I am building an automation system, and I was thinking about various ways to use the raspberry pi in this process. One of the main problems I had was figuring out how to connect all my I/O for things like sensors and relays and so on. Then it occurred to me that twisted pair CAT3 and CAT5 would be perfect for this, along with RJ12 and RJ45 connectors, which is wonderful for fast reliable connection and disconnection. Home Depot, like most hardware vendors, sells wonderful modular wall plates that you can snap in various options, like HDMI, USB, CAT3/5, and so. (USB pass-through can be used as power if you’d like.) That makes this a natural solution for this sort of I/O problem. Though that brings up the problem what do you mount it to? Because the standard blue utility box is a poor fit. It’s not designed for external use. So I designed a box that is.
Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.
Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!