Assembling the Proteus (v1.2) - mercadian/proteus GitHub Wiki
Assembling the Proteus (v1.2+)
This guide will walk you through the complete process of assembling a Proteus from the raw parts.
Users who ordered the conversion kit should follow this guide. Users who ordered a full unit won't need to follow these steps because the unit comes fully-assembled, but they may find it useful if they ever need to disassemble it to perform maintenance.
NOTE: This guide is meant for users who have v1.2 serial numbers (MSPR-ACN12x or MSPR-ACW12x) or higher.
List of Parts
Below is an image that shows the list of parts for a Proteus:
/images/active/exploded-view-1.2.jpg
Note that this picture doesn't include the included Ethernet cable or the optional Wi-Fi card and its antenna, though assembly instructions and pictures for the Wi-Fi card and antenna are included in the instructions below.
Note: if you purchased a conversion kit, the Rock 5B, SSD, Wi-Fi components, and power supply will not be included; it's assumed you have your own of each one.
The screws included are as follows:
- 1x M2 x 4mm hex head for securing the SSD
- 1x M2 x 4mm hex head or Philips head for securing the Wi-Fi card (optional)
- 8x M3 x 8mm hex head for securing the fan mount to the Rock, and the Rock to the Case Bottom
- 4x M3 x 25mm hex head for securing the fan to the fan mount (already assembled)
Required Tools
To assemble the Proteus you will need the following tools:
- A 1.5mm (or 1/16") hex wrench / screwdriver bit for the M2 screws
- A 2mm (or 5/64") hex wrench / screwdriver bit for the M3 screws
- (Recommended) a pair of gloves to prevent fingerprints
- (Recommended) a pair of tweezers to help remove the protective film from the heatsinks
- Another computer such as a laptop or desktop to flash the Proteus system image to the SSD
- An open NVMe to USB adapter, such as this one
Step 1: Add Heatsinks
Begin by peeling the blue film off the back of the CPU heatsink to reveal its adhesive thermal pad:
/images/active/cpu-heatsink-peel.jpg
Carefully place the heatsink onto the CPU, following these guidelines:
- Place it so the fins are horizontal to allow for proper airflow.
- Align the top edge of the heatsink with the top edge of the CPU so the fan mount screws have some clearance.
- Push the heatsink down firmly to ensure it's well-adhered to the CPU.
These pictures show proper installation:
/images/active/cpu-heatsink-top.jpg
/images/active/cpu-heatsink-side.jpg
Next, add the RAM heatsinks to the RAM chips, the power heatsink to the power converter chip, and the Ethernet heatsink to the Ethernet controller chip. The RAM heatsinks are elongated rectangles. The latter two are square and interchangeable with each other.
Position the fins on the power converter and Ethernet heatsinks horizontally; they should be the same orientation as the CPU heatsink to allow for maximum airflow:
As with the CPU heatsink, press firmly on each one to ensure proper adhesion.
Step 2: Attach the Fan Mount
Place the fan mount over the CPU, ensuring the fan's cable is coming from the bottom left corner:
/images/active/fan-mount-alignment.jpg
Flip the Rock over and fasten the fan mount to the board using four of the M3x8mm screws as shown below. Do not overtighten the screws; remember you're screwing into tapped plastic, not metal. Tightening too hard will strip the threads.
/images/active/fan-mount-screws.jpg
Step 3: Attach and Mount the SSD Heatsink
Remove one side of the the transparent film from one of the SSD heatsink's thermal pads:
/images/active/ssd-heatsink-film.jpg
Place it in the middle of the steel heatsink container. Put the side you removed the film from face down, and firmly press it to ensure it's well-attached to the steel:
/images/active/ssd-heatsink-1.jpg
Remove the film from the top side of the pad now, and carefully place the SSD onto the pad so the bottom of the SSD (the side without the label) is facing the thermal pad. Align it so the lip of the SSD's m.2 connector side aligns with the edge of the steel container:
/images/active/ssd-heatsink-2.jpg
Looking on the bottom, both the m.2 connector and the mounting hole should be fully exposed and not hidden behind the steel container:
/images/active/ssd-heatsink-3.jpg
Once you are happy with its position, firmly press it down into the thermal pad to ensure a good connection.
Next, remove one side of the transparent film from the remaining thermal pad and place it on top of the SSD:
/images/active/ssd-heatsink-4.jpg
Firmly press on the thermal pad to couple it to the SSD's flash modules and label.
Now, remove the film from the top side of the pad.
Place the SSD heatsink onto the pad, tilted to one side like this:
/images/active/ssd-heatsink-5.jpg
Gently press on the heatsink and rock it up and down so that it pushes in-between the clamping jaws of the steel container:
/images/active/ssd-heatsink-6.jpg
Once in this position, firmly press it down to sandwich the SSD between the steel container and the heatsink as tightly as possible:
/images/active/ssd-heatsink-7.jpg
Before connecting it to the Rock, it's important to flash the Proteus system image to the SSD now so you don't have to disassemble the whole thing just to flash it later. Please visit the Flashing the Image guide to install the image onto the SSD, then return here when you've flashed it (before the "Reassembling the Proteus" step).
Once the image has been flashed, connect the SSD to the underside of the Rock in its m.2 slot, and screw an M2x4mm screw into the mounting hole:
/images/active/ssd-heatsink-mounted.jpg
Rock the SSD back and forth to ensure the mount is secure and it won't fall out.
Step 4: Attach the RTC Battery
Connect the RTC battery plug into the RTC battery header on the left side of the Rock:
/images/active/rtc-battery.jpg
Don't worry about getting the cable polarity right; the connector is keyed, so there's only one way it will actually fit into the plug.
If you like, you can use some double-sided tape to fasten the battery to the underside of the Rock but this isn't strictly necessary.
Step 5: Attach the Front Panel Assembly to the GPIO Pins
The v1.2+ front panel assembly consists of four components - the GPIO board, the indicator board, the cable, and the pin cap.
- The GPIO board connects to the GPIO header on the Rock and provides power and data to the indicator board, the fan, and the USB debug port.
- The indicator board has the blue power LED and red activity LED indicators, and connects to the fan to relay power and tachiometer information.
- The cable connects the two boards.
- The pin cap is simply placed on the last two pins of the Rock's GPIO header so you don't accidentally misconnect the GPIO board to it, and know exactly where to put it.
A view of each component is show below:
/images/active/fp-exploded-1.2.jpg
Start by connecting the two boards together using the cable. Make sure the label is facing upwards; this isn't explicitly necessary, but it makes the label easier to manage when inserting the front panel into the case bottom:
/images/active/fp-assembly-1-1.2.jpg
Place the pin cap on the rightmost two pins of the Rock's GPIO header as shown below. The pin cap will not extend all the way to the bottom of the pins; this is intentional, as it's meant to be easily removed by advanced users that want to leverage those pins for their own purposes:
/images/active/fp-assembly-2-1.2.jpg
Now, connect the GPIO board to the header. The board should be oriented so the cable header is on the left, and the USB-micro debug port is next to the fan. The right side of the pin header should be flush against the pin cap, so the rightmost row of slots on the GPIO board connects to the pins that are second from the right on the Rock's GPIO header:
/images/active/fp-assembly-3-1.2.jpg
NOTE: Some of the pictures below may show the old v1.1 front panel cables instead of the new GPIO board. Each picture highlights an intended purpose and the GPIO board or old front panel cable is ancillary; feel free to ignore them and focus on what the picture is highlighting.
Step 6 (Optional): Attach the Wi-Fi Card and Antenna
If you ordered a Wi-Fi card with your Proteus, you should connect it now. The card and antenna will look like this:
/images/active/wifi-components-1.1.jpg
The Wi-Fi card will go into the m.2 slot on the top of the board, right next to the RTC battery connector.
Start by removing the protective film from the M2 screw boss for the Wi-Fi card on the Rock:
/images/active/wifi-mount-film.jpg
Now, connect the antenna to the Wi-Fi card. Connect it by following these guidelines:
- Attach it to the port on the right side of the card.
- Push firmly (you may need to use a small tool or your fingernail) until you hear a "click" and the top of the connector is parallel with the rest of the card.
- Connect it so the cable extends to the right side of the card.
/images/active/wifi-attach-1.1.jpg
Next, insert the Wi-Fi card into the m.2 slot. To do this you will need to insert it at an angle, as shown in the picture below:
/images/active/wifi-insert-1.1.jpg
Ensure that you've pushed it all the way in, so the exposed pins are well-recessed into the slot. Once you've inserted it properly, gently push down on the Wi-Fi card to make it level with the Rock 5B and insert the included screw into the screw boss to secure the card in place:
/images/active/wifi-screwed-1.1.jpg
Now, remove the protective film on the back side of the antenna:
/images/active/wifi-film-1.1.jpg
Firmly affix the antenna to the back of the fan, as shown:
/images/active/wifi-adhered-1.1.jpg
The Wi-Fi card and antenna are now properly installed.
Step 7: Fastening the Rock to the Case Bottom
It's time to connect the Rock to the bottom of the Proteus case - you're almost done!
Start by lowering the Rock down into the case at an angle, as shown in the pictures below.
The ports on the Rock should easily slip into the grooves on the back of the case:
Now, lay it down flat against the mounting pegs:
Ensure the RTC battery is out of the way - it should not be beneath the SSD or come between the Rock and the mounting pegs. It should naturally want to rest in the back of the case unless you've taped it to the board; just make sure it's out of the way of all of the other components before continuing,
Before fastening the Rock to the case bottom, give the power button a quick test. While pushing the board forward to the front of the case using the Ethernet port, try pressing the power button with your thumb. You should feel it "engage" with the actual power button on the Rock, offering some tactile feedback and a clicking sound:
If you can't feel it activate, or if the case's power button extension bottoms out without contacting the actual power button on the Rock, please let us know in the Rocket Pool Discord's support channel.
If it does engage properly, you can now mount the Rock to the case. Fasten four M3x8mm screws into the mounting holes marked in the picture below. Use one hand to gently push the Rock forward while fastening the first two screws to ensure it's as far forward as possible for maximum engagement with the power button.
Once the screws have been fastened, your Proteus should look like this:
Before finishing assembly, test the case's power button extension again to ensure it engages with the actual power button properly and you can feel it click:
If it can, you've successfully installed the Rock into the case bottom!
Step 8: Connecting the Front Panel
The front panel contains the power and activity LEDs. It also hosts the connectors that go to the board and to the fan, which will be connected via the fan cable and front panel assembly cable. We recommend routing the fan cable counter-clockwise around the case to ensure a good fit, as shown with the yellow arrows below:
/images/active/fp-insert-2.jpg
With the cable positioned, connect the fan cable to the J2 (3-pin fan) header of the front panel. The connector is keyed, so it will only fit in one way (the plastic tab will be on the left or right side depending on the version of the board) as shown below:
/images/active/fp-insert-3.jpg
Now, slip the front panel into the slot on the case bottom. The sides of the front panel are angled (and there is a corresponding angle on the case), so it should slip into position automatically:
/images/active/fp-insert-4.jpg
Firmly push it all the way down so that the top of it is level with the top of the case bottom. The unit should now look like this:
/images/active/fp-insert-5.jpg
Step 9: Inserting the SSD Cover
Before attaching the case top, insert the SSD cover to the bottom of the case. The SSD cover is the thin piece of plastic that slides over the SSD, but can quickly be removed for easy access to the SSD in case of maintenance:
/images/active/ssd-cover-1.jpg
Orient the cover so the textured side is facing outward, and the fan grill is on the left side:
/images/active/ssd-cover-2.jpg
Insert the edge of the cover into the slot on the right side of the case, and push it to the left:
/images/active/ssd-cover-3.jpg
The SSD cover should now be fully inserted and fit comfortably in the slot:
/images/active/ssd-cover-4.jpg
Now, the only thing left to do is attach the top of the case!
Step 10: Attaching the Case Top
Start by snapping the case top onto the front of the case bottom. It will naturally rest at an angle, as shown below:
Slowly rock the top back and forth until it slips into the grooves along the sides of the case and comes to rest flush with the lip around the case bottom:
The case top should now rest on all of the pillars in the back, forming closed slots for each of the ports:
The front of the Proteus should now look like this:
And with that, your Proteus is completely assembled! Congratulations! You're ready to begin working with the device. Please start by ensuring the machine can boot from the NVMe SSD - follow the "(Conversion Kits Only) Update the Bootloader to Boot from NVMe" step in the Flashing the Image guide.
Once that's done, visit the Getting Started guide to power it on, set it up, and start staking.