Readiness report
OpenFlexure Microscope (high-res build, v7.0.0-beta5) · 2026-09-02 19:13 · complete · 68 searches, 0 pages fetched, est. $0.50
Cybersecurity — software & network: Review before networking
No security findings — details in the Cybersecurity section below.
Readiness: OpenFlexure Microscope (high-res build, v7.0.0-beta5)
Verdict: Ready with caveats · 2026-09-02 · est. parts cost $250–$310 Cybersecurity — software & network: Review before networking
This cold check establishes the sourcing baseline for all 31 BOM items. All required parts are currently obtainable, but several major caveats apply: the Raspberry Pi Camera Module v2 faces an active supply chain lifecycle transition with long factory lead times on the replacement SKU, the Raspberry Pi 4B is selling at a significant markup above MSRP, and specialized open-hardware components (Sangaboard and Illumination Kit) are single-sourced boutique items.
Action required
| Part | Problem | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi Camera Module v2 | Legacy SKU SC0023 discontinued at DigiKey; updated SKU SC2701 carries a 20-week lead time with 0 distributor stock. Camera Module v3 cannot be substituted. | Order existing stock directly from RS Components (part 913-2664, 1,311 available) before inventory is depleted. |
| Raspberry Pi 4 Model B | In stock in high volume at DigiKey (SC0194(9)), but heavily marked up at $100.00 (MSRP is $55.00). | Procure early or use an alternative RAM tier (2 GB, 4 GB dual-RAM, or 8 GB Pi 4B) to manage per-seat costs. Do not substitute Pi 3B+ or Pi 5. |
Parts
Active Electronics and Compute
| Part | Spec/Package | Status | Stock | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 4 Model B | 4 GB SBC, standard 85 mm x 56 mm | Available (overpriced) | 12,149 | $100.00 | DigiKey |
| Raspberry Pi Power Supply (USB-C) | 5.1 V DC, 3.0 A, 15.3 W USB-C wall adapter (SC0218) | Readily available | 4,499 | $6.75 | Newark |
| Raspberry Pi Camera Module v2 | Sony IMX219 8 MP, 15-pin CSI-2 ribbon, 25 mm x 24 mm | Lifecycle risk | 1,311 | $29.91 | RS Components |
| Sangaboard v0.5 Motor Controller Board | Custom 3-axis stepper driver HAT/daughterboard | Readily available | In stock | $45.20 | Lectronz / TauLab |
| 28BYJ-48 Micro Geared Stepper Motors | 5 V DC unipolar 5-wire stepper, 64:1 reduction | Readily available | In stock | $4.14 (5-pack) | StepperOnline |
| Illumination PCB Module | OFMv7 LED PCB with 2-pin connector and condenser kit | Readily available | In stock | $16.35 | Lectronz / TauLab |
| Micro SD Card | 32 GB MicroSDHC UHS-I / Class 10 (SDSQUAR-032G-GN6IA) | Readily available | In stock | ~$6.00–$10.00 | RS Components / Retail |
Wiring, Interconnects, and Optical Elements
| Part | Spec/Package | Status | Stock | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 mm Pi Camera Ribbon Cable (Type B) | 15-conductor, 1.0 mm pitch, Type B (reverse contacts) | Readily available | 1,384 | $0.848 | Newark |
| 2-Pin DuPont Connector Female Housing | 1x2 female crimp housing, 2.54 mm pitch (Pololu 1901) | Readily available | In stock | $1.55 (25-pack) | Pololu |
| Pre-crimped Female-Female Jumper Cable (30 cm), Black | 30 cm female-to-female 26–28 AWG wire | Readily available | In stock | $1.45 | Tinkersphere |
| Pre-crimped Female-Female Jumper Cable (30 cm), Red | 30 cm female-to-female 26–28 AWG wire | Readily available | In stock | $1.45 | Tinkersphere |
| 12.7 mm Achromatic Doublet Tube Lens | f = 50.0 mm, Ø12.7 mm, AR coating 400–700 nm | Readily available | In stock | €58.93 (~$60.00) | Thorlabs |
| Condenser Lens | 13 mm OD, 5 mm focal length PMMA lens | Readily available | In stock | $5.81 | AliExpress / TauLab Kit |
| Microscope Objective | Standard RMS-thread DIN finite-conjugate objective (4X/10X) | Readily available | In stock | $17.99 | AmScope |
Mechanical Fasteners and Structural Hardware
| Part | Spec/Package | Status | Stock | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M3 Brass Hex Nut | M3 x 0.5 mm, 5.5 mm AF, DIN 934 brass | Readily available | In stock | £2.45 (pack of 50) | Westfield Fasteners / McMaster-Carr |
| M3 Stainless Steel Hex Nut | M3 x 0.5 mm, A2 stainless steel, DIN 934 (WF1255) | Readily available | 63,015 | £1.83 (pack of 3) | Westfield Fasteners |
| M3 Stainless Steel Washers | M3 Form A, 0.5 mm thick, A2 stainless, DIN 125A (WF1189) | Readily available | 71,535 | £33.71 (bulk 10k) | Westfield Fasteners |
| M3 x 10 mm Socket Head Cap Screws | M3 x 10 mm, 2.5 mm hex, A2 stainless, DIN 912 (WF2345) | Readily available | In stock | ~£0.10 | Westfield Fasteners / McMaster-Carr |
| M3 x 25 mm Stainless Steel Hex Bolts | M3 x 25 mm full thread, A2 stainless, DIN 933 (WF1662) | Readily available | In stock | In stock | Westfield Fasteners |
| No. 2 x 6.5 mm Self-Tapping Screws | No. 2 x 6.5 mm Pozi pan head, A2 stainless (WF825) | Readily available | 1,777 | £1.02 (sachet of 20) | Westfield Fasteners |
| Viton O-Rings (30 mm ID x 2 mm C/S) | 30 mm ID x 2 mm cross-section Viton/FKM (9263K119) | Readily available | In stock | In stock | McMaster-Carr |
Raw Materials, Consumables, and Assembly Tools
| Part | Spec/Package | Status | Stock | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Polypropylene Sheet (0.5 mm thick) | 0.5 mm thick white PP sheet stock (Kitronik 43142) | Readily available | In stock | £2.50 | Kitronik |
| Black PLA 3D Printer Filament | 1.75 mm opaque black PLA spool (20 g needed) | Readily available | In stock | $9.36 (1 kg) | Toolots |
| PLA 3D Printer Filament (Structure) | 1.75 mm standard PLA spool (380 g needed) | Readily available | In stock | $9.99 (1 kg) | Micro Center |
| Light Machine Oil | 3-in-One multi-purpose mineral oil (RS 252-0168) | Readily available | In stock | In stock | RS Components / McMaster-Carr |
| #1 Pozidrive Screwdriver | PZ1 tip, 80 mm blade precision screwdriver (176-3436) | Readily available | In stock | In stock | RS Components |
| 2.5 mm Ball-End Allen Key | 2.5 mm spherical ball-end hex L-key | Readily available | In stock | $1.29 | Wiha Tools USA |
| Pi Camera Lens Adjustment / Removal Tool | 2-prong lens removal spanner (or 3D-printed STL) | Readily available | In stock | Free (STL download / bundled) | OpenFlexure Build Server |
| Precision Wire Cutters | Electronic flush-cutting diagonal pliers | Readily available | In stock | $6.99 | eBay |
| Utility Knife | Standard snap-off blade utility knife | Readily available | In stock | $2.69 | Harbor Freight Tools |
| Fused Filament 3D Printer | FFF/FDM desktop 3D printer, 0.4 mm nozzle | Readily available | Capital equipment | — | General Lab Equipment |
Substitutes
| For part | Substitute | Differences | Verified | Judgment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 4 Model B | Raspberry Pi SC0194(13) | Dual RAM packaging variant; otherwise identical form factor, electrical constraints, and pinout. | Footprint and dimensions (85 mm x 56 mm standard SBC), electrical power constraints (5.0–5.1 V USB-C), 40-pin GPIO and 15-pin MIPI CSI-2 connector. | Acceptable drop-in replacement. |
| Raspberry Pi Camera Module v2 | Raspberry Pi SC2701 | Official updated replacement SKU for Camera Module v2. Currently carries a 20-week factory lead time. | Sensor identity (Sony IMX219 8MP), 15-pin CSI-2 ribbon connector, supply rail (3.3 V via ribbon). | Acceptable if stock is located; disqualified for immediate ordering due to 20-week lead time. |
| Sangaboard v0.5 | Arduino Nano / Uno + 3x ULN2003 Darlington Driver Breakout Boards | Discrete breakout boards requiring custom external wiring instead of an integrated HAT/daughterboard. | Operating voltage (5 V rail), motor drive topology (unipolar 5-wire Darlington drive for 28BYJ-48 steppers). Physical mounting footprint not verified. | Acceptable documented fallback per snapshot. |
| Illumination PCB Module | Standard 5 mm white LED + 220 Ω resistor | Discrete through-hole LED and resistor rather than custom surface-mount board. | Operating voltage (5 V PWM drive), optical emission. Mechanical snap-fit footprint not verified. | Acceptable documented fallback per snapshot. |
| 28BYJ-48 Micro Geared Stepper Motors | SparkFun ROB-10551 / 10551 | 12 V DC bipolar motor with 4 Ω coil resistance; incompatible with 5 V rail and unipolar driver. | Electrical drive topology, voltage. | Strictly disqualified. |
| 28BYJ-48 Micro Geared Stepper Motors | Adafruit 858 | 1/16 reduction gear ratio (~512 steps/rev) instead of required 64:1 (~4096 steps/rev). | Step count and gearbox ratio. | Strictly disqualified. |
Always verify pinouts, mechanical tolerances, and operating ratings against manufacturer datasheets before ordering substitutes.
Cybersecurity — software & network
Review before networking — The microscope operates network-facing software including a control server and Raspberry Pi OS, but neither could be checked for vulnerabilities because software versions are not specified in the project materials.
| Component | Version | How known | Support status |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenFlexure Raspbian / Raspberry Pi OS | not determined | not determined | — |
| OpenFlexure Server | not determined | not determined | — |
| Sangaboard Firmware | not determined | not determined | — |
None found.
What this means for your lab
This microscope is designed to connect to a local area network via Ethernet or Wi-Fi to provide headless access through the OpenFlexure server. Because the specific operating system image, server software version, and network configurations are not documented in the lab materials, the security posture and any default credentials of the instrument are unknown. Someone on the same network could potentially access the microscope camera stream, operate the motorized stage, or attempt remote access to the Raspberry Pi. Instructors should consult campus IT, isolate the device on a dedicated local network segment, and ensure default passwords are changed before placing it on any shared network.
Not checked
- OpenFlexure Raspbian / Raspberry Pi OS: version not determined
- OpenFlexure Server: version not determined
- Sangaboard Firmware: version not determined; no advisory database for the ecosystem
Other dependencies
- Upstream Git Repository: Active and accessible at gitlab.com/openflexure/openflexure-microscope.
- Project Documentation & Website: Online and accessible at openflexure.org.
- Community Forum: Active discussions at openflexure.discourse.group.
- Scientific Publication Reference: DOI link active at doi.org/10.1364/BOE.385729.
- TauLab Commercial Portal: Storefront active at taulab.eu/openflexure and lectronz.com/stores/taulab.
- 3D Printing Requirements: Main flexure body and stand require PLA filament printed with a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.15 mm or 0.20 mm layer height; flexure joints require 100% solid infill. PETG, ABS, and nylon are prohibited due to creep and modulus differences. Optics tube requires opaque black PLA.
- Lens Tool File: Workaround lens removal tool STL is hosted and downloadable from build.openflexure.org.
- PCB Gerber / Fabrication Files: Sangaboard v0.5 and Illumination PCB open-source design files are hosted on the OpenFlexure GitLab repository for custom fabrication if commercial boards are bypassed.
Watch list
- Raspberry Pi Camera Module v2: Legacy SKUs are discontinued and the active SKU (SC2701) has a 20-week factory lead time. Once the remaining stock at distributors like RS Components sells out, procuring compatible Sony IMX219 modules will become difficult.
- Raspberry Pi 4 Model B: Market prices remain elevated (~$100 vs $55 MSRP). While stock is currently deep at DigiKey, unit pricing could impact large multi-seat lab budgets.
- TauLab Custom Boards (Sangaboard v5 & Illumination Kit): These are boutique, single-supplier open-hardware kits. Any supply interruptions will force instructors to fall back on manual Arduino/ULN2003 wiring and discrete LED assemblies.