Advice needed for controller box layout

Using Arduino General Electronics
1

Hello, any advice would be greatly appreciated. I just bought a little cnc router for PCB work. I've tried a few layout options while I wait for cables and connectors to arrive. There are three options that I can see and wondered if there are any issues with these, like electrical interference, heat concerns/ventilation or anything I may have missed. Options 1 and 3 involved mounting the BOB onto acrylic and attaching this to the door panel. The external case dimensions are 15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 inches but the removable steal base panel is 13.7 x 9.84 which is what I want to keep all the electrics on for ease of removal. All the connectors will be mounted on the access panel on the side
option 1:
option 2:
option 3:

2

mmack:
Hello, any advice would be greatly appreciated. I just bought a little cnc router for PCB work. I've tried a few layout options while I wait for cables and connectors to arrive. There are three options that I can see and wondered if there are any issues with these, like electrical interference, heat concerns/ventilation or anything I may have missed. Options 1 and 3 involved mounting the BOB onto acrylic and attaching this to the door panel. The external case dimensions are 15.7 x 11.8 x 5.9 inches but the removable steal base panel is 13.7 x 9.84 which is what I want to keep all the electrics on for ease of removal. All the connectors will be mounted on the access panel on the side
option 1:
option 2:
option 3:

All plastic will generate and store static electric charges. Particularly acrylic. Be careful with how you use it.

Paul

3

I don't know what BOB means, but any time that you mount electrical components on a door, you have to worry about routing wires from the fixed portion to the moving portion.

You made no mention of the specific components used or of their thermal properties, so it would be quite difficult to comment on heat concerns or ventilation.

4

General guidelines I would suggest are:

  1. Keep Power and signal wires separate.

  2. Keep like wires grouped.

  3. Thermal energy needs to be dealt with (no information on components to suggest any particular method).
    a) you might find a small fan inside the enclosure is required, even if there are no vent holes, circulating the heated air so it conducts to the box wall might be helpful.

  4. ESD are RFI needs to be addressed. Could be on entrance to the enclosure or at the board(s).

  5. Consider expansion. For instance if the axis drivers were upgrades would you need to completely re-wire the box or can you leave some room for different form factors.