You can of course create your own casing. Or you can 3D print one of the versions I've put together. There are some different options, either one box for the whole kit including rechargeable battery. Or a separate smaller enclosure for the sensor components only, easier to place in the wheel well but it obviosuly necessitates a cable between the sensor and cpu/bluetooth unit.
All printable and editable files are in the printables sub directory
If you or a friend have a 3D printer you can print them all yourself, otherwise there are numerous online print shops that will print and ship you the parts pretty cheap. I haven't used them myself but I got recommended Craftcloud All3DP as an example.
- The STL files are in millimeters
- Choose 100um (0,1mm) layers if possible
If you design your own case or make an updated variant of any of the 3D print downloads here please tell me ([email protected]), I'm sure there will be interest in your version too!
The temperature sensor works well with IR-transparent film mounted on the inside of the housing front. But these plastic films are not widely available. If you find a supplier please email me ([email protected]) so I can start making a list. I bought from KUBE Electronics AG in Switzerland. They have a film "0,22mm opaque 2058" that works good. This 0,22 mm thick film does lower the readings 1-2 degrees (which you can compensate for in the software code). You can instead use their thinner "0,1mm opaque 2077" film that affects readings less but this film is a bit flimsy. Otherwise a quick and dirty solution (no pun intended) is thin food wrap plastic over the sensors!
The distance sensor though works with many clear transparant plastics and glass but only if the window is directly attached to the sensor itself so there are no reflections from the light tx to rx which would result in meausuring the distance to the window only. The important thing is preventing the emitting light output reaching the sensor's light receiver input close to the sensor which obviously sort of shorts out the distance detection.
In the current main housing there’s a small “plastic tower window holder” that with its height makes the transparent protection glass (or plastic) window to come right up to and touch the distance sensor housing. Make sure you solder the distance sensor at the exact right height so it actually touches the protection window! You can of course also heat the plastic slightly to make it soft and then adjust the height of the "tower".
The three short strings of transparent 1,75mm diameter 3d print filament are placed above the cpu boards three status LEDs. The short pieces of filament simply leads the LED light so it is easily viewed on the outside of the housing.
Rubber hat over power switch:
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- Main Housing
Temperature sensor and distance sensor are both aiming straight out from the front panel of the housing. To be mounted in the wheel well for example.
For the adjustable hinge snap-in holder above you also need: M3 x 6mm screw, M3 nut, 11mm washer
- (ALT. temp sensor mounting)
Temperature sensor is moved in this version pointing out of the end panel of the hosuing. This can sit just in front of the rear tire for example under the car. Temp sensor pointing backwards towards the tire and the distance sensor pointing down towards the ground.
Short holder tube for the wide angle temperature sensor, long tube for narrow angle sensor.
I made this snap in holder for my own car. I can reach the plastic inner fenders from within the engine bay so I made a small hole through them just for the sensors to look through and glued these snap in holders on top of the plastic inner fenders so the sensors view exactly the top of the front tires.
This design might need some tweaking to be perfect. The mounting rings have three threaded plus three un-threaded holes. You need three M4 screws but normally you do not need any nuts.
The big hole in the middle of the ring is larger on one side and smaller on the other to fit the curvature of the round sensor housing.
Printable STL files:
You can stack multiple mounting rings on top of each other with longer screws to get the sensor mounted further behind or further above whatever you are mounting it on.
To prevent accidentally turning on a sensor and unnecessarily depleting the battery you can print this little box to store two sensors in.
Look in the download folder for more examples, housings, snap-in holders and more. There are both STL files for printing and STEP files for edtiting before printing your own versions.
Please email me at [email protected] if you make special versions or completely different items for RejsaRubberTrac so I can add them here!