Recommendations wanted for mounting an Arduino under the layout

George,

Mount the Arduino Nano expansion board to Styrene with 3M Double stick tape.  Mount the Styrene board with attached Nano to the underside of your train board with screws.  It is helpful if you mount the board at right angles to the underside of the board, it makes connecting wires to the expansion board much easier.  I usually mount the styrene to a support stringer or side support.

Hope this helps,

Tom

Thank you, Tom.  A photo might be very useful here, although I think I know what you are saying.

In retrospect, I probably didn’t phrase the request very well.  I was asking for suggestions for an elegant (in the programming and system context of the word) way to mount the Arduino under the layout.  Such a mounting would:

• Allow easy access to the Arduino motherboard itself
• Facilitate clean and neat wiring
• Serve as a template for future Arduino installs

George

@G3750 posted:

Thank you, Tom.  A photo might be very useful here, although I think I know what you are saying.

In retrospect, I probably didn’t phrase the request very well.  I was asking for suggestions for an elegant (in the programming and system context of the word) way to mount the Arduino under the layout.  Such a mounting would:

• Allow easy access to the Arduino motherboard itself
• Facilitate clean and neat wiring
• Serve as a template for future Arduino installs

Well, FWIW I used a Nano on a breadboard to put together a thunder and lightning simulation, and had similar mounting issues. The video below shows it in operation, with some (rather dark) closeups of the system components in operation. I mounted the breadboard and components on a rafter above the layout with double sided foam tape on the back, in an area with free access (which BTW made its subsequent removal and replacement with the BLI system, the original inspiration for my DIY effort, when it eventually became available again). The location was chosen for its proximity to the Adafruit LED sticks it used, but I don't see why an under-table or other location wouldn't work as well, depending on what's being controlled, and where.

George,

Attached is a photo of one of my Nano instillation.  The board has both the Nano and a buck converter on the board.

Tom

@TomNe - thank you.

@Steve Tyler - Very clever effect.

I think I figured out what I'm going to do.  Will post it later.

George

@G3750

George,

Looking forward to what you come up with for an "elegant" Arduino nano mount.  It has been a challenge   to manage all the small wires coming into the nano.

Tom

@TomNe posted:

@G3750

George,

Looking forward to what you come up with for an "elegant" Arduino nano mount.  It has been a challenge   to manage all the small wires coming into the nano.

Tom

Well Tom, I'm not sure it's all that elegant.  And it was for an Uno, not a Nano.

I mounted the Arduino on plastic standoffs and then to a 3/8" board.

The board was screwed to one of the ribs on the underside of the benchwork.  Below is a shot of the wiring plan as I'm working on installing a complicated PRR double-headed signal.

George

George,

Looks good.  Having the board mounted perpendicular to the top will make wiring much easier and save on neck strain.

Tom