port, and the cameras.
• The 400 mm 12-way cable (C55509681) is labelled type B in its model number but "Same Side" in LCSC's description. Check the photo before you order it.

3. Other suppliers

Things to know before you buy:

• Battery: Li-ion 1S 3.7 V >= 2,500 mAh, >= 5 A continuous, own PCM, 10k B3435 NTC lead, <= 70 x 45 x 9 mm, JST PH 3-pin (BAT+, NTC, BAT-); IEC 62133-2 and UN 38.3 test reports (certified cell seller (to quote), 1S Li-ion pouch to docs/hub.md § power (not yet chosen)). Price is a placeholder: the MaxAmps Lipo-2000-1S's $51.00 (recorded 2026-10-28), until a seller with the IEC 62133-2 and UN 38.3 reports quotes. LCSC and JLC sell no pouch cells (searched 2026-11-03). The MaxAmps pack it replaces is a hobby RC pack with no PCM (docs/regulatory.md § 3).
• Camera module: the price is converted from INR at the rate stored in bom.json → fx.

4. The shell print

1. Print out/stl/EXO-140.stl … EXO-145.stl in PETG on an Ender-3 V3 SE: 0.4 mm nozzle, 0.2 mm layers, 7 walls, 5 top and bottom layers, 20 % infill, 240 °C nozzle, 80 °C bed, 60 mm/s, 40 % fan, a brim.
2. The parts are already in print orientation. See docs/shell.md for the times and grams.
3. Heat-set the 4 battery-cover inserts.