I have to design computer case to look industrial as in not home or office… but for use out in the field mounted on the tractor and must have industrial type connectors … where could you get industrial type connectors??? Any experience in this field or advice would be appreciated…
What do you mean by industrial type connectors? Do you mean the connections on the tractor or the computer? Love to help out any lad from the isle!
well the connectors are going into the computer and will be used in the field. Like can u justt get a heavily coated wiring or something.
the design is just a box made from aluminium. not pretty, but that what he wants
Just wondering if this will affect its heat dissipating abilities.
Some of our military contacts really like Lemo connectors… I believe they are waterproof - submergeable - and can be used as a multipurpose plug for say VGA, power, and USB. At least thats how they use them.
http://www.lemousa.com/products/connector/connector_guide.jsp
hey aluminum parts can look pretty good… machined parts can have a real precision look (if he can afford it). Would be a cool opportunity to get some injection molded / die cast aluminum experience too. Maybe you should think of it as a design constraint that will let you design a more innovative solution.
PS - Aluminum can be the heat sink/spreader
I have quite a bit of experience designing electronics enclosures for harsh environments. Send me a PM and we can chat. I agree with Deez regarding the IP67 connectors, though there may not be a need to go even that extreme. IP65, which is dustproof and splashproof should be enough. Nearly all electronic connectors of this type (that are any good) will either have an IP or NEMA rating (NEMA is a US rating, IP is a EU rating) to gauge their level of sealing. The use of o-rings and gaskets is also something you will need to look into.
In terms of heat dissipation, aluminum is an good conductor of heat and can easily be used as a heat sink. In addition, using textured surfaces to increase the surface area externally will help to dissipate the heat faster.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
I often troll these boards but registered because this sounds like an interesting project. I am an engineer by training and I recently did a computer system like you describe. Can you post more details?
-Pete