> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://www.projectpanoptes.org/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://www.projectpanoptes.org/build/hardware.md).

# Hardware

Instructions for the construction of a PANOPTES unit.

This document provides an overview of the process of building, testing, deploying, and running a Project PANOPTES Robotic Telescope (a “unit”). 

A PANOPTES unit consists of the following components:

<table><thead><tr><th width="209">Component</th><th>Use</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Control box</td><td>Contains the “brains” of the unit, a Raspberry Pi running our POCS software. Also contains the power distribution and control.</td></tr><tr><td>Camera box</td><td>Holds the DSLR camera to take photos of the night sky. Attached to the mount.</td></tr><tr><td>Mount</td><td>Precisely tracks stars so the cameras can take long exposure photos.</td></tr><tr><td>Pier</td><td>A rigid frame for the mount that minimizes vibrations as the mount moves.</td></tr></tbody></table>

{% hint style="info" %}
Note that there isn’t a single design for the PANOPTES telescope, and therefore not a single document with instructions for building the telescope. Based on feedback from builders of the telescope and on changes in available parts, the team develops new designs for selected components (e.g. a narrower pier for supporting the mount, or a wider camera box to allow for larger DSLR cameras) and updates the documents frequently.
{% endhint %}

The documents provide detailed instructions on exactly how to build each component, but there is in fact considerabe room for adjusting the design to suit local conditions (e.g. in the event that you can’t get some of the parts we’ve specified).&#x20;

If you plan to, or need to, make such changes, please discuss them on the [PANOPTES Forum](https://forum.projectpanoptes.org/) so that we can determine together the impact of your changes; for example, changing the bolts used to connect the camera mounting plates from metric to imperial will make no difference, while changing the kind of microcontroller will likely require that the software be changed to work with the new microcontroller.

The build instructions for a PANOPTES unit are divided into a number of logical sections, with some sections depending on each other.


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters:

```
GET https://www.projectpanoptes.org/build/hardware.md?ask=<question>&goal=<user_goal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.