This 3D-Printable Bracket Makes STEMMA QT Sensor Swapping Quick and Easy
Designed to fit onto an existing STEMMA QT cable, this handy bracket is sized for Adafruit sensor boards.
Pseudonymous maker "kmatch98" has designed a 3D-printable mounting system, which turns STEMMA QT sensor boards into quick-change modules — allowing for easy installation and removal as requirements change.
"This is a quick 3D printed design for holding a STEMMA QT cable firmly enough to make a pluggable sensor slot," kmatch98 explains. "This design matches the standard small type Adafruit sensors with dimensions of 0.7 x 1.0 inches. You can adapt the size to any slot by redesigning."
The two-piece design, which attaches to an off-the-shelf STEMMA QT cable using two M2 bolts and friction, offers a larger surface area than the traditional end of a STEMMA QT cable — making it easier to grab. It covers part of the target sensor board, to just over the first two mounting holes, while leaving the rest of the board free.
It's worth mentioning that kmatch98's design is purely mechanical: While it effectively makes it easy to hot-swap STEMMA QT sensor boards, it's up to the user to ensure that the code can figure out what sensor is in use at any given time.
This isn't kmatch98's first shot at using a 3D printer to enhance Adafruit hardware: Back in 2020 the maker put together a compact programming device hosting two Adafruit ItsyBitsy M4 boards and a compact display in an unusual chassis to create the cyberDÛCK.
More details on the STEMMA QT quick-swap bracket are available on the project's Hackaday.io page, alongside STEP and Fusion 360 files for download and printing.
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