The Box

Need a box to put the electronics in. I have a DeltaCAD macro that generates boxes for a laser cutter. For this project I modified the macro for a router type CNC machine. Makes sense as I don't have a laser cutter but I do have a router CNC machine.

The Macro (CaseII.bas)

The macro is not very clever. It is just a long list of line commands with each point carefully calculated and checked. After editing the initial box generated by the macro this is what it looks like:

I used a new bit this time but it was smaller than the 1.5 mm diameter that I assumed. I had to sand back all the mating surfaces for the box to fit.

DeltaCAD is a great interactive CAD package. The macro language is okay (a type VB Script), the editor is pretty poor though. It runs well under WINE but not the macro laguage. So I have a spare Windows PC just for this job! I may have to find a DXF library and use C to write my CAD macro in future.

Here is the box assembled:

So it has an LCD, a rotary encoder/pushbutton switch, a micro-USB input and a umbrella for the LDR light sensor. Here is a view under the umbrella:

The idea of the umbrella it to keep direct light off the LDR. The umbrella probably should be a bit lower or have an extra light gard ring around it.

I prototyped the top of the box before making the full box. Here is the prototype:

At this pont of time I had not worked out where to put the light sensor.

This is what the electronics looks like from the side:

Magic