Been following the forum for a few months now--and I'm glad to say I've just received my Arduino Uno.
I've been tinkering and testing the Arduino and using the "Getting Started..." kit and I am enjoying learning about the Arduino. However, I'm concerned that I don't have a great place to store my Arduino while not in use.
Does anyone have a suggestion of a good place to keep the Arduino safe and secure? I was thinking perhaps a simple Rubbermaid organizing bin? Should I be extra careful about static?
I got one of mine dangeling from a usb wire, another thrown in my networking cabinet while in use, another on my desk in a bunch of various things, and finally the last laying loose in a half assembled wifitank (one of my old projects)
They are pretty hardcore, and can take a good amount of abuse But didn't your arduino come in some packaging? I am normally just putting things back into that, if I don't know how sensitive they are.
I use this case from Platt which came with pre-cut foam. The foam is in a matrix of squares that you can remove to size whatever you need to fit. In my case, I store my Arduino, a small breadboard, USB cable, and few random components in small plastic bags (resistors, LEDs, etc.)
mine just wander around my desk, free range arduinos are happy arduinos, much tastier than their battery equivalents.
Yes, that is my system also. My arduinos are strong and free. However it does result occasionally in pecking order fights and some squabbles over which is Alfa board. My main disappointment is that they don't seem to be able to breed offsprings in my environment. That would be so handy having new young arduino born every spring.
The best place (within reason) is on the same type of anti static foam that you see chips in all the time. Then put it in a anti static bag or box. Putting the boards in any kind of ordinary plastic or paper/cardboard is bad in a big way. (unless it is treated with special conductive material). When you see plastic think Van der Graah generator 'cause that's what it is.
Make no mistake about it handling these boards in a dry area is reducing their life expectancy. Companies spend 10's if not 100"s of thousands of dollars to protect chips and circuit cards. Where I work we won't let anything that can generate electric static fields come near work surfaces, everything is grounded, Ion generators and humidity control with alarms for everything. We won't even let ordinary screwdrivers near the boards/modules. Static is a killer.
PCBs can be designed to help mitigate static problems and trust me all the arduino boards I've seen are very poorly designed in this manor. It costs money to do it right, power and ground layers for example.
But these boards are cheap and not used for life support (I hope not...) Where I work, anyone who flies depends on our stuff working...
All my dev boards, programmers etc are dangling from their USB leads. I use picture hooks in the wall with a figure 8 knot in the cable. Does the job well!
All my dev boards, programmers etc are dangling from their USB leads. I use picture hooks in the wall with a figure 8 knot in the cable. Does the job well!
I demand a picture
Yeah mine are free range but on acrylic bases to keep them from touching anything (especially when they're on).
Most electronic devices are X-ray safe, so airport security shouldn't be an issue...
Anyway, small electronic boards like Arduino are pretty rugged in nature. As long as you don't
Power it on while it's on a metal surface (or anywhere that might cause a short circuit)
Bend/knock it too hard (watch out those surface mounted components!)
Immerse it in water for prolonged period of time
The board should be able to just handle it fine. I wouldn't worry too much about static electricity as the parts are already mounted on the board and all the high impedance pins are already connected..
But didn't your arduino come in some packaging? I am normally just putting things back into that, if I don't know how sensitive they are.
