I want to show folks one set of methods for enclosing their microcontroller projects with home- grown solutions. Here I show you four methods for enclosing your microcontroller projects using home- grown solutions.
Arduino with LCD enclosure Methods, Simple and Cheap #222
Also, you can check out my Arduino Projects youtube playlist at:
Neat! any reason why you arenāt soldering your projects together or was that just for demostration to keep it easy?
hello Pete
i wrote a function for that little OLED display in order to display big numbers that could be read from distance, it can display an unsigned number, formed from ā#ā characters.
maybe you will find it useful ))
usage: disp_1k (unsigned int 0ā¦999)
note: it works with old 1.0.0 version of ACROBOTIC library that has 8x8 pixel characters only.
#include <ACROBOTIC_SSD1306.h> // version 1.0.0
#include <Wire.h>
void dispBig (unsigned char cprs, unsigned char pos) {
const static unsigned char
Mtx4x8[40] = {0b01111110,0b10001001,0b10010001,0b01111110,
0b00000000,0b10000001,0b11111111,0b00000001,
0b01000111,0b10001001,0b10010001,0b01100001,
0b01000010,0b10010001,0b10010001,0b01101110,
0b00011000,0b00101000,0b01001000,0b11111111,
0b11110010,0b10010001,0b10010001,0b10001110,
0b01111110,0b10010001,0b10010001,0b01001110,
0b10000000,0b10000000,0b10000000,0b11111111,
0b01101110,0b10010001,0b10010001,0b01101110,
0b01110010,0b10001001,0b10001001,0b01111110};
for (char x=0; x<=3; x++){
for(char y = 0; y <= 7 ; y++){
oled.setTextXY (7 - y, x + pos * 5);
oled.putChar (35 * ((Mtx4x8[x + (cprs * 4)] >> y) & 1));
}
}
}
void disp_1k (unsigned int ntodisp) {
if (ntodisp > 999) ntodisp = 999;
unsigned int tVal = ntodisp / 100;
dispBig (tVal,0);
ntodisp -= tVal * 100;
tVal = ntodisp / 10;
dispBig(tVal,1);
ntodisp -= tVal * 10;
dispBig (ntodisp,2);
}
Why no solder?:
Many of my projects are made for answering a specific question and not needed after I get the answer.
And-- for me, at least, when I get the first āanswerā, it often begs another question. Using the solderless breadboard approach makes it easier to tweek the circuit. Once I am done, I document it, and put it away in a labelled container. The next time I have a need, I pick out the old project that most closely fits and rework it.
I do have many projects where I use pc boards and solder, some of my own design, as part of a larger device.
FWIW, I did put up an article on various methods of wiring stuff like this up:
spaco.org/Computing/Wiring%20up%20electronic%20components%20DetailWPix2.doc
Thanks for all the ideas, Pete!
that makes sense. I thought there was a reason. 
For me usually about 10 more questions and sometimes before I even get the answer.
I read it. Just a few notes.
KiCad is free electronic CAD design software. There are a couple of others as well.
KiCad also integrates the ability to use LTSpice and ltspice is a electric circuit simulator.
KiCAD is now sponsored so development and especially documentation have been improving.
The plated perfboards, you can run a wire, for the solder to follow, but you can also just use a bunch of solder to tie adjoining holes together which makes it easier. but some solder isnāt cheap either.
For manufacturing, you can use get a sheet of copper clad pcb, and instead of etching, you can use a cnc router, which is used in a number of custom board designers for prototyping before they send the board out to be manufactured.
I donāt know if anyone has tried but there is an off chance DTF (direct to film) printing works. I just saw a video on it for making designs to transfer to t-shirt or other fabric. you use an inkjet to print on a film, then apply transfer powder to it while it is still wet. The transfer powder is polyurethane and polyurethane sticks to copper. It uses a heat press but those are essentially 3d printing heated beds with a top to apply pressure. I assume it is resistant to the etching solution.
I begun my Arduino adventure few weeks ago. My first project is to build extender for my invertor welder providing TIG enhanced features - HF start and gas flow management and control. So far, I am able to manage gas valve by torch button and monitor gas flow. Everything is in phase of try and fail 
When you have that project finished I would love to see how it works. It sounds like something I should do to my welder.
Iāve just ordered some arduino boards. My first project I think will be to make Mattās electric auto mixer. Maybe even use it to control my remote āpyrostarterā for lighting the gasifier.
So far the biggest trouble is the HF generator. I hoped to obtain one from Aliexpress, but it did not produced even tinniest spark at all. I tried few other designs using high voltage transformer from that kit but failed again. Now I have enough parts to be able to build one 100% same according to tested schema.
Yes, please share pics and or videos when your done.
Im currently working on repacing the ECU on my cousins White 6501 tractor with an arduino plus circuitry. They are known for failing. And you cant find any replacments here in the states.
My cousine tells me this was the only modle White slaped their name on that wasnt manufactured over here.( 
i dont know anything about that. Just going off what he tells me.)
Anyway the this ECU controls the govener, monitors a VR sensor for RPM feedback. Is able to maintain a specific rpm under different loads etc.
Fairly simple modual for the most part. Still working on the circuit for reading the VR sensor. But can read the pot on the foot throttle and drive the govener respectively.
Hope to get what i have into an enclosure and installed this weekend, he needs the tractor for feeding (at the moment the tractor is dead in the water) Once Iām able to read RPM Iāll incorporate the rest of the finctions.
You can make an auto igniter for the flare cup using a GM LS engine based ignition coil. There are four wires. Two grounds tie them together and make sure they are shared ground (12 volt power and then ground to controller) the a pink or red power wire for 12 volrs power and the white signal wire goes to any output pin on the arduino.
Learn to use (blink without delay example) and you can fire that off in repitition with a sparkem plug
what ever the spark plug is threaded into, also must share the battery ground.
I am working on this to fire the gasifiers reactor as well using gas from the VersiFire. Basically the gasifier will be able to re light itself using its own produced gas.
I donāt use displays on remote units, I use wifi on a board similar to the Ardrino called ESP32 and ESP8266 boards.
I use old tool boxes combined with hot melt glue for my encloser boardsā¦ I have a 3d printer but I donāt like 3d printed boxes for the time it takes to print them and the cost.
Thank you for sharing how creative you are to get your projects to workā¦ Us mad scientist have to keep each other going
But I use āTasmotoā to program my esp32, and then I set that up with an open source program called āDomoticsā Domotics logs all of the temp / voltage data to an SQL database. I love having my data logged for days at a time so i can compare / review.
For those more interested in an example of how I do voltage monitoring on my solar charged batteries ā
Hi Pete,
I try to revive my O2 / stepper / arduino project.
Forgot where I started/stopped, will have to start from scratch.
O2 sensor has voltage output 0-5 volts
any shortcut project available ?
You are just reading an analog to digital (ADC) converter input. The trickier part is each sensor usually has a non-linear curve to map the reading to an actual O2 value, which is usually on the spec sheet of the O2 sensor. Since you are most likely looking at a low-ideal-high ranges. You can pre-calculate those two cut-off values and use the raw reading from the adc.
The sensors typically jump around a bit, so you want to use a running average rather then the actual value.
Simplicity would be, the output of the O2 sensor, anywhere from 0.5 to 4.5 volt, should direct the stepper motor towards a certain voltage to reach, corresponding with the desired lambda value.
For example set value to reach/maintain, 3.25 Voltsā¦
If the sensor outputs 4.4 volts, it should send the direction towards 3.25 Volts.
Its a kinda similar as proportional control, but not as simpleā¦
Its been few years that i have not used arduinoās
Hereās all I know about them so far (and it is limited to narrow band O2 sensors)::
Part 1
Part 2
You arenāt going to hit 3.25v exactly. so you pick like 3.15 and 3.35 then do a running avg, which the algorithm is simple.
You add the first say 6 values together, then divide by 6ā¦for the 7+ value. then you just subtract the avg from the total add the 7th value and then divide by 6 to get a new avg.
Then you use that avg to move some based on how far you are away from the āidealā range. You need to move it faster or slower based on how far off you are from āidealā range.
Matt does have an automixer code thread with his code.
hi Koen
i do use this sensor, at the moment simply connected to a multimeter:
its output voltage varies from 20 to 900 millivolts,
that should work very well with atmega328 ADC using its internal
1.1 volt reference voltage.
i have observed that
the engine works fine and provide approximately the same amount of power in very wide range - from 30 to 830 millivolts.
