✨Assembly Guide

Early Access Documentation for the Next Generation Northstar headsets available on https://shop.combinereality.com

Please Read the Instructions before beginning assembly! Northstar is an advanced electronics system and must be assembled with care! TLDR: If you plug something in backwards, it will break!

You can get next generation Northstar kits from Combine Reality: https://shop.combinereality.com.

A rendering of the next generation Northstar HMD, without enclosure

Displays and Display Driver Board

You must take care when connecting the display ribbon cables. Please follow these instructions carefully!

The display assembly for Northstar Next kits include:

The Northstar Display components

Part Name	Quantity
Northstar Next Driver Board	1
Northstar Next Adapter Boards	2
BOE 3.5" 1440x1600 Displays	2
Display Adapter Ribbon Cables	2

The new display driver board supports two BOE 1440x1600 displays at ~90hz. The board has a USB-C input, and a 12pin serial output to connect to the USB hub board included in the next gen kits.

Connecting the ribbon cables to the driver board.

The Driver board and break out boards use special FPC connectors. These connectors have the pins wrap around the connector, meaning that either side can make contact with the ribbon cable pins.

The ribbon connections on the Driver board and Adapter boards use an FPC connection called a Backflip Latch. The gates have pins on both the top and bottom of the connector. This means you must connect the display ribbon cable as shown in the instructions, otherwise you will short your displays.

In order to connect the ribbon cables to the adapter boards correctly you must do so as pictured below:

Step 1

The gates on the Driver board and Adapter boards should be opened. In the photo below the backflip latch on the right of the driver board is open, and the backflip latch on the left is closed.

Move both latches to the open position.

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6