Week 15. System Integration
Document system integration for final project.
Assignment
Design and document the system integration for your final project
Steady Top - Stewart Platform - Final Project
Bill of Materials
Above is the Bill of Materials for the Steady Top Stewart platform as of 7th May 2025
It also highlights the materials to be used for the various components I will be making in the Fab Lab. We can also see prices and sources for the parts that have been or need to be purchased, with a cost breakdown of the project.
Below we see the various components outlined in the Bill of Materials on the CAD model.
Exploded View
Above is an exploded view of the project - some issues with the assembly and the way they are exploding - I'll need to address that in future iterations of the exploded view.
Below is the CAD model of the Steady Top - stewart platform nounted on the base that also holds the power supply.
Implemented methods of Packaging
The project is coming along nicely. I have modelled in housings for both the BNO085 in the top platform - with an integrated light pipe to see the LED on the board is illuminated - I used a small length of 3mm clear PC filament for this. In this iteration the light pipe just comes straight to the top of the platform; however, I would like to have it visible at the front edge of the platform in future projects and this could be achieved relatively easily. It might require a 2-part platform top - let's save this for future spirals.
I marked the pins for the BNO085 on the top platform so I know which cables go where - I still need to make a proper cable with connectors - till then I need to use jumper wires.
Below you can see the light pipe in action when the BNO085 is powered up - the LED is visible through the top plate.
The servo controller board has small mounting pins printed into the mid plate to keep it secure in place.
There will be a PCB mount that will sit above the servo controller board that will house the controller board with the XIAO RP2040.
At this point I still need to create the PCB for the controller board and cables to connect to the servo controller and the BNO085. At the moment I'm using the 'F' board to test the systems; however, I only have one output connector in it that has I2C pins available, so I'm testing the BNO085 with the F board and the XIAO RP2040 with the F board. I'll need to create a PCB for the controller board and cables to connect to the servo controller and the BNO085 and the servo controller board separately until I can get the new board made.
I still need to design a base to mount the Stewart platform on and hold the Meanwell power supply - I'll need to make sure the power supply is secure and that the cables cannot get damaged when the platform is in motion.
Initial Assembly
Below are some images of the platform assembly to date.
Issues I've encountered
What went wrong?
The mounting holes for the BNO085 came off the FDM printed top plate when using the screws to mount the board - I used a soldering iron to push the screws into the other two mounting bosses for this model - I will redesign the mounting bosses to have better strength in the future - they can become part of the outer walls as there is no need for them to be separated bosses; this will reduce the likelihood of them shearing off when using the screws.
Learning Outcomes
System Integration & Packaging Design
• Successfully integrated multiple electronic components (BNO085 sensor, servo controller, XIAO RP2040) into a cohesive Stewart platform system
• Designed and implemented custom housings with integrated features like light pipes for LED visibility
• Created mounting solutions for PCB boards and components within the platform structure
• Identified and resolved mechanical issues (mounting boss failures) through iterative design improvements
• Developed a comprehensive Bill of Materials with cost analysis and sourcing information
• Gained experience in system-level design thinking and component integration planning
The week focused on bringing together all the individual components into a working system, with particular emphasis on mechanical integration, packaging design, and identifying areas for future improvement.