This kit is fully assembled and tested. It is not made by Makerbot but has the same functionality.

The MakerBot Gen4 Interface Board Kit v1.1 is a DIY addition to your MakerBot that will allow you to interact directly the machine. It has multiple buttons, multiple LEDs, and a 16x4 character LCD screen to provide feedback directly to you. Using this board, it is possible to run your Generation 4 Electronics enabled MakerBot independently with no computer attached. You can set and read the temperature, view the progress of a build, and even start a new build from a file stored on the SD card. Of course you can also hack the firmware to make this great kit control anything else you might want as well.

This kit is DIY, and soldering is required. All the components are through-hole so it is a great kit for beginners.

*Features:*

Interface Connector: A 20 pin IDC header contains all the LCD, button, and LED signals as well as 5V and GND. Using this header is how you control the LCD screen and read data from the buttons. It is a simple 2x10 header with standard 0.100" pitch between pins. This makes interfacing it with your own custom stuff a simple, straightforward task.

Buttons: There are 9 buttons on the interface board, and they can be programmed to do whatever you want. Typically they will be programmed to move your bot around, navigate menus, and alter settings. We chose a nice, beefy button with a satisfying click.

LEDs: There are 4 LEDs on the interface board: Power, Debug, Foo, and Bar. Power tells you the interface board is on, Debug is connected to the Arduino MEGA debug pin (D13). Foo and Bar are extra LEDs that are user definable and can be programmed to do whatever you'd like.

16x4 Character LCD: The main output method for the Gen4 Interface board is the LCD. This screen can display 4 lines of text, with 16 characters per line. That gives us a grand total of 64 characters to work with, although scrolling to display more text is very simple to do.