Housing for LCD with buttons?

Hi all,

there are many LCDs that bring a few buttons on the board.
Very nice.

Now, has anyone seen a housing that takes care of the LCD and the buttons?
If not, how do you do this?

I need something looking good.

Thanks,
Jan

Jan,

I have seen LCD with buttons a while back. If by that you meant LCD module and a few buttons all on the same circuit board. Someone asked a while back about a 20X4 serial LCD and I followed his link and found a whole bunch of LCDs of different types some with buttons (4 direction, a yes and a no).

If you can settle with a few keys and an LCD that can be assembled on a PCB, you can check out several LCD shields that different people made. I make a couple models myself. Just click the phi-2 shield link on my signature with the long stripe of pictures

As for housing, do you mean some sort of box or handheld device enclosure that will reveal an LCD and buttons? Google box enclosures you can find some but frankly I looked at many of their dimensions and the don't even fit a basic 16x2 display on their windows. I gave up and made my own in two ways:

1. customize a sheet of acrylic online (I went to ponoko) to cut out a window for LCD and a few holes for buttons.
2. but an enclosure large enough, cut your own window with a power tool like Dremel. Very tedious and long for me.

Read my short story of my "journey" to make an enclosure for my project:

liudr:
Jan,

I have seen LCD with buttons a while back. If by that you meant LCD module and a few buttons all on the same circuit board. Someone asked a while back about a 20X4 serial LCD and I followed his link and found a whole bunch of LCDs of different types some with buttons (4 direction, a yes and a no).

If you can settle with a few keys and an LCD that can be assembled on a PCB, you can check out several LCD shields that different people made. I make a couple models myself. Just click the phi-2 shield link on my signature with the long stripe of pictures

As for housing, do you mean some sort of box or handheld device enclosure that will reveal an LCD and buttons? Google box enclosures you can find some but frankly I looked at many of their dimensions and the don't even fit a basic 16x2 display on their windows. I gave up and made my own in two ways:

1. customize a sheet of acrylic online (I went to ponoko) to cut out a window for LCD and a few holes for buttons.
2. but an enclosure large enough, cut your own window with a power tool like Dremel. Very tedious and long for me.

Read my short story of my "journey" to make an enclosure for my project:

Make an enclosure or face plate for your arduino projects | LiuDr Electronic Solutions LLC Official Blog

Hey Liudr - your housings and faceplates look awesome - can not believe how professional they look - but - those silver screw heads just bring the whole thing down - could i suggest to you to get some countersunk black threaded bolts made to go with your kits - these would sit flush with the Perspex panel and would make the things look like a million dollars.

With the rates that chinese manufacturers are doing things now i am sure your could get a million of these screws made for about $2 !

Would really set the whole thing off i think

Craig

Perhaps this series of enclosures from Adafruit may be useful: Smoke Translucent Enclosure for Arduino - Electronics enclosure [1.0] : ID 821 : $15.00 : Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits

Regards,
-__-

Craig,

Those steel screw heads are hurting my eyes. I don't have a workshop to countersink holes. The holes were all laser cut so they are all straight. Will be looking for tools to do the counter sinking. Any suggestions? I have a Dremel. Don't know if there is a countersink bit. I know how to do it on a mill but that was some years ago.

-__-:
Perhaps this series of enclosures from Adafruit may be useful: Smoke Translucent Enclosure for Arduino - Electronics enclosure [1.0] : ID 821 : $15.00 : Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits

Regards,
-__-

Looks nice but the inside is a bit small though. I don't know if there is enough space for both arduino and a 9V battery (possibly yes!).

liudr:
Craig,

Those steel screw heads are hurting my eyes. I don't have a workshop to countersink holes. The holes were all laser cut so they are all straight. Will be looking for tools to do the counter sinking. Any suggestions? I have a Dremel. Don't know if there is a countersink bit. I know how to do it on a mill but that was some years ago.

If it is a genuine dremel and if you are not doing millions of them (planning on retiring from the money you are making on these ? :D) then i have seen small drill presses that you can buy that will accept a dremel - having said that - you can buy a small cheap drill press with a set stop etc for less than $200 now that would have accuracy to do this - then one of the normal countersink bits that you can buy - or it may be easier to give everyone the option to purchase a countersink bit and the screws at the time of purchase for another couple of dollars ?

If you did go down the path of doing this yourself then i would be tempted to make up a jig that would allow you to insert the piece and then just turn the jig around on the bed of the drill press and each of the holes would be aligned - again only worth doing if you are doing a large number

Here is an Australian example

http://www.mytoolstore.com.au/products/Dremel-Drill-Press-Work-Station-%23220%252d01.html

Craig

Craig,

I've thought about that drill press. Since my wired dremel is quite under powered (maybe I should use highest speed) I felt it is not safe to press it down on something. Do you have experience with a dremel drill press?

liudr:
Craig,

I've thought about that drill press. Since my wired dremel is quite under powered (maybe I should use highest speed) I felt it is not safe to press it down on something. Do you have experience with a dremel drill press?

Yep i have used a few of them and they work well - but they are really made as hobby units - you need to check them for accuracy and repeatability and also how firmly the dremel is held - remember for this exercise you would only be drilling into perspex so no biggie.

Before you buy one - go to your local reputable tool seller and have a look at what small drill presses they have as an alternative - ask the shop owner (not the 17 year old sales expert !!) and tell him what you want to do - if he is any good he will put you on the right track

Craig

Craig

Thanks Craig. We only have big-box stores like Sears and else. I think cheaper ones run $100 so I will definitely go for one instead of adding more to my dremel. Anyway, if I had a house I would have a drill press (on a large stand), and a few other machines all the way up to a mill. But I don't have a house yet. My tiny garage houses the two cars we have and very little space for anything else.

liudr:
Thanks Craig. We only have big-box stores like Sears and else. I think cheaper ones run $100 so I will definitely go for one instead of adding more to my dremel. Anyway, if I had a house I would have a drill press (on a large stand), and a few other machines all the way up to a mill. But I don't have a house yet. My tiny garage houses the two cars we have and very little space for anything else.

So you have not got rich from selling all your Arduino modules yet ? XD XD

Craig

I figured selling these modules will not get me rich. I can make $10 a piece on average and that will take forever to get rich. I spent too much time waiting in line to ship international. USPS has killed my international after it doubled shipping to international locations.

liudr:
I figured selling these modules will not get me rich. I can make $10 a piece on average and that will take forever to get rich. I spent too much time waiting in line to ship international. USPS has killed my international after it doubled shipping to international locations.

yeah it is amazing isn't it that no one can get the whole international shipping setup just right for "micro" shippers - i think if someone can come up with a business model that works in this area and that makes it easier so you are not stuck standing around they will take the market.

Craig

liudr:
Craig,

Those steel screw heads are hurting my eyes. I don't have a workshop to countersink holes. The holes were all laser cut so they are all straight. Will be looking for tools to do the counter sinking. Any suggestions? I have a Dremel. Don't know if there is a countersink bit. I know how to do it on a mill but that was some years ago.

I have set of bits similar to hese. They work great! I always just used them with my Dewalt cordless drill....with excellent results.