I bought a few Core Modules as part of the early bird campaign this spring, and wanted to use one of them as a gateway dongle. So I whipped up a small enclosure for it, using OpenSCAD. The design files are in a Github repository and I also created a library with design features that I intend to re-use across designs. You will need to install the library in order to compile the designs from the core module enclosure repository.
Pictures!
This goes together without fasteners. The core module is held in place on standoffs from the bottom part.
Here it is with a core module mounted. It fits very snugly and wont go anywhere.
Snapped together with the buttons in place. I designed the buttons to lay flat against the case, because they should only be used during firmware upgrade and radio pairing.
I tried to make it compatible with both the older low-profile core module and the newer model with a 0.5 mm thicker PCB by designing two sets of snaps, 0.5 mm apart, on the bottom part. I don’t have a thicker core module so I simulated the extra thickness using some washers.
Front view of the enclosure snapped together with washers in between. It doesn’t hold together as strongly as with a thinner core module, but it doesn’t come apart by itself either.
Overall I’m very happy with this design, and somewhat surprised that it worked on the first attempt. The cutout for the USB connector could be slightly bigger to more easily allow a core module to be inserted and removed. As it is, I’m not sure I can remove the core module without damaging either the USB connector or the case.
The snaps could be simplified in the model. As prism shapes they are too fine to be reliably printed using FDM, even at 100µm layer height (as the above print).
Wow, enclosure for Gateway. Great job Anton! Tomorrow I will print it and get my feedback.
I just start play with OpenSCAD and open your models. I like, I can change the height of top / bottom headers using just one parameter. This is maybe very good answer to our issue with different PCB thickness or headers height in this temporary period. Parametric OpenScad model is better than a lot of STL models for every combination.
Our dream is to have a universal model or “configurator”, to chose the modul stack-up and generate model for every possible combination of BigClown modules.
Maybe you observe, we are preparing new USB Dongle, here is more pictures.
We want to offer the USB Dongle with ABS enclosure (probably transparent in the future), but I am curious if somebody will come with some nice 3D Model for 3D print
I also really like working in OpenSCAD. Both parameterizing designs and reusing features in different projects comes naturally. It’s also easy to refactor a design later to add parameters gradually. Have you seen the Customizer in OpenSCAD? It was developed by Amarjeet Kapoor as part of GsoC 2016. You need a recent development snapshot of OpenSCAD to run it. Here is a demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY8WuJjJx4U&feature=youtu.be , and documentation: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/WIP#Customizer
I think the customizer would be very useful to generate slightly different enclosure models for different versions of BigClown hardware. Unfortunately it doesn’t work very well in my design because I store the parameters in a separate file so not all show up in the customizer. I haven’t looked into it further than that.
I did notice that you now sell USB dongles. Until I find good uses for my other three Core Modules though, I figure I might as well use the fourth as my gateway.
Tomorrow I will print it and get my feedback.
