With time away from civilization, I turned my attention to making a few more parts to go along with current projects (just sharing, not that you’re interested).
Had a Nano configured to test a few things (including a $3 LCD).
I did not spend effort to make it clean - just needed to test some code (and debug Nano clones with lousy bootloader’s and problematic USB drivers). So, it seemed like a good time to fiddle with making some 3-D printed mounts/etc.
Photo shows:
Nano/etc mounted on Mini BreadBoards along with three 2-Pin terminal blocks on 3D mount.
All are loaded into Kicad as parts/footprints.
Haven’t spent time to dial-in dimensions but, the results encourage me to do that…
I haven’t got a 3D printer, so I resorted to LEGO. First glued a big ground plate to iece of MDF and made a whole lot of building bricks glued to thin strips of Lego that I can put on them.
Up to now I glued LEGO strips to:
Some breadboards in different sizes.
Logic Analyzer (Cypress CY7C86somethingsomething with Sigrok).
Beaglebone Black.
“arduino” boards.
USB Hub.
Different sizes connector blocks.
Panel volt and amp meters from China.
18650 Battery holder.
Right now I haven’t made any real project with LEGO, but I’ve cobbled together an impression of most of the module’s I made. The modules are glued onto the strips with hot snot, which fills the voids between the “knobs” nicely. Be careful to not make the Lego strips too hot, or they may deform and loose their grip. The strips in the lower left corner are spares to make more of these bricks.
It works extremely well. One of the biggest problems with breadboards and dupont wires is when stuff moves relative to each other. Putting it all together on a big LEGO ground plate eliminates this factor.
Hadn’t thought about amount of cardboard I use on proto’s (Amazon keeps me supplied). After laughing, I pulled out some nearby crap and piled it on the floor (some cardboard fell off - that’s where Lego would be useful).
Normally, I quickly make 3-D boxes and mounts.
Save you from asking - the white lazy-susan is for testing my homemade laser-based optical encoder.
