PCB Holder

thingiverse

Many things made with 3D printers are not useful. *This thing is useful.* It holds Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) securely in position for testing. Things do not have to be complicated. This thing was designed to be printed on the cheapest usable 3D printer available ($100 Black Friday Deal), using an inexpensive filament, and still produce superb, repeatable results. This design requires a bit of 1/4-20 hardware (available at local hardware store) and a few thermoplastic inserts (available online). The baseplate can be machined or purchased -- but I chose to machine mine for this contest. This is a precision PCB test piece and organizer for crowded desktops. It consists of a combination of a machined baseplate, purchased adjustable arm, 3D printed PCB holders, 3D printed board mounts, 3D printed power supply holder, 3D printed power supply input, etc... The baseplate can sit on 4/6" risers to allow underplate mounting of a power supply Machined Baseplate --------------------------- Can be made on a manual mill, CNC mill, or purchased online -- called "Photography cheeseplate" or "optical breadboard" similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/SmallRig-Cheese-Multi-purpose-Mounting-Thread/dp/B00CDFQMLQ 1/4-20 holes are drilled and tapped 1" on center. 0.27" holes are drilled and counterbored 2" on center. Adjustable Arms ---------------------- Search for 1/4" adjustable arm similar to https://www.amazon.com/SMALLRIG-Adjustable-Articulating-Monitor-Lights-2066/dp/B07GQQYTH7/ I'm pretty sure these have to be purchased and cannot be 3D printed. They lock in at any angle / any position with enough precision to accurately / repeatedly probe 0402 parts. 3D Printed PCB holder --------------------- These have slots to allow axial and radial adjustment. M3x0.5 thermoplastic inserts allow the use of M3x0.5 bolts, nylon board spacers, etc... Board can be mounted on top of the holders or held firmly in the side of the holders. Since the position is locked into place with the 1/4"-20 threaded fasteners that pass through the slots into the baseplate below, the PCB can be removed and reinserted into the position with high accuracy (<0.003" if using 1/8" PCB mount holes). 3D printed probe holders --------------------------------- This is a snap-in probe holder. Probes snap into place with no play. The plastic holder is stretched slightly while holding the probes. I have probes from a Tektronix and off-brand oscilloscope at home and the probe holder fit them both. Above the board holder, everything is attached with bolts to the 1/4-20 threaded holes. Below the board holder, bolts are placed in the counterbored holes and attach to threaded items. Required Hardware =============== + M3x0.5 thermoplastic insert (search "M3-0.5 brass heat screw insert 3D printing") x 1 for each board holder (suggest minimum 4). + 1/4-20 thermoplastic insert (search "1/4-20 brass heat screw insert 3D printing short") x 1 for each probe holder (suggest 2/4 -- one for each channel of your oscilloscope). + 1/4" round washer x 1 for each + 1/4-20 x 1" socket head cap screw or 1/4-20 x 1" knurled head screw x1 for each board holder (suggest minimum 4) + M3x0.5-8mm socket head cap screw x 1 per board holder (suggest minimum 4) + M3x0.5-12mm nylon male female standoff x 1 per board holder (suggest minimum 4)