The instructions below will walk you through ordering all the parts(excluding common tools) needed to build a splitflap v0.7 display with 6 modules using the latest Chainlink electronics.
Please leave inline comments below if you have any questions or come across anything that looks incorrect!
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me(scottbez1 at gmail or just mention me @Scott B in a comment on this doc). Or, join the Discord server, to discuss or ask questions from the wider split-flap community!
😩 Feeling overwhelmed by this document? I don’t blame you, there’s a LOT here… So I put together a much shorter document that favors simplicity over comprehensiveness/lowest-cost, for people in the US: +Splitflap Ordering (the “easy” route)
💡 These instructions have been updated for the new“Chainlink” electronics system, which is recommended over the“Classic Controller” for all new builds due to easier assembly and more flexibility. If you’re looking for the older Classic Controller instructions, they’ve been moved to the Appendix.
There are many places you can get laser-cut parts, but I’ve personally used Ponoko and Elecrow for ordering shipped to the US with an easy online-only process. I’ve been using Ponoko for several years and they offer a lot of different material options and good quality, but recently I’ve found Elecrow’s laser-cutting service, which can be significantly cheaper with good quality(though very limited material options).
The front face of each module is approximately 82.6mm wide and 147.8mm tall.
For advanced makers: if you want to cut a single front panel that will be shared by an entire row(or grid) of modules, there is a script to do so with lots of configurable options like spacing, rows/cols, and even has a mode for generating geometry for CNC routing with necessary“dog-bones” applied to inside corners — see generate_combined_front_panel.py
💡 Note: v0.7 laser-cut parts are not dimensionally compatible with older v0.6 or v0.5 modules! If you’re extending an older display, make sure to use the older v0.6 files archived at the bottom of this document rather than the newer v0.7 files linked here.
Upload the SVG file from above. Confirm the dimensions match the values above, and check that blue lines are set for“Cutting” and black fill is set for“Area Engraving”(or turn this off to skip engraved features)
Order laser-cut parts
Ponoko