Dear people,
Recently, I was tasked with creating a couple of 'universal' boxes for Bela Mini, intended for various sound installation projects for an art company based in Berlin. I believe it might be beneficial to share this process here for others who may embark on similar endeavours. Additionally, I would greatly appreciate any feedback or suggestions.
Allow me to elaborate on the project:
As previously mentioned, a Berlin-based company approached me to design what they envisioned as a universal box featuring different LEDs, switches, knobs, and sensor connectors, all controlled by Bela Mini + Expansion Audio Caplet (8ch outputs).
The primary objective was for these boxes to fulfil basic playback functions such as starting, stopping, and pausing audio. Additionally, they required multifunctional switch buttons for transitioning between presentation modes, such as installation or performance. Finally, they wanted the capability to incorporate various sensors, both analogue and digital.
Here is what I devised:
And here is the interior layout:
To address the lack of mounting holes in Bela Mini, I also designed a Bela Mini holder:
For those interested in understanding the connectivity, here is a non-standard diagram:
I'm pleased to report that everything functions flawlessly. I welcome your thoughts, and I hope this documentation proves helpful to others.
Ilija