Team 811's 3D Printed Modular Control Board

[coolhandluke811]

Hello Everyone,

I am proud to introduce to you our modular control board system. In the grabcad folder, you can find the manual and all the files you need (more CAD files will be available shortly).

https://grabcad.com/library/frc-modular-control-board-1

To sum it up, this system was designed to fulfill the desire for the clean and simple control board all FRC teams strive towards. Each team does their board differently, so there are several ways to use it. If you simply want a tool-less, yet good as bolted, quick detach hardware system, then all you need to due is print out enough "cells" for each component and bolt to the robot as needed.

If you have a dedicated board platform, go ahead and use the interlocking feature of the cells and build up your board like a grid, only bolting in every other. If you have the space (like we did this year) build channels into your grid, and use our multi-level cover system to route your wires wherever they need to go (even under other hardware components!). Our covers also lock down your standard wire quick disconnect, so no more worries about them coming undone in the middle of the match.

See more pictures in the link!

Other notes:
-Since we have a lower control board as well, we made cutouts for you to run wires directly down through the board
-This is mounted on 1/8 in lexan
-The whole control board has quick detachments to anything that lives off the board, so it can be completely detached from the robot and just slides out
-This is licensed to me under a creative commons license. This is really just me being safe with my "intellectual property"; go ahead and print them as you wish (except for sale). If you make any derivatives, please send them to me so other teams can use them. Also, please accredit FRC Team 811 (The Cardinals) or myself [Luke Yost('14)], if it used on your bot in some way.
-100% student designed

[SpaceOsc]

Wow!! Very creative, makes me wanna make our own 3D designed board. how strong did it come out and how much did it weigh?

[coolhandluke811]

Thanks! Not sure which strength you mean. I can hold the board upside down, shake it and everything stays attached. Otherwise everything is sturdy. The yellow cells were printed 100% solid. I believe the whole of printed parts weigh around 6-8lbs.

[SpaceOsc]

ya, i suppose id be concerned about rigidity and if it can be used upside down, vertically and diagonally. 6 to 8 lbs is not bad trade off, how did it get mounted into your robot?

[coolhandluke811]

I will add the pics after we unbag at competition. I didn't snag any good ones with the board on the bot

[Doc Wu]

What an awesome idea. I hope your team gets an award for it at a competition.

Just a couple questions.

I think the yellow layer is a base and the red pieces snap into it. Is that correct? What if you don't have a rectangular area? Is there places in the base layer to snap sections away?

Also, what is done to facilitate wiring and wire management? Red pieces with wire guides would make a great addition.

How do the components mount to the red pieces?

[coolhandluke811]

Hi, Thanks!

I think the pictures in the link answer most of your questions

1.) yes
2.)You can build up the base as you wish. It is a bunch of 3 in square yellow"cells" that interlock as needed.
3.) There are two variations of wire cover systems. A single simple cover, and a double layer one with a quick-disconnect retainer
4.) The proper nuts and bolts associated with each. Nuts have a retainer.