The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

The New Hotness

  • Arduino Mega PCB Holder

    Flushed with success from making the boost power supply mount, here’s a holder for the Arduino Mega that’s supporting the Kenmore 158 sewing machine UI:

    Kenmore 158 UI - PCB holder
    Kenmore 158 UI – PCB holder

    The solid model shows two screws holding the PCB in place:

    Arduino Mega PCB Mount
    Arduino Mega PCB Mount

    I decided to edge-clamp the board, rather than fuss with the built-in screws, just because 3D printing makes it so easy.

    Of course, the UI needs a real case that will hold it at an angle, so as to make the LCD and touch screen more visible and convenient; this mount just keeps the PCB up off the conductive surface of the insulating board we’re using in lieu of a Real Sewing Platform.

    This sewing machine project involves a lot of parts…

    The OpenSCAD source code:

    // PCB mounting bracket for Arduino Mega
    // Ed Nisley - KE4ZNU - January 2015
    
    Layout = "Build";			// PCB Block Mount Build
    
    //- Extrusion parameters must match reality!
    //  Print with 4 shells and 3 solid layers
    
    ThreadThick = 0.20;
    ThreadWidth = 0.40;
    
    HoleWindage = 0.2;			// extra clearance
    
    Protrusion = 0.1;			// make holes end cleanly
    
    AlignPinOD = 1.70;			// assembly alignment pins: filament dia
    
    function IntegerMultiple(Size,Unit) = Unit * ceil(Size / Unit);
    
    X = 0;						// useful subscripts
    Y = 1;
    Z = 2;
    
    //----------------------
    // Dimensions
    
    inch = 25.4;
    
    Tap4_40 = 0.089 * inch;
    Clear4_40 = 0.110 * inch;
    Head4_40 = 0.211 * inch;
    Head4_40Thick = 0.065 * inch;
    Nut4_40Dia = 0.228 * inch;
    Nut4_40Thick = 0.086 * inch;
    Washer4_40OD = 0.270 * inch;
    Washer4_40ID = 0.123 * inch;
    
    PCBoard = [102,54,IntegerMultiple(1.8,ThreadThick)];
    
    BottomParts = [[2.5,-5.0,0,0],				// xyz offset of part envelope
    				[96,80,IntegerMultiple(5.0,ThreadThick)]];			// xyz envelope size (z should be generous)
    
    Margin = IntegerMultiple(Washer4_40OD,ThreadWidth);
    
    MountBase = [PCBoard[X] + 2*Margin,
    			PCBoard[Y] + 2*Margin,
    			IntegerMultiple(5.0,ThreadThick) + PCBoard[Z] + BottomParts[1][Z]
    			];
    echo("Mount base: ",MountBase);
    
    ScrewOffset = Clear4_40/2;
    
    Holes = [									// PCB mounting screw holes: XY + rotation
    		[Margin - ScrewOffset,MountBase[Y]/2,180/6],
    		[MountBase[X] - Margin + ScrewOffset,MountBase[Y]/2,180/6],
    		];
    
    CornerRadius = Washer4_40OD / 2;
    
    //----------------------
    // Useful routines
    
    module PolyCyl(Dia,Height,ForceSides=0) {			// based on nophead's polyholes
    
      Sides = (ForceSides != 0) ? ForceSides : (ceil(Dia) + 2);
    
      FixDia = Dia / cos(180/Sides);
    
      cylinder(r=(FixDia + HoleWindage)/2,
               h=Height,
               $fn=Sides);
    }
    
    module ShowPegGrid(Space = 10.0,Size = 1.0) {
    
      RangeX = floor(100 / Space);
      RangeY = floor(125 / Space);
    
    	for (x=[-RangeX:RangeX])
    	  for (y=[-RangeY:RangeY])
    		translate([x*Space,y*Space,Size/2])
    		  %cube(Size,center=true);
    
    }
    
    //----------------------
    // Build things
    
    module PCB() {
    
    	union() {
    		cube(PCBoard);
    		translate(BottomParts[X] - [0,0,BottomParts[1][Z]])
    			cube(BottomParts[Y] + [0,0,Protrusion]);
    	}
    
    }
    
    module Block() {
    	translate([MountBase[X]/2,MountBase[Y]/2,0])
    		hull()
    			for (i = [-1,1], j = [-1,1])
    				translate([i*(MountBase[X]/2 - CornerRadius),j*(MountBase[Y]/2 - CornerRadius)],0)
    					cylinder(r=CornerRadius,h=MountBase[Z] - Protrusion,$fn=8*4);
    }
    
    module Mount() {
    
    	difference() {
    		Block();
    
    		translate([MountBase[X]/2 - PCBoard[X]/2 + BottomParts[0][X] - Protrusion,
    					-MountBase[Y]/2,
    					MountBase[Z] - PCBoard[Z] - BottomParts[1][Z]])
    			cube([BottomParts[1][X] + 2*Protrusion,
    					2*MountBase[Y],
    					2*BottomParts[1][Z]]);
    
    		translate([MountBase[X]/2 - PCBoard[X]/2,		// PCB recess
    					MountBase[Y]/2 - PCBoard[Y]/2,
    					MountBase[Z] - PCBoard[Z]])
    			PCB();
    		for (h = Holes) {
    			translate([h[X],h[Y],-Protrusion]) rotate(h[Z])
    				PolyCyl(Tap4_40,MountBase[Z] + 2*Protrusion,6);
    		}
    	}
    
    }
    
    ShowPegGrid();
    
    if (Layout == "PCB")
    	PCB();
    
    if (Layout == "Block")
    	Block();
    
    if (Layout == "Mount")
    	Mount();
    
    if (Layout == "Build")
    	translate([-MountBase[X]/2,-MountBase[Y]/2,0])
    	Mount();