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Feeder Overview

PikkoBot offers two feeder options for the Vertex 4: the native Photon feeder covered on this page, and the AS feeder, which uses a different controller protocol and its own setup process. This page covers the Photon feeder.

The feeder is an open-source SMT component tape feeder, originally designed by Opulo as part of the LumenPnP project, that can reliably feed components as small as 0402. It's designed to work with LumenPnP-based machines like the Vertex 4, but can mount onto any 20mm x 20mm v-slot extrusion. Source files are on the Opulo GitHub.

The feeder uses the open-source Photon feeder controller firmware, and talks the Photon protocol over RS-485 to any Marlin host with RS-485 support.

Feeder Slots​

There are 50 Feeder Slots on the Vertex 4:

  • 8mm and 12mm feeders take up one slot
  • 16mm and 24mm feeders take up two slots
  • Fit up to 50x 8mm or 12mm feeders on the front and back rail (with two staging plates)
  • Add a third staging plate to fit 25x 8mm or 12mm feeders on the front rail

Working Out Your Slot Budget​

Slots are allocated by tape width, not by how many feeders you own. A worked example for the front rail with two staging plates:

Tape widthFeedersSlots eachSlots used
8 mm20120
12 mm818
16 mm6212
24 mm224
Total3644 of 50

Wide tape is expensive in slots. Two 24 mm feeders cost you the same rail space as four 8 mm feeders, so if a part exists in both an 8 mm paper tape and a 24 mm option, the narrow tape buys you real capacity.

Also allow for reachability: a feeder at the far end of the rail still has to be within nozzle travel of the head, and the tape path needs clearance from the machine frame. Fifty slots is the mechanical maximum, not always the practical one.

Parts of the Feeder​

  • Pick Window — where the component is exposed for picking
  • Buttons — forward and backward feed buttons
  • Status Light — indicates feeder state and mode
  • Peel Gears — strip the cover film from the tape
  • Release Lever — used to mount and unmount the feeder

Feeder Buttons​

Feeding and Driving Tape​

  • Tapping the forward button feeds the tape forward 2mm
  • Tapping the backward button feeds the tape backwards 2mm
  • Pressing and holding the forward or backward button drives the tape at full speed

Changing Drive Mode​

Press and hold both buttons at the same time to toggle between driving tape with long presses and peeling film with long presses.

  • Gold status light = Peel mode
  • Blue status light = Drive mode

In Peel mode, press and hold the forward and backward buttons to peel or unpeel film.

If the buttons feel unresponsive, check the mode before assuming a hardware fault. Holding forward in Peel mode peels film instead of driving tape, which looks exactly like a stuck feeder.

Feeder Variants​

12mm Version​

The 12mm version is very similar to the 8mm feeder but designed for 12mm tape. It operates the same way, but uses a spool guide that acts more like a ramp for mounted feeders below.

16mm and 24mm Versions​

The 16mm and 24mm versions have a different design and are loaded a little differently. They also take up two slots on the Vertex 4 instead of the one slot used by 8mm and 12mm versions.

When a Feeder Isn't Detected​

Each feeder has a unique address on the RS-485 bus. If OpenPnP doesn't see a feeder you just mounted:

  1. Confirm the feeder's status light is on. No light means no power — check the bus cable and the connector seating.
  2. Check for an address conflict. Two feeders assigned the same UUID will fight, and the symptom is usually one feeder working and the other silently absent, not an error message. See Photon Feeder UUID Setup for the reassignment procedure.
  3. Step the feeder manually with the forward button. If it feeds by hand but not from OpenPnP, the problem is the actuator configuration, not the feeder.
  4. Rescan. OpenPnP caches the feeder list at startup in some configurations — a restart picks up newly mounted feeders.

Choosing a Feeder Type​

  • Photon auto feeder — the standard choice for production runs. Motorised, addressable, and it retracts the cover tape for you.
  • Drag feeder — no electronics, no firmware, no addressing. Useful for parts you feed rarely, or as a fallback when you're mid-job and a feeder has failed.
  • AS feeder — different protocol; check that your machine's firmware supports it before buying.

For a walkthrough of picking between feeder types for a specific build, see How to Choose a Feeder.

Next: Continue to mounting feeders.

Need help? Check the Calibration guide or visit the Store for replacement parts.