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Notes on electronics bay design

Notes on electronics bay design


  • You almost always have less room than you think.
    • CAD models do not generally include free connectors or wires: keep them in your head throughout design - wires (especially connectors) don't have zero thickness and can't bend at extreme angles
    • A totally packed design is impossible to physically access - you will have a bunch of empty space for the simple reason that you need to reach things
  • Have a small ruler on hand while designing.
    • Being able to zoom in arbitrarily makes designing geometry too small to be usable (comfortably or at all) too easy, and it's often helpful to ground yourself to something.
  • CAD screws at some point. Their heads are non-negligible.
    • If you have boards on two sides of an avionics sled, modeling screws lets you make sure they don't interfere with boards or screws on the other side.
  • High-power transmitters have non-negligible heat output. It is possible to melt printed mounts.

Recording of me (designed '22 VOID avionics bay) talking to Donovan (designed '23 KONG avionics bay) https://rit.zoom.us/rec/play/DhIcYPEqefxtaIJAhmp97yoRQ8JU_JJ69JgodqoJNp1vUiX1iAY-2bDC28QbZppxiZM5I_i667Aepd_h.qZL6_6l7Msw2sPFz?continueMode=true&_x_zm_rtaid=tSkM2tVkRuGOWpaDCgX8vA.1667059313179.8e48d8a1b5c18b8d9040d90b6218fc39

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