Modular Electronics Prototyping System
3D-printed breadboard and accessories organization system can be adapted to your use case.
You might argue that solderless breadboards are essential tools for electronics education and experimentation. However, in the words of RaphTronic via Raph’s DIY box, “using solderless breadboards always felt like a messy experience.”
While you can carefully clip each wire, routing them beautifully from point to point, he explains that the banana-plug sockets on the mounting plates (that some boards come with) end up tilting the board and causing havoc. He also notes that since you generally need a power supply and a voltmeter in your setup, this spring-loaded prototyping fixture soon becomes the centerpiece of your latest rat’s nest o' cables.
Although you can buy powered breadboards to help clean things up, they tend to be very costly. RaphTronic therefore took things into his own hands. He 3D-printed a holder that positions the breadboard off the desk, giving plenty of room for banana plug insertion sans angular havoc. He also created an instrumentation panel to go along with this, which features power supplies, a volt-amp meter, banana plugs, and a 2.54mm grid for other accessories.
The breadboard holder and instrumentation panel, plus a newly designed storage bin, snap together via dovetails and bumps, creating an all-in-one prototyping setup. If this this looks useful to you, 3D-print and CAD files are available on GitHub. The model is parametric, so if you have a different size breadboard, or need to make changes in the other items, modifications should be easy.
Just download (modify as needed), slice, and "press" print. In a few hours you have the tools needed for a more organized electronics workbench! The future really is awesome.
