Assemble the kit
STEP 1 : Flash your SD card
Before the assembly, you need to spend some time with your MicroSD.
The MicroSD card included in the kit requires a special version of the Raspbian operating system that includes some extra PlanktoScope software.
Download the latest .img file :
Official image v2.3 : https://s3.bazile.io/planktoscope/images/planktoscope-v2.3-adafruit-final.img.gz
You can also test this alternative image : https://espaces-collaboratifs.grenet.fr/share/proxy/alfresco-noauth/api/internal/shared/node/4svh5bflSqCEroWzgv5ecQ/content/PlanktoScope_V2.3-project_LacoScope.img.gz?c=force&noCache=1647424199666&a=true
Use an adapter to connect your MicroSD card to your computer.
Use a program such as Etcher to flash the .img.gz file onto your MicroSD card. (Etcher is free and works on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.)
Flashing the system image onto the card can take a several minutes. So while that’s going, start assembling the kit.
STEP 2 : Assemble your kit
Once you have all the components of a PlanktoScope, it is possible to assemble a working unit in a few hours, depending on familiarity with electronics and build experience. With patience and help from the community however, we are confident users can be collecting data soon after receiving the required parts.
You can find a step-by-step assembly guide here. You can use the images below as supplementary material to guide you if needed.