Electronics mounting
Design holders, cable routes, and service access for hubs, batteries, sensors, and cameras.
Place the battery, hubs, connectors, and wiring in the layout early. Leave room to plug them in, reach their controls, and remove them after the rest of the robot is assembled. Check those jobs before choosing an electronics bay just because it is the last empty space.
Use the actual component model or a measured . Include the installed plugs and cable bends, not just the bare housing.
Choose an accessible location
For each component, identify its mounting points, cooling needs, connectors, controls, and removal path. A hub that can be seen through a window may still be impossible to unplug or replace.
Keep the main power switch reachable as the move. Plan a battery change with the , lift, and covers installed. Avoid a holder that depends on removing several unrelated mechanisms to release the battery.
Protect electronics from direct impact, debris, moving , and loose conductive parts. Use suitable standoffs or insulating arrangements where required. Follow the component's mounting and electrical guidance; do not clamp a bare board by pressing on its components.
Make a practice cradle
This exercise makes an open holder for a dummy rectangular housing. In a new named Cradle practice, use a 100 × 60 × 25 mm component envelope.
Leave 1 mm on each horizontal side, use 3 mm walls, and a 3 mm base. That gives:
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Inside length | 102 mm |
| Inside width | 62 mm |
| Outside length | 108 mm |
| Outside width | 68 mm |
| Wall height above the base | 12 mm |
On Top, a centered 108 × 68 mm rectangle and it 3 mm. On the base's top face, sketch the same outside rectangle and a centered 102 × 62 mm inside rectangle. Extrude the ring-shaped wall region 12 mm using Add.
You should have one open cradle with an overall height of 15 mm. Insert the dummy housing in an , resting on the base. Its top should be 28 mm above the cradle's underside, because the housing is 25 mm high and the base is 3 mm thick.
The clearances are practice dimensions. Use a measured fit trial for the real housing and manufacturing process.
Add connectors and retention
Add simple shapes for the plugs at the connector positions on the actual component. Cut the cradle's walls where needed for plugs, latches, and cable exits. Keep enough material to support the component and avoid sharp edges against wires.
Decide what will hold the component down, such as its mounting screws or a suitable strap around a rigid housing. Include the screws or strap in . The cradle’s walls stop the housing sliding sideways, but it can still lift out unless something holds it down.
Add mounting flanges or another way to attach the cradle to the . Include screw heads and nuts. A screw protruding through the base must not press into the component or its battery casing.
Test removal with the real plug and hardware. Some connectors need space for a finger to release the latch before the plug can move.
Route cables
A cable route needs a start, an end, support along the way, and room at each connector. Keep it away from gears, belts, chains, and sharp plate edges. Use grommets or another appropriate edge treatment where a cable passes through material.
Provide : an attachment that prevents cable tension reaching the electrical connection. Leave enough slack for service and movement, while supporting extra cable so it cannot enter a mechanism.
For a moving claw, draw the cable at both ends of travel. When the claw comes back in, check where the extra cable goes. At full extension, check that the cable remains relaxed and the connector is not carrying the pull.
Label routes and connectors where that helps a new student maintain the robot. Keep a path available for adding a without threading its wire through an inaccessible closed frame.
Mount cameras and sensors
A camera mount needs and a clear view. Check what the camera can see from its mounting position, including whether a moving mechanism its view. Avoid mounting it on a flexible cover that changes angle when touched.
Record its reference position and orientation in CAD. The programmer needs the transform between the camera and robot: where it is and which way it points. After adjusting the mount, update that information and any required .
A limit switch, distance sensor, or color sensor needs a useful sensing location, access for adjustment, and protection from impact. Include its bracket, , connector, and target surface. Check that the sensor can actually detect what you need, with the surrounding parts and game piece in place.
Review with the builders
Walk through a battery change, a hub replacement, a camera adjustment, and a cable replacement in the full robot assembly. Check that the tools and hands can reach the relevant parts.
Use Electrical and wiring for the electrical connections and power guidance, and Robot packaging for the whole-robot layout. Add the mounts, retention parts, and cable-management hardware to the before releasing the design.