I've deployed a few outdoor projects in the past with moderate success using IP65 enclosures. In the Pacific Northwest we have quite a bit of rain during the year, so I have an interest in waterproof enclosures and connectors. My previous outdoor projects did not use connectors but instead used IP68 cable glands and jacketed cable. I don't really do many submersible projects - my my primary requirements are tolerance to heavy rain and hose spray.
The challenge kit includes a Hammond IP68 rated enclosure and an assortment of Amphenol IP67 rated connectors, so it will be a good opportunity to test how well waterproof connectors perform in my types of applications.
There are 7 bulkhead connectors in the kit
- USB Type A with mating connector
- RJ45
- 4 pin Circular with mating connector
- Type N to SMA coaxial adapter
- SMA to MCS coaxial adapter
- TNC coaxial
- SMA to AMC coaxial cable assembly
There are 6 cutouts provided on the enclosure
- USB Type A
- RJ45
- 4 pin Circular
- Type N
- SMA (for either of the 2 types)
- TNC
The picture below shows the connectors mounted on the enclosure:
I printed an adapter plate to mount the lattePanda and other components in the enclosure. The size of the plate exceeded the maximum build size of my printer (210 mm), so I had to print it in 2 halves.
For this challenge I have the following objectives:
- Implement an environmental sensor system to monitor the temperature, humidity, pressure and gas inside the sealed enclosure using a BME680 sensor and internal & external thermistors with the lattePanda.
- Determine whether the sensor system can reliably detect water ingress into enclosure before failure is catastrophic (is humidity sufficient or is liquid sensor required).
- Characterize environmental effect of operating a moderate power (5-10W) SBC (lattePanda) in a sealed enclosure. Can it operate reliably over an extended period or are there thermal issues.
- Determine whether the enclosure and connector system can withstand submersion in water without leaking.
I plan to use the SMA (WiFi/BLE), RJ45 (Ethernet), 4 pin circular (power/external thermistor) and USB-A (debug) connectors with the enclosure. This will be subject to further research. Not sure if it will be practical to operate using connectors other than the 4 pin circular and USB-A when the enclosure is submerged (waterproof mating connectors for those two are supplied in the kit). In the deployed normal operating configuration, I plan to only use the WiFi antenna and power connectors.
Below is a diagram of my proposed enclosure setup. If possible I'd like to plug the unused holes, otherwise I will just mount the unused connectors.
