6 posts
Placing an ESP32-S3 PCB inside a 3D-printed enclosure can degrade Wi-Fi and BLE signal strength by 3 dB to over 15 dB if you ignore ground plane clearance, dielectric loading, and filament selection. Here is the mechanical guide to preserving RF performance.
· 5 min read
Filament is under half a percent of the bill. Here's the itemized total for a palm-sized ESP32 enclosure, design time included.
· 11 min read
A single-cavity prototype steel tool for a palm-sized enclosure runs about $10k — we've had our own parts quoted. Here's the break-even math on when it pays.
· 10 min read
DIY in Fusion 360 is right for some founders. Here's the exact line where it stops being cheaper — license terms, tolerance stacks, real hours.
· 8 min read
STL is a triangle mesh. STEP is real CAD geometry. Converting one direction is routine; the other throws away everything you'd want to change later.
· 11 min read
An ESP32 rat's nest became a four-revision custom board. The most expensive mistake was a sensor we never actually measured.
· 4 min read
