I’ve set up the Generic Node (GN) and successfully added the BME280 sensor, which has been working well so far. I would now like to integrate additional sensors and was wondering if there is a 3D model of the GN chassis available. I saw some visualisations of it in the GN introduction video, so I think there might be one available somewhere. Having the model would enable me to modify the design to accommodate the additional sensor and then print it with the 3D printer.
Currently, I’m using DuPont male wires to connect to the J9 pin socket for the sensor connection, but these are not very neat and can easily become loose. Does anyone have any recommendations for more reliable wiring? I checked the bill of materials (BOM) for ideas on which wires to use for the pin sockets, but I couldn’t find anything suitable. In the worst case scenario, I will need to solder it, which I would prefer to avoid.
Which bit do you think of when you say chassis? The PCB or the case?
Everything we are ever likely to get is on GitHub unless someone creates it. Replicating the PCB dimensions should be easy enough and if you open the project in KiCAD will render a 3D image of the PCB.
If it’s for a 3D printed case, TinkerCAD would allow you to create something simply enough. After that it’s all learning curve stuff like FreeCAD or OnShape or SolidWorks or, ugh, Fusion 360.
I use pin headers that plug in to the sockets on a PCB with whatever I want to add in the way of sensors - like a Pi HAT without the bureaucracy of an unused identifier EEPROM.
If you use DuPont cables for deployment, you are 99.99999999% likely to have a random disconnect of a crucial cable when you are at least 127.6m away or greater. When you get up close, it will know and reconnect. If you solder, you have a 1% chance of a joint that looks well soldered but in fact is dryer than James Bond’s Martini (yeah, I do love an overarching theme) and won’t connect - but they are almost always found in testing. Generally I find that 2% of ‘quality’ DuPont cables don’t work. For the really cheap ones, about 1 in 10. If left in a box for a couple of years, 1 in 5.
