DIN Rail mounting our controllers.

Brookwood Design makes 2 motion controller boards: the ultra fast Teensy 4.1 based T41U5XBB and the economical (but still fast) RP23CNC. This blog discusses mounting them using standard, readily available and inexpensive 35 mm DIN Rail hardware.

DIN Rail mounting is very good way to organize an electronics cabinet. The DIN Rail brackets snap onto the rails and can be moved around with ease. A vast number of devices come with DIN Rail mounts and there are a lot of 3D printable adaptors that have been published. We have made 3D Printable DIN Rail mounting brackets available on Printables. Both the T41U5XBB and RP23CNC are supported. If you don't have access to a 3D Printer, there are a number of printing services that can take the provided.3MF file.

As you can see from the above drawing, the PCB is attached to the brackets on either side via small screws - typically M3 but US 4-40 screws are also supported. The PCB+bracket assembly then snaps onto a standard 35mm DIN Rail. Release is easily done with a small screwdriver.

The files are available from Printables.

Printing services are widely available - a quick search reveals quite a few. Prices vary from less than $10 up to $30 depending on a number of factors including service location, materials used and delivery time. Send the .3MF file to the service. PLA (a 3DP material) is acceptable and cheap.

Small holes can be troublesome on a 3D printer. You may need to adjust the hole size if your printer shrinks holes a bit. A too small hole can be adjusted with the right size drill bit. Self-tapping or sheet metal screws are effective. If using straight screws, an appropriate tap (M3 tap for M3 screws, for example) make for a precise hole to screw into.

About Me.

I'm Phil Barrett, a long time CNC enthusiast. I run a small company, Brookwood Design, that makes several breakout boards for grblHAL and love to help people get the most out of their CNC machines.