Open hardware
Build it yourself.
Every board, part and file for one exocortex: 48 contact boards with 1,273 spring pins, 16 controllers, the hub, five cameras, a printed shell and a beanie.
$11,784one order, with JLC's spare second set of boards
$5,975a helmet, if you build both
$6,488in parts
$5,296JLC fabrication and assembly
Five steps.
- 1Order the hard-to-find parts
Mill-Max pins and DF40 headers through JLC Global Sourcing (9–20 business days); PAT9125 sensors shipped from WPG Americas to JLC.
- 2Order the boards
16 JLC orders, one per panel below: its Gerber zip, BOM and CPL. 6 layers, 1.0 mm, ENIG, both sides assembled.
- 3Order the loose parts
FPC jumpers, screws and spacers from LCSC; the cameras, the battery and the beanie.
- 4Print the shell
57 h and 567 g of PETG on an Ender-3 V3 SE.
- 5Assemble
Break out the boards, stack each controller on its main board, cable the fillers, mount it all on the shell, then the hub, battery, cameras and beanie.
Where the money goes.
Prices fetched 2026-10-28. Shipping, duty and VAT not included.
- JLCPCB fabrication + assembly fees$5,29645%
- JLCPCB parts library$3,19227%
- JLC Global Sourcing (DigiKey ED10766-ND)$2,27819%
- WPG Americas (consigned to JLC)$7677%
- JLC Global Sourcing (DigiKey H11616CT-ND)$861%
- Everything else$1661%
16 orders. One per panel.
The 48 contact boards and 16 controllers come as JLC customer panels of up to five boards, with rails, fiducials and mouse-bite tabs. Upload each panel's Gerbers, BOM and CPL as one order.
CB-01$416
T15 · T10 · T09 · T14 · T16
106 × 174 mm · 2 sidesCB-02$408
T03 · T11 · T08 · T05 · T13
107 × 162 mm · 2 sidesCB-03$397
T06 · T02 · T12 · T07 · T04
102 × 147 mm · 2 sidesCB-04$395
F03 · F02 · T01 · F01 · F04
93 × 153 mm · 2 sidesCB-05$376
F06 · F07 · F05 · F08 · F09
87 × 145 mm · 2 sidesCB-06$362
F13 · F18 · F15 · F10 · F19
73 × 135 mm · 2 sidesCB-07$366
F14 · F21 · F16 · F12 · F11
82 × 138 mm · 2 sidesCB-08$362
F17 · F22 · F20 · F23 · F31
70 × 150 mm · 2 sidesCB-09$354
F24 · F32 · F25 · F26 · F28
106 × 89 mm · 2 sidesCB-10$231
F29 · F30 · F27
82 × 74 mm · 2 sidesCTL-01$384
T15K · T10K · T09K · T14K · T16K
106 × 174 mm · 2 sidesCTL-02$383
T03K · T11K · T08K · T05K · T13K
107 × 162 mm · 2 sidesCTL-03$375
T06K · T02K · T12K · T07K · T04K
102 × 147 mm · 2 sidesCTL-04$121
T01K
70 × 70 mm · 2 sidesHUB$195
The hub, EXO-430
80 × 70 mm · 2 sidesCAM$130
Camera boards ×3
70 × 70 mm · 2 sidesEvery part.
One orderable line each, with its link and price. "Per helmet" is what one helmet holds; "order" is what the order buys, since JLC builds two of every board.
Contact boards, controllers and hub80 lines$6,282
| part | what | per helmet | order | each | total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADS131M08IRSNR | 101dB 24 32kHz 350nA 7.5LSB 8 8.192MHz… | 179 | 358 | $6.62 | $2,371.50 |
| 0919-0-15-20-89-14-11-0 | Mill-Max 0919 SMT spring pin, 3 mm stroke | 1,277 | 2,610 | $0.87 | $2,277.93 |
| PAT9125EL-TKMT | PixArt PAT9125EL-TKMT laser optical sensor | 64 | 136 | $5.64 | $767.04 |
| TLV333IDCKR | 0.16V/us 1 115dB 140pA 17uA 2uV 350kHz… | 1,374 | 2,748 | $0.17 | $456.72 |
| DF40C-10DP-0.4V(51) | Hirose DF40C-10DP-0.4V board-stack header | 64 | 128 | $0.67 | $85.84 |
| W25Q16JVSNIQ | 100,000 cycles 10uA 120ms@ 133MHz 16Mbit 20… | 18 | 36 | $0.89 | $31.90 |
| RP2040 | 12bit 133MHz 30 LQFN-56 Microcontrollers | 16 | 32 | $0.92 | $29.40 |
| TPS7A2033PDBVR | 1 10uVrms 140mV@ 3.3V 300mA 65dB@ 6V 8.5uA… | 97 | 209 | $0.14 | $28.32 |
| DF40C-10DS-0.4V(51) | 0.4mm 10P 2 300mA 30V Gold Phosphor bronze… | 64 | 128 | $0.20 | $25.01 |
| FT2232HL-REEL | 2 480Mbps USB 2.0 USB to UART USB to FIFO… | 1 | 2 | $10.60 | $21.20 |
| HC-FPC-05-10-12RLTAG | 0.3mm 0.5mm 12P 1mm 400mA 50V Bottom Contact… | 93 | 230 | $0.09 | $20.31 |
| 74AHC138BQ,115 | [email protected],50pF 3/8 74AHC 80uA 8mA 8mA… | 24 | 48 | $0.37 | $17.61 |
| SN74LVC1G17DCKR | 1 1 10uA 32mA 32mA [email protected],50pF 74LVC… | 125 | 310 | $0.05 | $15.72 |
| TPS2553DBVR-1 | 1 1.5A 85mΩ Active High High Side Switch… | 21 | 42 | $0.31 | $12.83 |
| LMK1C1108PWR | 1 250MHz 8 TSSOP-16 Clock Buffers, Drivers,… | 2 | 4 | $3.14 | $12.57 |
| 0201X105M100NT | 10V 1uF X5R ±20% 0201 Multilayer Ceramic… | 1,275 | 2,690 | $0.00 | $12.10 |
| ESP32-S3-MINI-1-N8 | -104.5dBm 2.4GHz 20.5dBm 330mA 97mA… | 1 | 2 | $4.74 | $9.48 |
| RC0201FR-07100KL | 100kΩ 25V 50mW Thick Film Resistor ±1% 0201… | 2,550 | 5,220 | $0.00 | $7.83 |
| RT0402BRD07100KL | 100kΩ 50V 62.5mW Thin Film Resistor ±0.1%… | 100 | 288 | $0.03 | $7.37 |
| CL10A475KO8NNNC | 16V 4.7uF X5R ±10% 0603 Multilayer Ceramic… | 212 | 574 | $0.01 | $6.26 |
| CL21A226MAQNNNE | 22uF 25V X5R ±20% 0805 Multilayer Ceramic… | 12 | 28 | $0.19 | $5.37 |
| CL05A105KA5NQNC | 1uF 25V X5R ±10% 0402 Multilayer Ceramic… | 456 | 1,062 | $0.00 | $5.20 |
| RP2350B | 48 Power-on reset Watchdog reset External… | 2 | 4 | $1.28 | $5.14 |
| RC0201FR-072M2L | 2.2MΩ 25V 50mW Thick Film Resistor ±1% 0201… | 1,275 | 2,650 | $0.00 | $4.77 |
| X322512MSB4SI | 12MHz 20pF 80Ω Crystal Oscillator ±10ppm… | 19 | 48 | $0.10 | $4.58 |
| BQ25895RTWR | 1 12uA 4.608V 5A Charging IC I2C Lithium… | 1 | 2 | $2.13 | $4.27 |
| MAX17048G+T10 | 1 3uA I2C Lithium Battery Not supported Not… | 1 | 2 | $2.10 | $4.20 |
| TPS63020DSJR | 1 2.4MHz 3A 50uA Adjustable Buck-Boost… | 2 | 4 | $0.90 | $3.62 |
| TCA9535PWR | 1.5uA 10mA 16 25mA 400kHz 4V 8 I2C SMBus… | 1 | 2 | $1.37 | $2.73 |
| CL05A475MP5NRNC | 10V 4.7uF X5R ±20% 0402 Multilayer Ceramic… | 64 | 168 | $0.02 | $2.54 |
| CGA0201X7R104K160ET | 100nF 16V X7R ±10% 0201 Multilayer Ceramic… | 391 | 1,062 | $0.00 | $2.44 |
| HC-FPC-05-10-16RLTAG | 0.3mm 0.5mm 16P 1mm 400mA 50V Bottom Contact… | 8 | 16 | $0.13 | $2.15 |
| CL10A106KP8NNNC | 10V 10uF X5R ±10% 0603 Multilayer Ceramic… | 17 | 84 | $0.02 | $1.78 |
| SN74LVC244APWR | 2 24mA 24mA [email protected],50pF 4 40uA 74LVC… | 3 | 6 | $0.26 | $1.59 |
| CL05B104KO5NNNC | 100nF 16V X7R ±10% 0402 Multilayer Ceramic… | 188 | 426 | $0.00 | $1.32 |
| TCC0201X5R224K100ZT | 10V 220nF X5R ±10% 0201 Multilayer Ceramic… | 179 | 458 | $0.00 | $1.15 |
| OT32252.048MJBA4SL | 2.048MHz CMOS ±10ppm ±20ppm SMD3225-4P… | 1 | 2 | $0.54 | $1.08 |
| 8205A | 1.5W 140pF [email protected] 2 N-Channel 20V… | 4 | 12 | $0.08 | $1.00 |
| 93LC56BT-I/OT | 1,000,000 cycles 200 Years 2Kbit 2MHz 6ms… | 1 | 2 | $0.49 | $0.99 |
| WPN4020H1R5MT | 1.5uH 36mΩ 5.2A 7.7A ±20% SMD,4x4mm Power… | 2 | 6 | $0.12 | $0.72 |
| USBLC6-2SC6 | 150nA 17V 2 3.5pF 5.25V 5A 6V ESD IEC… | 1 | 4 | $0.18 | $0.72 |
| MPL2016S3R3MHT | 1.2A 120mΩ 3.3uH 40MHz Multilayer inductor… | 2 | 8 | $0.08 | $0.65 |
| 0402WGF1002TCE | 10kΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1% 0402… | 70 | 230 | $0.00 | $0.55 |
| CL21A106KAYNNNE | 10uF 25V X5R ±10% 0805 Multilayer Ceramic… | 1 | 12 | $0.04 | $0.53 |
| S3B-PH-SM4-TB(LF)(SN) | 1 100V 1x3P 2A 2mm 3 3P 5.5mm 8.6mm 9.9mm… | 1 | 2 | $0.26 | $0.53 |
| 0402CG150J500NT | 15pF 50V C0G ±5% 0402 Multilayer Ceramic… | 38 | 126 | $0.00 | $0.48 |
| FXL0530-2R2-M | 2.2uH 29mΩ 7.5A 7A Molded inductor ±20%… | 1 | 3 | $0.15 | $0.46 |
| SM04B-SRSS-TB(LF)(SN) | 1 1A 1mm 1x4P 2.9mm 4 4.32mm 4P 50V 6mm… | 1 | 2 | $0.21 | $0.43 |
| TYPE-C-31-M-12 | 1 10,000 cycles 16P 20V 5A 7.35mm Female… | 1 | 2 | $0.19 | $0.37 |
| DW01A | 1 2.5V 3uA 4.3V Protection IC Support… | 1 | 6 | $0.05 | $0.32 |
| KT-0603G | 1.6mm x 0.8mm square LED 100mW 120° 3.1V… | 4 | 24 | $0.01 | $0.28 |
| CL05A475KP5NRNC | 10V 4.7uF X5R ±10% 0402 Multilayer Ceramic… | 2 | 18 | $0.02 | $0.28 |
| 0402WGF330JTCE | 33Ω 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1% 0402… | 62 | 174 | $0.00 | $0.26 |
| 0402WGF3301TCE | 3.3kΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1%… | 16 | 72 | $0.00 | $0.26 |
| CL10A105KA8NNNC | 1uF 25V X5R ±10% 0603 Multilayer Ceramic… | 1 | 12 | $0.02 | $0.25 |
| BLM15PD121SN1D | 1 1.3A 120Ω@100MHz 90mΩ ±25% 0402 Ferrite… | 2 | 20 | $0.01 | $0.23 |
| TS-1187A-B-A-B | 1.5mm 1.6N 100,000 cycles 12V 5.1mm 5.1mm… | 1 | 10 | $0.02 | $0.21 |
| 0402WGF2204TCE | 2.2MΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1%… | 48 | 196 | $0.00 | $0.20 |
| 0402WGF1001TCE | 1kΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1% 0402… | 38 | 126 | $0.00 | $0.16 |
| 0402WGF1003TCE | 100kΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1%… | 36 | 82 | $0.00 | $0.12 |
| 2N7002 | 1 N-channel 115mA 2.5V 225mW 25pF 50pF 5pF… | 1 | 7 | $0.02 | $0.11 |
| 0402WGF1000TCE | 100Ω 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1% 0402… | 38 | 86 | $0.00 | $0.10 |
| CL05B473KO5NNNC | 16V 47nF X7R ±10% 0402 Multilayer Ceramic… | 1 | 12 | $0.01 | $0.09 |
| 0402WGF1803TCE | 180kΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1%… | 16 | 44 | $0.00 | $0.07 |
| 0402CG102J500NT | 1nF 50V C0G ±5% 0402 Multilayer Ceramic… | 1 | 12 | $0.01 | $0.06 |
| 0402WGF5101TCE | 5.1kΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1%… | 3 | 16 | $0.00 | $0.04 |
| RC0402FR-0737K4L | 37.4kΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1%… | 5 | 20 | $0.00 | $0.03 |
| 0402WGF4701TCE | 4.7kΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1%… | 2 | 14 | $0.00 | $0.03 |
| 0402WGF2001TCE | 2kΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1% 0402… | 1 | 12 | $0.00 | $0.03 |
| 0402WGF220JTCE | 22Ω 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1% 0402… | 3 | 16 | $0.00 | $0.02 |
| 0402WGF0000TCE | 0Ω 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1% 0402… | 2 | 14 | $0.00 | $0.02 |
| 0402WGF1004TCE | 1MΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1% 0402… | 1 | 12 | $0.00 | $0.02 |
| 0402WGF1202TCE | 12kΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1% 0402… | 1 | 12 | $0.00 | $0.02 |
| 0402WGF1800TCE | 180Ω 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1% 0402… | 1 | 12 | $0.00 | $0.02 |
| 0402WGF6203TCE | 50V 62.5mW 620kΩ Thick Film Resistor ±1%… | 1 | 12 | $0.00 | $0.02 |
| 0402WGF4702TCE | 47kΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1% 0402… | 1 | 12 | $0.00 | $0.02 |
| 0402WGF3903TCE | 390kΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1%… | 1 | 12 | $0.00 | $0.01 |
| 0402WGF2201TCE | 2.2kΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1%… | 1 | 12 | $0.00 | $0.01 |
| 0402WGF3012TCE | 30.1kΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1%… | 1 | 12 | $0.00 | $0.01 |
| 0402WGF5603TCE | 50V 560kΩ 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1%… | 1 | 14 | $0.00 | $0.01 |
Camera boards ×521 lines$97
| part | what | per helmet | order | each | total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRO2229 | OV2640 2 MP 160° camera module, 24-pin 0.5… | 5 | 5 | $11.31 | $56.57 |
| ESP32-S3-MINI-1-N4R2 | -103.5dBm 2.4GHz 20.5dBm 355mA 95mA… | 5 | 6 | $5.01 | $30.07 |
| CL21A226MAQNNNE | 22uF 25V X5R ±20% 0805 Multilayer Ceramic… | 5 | 10 | $0.19 | $1.92 |
| LMD3526T261-OA5 | -26dB 0.95mm 1.8V 2.65mm 3.5mm 54dB 750uA… | 5 | 6 | $0.31 | $1.85 |
| HC-FPC-05-10-12RLTAG | 0.3mm 0.5mm 12P 1mm 400mA 50V Bottom Contact… | 5 | 10 | $0.13 | $1.29 |
| HC-FPC-05-10-24RLTAG | 0.3mm 0.5mm 1mm 24P 400mA 50V Bottom Contact… | 5 | 6 | $0.19 | $1.13 |
| TLV70313DBVR | 1 1.3V 300mA 35uA 375mV@ 48uVrms 5.5V 68dB@… | 5 | 6 | $0.18 | $1.06 |
| TLV62569DBVR | 1 1.5MHz 2A Adjustable Buck Buck Built-in… | 5 | 10 | $0.07 | $0.69 |
| ME6211C28M5G-N | 1 2.8V 220mV@ 450mA 50uVrms 55uA 6V 70dB@… | 5 | 10 | $0.07 | $0.66 |
| CL10A106KP8NNNC | 10V 10uF X5R ±10% 0603 Multilayer Ceramic… | 15 | 28 | $0.02 | $0.59 |
| WPN201610H2R2MT | 1.45A 170mΩ 2.15A 2.2uH ±20% 0806 Power… | 5 | 11 | $0.04 | $0.46 |
| CL05A105KA5NQNC | 1uF 25V X5R ±10% 0402 Multilayer Ceramic… | 30 | 46 | $0.01 | $0.29 |
| BLM15PD121SN1D | 1 1.3A 120Ω@100MHz 90mΩ ±25% 0402 Ferrite… | 5 | 22 | $0.01 | $0.26 |
| KT-0603R | 1.6mm x 0.8mm square LED 120° 20mA 300mcd… | 5 | 16 | $0.01 | $0.12 |
| CL05B104KO5NNNC | 100nF 16V X7R ±10% 0402 Multilayer Ceramic… | 20 | 34 | $0.00 | $0.11 |
| 0402WGF1002TCE | 10kΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1% 0402… | 15 | 28 | $0.00 | $0.07 |
| 0402WGF4701TCE | 4.7kΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1%… | 10 | 22 | $0.00 | $0.05 |
| 0402WGF1001TCE | 1kΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1% 0402… | 15 | 28 | $0.00 | $0.04 |
| 0402WGF1003TCE | 100kΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1%… | 10 | 22 | $0.00 | $0.03 |
| 0402WGF3300TCE | 330Ω 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1% 0402… | 5 | 16 | $0.00 | $0.02 |
| 0402WGF2202TCE | 22kΩ 50V 62.5mW Thick Film Resistor ±1% 0402… | 5 | 16 | $0.00 | $0.02 |
Flat cables9 lines$7
| part | what | per helmet | order | each | total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5*12P*400*B*4/4*8/8 | 0.5*12P*400*B*4/4*8/8: 0.3mm 12P 0.5mm Same… | 10 | 10 | $0.16 | $1.61 |
| JS05B-12P-100-3-4 | JS05B-12P-100-3-4: 12 Position FFC, FPC… | 14 | 14 | $0.10 | $1.39 |
| JS05B-12P-080-4-8 | JS05B-12P-080-4-8: 12 Position FFC, FPC… | 9 | 9 | $0.09 | $0.84 |
| JS05B-12P-250-4-8 | JS05B-12P-250-4-8: 12 Position FFC, FPC… | 3 | 5 | $0.14 | $0.68 |
| JS05B-12P-200-4-8 | JS05B-12P-200-4-8: 12 Position FFC, FPC… | 4 | 5 | $0.12 | $0.59 |
| JS05B-12P-120-4-8 | JS05B-12P-120-4-8: 12 Position FFC, FPC… | 5 | 5 | $0.10 | $0.49 |
| JS05B-16P-100-3-4 | JS05B-16P-100-3-4: 16 Position FFC, FPC… | 4 | 5 | $0.10 | $0.48 |
| JS05B-12P-300-4-8 | JS05B-12P-300-4-8: 12 Position FFC, FPC… | 3 | 5 | $0.09 | $0.46 |
| JS05B-12P-130-3-5 | JS05B-12P-130-3-5: 12 Position FFC, FPC… | 1 | 5 | $0.09 | $0.46 |
Screws, spacers, inserts5 lines$7
| part | what | per helmet | order | each | total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pololu 1970 | Nylon spacer 4 mm OD, 2.7 mm ID, 2 mm long,… | 48 | 50 | $0.07 | $3.33 |
| M510500200008 | M2 x 8 socket head cap screw, stainless,… | 48 | 50 | $0.06 | $2.99 |
| SZTB1073 | Double Knurled Heat-Set Threaded Insert… | 4 | 50 | $0.01 | $0.50 |
| M2X5 | Torx Pan Head Machine Screw PM2×5 Black Oxide | 4 | 100 | $0.00 | $0.41 |
| PM2X6 | Pan Head Phillips Machine Screws PM2X6… | 96 | 100 | $0.00 | $0.19 |
Off the shelf3 lines$95
| part | what | per helmet | order | each | total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lipo-2000-1S-Pack-10 | Li-po 1S 3.7 V 2000 mAh, 54 A continuous, 70… | 1 | 1 | $51.00 | $51.00 |
| Prusament PETG Jet Black 1 kg | PETG 1.75 mm, 1 kg spool | 1 | 1 | $23.99 | $23.99 |
| A18 | Carhartt A18 knit cuffed beanie, 100 %… | 1 | 1 | $19.99 | $19.99 |
The shell. And the pins.
PETG on an Ender-3 V3 SE: 0.2 mm layers, six walls, 20% infill, a brim. The files are in print orientation.
EXO-1408.4 h
Crown
76 g · dome downEXO-14118.3 h
Band, front
179 g · upside down on the seam planeEXO-14227.3 h
Band, back + hub pod
292 g · upside down on the seam planeEXO-1432.4 h
Splice tabs (22)
11 g · flatEXO-1440.5 h
Battery cover
9 g · flatOne spring pin, 1,273 times.
Mill-Max 0919-0-15-20-89-14-11-0: surface-mount spring pin, rounded gold plunger, 9.63 mm free, 3.0 mm stroke to a hard stop, 25 g at first touch, 85 g half-way, 127 g at 2.54 mm. Reflowed like any SMD part. 0919-0-15-20-89-14-11-0 at DigiKey, $0.9310 each at 1,000.
Or pre-order. $5,000.
The first 100 ship in March 2027.
Still to be measured on a bench and a head: contact impedance and noise, motion artefacts, pin force and comfort on hair, fault injection, clock skew over the cables, thermal and EMC.