test_rack - motivation
When working on servio, I wanted to treat the project as a software project - I wanted a full testing suite, which caused the need to create the first iterations of testjig - to hold the project for easier testing.
Over time, this got multiple iterations, some increased the size of the jig with extra electronics, and some decreased the size. The software side also got development - tests are automated and can generate pretty reports.
What is missing?
What I currently have is a mess - a set of ad-hoc testjigs in various states, and shapes. All of them can be powered just from my laboratory power source - I can use only one at a time. I still do not have a configuration that I would be willing to run non-stop. I am gaining motivation to test the project with multiple different servomotors and scale my gallery of options.
What I want:
Standardize the shape/form of testjig
Be able to power multiple testjigs
Have them stored somewhere that is not on my table
Have the faith to keep it running non-stop
test_rack
Here comes project test_rack, let’s take the testjigs and store them inside a 10” rack. The source of that idea is J. Geerling’s video about mini racks:
I realized that this is it, these racks are small enough to hide under the table, there exists hardware that can be re-used, and by their nature, the final solution would be modular.
Let’s hide all my test-messy-jigs into this!
The end goal would be:
Insert 12V power supply into the rack
Insert a PoE switch into the rack
Insert shelf for testjigs into the rack
Design testjig unit that would just slide onto the shelf and be easily connected to ethernet and power
Put 3D files on GitHub repository
Write blog posts about it
To put the idea into a picture, I already managed to produce the first CAD renderings.
In the next post, I would focus on describing the design, and show some open questions that I have yet to resolve.
DeskPi
To top it off, I would like to thank DeskPi for sending one of their RackMate T2 to me for this project. This is a part of their giveaway with the J.Geerling video, and arrived just the day before :)
I guess the next post will be mixed with the CAD design of my testjigs and assembling this thing.