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Lab: Block Model Enclosure at Hardware Scale

Course 3 · Module 1 Type: Hands-on (Blender scene units + PCB placeholder + enclosure block) Suggested time: ~90–120 minutes

Read first: Lesson · Checklist · ← TOC · M02 →

Keep these tabs open while you work

Section titled “Keep these tabs open while you work”
Resource Why
Scene Units (Blender Manual) Metric / mm / Unit Scale
Apply Scale Ctrl+A
Set Origin pivots
All About Circuits — enclosure steps PCB-first mindset
Protolabs — clearance / wall 0.5 mm · ~2 mm wall

Lab Goals

Section titled “Lab Goals”
  • Set the Blender scene to Metric + Millimeters per the team’s convention
  • Create a PCB placeholder at the measured size, or the lab default
  • Build an enclosure block that covers the PCB with the clearance from the lesson
  • Apply Scale · name the objects · save the .blend + a screenshot
  • Fill in scale-and-block-checklist.md

Prerequisites

Section titled “Prerequisites”
  • Install Blender (LTS recommended)
  • Read Lesson §5 at least once
  • A project folder, for example course3-m01-block/
  • (Recommended) Vernier calipers + the real board you’re using

Size source — pick one track

Section titled “Size source — pick one track”

Track A — Measure your board (preferred)

Section titled “Track A — Measure your board (preferred)”
  1. Measure the PCB’s width × length × thickness (mm)
  2. Estimate the tallest component’s height (connector / sensor)
  3. If it is an Infineon PSOC Edge kit, open the kit guide / design files index to help with the measurement
  4. Note where the numbers came from in the checklist

Track B — Placeholder (if no board yet)

Section titled “Track B — Placeholder (if no board yet)”

Use this practice size, and swap in the real one later:

Part X (mm) Y (mm) Z (mm)
PCB_placeholder 80 55 1.6
Tallest component allowance (air above PCB) — — 3.0
Clearance (each side) 0.5 0.5 —
Wall (planned) 2.0 2.0 2.0

Compute the Enclosure_block outer size using the formula in Lesson §4.2, and write the numbers into the checklist before building in Blender.

Lab A — New scene and units (required)

Section titled “Lab A — New scene and units (required)”
  1. File → New → General
  2. Scene Properties → Units:
    • Unit System = Metric
    • Length = Millimeters
    • Unit Scale = 0.001
  3. Save the file: m01_block_enclosure.blend
  4. Note the Blender version in the checklist (Help → About / the splash screen)

Pass when: changing a Cube’s Dimensions shows units in mm on the UI

Lab B — PCB placeholder (required)

Section titled “Lab B — PCB placeholder (required)”
  1. Add Cube → name it PCB_placeholder
  2. Set Dimensions per Track A or B
  3. Object → Set Origin → Origin to Geometry
  4. Ctrl+A → Scale (Scale must read 1,1,1)
  5. Position it above the World Origin so it is visible
  6. (Recommended) Overlay → turn on Measurements in Edit Mode and spot-check one edge against the table

Pass when: Dimensions match the table, and Scale = 1,1,1

Lab C — Enclosure block + fit check (required)

Section titled “Lab C — Enclosure block + fit check (required)”
  1. Compute the outer size (write it in the checklist)
  2. Add Cube → name it Enclosure_block
  3. Set Dimensions · Origin to Geometry · Apply Scale
  4. Position it so the PCB sits inside
  5. Switch to Wireframe and check from the Top / Front / Right views
  6. Confirm: the PCB does not poke through the wall · there is roughly the expected clearance gap

Pass when: an isometric screenshot shows both parts, and a teammate can read the Dimensions from the checklist

Lab D — Naming, colors, save (required)

Section titled “Lab D — Naming, colors, save (required)”
  1. Set a temporary viewport color or material, a different one for each part (PCB / Enclosure)
  2. File → Save
  3. Export a screenshot (or a Render Viewport) named m01_block_iso.png
  4. Fill in the checklist completely

Lab E — Optional extras

Section titled “Lab E — Optional extras”
  • Add a Battery_block or Display_block per its datasheet
  • Write down the 4 concept notes from Lesson §3.1
  • Compare sizes with the models in ternion-3d-assets-free (for scale reference only — do not substitute it for your own work)

Deliverables checklist

Section titled “Deliverables checklist”
  • m01_block_enclosure.blend
  • An isometric screenshot
  • scale-and-block-checklist.md filled in completely
  • (If you have a board) the size source = a real measurement and/or kit documentation

Troubleshooting

Section titled “Troubleshooting”
Symptom What to try
The grid disappears / objects are too small to see Check Unit Scale = 0.001 · zoom in · adjust the Grid overlay
Typing 80 gives something gigantic or tiny The team is using mismatched unit conventions — reset per Lab A
Bevel / resizing goes wrong later You forgot Apply Scale — do Ctrl+A → Scale
Not sure of the Infineon board’s size Measure it for real first · use the design files from the kits page · don’t guess from a web photo alone
The enclosure looks too big Check that you added the wall on both sides, and not twice

Lesson · Checklist · TOC · M02 →

Cite this lesson

If you teach from this lesson or reuse it in slides or documents, credit it with the text below. If you changed it, add (adapted) after the title.

"Lab: Block Model Enclosure at Hardware Scale" from TESA Open Knowledge by the Thai Embedded Systems Association (TESA), https://github.com/tesaiot/tesa-qualification-program, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

Thai attribution: "แล็บ: กล่องหุ้มแบบ block ตามสเกลฮาร์ดแวร์" จาก TESA Open Knowledge โดยสมาคมสมองกลฝังตัวไทย (Thai Embedded Systems Association: TESA) https://github.com/tesaiot/tesa-qualification-program สัญญาอนุญาต CC BY-NC 4.0

Lesson link: https://tesaiot.github.io/tesa-qualification-program/en/courses/product-design/m01-design-fundamentals/l02-lab/

This lesson adapts the source below; keep its credit too.
https://github.com/drsanti/TESAIoT-Courses/blob/287c21814ba8c75f693136616dcd270349a15966/C3/M01/lab.md · Original content by Asst. Prof. Dr. Santi Nuratch (ผศ.ดร.สันติ นุราช), KMUTT. Course 3 (C3/) of drsanti/TESAIoT-Courses. TESA funded the work and holds the rights; published here under CC BY-NC 4.0. The upstream repository carries no licence file. Text kept faithful; structure, front matter, quizzes and notes added by TESA Open Knowledge.

Full guide: how to cite TESA

TESA Open Knowledge · © 2026 สมาคมสมองกลฝังตัวไทย (TESA) · CC BY-NC 4.0

Content is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Reuse it non-commercially and credit the Thai Embedded Systems Association (TESA) every time. · How to cite TESA