This week we will be covering how to design and build enclosures and interfaces for your electric circuits. Considering these circuits will be handled by many types of people you need to make them durable enough and protected so they don’t break when someone interacts with it.
You also need to consider how the user will interact with it. Do they just need to approach it? Do they need to touch it? Do they need to pick it up? Do they need to shake it? Will there need to be instructions or labelling? These are just some questions you need to ask yourself when designing and building an enclosure and interface.
We will look at a number of different methods, techniques and materials you can use to house your circuits. Although there are an infinite number of ways to build an enclosure you need to keep in mind that they need to be: 1) Easy to open for repairs. 2) Easy to modify/fix. 3) Easy to make multiples. 4) As cheap as possible.
Lecture Video
In Class Assignment/Homework
Start sketching out ideas for an enclosure and interface for your midterm project. Consider the materials you will be using to house your circuitry and how you will put it together.
Helpful Links
- Ben Light’s Enclosure Blog Post
- Off the Shelf Enclosures:
- Standoffs:
- Corner Brackets:
- Electrical Boxes