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💬 Join the OpenGate DiscordPrerequisites
- Own a 3D printer, or order the printed parts online.
- Have basic electronics knowledge. Only a few solder joints are required!
- Power Supply: The gate must operate on a 5V power supply. An external 5V supply connected to the screw terminal is strongly recommended.
- USB power is only suitable if the LED brightness is kept below 20%. Higher brightness may cause voltage drops.
Required Hardware
LED Strips:
- 3 x WS2812B 5V LED strips (96 LEDs/m): 36 LEDs for the glyph ring, ~44 LEDs for the chevron ring, 36 LEDs for the event horizon (116 LEDs ≈ 1.2m minimum — buy a bit more for margin, see the BOM page). Trim any excess during assembly.
- Important: Make sure the factory solder joint is not located within the Glyph Ring strip, as it requires perfectly consistent LED spacing.
Electronics:
- 1 x 16V (or 25V) 1000 µF electrolytic capacitor & 3 x 330 Ω resistors.
- 1 x DFPlayer Mini + microSD card (FAT32).
- 1 x ESP32-WROOM-32D (38-pin version).
- 1 x 8 Ω/3 W speaker & JST-PH 2.0 connector.
Printing the Parts
- Core Ring: Grey PLA, supports required.
- Internal Ring: Grey PLA + translucent PLA, no supports required.
- External Ring: Grey PLA, supports required.
- Glyph Ring: Dark blue PLA (0.2 mm nozzle recommended for detail).
- Chevrons: Translucent light blue PLA.
Circuit Preparation
I strongly recommend using 2.54 mm female pin headers for the ESP32 and DFPlayer Mini to make replacements easier.
WARNING: Do not reverse the 5V (+) and GND (-) connections. Reversing the polarity will destroy your NeoPixel strips.
Time-Saving Tip: You do not need to solder all 38 ESP32 pins. Only solder the used pins: 5V, GND, GPIO13, GPIO14, GPIO32, GPIO16, GPIO17.
🔌 Which PCB — V1, V2 or V3?
This gate can be built either way — separate strips, or one single continuous strip — and all three boards can drive it. The board photo above shows the V1, which is simply the one most builds have used so far — it is not a requirement.
- PCB V1 — three LED outputs (chevrons, glyphs, event horizon). Using one single strip on a V1? Plug it into the chevron connector specifically — all three JST connectors are populated whether you use one strip or three.
- PCB V2 and V3 — one single LED output. Plug your single strip straight in. V3 is the same board as V2 with a barrel jack instead of USB-C.
Does anything else change? No. Same ESP32, same DFPlayer Mini, same sound pack, same calibration, same DHD. The only difference is on the Flash a Gate page, where you pick Single LED strip instead of Multiple LED strips. Nothing in the assembly steps below depends on which board you chose.
Gate Assembly
Simply place the LED strips inside the Core Ring. It is not a problem if your LEDs are not perfectly centered; the firmware includes an option to illuminate adjacent LEDs.
Use a low-temperature hot glue gun (100-120°C) to secure everything in place without damaging the strips.
Tip: Label each NeoPixel strip with a marker before installation to identify which strip connects to which PCB connector.
Firmware Installation
Connect your ESP32 to your computer using a USB cable and open the flash tool via Google Chrome at /flash/.
Select your gate model, connect, and hold the BOOT button to start. Once complete, it will start in Wi-Fi Hotspot mode.
Format your microSD card in FAT32 and put the mp3 folder at the root of the microSD card
Connect to the ESP32 network to configure your Wi-Fi and Stargate access key.
Joining the Network
To support more than 100 simultaneous connections and maintain control, the project runs on a dedicated server.
You can register your Stargate on a public directory to receive incoming wormholes (optional).
To join the official network, a voluntary donation of at least €1 is asked to cover server costs. You will then receive your personal credentials.
buymeacoffee.com/opengateproject
