Jeff's RGB LCD Enclosure

[ShiFu]

I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome new member jeffpeterson77 to the forum.  Hi Jeff!
He is one of the minor gods on Thingiverse and, for anyone that doesn't know yet, he is the designer who has created some truly inspired projects.
I fell in love with his Raspberry Pi enclosure and was a little sad when I ran out of Pi's that needed another case printed.

This is one of my most recent eParrot builds. I'm particularly proud of how nice this enclosure came out.   

EDIT: I have updated the "sandwich box" picture this this, more current, one.

Jeff's RGB LCD Enclosure
intro screen.png (132.09 kB. 350x197 - viewed 1227 times.)


I've split this thread from Edwin's Advanced eParrot Build though this thread and Edwin's are still connected by the selection of hardware. Using that choice of hardware, we're now on the quest for a truly nice enclosure and I don't want to detract from Edwin's work with all the 3D printing and design talk.

I'm sure very few folks here have their own 3D printer but you may be fortunate enough to have access to one or a friend that has one.
If not, there are plenty of online services that want to sell you the service of printing the parts for you.

Here is a selection of Jeff's recent work on the Pi.

Jeff's RGB LCD Enclosure
Example.jpg (79.22 kB. 350x466 - viewed 1068 times.)

(click on image to expand)

I can think of no higher compliment to Edwin Croissant's incredible work than to enshrine it in a custom enclosure designed by Jeff.

The Arduino shields should arrive to Jeff in the next few days.

[YHB]

Hi Jeff,

Welcome aboard, looking forward to seeing your designs for the parrot.

I am not too far from a Local Model shop that offers a 3D printing service, so not much of a problem for me. Having said that I do not know your location, you may be nearer to me than the Model Shop.

My parts are on order but they are in transit from China with a current ETA of between 6 and 60 days.

Toodlepip

Brian
 

[jeffpeterson77]

Thanks for dedicated thread

I am in the US - Minnesota to be exact.

All Parts are on order as or now and says delivery will be Sat.  Not too shabby.

I will use this thread to work through the design with you guys as I get things modeled and ideas moving.

Hopefully next time I log on Ill have something worth looking at

[ketel3]

Welcome Jeff , great to see how 2 hobby's melt together.
Like to see the design and build.
Cheers K3

[Edwin Croissant]

Jeff, welcome on board

I put a 24LC256 eeprom on a prototype shield.
If the 24LC256 eeprom and the BMP280 are placed on a shield with the same width as the display the connections for the temperature sensors could be straight header pins on the backside of the this shield. There is also room for a optional boiler pressure transducer. (to prevent something like the Silver Trail Distillery explosion).

I found two lengths of long header pins, 12mm and 15 mm supplied with various prototype board, I used the 12 mm type.

[ShiFu]

Can we make the hardware changes to a future version?

Is adding a pressure sensor, another shield, additional pin headers and an eeprom necessary for this version?

I would like to bring this current version back to the hardware set that we already have, get it perfected so everyone can enjoy a truly fine eParrot, and wrap it in a slick case.

[Edwin Croissant]

Can we make the hardware changes to a future version?

Is adding a pressure sensor, another shield, additional pin headers and an eeprom necessary for this version?

I would like to bring this current version back to the hardware set that we already have, get it perfected so everyone can enjoy a truly fine eParrot, and wrap it in a slick case.

Don't panic

I am working on the future version now

The basic version (MK1) is almost done and accepts the DS18B20 as temperature sensors only, Need some more testing. Maybe I can squeeze the logic for two more sensors in for the condenser alarms. Please let me know what you want

The extended version (MK2) adds SMT172 capability for the vapor sensor and needs additional power supply filtering and a 24cl256 eeprom. (less then $2 from Robotdyn) (This night I got this working  Optional is a pressure sensor.

 

[jeffpeterson77]

Here is what I have for the front plate so far...

I notice a couple reset switches on the shield plates.  Do those need to be accessible.  If so that could be a real pain!!

[ShiFu]

I don't think the reset button is necessary and so far I have not needed to use it. If something did go terribly wrong, I'd just cycle the power to the Arduino.
If data logging was happening at that time it would be stopped, and the data possibly corrupted, but that could happen anyway by pressing the reset button.
So I don't think the reset button is necessary. (And in case you are wondering, all the reset buttons are tied together as one button from the Uno to the LCD shield.) 
If someone really wanted the reset button they could easily drill a small hole in the case and push the reset with a unbent paper clip - just like resetting your ethernet router back to the manufacturer's settings.

A little hole to adjust the back-light/contrast with a small screwdriver would be nice to have. But even that it not absolutely necessary if its not too difficult to pop open the case.

The buttons and bezel you have selected look brilliant.

[jeffpeterson77]

Ahhh!  That makes sense they are all tied together.  I have a hole for the contrast and reset switch up there already.  Hard to tell from my pic but it's there.  Once I get the dims right I'll pretty it up.  I'm pretty sure you are going to like some of the ideas I come up with down the road :-)  glad you like what you see so far.  That back plate is printing now. 

[ShiFu]

I am liking the rapid progress you are making! But I am a lazy 3D printer and after seeing your work in different colors I may need to get good at changing the filament spools 

Once stacked together, the LCD (top shield) overhangs the Uno and Data shield. Will that be a challenge? We need easy access to those two ports (the DC barrel plug and the USB plug).

Jeff's RGB LCD Enclosure
overhang.png (88.93 kB. 350x262 - viewed 1062 times.)

Please ask any and all questions that you may have. Around here there are no stupid questions.
I'll start. "Do all Arduinos have the same footprint and mounting hole pattern?"
Answer is Yes, they do. An Uno bought from one manufacturer will have the same footprint and mounting hole pattern as every other Uno.

[jeffpeterson77]

The accessing those two sockets won't be the trouble.  I'm having a tough time with the microsd card extension...  Do you guys remove the sdcard alot??

[ShiFu]

...  Do you guys remove the sdcard alot??

Yes. Before and after every time the still is used. That's the hope since data logging is a new feature.

I'm thinking it would be easier to mount the sdcard socket if the plastic shell was removed. It snaps apart easily.

Jeff's RGB LCD Enclosure
sdCard extension 3.png.jpg (199.66 kB. 350x262 - viewed 1097 times.)

[jeffpeterson77]

Roger that...  I think I found a solution last night...  would it be beneficial to have the sdcard facing forward along the face or better along one of the sides?

[ShiFu]

...  would it be beneficial to have the sdcard facing forward along the face or better along one of the sides?

That's a hard choice to make.
First impulse says on the face - close to the buttons. Keep everything together.
The other satanic voice in my head says to put it on the right side because everyone is right-handed - the voice is not statically correct but most people are right-handed.

Maybe easier on the side than on the face to avoid a tight twist in the flat cable?

[ShiFu]

As you may know, I bought the absolute cheapest possible 3D printer about a year ago.
The idea was to practice and get to know the machine before buying something nice (expensive).
It has actually served me well and the only complaint I'd have is the leaking hotend - the nozzle that squirts out the hot plastic. It leaks, it always has.
And that leaves blobs on the work that sometimes ruins a print but no amount of effort will stop the leak.
I've taken it apart enough times to know.

So in a sudden flash of insightful wisdom, I over-tightened the nozzle tip and, of course, I stripped out the threads that holds everything together.
I have reduced a crappy 3D printer into a non-functional 3D printer.
The $5 repair parts are now on order and I'm hoping they fit. Until then... 

Jeff's RGB LCD Enclosure
sad printer.png (144.84 kB. 350x465 - viewed 951 times.)

... I'm trying to convince Her that I NEED a new and better printer. Well, good luck with that!

[jeffpeterson77]

I like your thinking on the right handedness of people.

I think either way I can do it without a twist in the cable. 

I may just bite the bullet and increase the front plate. 

Side note on your printer, your thought process was right... leaking happens from the nozzle not being tight against the throat.  Unfortunately, its either loose tight or stripped.  You have taken the worst path.

I am heading out of town Friday for a few days so you have some time to fix your machine  

[ShiFu]

The repair parts arrived. They look good.
I did not receive the thermister as implied in their ad.
Before ordering, I asked if the thermister was included and got the response, "What is a thermister?"
I said it was a "thermometer" (remember my translation ability is severely limited). They responded, "Yes, it is included".
I told them the package that arrived today had no thermister. Their response, "What is a thermister?"

Now several thermisters are on order (NTC 3950 100K) for a few cents each from a different company.

... leaking happens from the nozzle not being tight against the throat.  Unfortunately, its either loose, tight or stripped.  You have taken the worst path.

Yes, after close examination I do see the error of my ways. The nozzle was never fully seated, or adjusted to seal against, the throat tube.
Silly me for such an obvious mistake.

Enjoy your few days away, I indeed may need the time to reassemble, re-square and re-level this machine.
I'm getting all goose-bumply thinking this printer will finally stop leaking.

[ShiFu]

Well bugaboo (my worst curse word ) 
Hours spent running the new heater wire and thermister to the controller, checking everything possible.
Reassembly and contending with the original 3D printed parts that are falling apart (wished those were injection molded nylon for durability).
New heater works - just really slow to get up to temperature compared to before. Thermister replacement was perfect - I could not have asked for better, very impressed and glad I bought a few extras for other projects.

Still, it will not push the hot liquid plastic through the nozzle. Not more than a very tiny bit. At any temperature.

So I put it away for awhile to clear my head and also to avoid taking a steel pipe and beating it all into a lump.

Then carefully disassembled the hotend AGAIN and carefully reassembled it, YET AGAIN. Same problem, AGAIN. Double bugaboo  .

About now that steel pipe is starting to look very good. But instead of that, I ordered a new replacement 3D printer to be delivered to my door.

** SHE that always says NO when I want to buy anything was unusually quiet about this purchase  .  I swear, no threat of steel pipe was involved!

This model is two major UPGRADE versions from what I have now and it is also the same price I paid for my first printer - about $200 USD.
(I have a plan to re-purpose the old one to print PCBs - someday...)

The hotend design on the new version sure looks the stuff. There will be some new features to explore with this Prussia i3 model (Chinese clone).

Jeff's RGB LCD Enclosure
in with the new.jpg (31.71 kB. 350x416 - viewed 926 times.)

I'm usually quite good at getting electrical or mechanical goods to succumb to my will. And often without the threat of the steel pipe.
Not this time 

[jeffpeterson77]

That looks like a nice machine...  I have 3 folgertech ft-5's ( these are kit machines) and a monoprice dual extruder. 

Well I am back at the helm, going to hopefully finish up the rest of the models tonight and do another test print in the AM.