NineLizards: Frankenblocks Concept

It's time to settle on a specific module size, and decide how a default 'baseplate' should look like.

Note that Fred is looking for a more 'integrated' approach, where premade blocks are combined, whilst I expect to rely heavily on breadboards. We're both not sure how this will work at in the end, but flexibility is the name of the game anyway 😊

On a side-note: although the quality of those ALiExpress breadboards is quite crappy, they cost nothing, so you can afford to burn down a few, or even consider them a kind of 'consumable'. I might actually grab 10 or 20 to simply carry the different microcontrollers I've collected over the years.

(Continued)

Baseplates

7. For the module size we looked at the kind of micro controllers, breadboards and other stuff around.

Largest are probably breadboards at around 160 x 50 mm. However, that would make the basic module a bit large, so we settled for 128 x 64 mm, or (in Lego studs) 8 x 16 x 1.
As a consequence, I'd need a carrier of 8 x 24 x 1 (192 x 64 mm) to handle that breadboard. That still works well on an X1C bed, so we settled on a minimal size for a baseplate of 8 x 8 studs, and a maximal size of 8 x 32 studs.
These can all be easily printed on an X1C (my printer) or P1S (his), and if you combine eight of the basic 8 x 16 plates, you end up with a square of 64 by 64 studs that can be easily carried around and stored (that's where the trays come in).

(Click any image to enlarge)

Another advantage is that 8 x 16 x 1 plates are easy to find on AliExpress, so we don't have to print everything. Schools are on a budget, and that AliExpress Lego compatible stuff is dead cheap. (In fact, all their Lego compatible stuff is, and it's good enough to use, even when it's not up to the same quality as real Lego.)
Remember: we're using the printers as tools here. The printed parts are what we need to complete the project, they're not the goal.

8. To allow the combination of Lego (compatible) bricks and other stuff, so there must me some way to screw / bolt other things onto the carrier or onto the modules themselves.

After some experimentation I've settled for 4 mm bolts, which are big enough to be handled by (younger) students, but small enough to work in combination with the Lego bricks.

Note that bolts may stick out from toe bottom of the baseplates, so the tray below the baseplates needs holes in the right spots.

9. We tried some different layouts for the baseplates themselves, and ended up with a 'layered' layout.

Some sections are 3.2 mm high, allowing them to be interconnected with neighboring plates.
The mid section needed to be a little thicker (6.4 mm) to handle 4 mm nuts, and to be tough enough to transfer a physical force.
Most vertical corners are rounded at 1 mm to reduce any damage to future wires, and to compensate for seams placed on corners.
The lower, flat parts can be used to route wires from component to component.
Here's the final, 'standard' baseplate we settled on... until we cook up something better 😁