Do you think LimeSDR should fit OK into them? I am asking mainly because groove for PCB in enclosure is 1.6 mm wide and LimeSDR board thickness is 1.6 mm +/- 10 %. Overlap of groove (over board edge) should be 2 mm, I guess it is also OK?
I think 120 mm model is better choice (there should be more than enough room for SMA connectors), but do you think 100 mm model can be used too? What is maximum height of assembled LimeSDR board?
One think I don’t like on 1455 V2 enclosures is that they have plastic end panels. Hammond 1455 (original, not V2) have aluminum end panels, but there is no model with right dimensions. 1455J1201 (http://www.hammondmfg.com/pdf/1455J1201.pdf) has internal dimensions of 120mm x 75 mm, so maybe some insert / pad could be used? It also has sliding belly plate, which is nice.
Do you think aluminum end panels vs. plastic end panels could have noticeable effect on EMI shielding properties?
Im getting a 1006423.5mm aluminium case from aliexpress for 10usd shipped lol.
You are definitely going to have a difference between full aluminium and plastic ends in terms of EMI.
Well, many local suppliers stock Hammond 1455 enclosures, so you can get it probably under $15 (including shipping) too. E.g. in Czech Republic SOS electronic seems to have it.
But AliExpress or eBay is of course another good option.
That’s nice,we don’t have any local electronics components suppliers carrying that here in the UAE…
You are czmikos on reddit right?I upvoted your posts .
Sweet,I had the superbat one wishlisted already.Guess I’ll wishlist the other one too.
Thanks for linking the other ones,I guess getting some extra length won’t hurt.
Well, I don’t yet own it. BUT we should check the side fit.
Enclosures require sideband to be more than 2mm. Board itself has components 1mm near edge.
Hm,
you mean pcb (1.6-1.7+components)
also 2x 1.27 connectors on top side are not more than 1.5 mm from edge.
You should definitely try if you have a chance.
@luftek Thank you very much for your work. This is very unfortunate, it would be nice if PCB fit into common 1.5mm - 2mm grooves
I am thinking about buying only slightly wider enclosure (there are many similar aluminum enclosures with 70mm - 75mm internal width) and insert blank PCB into it as a pad. LimeSDR board can then be fixed to pad on short spacers with bolts. This seems to be more robust than small pads (one for every bolt) as can be seen on your pictures, I would be afraid that those small pads could accidentally rotate (when inserting it into enclosure) and damage nearby components.
Do you know how long would spacers need to be? What is maximum height of components on bottom side of LimeSDR board?
Also how much space is needed on the back side of front panel for SMA connectors? I am thinking if they can be placed above the board if we use 100mm enclosure or if we need longer (110mm or more) enclosure so there will be enough room for them.
E.g. these enclosures could be used:
SZOMK AK-C-B15 - one part, internal dimensions: 110mm x 70.1mm x 25.4mm … $10.63 (inc. shipping)
SZOMK AK-C-C15 - two part, internal dimensions: 100mm x 67mm x 22mm … $10.28 (inc. shipping)
Or if you want to go bigger:
SZOMK AK-C-C13 - two part, internal dimensions: 110mm x 84.2mm x 34.5mm … $12.50 (free shipping)
…So, I tried putting the LimeSDR in a Hammond 1455 aluminum case that’s 13mm X 70mm X 120mm (HxWxD) and it’s possible…but MY MY is it TIGHT…! See the pics of how it went together. I only used one port for now for receive, but I plan on adding 4 ports to this eventually. I’m just using the wideband receive port for now (LNAL). See pics for more detail…Again, it’s possible and it looked ‘okay’ when I got done - wished I didn’t have to chew up the case to make it happen, but that’s life…
@martywittrock Looking at specs of Hammond 1455 A1202, internal width is 61.88mm and groove overlap is 2.29mm. So actual overlap over each edge of the board should be 1.35mm… do you think it would similarly work even with 1.5 - 1.6mm actual overlap? Or some components on the edge could be damaged by it?
EDIT: Looking at pictures again, it seems like 1.35mm overlap is really the maximum LimeSDR board could take… but nevertheless my question stays, you have the board in your hands, you can tell us for sure
It ran real well for more than 4 hours last night when I got it all done, but I do agree that some small ventilation holes should be drilled at the bottom and top of the case to allow stack (heatrise) airflow.
I’ve attached a picture of the case I used for the LimeSDR in the pictures I posted last night. If you see the area where the card can slide into the case, the width is 61.88mm +/- 0.51mm. I can tell you that the amount of overlap between the edges that catch the LimeSDR card and the edge where the components are only gives you about 2 - 3mm of clearance before you may stray where the parts are. The LimeSDR was kind-of loose entering the case and when it was actually put together for the first time with both endcaps on. But I used electrical tape to protect the potential of the components getting shorted and to allow a less movement in the LimeSDR card side-to-side. The anodizing of the channel that the LimeSDR fits into provides no EMI protection, so insulating the card guide was the only means to protect the cards from side-to-side damage that could result. Frankly, the channel width is right, so try to find a case that meets that width and the length is perfect, too (120mm). But just try to find a case that has a 1" height and not the 12mm height I selected. It’s ‘doable’ height wise, but you’re going to chew into the case to make the connector and jumper fit.
