We have already introduced you the Mini Lab some time ago, and it has been successful showing how Totem mechanics integrate with electronics.
Classic Mini Lab
Totem Micro Lab – fully Arduino compatible
This time we wanted to show that you can tidy up your smaller construction. In the heart of it is a Totem version of Arduino – the TotemDuino.
It’s just like an Arduino, compatible with its software and development environment, only improved in some areas. It has stronger power supplies amongst other things.
In the Mini Lab it also provides protected IO pins from the microprocessor.
We thought we could make a smaller version of the Mini Lab, and therefore we called it Totem Micro Lab.
Micro Lab
Totem Mechanics – perfect for electronics projects
The instructions that follows the Micro Lab are specific for building the Micro Lab, but there is not any reason for you to limit yourself with this design. You can use the same basic design to expand your electronics lab in different ways.
If you already have Totem mechanical parts, like a Totem Maker Kit, you can easily upgrade the Micro Lab to your own version.
And you can find the instructions for building the original version of Micro Lab here.
Micro lab Instructions
Below you can see a version of the Micro Lab stand with a 100x100m perforated board instead of TotemDuino and Breadboard. We have mounted the DC motor controller and the motor on the board. Also some potentiometers and a servo motor. This can be used for learning of for motor-controlling with Arduino.
Adding a stand for motor applications
You can build different variants of Micro Lab frame – wider or narrower – that suits your need.
The biggest advantage of Micro Lab is that arranging your electronics this way, the risk of short circuits or damage dramatically low. You can easily carry and move the arrangement to other place without risking pulling wires out of breadboards.
Below is another example of making your electronics more tidy and sturdy. This is a LCD touch display mounted below the TotemDuino, instead of a breadboard.
An LCD touch Display mounted for better protection and ergonomic use
No More Messy Electronics
Why not going further? The illustration below shows how easy it is to make a much wider stand for your electronics projects. In some cases it’s much better to have a permanent setup for electronics learning and experimentation. This stand is 30cm wide, having room for many modules and components.
A wider stand, 30cm wide
Another example shows how you can populate the stand with a variety of modules, making your learning or prototyping more pleasant and ergonomic.
The wider stand populated with modules and an extra breadboard
Plan your projects to be more organized!
Or if you are a teacher or instructor of coding and embedded electronics, make your class-sets much more tidy and sturdy. The students will need way less time to start with a lesson when the setup is already assembled on a Totem stand.
